11 Jun 2007
Defense Tech has a great post by Eric Daniels up: Me and My M-14.
Things start pretty rough with an M-16A2, get worse and then worser, but suddenly:
I saw a number of M-14s piled in a corner collecting dust.
Go read.
(Yes, Murdoc is curious about why one could get an M-14 back into prime condition but not get a new front post for an M-16. But it’s a great read about a great weapon nonetheless.)
And go weigh in on Buckethead’s call for what needs to change when you’re done.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Well, for starters, he had available ‘a number of M14s in the corner collecting dust’ to pull parts off of, as long as the armorer let him. I seem to remember spare front sight posts being one of those things that the armorer carried around in his box o’ small parts. It was back when I was a company XO.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I have a friend who was allowed to carry an M1 during his time in Vietnam. He killed VC with the bayonet and butt plate as well as with the bullets. Said 9 lbs felt about right when it came to crushing someone’s skull. Also said it had a hell of a lot more punch than the AK-47, and he is still pissed about the guys who died because their M-16s jammed. He never used the M-14 though, so he didn’t have any opinion on thier relative merits.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I tried to get myself an M-14 for the Gulf War. The members of my air-team all took voluntary transfers to a Marine Reserve Infantry Battalion that was being deployed. Since we checked in a day before the unit was leaving town, the armorer and supply people were order to get us whatever we ‘needed.’ I told the armorer I needed an M-14 for my team (I knew they had some for funerals and parades). He looked but was surprised to find that they had all been issued. I found out later than some Vietnam vet Gunnies on the battalion staff had snagged the M-14’s and a couple of shotguns for their vehicles.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Shipmates, I was very fond of the M-14. I did a tour in the army as an 11B before I decided I’d rather fly… go figure. Anyway, we still had the rock & roll switches, bipods, and fiberglass stocks on the ones issued to us. A great weapon, very forgiving, and with a h@ll of a punch. If I had the spare cash laying about, I’d have one built for me. Just in case….. Respects,
June 14th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Tim, just in case what? You worried about zombies or something?