M-14 Armory
M-14 Rifle

Attn Introduction
The M14 rifle (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14) is an American selective fire battle rifle firing 7.62 × 51 mm NATO ammunition.
Although largely superseded in military use by the M16 rifle, it remains in limited front line service with the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. The M14 also provides the basis for the M21 and XM25 sniper rifles (not to be confused with the XM25 grenade launcher) .

Production

Standard service rifles were produced from 1959 to 1964.
  • Springfield Armory, Springfield, MA
  • Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., Worcester, MA
  • Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. (Winchester-Western Div.), New Haven, CT
  • Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Inc.(TRW), Cleveland, OH (considered the highest-quality variant, TRW marked parts often command a premium when they come up for sale)

The purpose-built National Match version was produced in 1962 and 1963 by Springfield Armory, and in 1964 by TRW. Springfield Armory upgraded a number of service-grade rifles in 1965 and 1966 to National Match specifications. Upgrading was also carried out in 1967 at the Rock Island Arsenal. These M14 variants are to this day capable of extreme long-range accuracy.

Springfield and TRW delivered more than 11,000 National Match rifles in the 1962–1964 period. Roughly 8,000 service rifles were modified to NM standards during 1965–1967.

Rife Ammo Guns Grenade

Stock

The M14 rifle was first furnished with a walnut stock, then with birch and finally with a synthetic stock. Original equipment walnut and birch stocks carry the Department of Defense acceptance stamp or cartouche (an arc of three stars above a spread-winged eagle). These stocks also carried a proof stamp, a P within a circle, applied after successful test-firing.

Rifles manufactured through late 1960 were provided with walnut handguards. Thereafter synthetic, slotted (ventilated) hand guards were furnished but proved too fragile for military use. These were replaced by the solid synthetic part still in use, usually in dark brown, black or a camouflage pattern.

- Source: Wikipedia