By John MarshallThe U.S. M14 rifle, a product-improved select-

fire development of John Garand’s famous M1 rifle,was designed to replace the M1 Garand, the M1Carbine, the M1918 Browning automatic rifle, andthe M3 and M3A1 submachine guns. Adopted in1957, it failed in its full-auto mode, proving virtual-ly uncontrollable, but when fired semiautomatical-ly, it showed itself to be as fine a full-power battlerifle as could be had. Although the M16 series of5.56mm rifles and carbines have become standardin our service, existing stocks of 7.62mm M14s arestill in demand by our military where decisivelonger-range firepower is required. Many in ourarmed forces think the M14 should be resurrectedand returned to standard front-line service wheretarget distances are routinely in excess of 200yards. Powerful, reliable, accurate and robust, theM14 is still a classic and useful battle rifle.

Towards the end of World War II, perceiveddeficiencies in the M1 rifle began to be addressedby the U.S. Army’s research and developmentdepartment at the Springfield Armory in Spring-field, Massachusetts. While the M1’s en-bloc clipholding eight rounds worked reliably and ensuredthat the weight of the rifle could be kept withinreasonable bounds, more ammunition capacitywas seen as desirable. Winchester, Remington,and John Garand all offered conversion designs. Ashorter, lighter version of the standard .30-06 car-tridge was developed, originally based on the .300Savage round. Dubbed the 7.62x51mm (civilianversion .308 Winchester) cartridge, it permitted a20-round detachable magazine to be employed,with ballistics comparable to the .30-06. Garand’sT(Test) 20 design showed promise. A new gas sys-tem was developed from Earle Harvey’s T25 sub-mission, which replaced the long operatingrod/piston of the M1 with a gas expansion andcut-off design. It propelled a piston under the bar-rel a brief distance to strike and activate the muchshorter operating rod. The melded designs resulted

in the final T44 prototype. It retained therotating bolt, trigger mechanism and sights of theM1, assuring easier transition to the new rifle bythose used to the M1. A slotted flash suppressorwas added to the lighter-weight barrel. A trip leverwas actuated by the operating rod when in full-auto mode to release the hammer as the boltclosed as long as the trigger was depressed, and aselector switch was employed on the right rear ofthe receiver. The T44, after competition with otherdesigns, including the T48 FN FAL, was adopted in1957 as the U.S. Rifle, 7.62mm, M14. The7.62x51mm cartridge was subsequently adoptedby other Western nations and became designatedas the 7.62mm NATO.

The new rifle was equipped with a hinged buttplate that was to give support in the prone positionduring full-auto fire. It also had a bayonet lugaccepting a ringed M6 bayonet based on theGarand’s M5 and M5A1 bayonets. The gas bleedfrom the barrel incorporated a rotating gas cutoffvalve that would allow rifle grenade launching.The first rifles in production used a solid woodhandguard that proved unsatisfactory, as excessiveheat from the barrel caused charring and smoking.A replacement slotted plastic handguard also gaveproblems, allowing heat waves to rise through theslots and interfere with sighting. The final designwas a non-slotted plastic handguard that provedmuch better. Fiberglass stocks were issued late inproduction to replace the first walnut or birchtypes that tended to expand in the moisture-ladenjungles of Vietnam. An M15 version was producedwhich was equipped with a heavy barrel and stockand a bipod in an attempt to control full-auto firewhen used as a squad automatic rifle. As it turnedout, the standard-barreled M14 could do as wellin this role, and a somewhat modified version witha wood pistol grip stock, muzzle compensator andmetal foregrip served as the M14A1. It too was vir-tually uncontrollable in full-auto fire. Most selec-tor switches on standard issue weapons were

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40 CCLLAASSSSIICC MMIILLIITTAARRYY RRIIFFLLEESS: The U.S. M14 Rifle

“The M14 rifle was designed to replace the

M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle,

and the M3/M3A1 submachine guns.”

March 10 Blue Press Section 2 1/13/10 12:33 PM Page 40