M14: America’s Worst Service Rifle - What Went Wrong? (Ad-free)
Added 2024-04-15 12:00:08 +0000 UTCWhile the US never adopted a significant variation of the M1 Garand (excluding sniper models), testing continued on new iterations and features throughout the war. By the time the war ended, the US military had some specific ideas about what it wanted in a new service rifle. That being, something lighter, capable of automatic fire, and to have one single platform replace the M1 Carbine, M3A1 Grease Gun, M1 Garand, and M1918A2 BAR. New rifles to meet these requirements were developed by Springfield, Remington, and Winchester, ultimately competing against the FN FAL for US service use. The Springfield T44E4 won out (barely) and was adopted on May 1, 1957 at the M14 rifle.
Production of the M14 was plagued by problems, largely due to quality control lapses. Early in production there were heat treatment problems that led to sheared looking lugs and broken receivers. Once those were addressed, the main problem because one of accuracy, with a shocking number of M14s failing to meet the 5.6 MOA minimum accuracy standard. Ultimately production ended in 1963 with 1.38 million M14s produced, and the M16 took over as the new American service rifle.
Comments
In the 1950's NATO was mostly a USA show except for some British jet bombers and the Royal Navy.
Richard Bull
2024-04-20 10:03:06 +0000 UTCConfirmed, Robert McNamara was an idiot.
Christopher Hunt
2024-04-18 10:49:21 +0000 UTCOne of the 'back stories' regarding the M-14 and the 7.62 NATO cartridge has to do with a colonel in the Ordnance department who was dead set against intermediate cartridges. NATO was interested in adopting a standard cartridge and rifle. The US forced the adoption of the 7.62x51 with NATO accepting it hoping the members would all adopt the FAL. The US however stuck to NIH and the M14 was adopted. The "what ifs?" in this story are huge.
Dana Arbeit
2024-04-16 19:35:29 +0000 UTCRegarding your future plans for a video on "M1As", I have an A.R. Sales Mark IV that is part of a small batch manufactured in the early 70s on new receivers for those of us who just had to have a semi-auto version of the M14. I would be happy to provide any information you want on my rifle.
Dana Arbeit
2024-04-16 19:28:53 +0000 UTCThank you Ian for a great summary of the M14 story. I know more than one Vietnam Vet who told me after they had an M16/16A1 for awhile, they couldn't get hold of a M14 fast enough. You covered so much very well. I look forward to future presentations of more of the M14 story.
Dana Arbeit
2024-04-16 19:25:22 +0000 UTCI talked to a former soldier that had been issued an M-14 during the Berlin crisis. He said it was a piece of junk. He also mentioned he got rather angry the first time he handled a FAL, as he considered it to be much superior. During testing of the T-48 (FAL) both H&R and High Standard manufactured the T-48 without major issues as did numerous countries around the world. I fired the German G-1 FAL in full auto, and two different M-14s in full auto. The G-1 was quite controllable if you kept the bursts short, which was easy to do. One of the M-14s had the E2 wooden pistolgrip stock, bipod and muzzlebrake. It was almost as controllable as the G-1, but heavier. The other one had the fiberglass stock and the second shot was quite high compared to the first.
Michael E Halbrook
2024-04-16 16:11:17 +0000 UTCThe military establishment disregarded their own research in favor of their cherished misconceptions. It had been established that the infantry was not well served by a heavy, large caliber rifle. Even “tree line to tree line” engagements offered only fleeting glimpses of the enemy. Soldiers were better served by an effective GPMG and an intermediate caliber carbine. It still amazes me that in a decade that saw supersonic jet bombers, ICBMs and nuclear submarines the army adopted the WW2 service rifle with a detachable magazine.
Bryan Bradley
2024-04-16 15:06:24 +0000 UTCJust the fact that this video exists is causing the M14 fanboys to lose their minds all over the internet. I love it.
Nathan McCord
2024-04-16 09:00:06 +0000 UTCI always hated the M14 as an abomination of weapon but didn't know it was this bad. I just assumed it was a 55 Corvette with a brand new LS engine, blower and spoiler with 22 inch rims. It's it better???? Maybe but it sure as hell is wrong. But no it's a Model T with a turbo diesel and a reinforced frame ready to start truckin.
Mark Farris
2024-04-16 00:45:38 +0000 UTCHarsh but I understand lol I'd still like one.
Willie
2024-04-15 22:39:24 +0000 UTCYes, a lot of the M14s in service had the selectors removed at some point. I was a submarine crewman and we had several M14s onboard. All of them had the selectors removed, although our armorers had the selectors in storage.
Michael Baggott
2024-04-15 21:02:02 +0000 UTCin other words: the SA80/L85 of the US. quality control...
Guido Schriewer
2024-04-15 18:26:00 +0000 UTCI'd call the m27 iar a HORRIBLE idea to put it mildly. support weapon has to be beltfed IMO. I think the 14 gets a "bad name" these days. after dusting off ooold ones shove them into chassis and try to make a dmr out of them in gwot times. oldtimers whom did their service with the m14 say "the good rifle" on the turn to the 16 so regular... I'd love a garand but a scout shorty maybe... wouldn't need much to get me towards an m1a.
Guido Schriewer
2024-04-15 17:45:04 +0000 UTCA Garand with a box magazine is my dream rifle.
Terry
2024-04-15 16:22:52 +0000 UTCStop killing the value of my Winchester M14 parts! : )
Kenneth Marshall
2024-04-15 16:20:01 +0000 UTCThe air force continued to use carbines up to the 70s for guard / security duty. For that it was decent. A guard certainly wouldn't want to lug around an M14 all day or night.
Kenneth Marshall
2024-04-15 16:18:43 +0000 UTCWorking in a gunsmith shop in the 80s, there were so many M14 fan boys that would never even consider an AR15 for any role and considered it useless. Funny how beliefs have changed. I have an M14 build from the 80s, Its relatively accurate for a military gun - but the amount of money guys used to put into an M1A/M14 rifle to competition shoot was incredible.
Kenneth Marshall
2024-04-15 16:15:11 +0000 UTCVery interesting! I have always wondered why its service life was so short. I was surprised in the disassembly. I went through Basic training December1969-January 1970 at Ft Leonard Wood, MO. We used the M14. the last training cycle to do so. I admit I was pretty inexperienced firearms wise and it is a long time ago, but I don't recall taking off the full auto bar at all. or the full auto switch lever . As I remember , there was a circular "plug" in that location . The Drill sergeants told us that was the "happy" switch and that the armorer had to change it over. Did the Army decide that full auto was too useless for the average GI to have control over? I know you and other have said the M14 was bad in full auto mode. Thanks for the the insight into this '"Forgottten" weapon which I have a connection to.
Dennis McNamara
2024-04-15 15:38:47 +0000 UTCOne point, all the M14's I saw in my military career had synthetic furniture with the exception of those at the US Military Academy and in the 1st Battalion, Third Infantry, because the Army feels that Walnut stocks look better in ceremonial duty. When the M14 went to Vietnam, the wooden stocks swelled and caused problems in the hot humid environment, so they were replaced.
ROBERT NABORNEY
2024-04-15 14:55:43 +0000 UTCAlways has been... ;)
Forgotten Weapons
2024-04-15 14:18:42 +0000 UTCGreat video, with lots of interesting history! Thanks for including the technical data package photo and description. For some time I've wondered what a TDP looks like. Would love to hear more M14 stories.
Glenn Miller
2024-04-15 14:13:02 +0000 UTCwith firsthand use I consider the M14 in semi mode a Riflemans RIFLE in full auto usless
lanny w robertson
2024-04-15 14:12:09 +0000 UTCAn interesting point would be the comparison between the M14 and BM59, considering they start from the same position with similar aims. Yet the BM59 is considered somewhat successful.
Patrick Mathews
2024-04-15 13:21:59 +0000 UTCSo... the AK is actually French?
Minion
2024-04-15 12:57:17 +0000 UTC
