M14 Rifle History and Development.Book
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M14 Rifle History and Development Text Only Edition Lee Emerson 090425 Copyright 2009 by Lee Emerson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. ii “Sincere and strong love is greatly gratified and delighted in the prosperity of the beloved object; and if the love be perfect, the greater the prosperity of the beloved is, the more is the lover pleased and delighted; for the prosperity of the beloved is, as it were, the food of love, and therefore the greater that prosperity, the more richly is love feasted.” – Jonathan Edwards, Heaven, A World of Charity Or Love, Northampton, England, 1738. This book is dedicated to those who love and to those who love liberty. iii iv Table of Contents Preface 9 Part 1: The Military M14 11 Introduction 11 Engineering Material 12 Engineering Definitions 12 AISI 4100 and 8600 Series Alloy Steels 15 M14 Rifle Preservation 17 M14 Rifle Lubrication 21 M14 Receiver Material 37 AISI 8620 Alloy Steel 40 How was the U. S. Government Issue (USGI) M14 receiver made? 41 Receiver Heat Treatment 42 Development of Magnetic Particle Inspection 44 USGI Receiver Geometry 44 Intervening Rifle Models: M2 through M13 48 M14 Rifle Development Highlights 49 M14 Rifle Factory Inspection 58 M14 Production at Springfield Armory 60 M14 Production at Winchester 62 M14 Production at Harrington & Richardson 63 M14 Production at TRW 69 The TRW Mystique 71 Raritan Arsenal 73 Experimental Items for the USGI M14 Rifle 73 The Issue M14 Rifle 80 The M14 Rifle in Overhaul 87 M14 in Service with the U. S. Army and U. S. Marine Corps 89 The M14 in the U. S. Navy 100 The M14 in Other Service 101 The M14 in the Arts and Entertainment 103 LEE EMERSON Museum Collections 115 Israel Defense Forces 116 Other Foreign Hostile Action 117 Taiwan 118 Destruction and Export of USGI M14 Rifles 120 Foreign Sales of USGI M14 Rifles 126 M14E1 127 M14E2 and M14A1 128 M14 Grenadier 132 M14 M 133 M14 NM 133 M15 137 U. S. Army Snipers and the XM21 and M21 138 M14 Product Improved Rifle 143 XM25 and M25 144 M14 SMUD 147 M14 DMR 147 M39 EMR 149 U. S. Marine Corps Scout-Snipers and the M14 Rifle 150 M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle 151 M14SE, Mk 14 SEI and M80 SDM 155 Semi-automatic Only USGI M14 Rifles 160 Hahn Machine Company and Pearl Manufacturing 161 U. S. Civilian Ownership of Select Fire USGI and Chinese M14 Rifles 162 Ignore the Petition to Sell the M14! 165 Select Fire M14 Rifle Rate of Fire Modification 165 Military versus Civilian Use 166 Part 2: The Commercial M14 169 U. S. Commercial Production of the M14 Type Rifle 169 Characteristics of Commercial Receivers 171 Commercial Receiver Geometry 172 U. S. Commercial Manufacture Select Fire M14 Type Rifles 175 2 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Camp Perry Military Reservation 176 Civilian and Military Marksmanship Awards 178 Springfield Armory, Inc. 180 Texas Production 180 M1A Receiver Shipments from 1971 to 1975 186 The Texas M1A 186 Transition from Texas to Illinois 188 Illinois Production 189 Illinois M1A Models 192 Springfield Armory, Inc. M1A Catalog Numbers 198 Gray-Syracuse, Inc., Valley Ordnance Co. and Hillside Manufacturing 201 Springfield Armory, Inc. and Glenn Nelson 210 Rock Island Armory, Inc. 211 Karl Maunz 212 H & R Gun Co. and Smith Ltd. 216 A. R. Sales Co., National Ordnance, Inc. and Federal Ordnance, Inc. 218 Armscorp 224 Fulton Armory 227 Western Ordnance/Smith Enterprise, Inc. 228 Smith Enterprise, Inc. Receiver Design, Manufacture and Testing 230 Smith Enterprise, Inc. Receiver Identification 232 Smith Enterprise, Inc. M14 Services 233 M14K 233 AWC Systems Technology 235 Hesse, Ltd. and Sarco, Inc. 235 Entreprise Arms, Inc. 236 Troy Industries, Inc. 236 LRB of Long Island, Inc. 238 Origin of Chinese M14 Rifles 242 Norinco and Poly Technologies Corporation 244 Production and Export of Chinese M14 Rifles 245 Chinese M14 Rifle Export to the United States 247 Keng's Firearms Specialty, Incorporated 248 3 LEE EMERSON Century Arms International 249 IDE USA and CJA 250 Chinese M14 Rifle Export to Canada 251 Chinese Receivers 252 Markings of Exported Chinese M14 Rifles 252 United States Firearms Laws 255 U. S. Law and the Chinese M14 Rifle 258 1994 Assault Weapons Ban 261 Canada Firearms Laws 263 Part 3: All Things Small and Wonderful 265 M14 Barrel Material 265 General Information on AISI 4140 Alloy Steel 265 General Information on AISI 416 Stainless Steel 266 The Barrel Making Process 267 M14 Barrel Length 268 USGI M14 Rack Grade Barrels 271 USGI M14 National Match Barrels 273 Chinese M14 Barrels 276 U. S. Commercial M14 Barrels 276 USGI M14 Stock Designs 278 USGI M14 Wood Stocks 278 USGI M14 Synthetic Stocks 284 USGI M14E2 Stocks 288 Commercial Synthetic Match Grade Stocks 288 Folding and Telescoping Commercial Stocks 290 Other Stocks 300 Hand Guards 305 USGI Sights 308 Commercial Sights 311 Muzzle Attachments 312 Military Sound Suppressors 319 Commercial Sound Suppressors 321 4 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT USGI M14 Technical Documentation 323 Timeline of U. S. Army M14 Field Manuals 328 Timeline of U. S. Army M14 Technical Manuals 328 USGI Parts 334 USGI Parts Sales 379 Parts Interchangeability with the M1 Garand Rifle 382 M1 Garand Parts on M14 Type Rifles 383 USGI Parts Packaging 384 Notes on Commercial Parts 388 Notes on Chinese Parts 395 Commercial Parts Identification 398 USGI Magazines 399 Foreign Manufacture Magazines 403 U. S. Commercial Magazines 404 Miscellaneous Notes on Scope Mounts 405 Side Single Point Scope Mounts 406 Side Two Point Scope Mounts 408 Side Three Point Scope Mounts 409 Side Three Point Scope Mount Fitting on Commercial M14 Receivers 416 Scope Mounts Secured to the Rear Sight Pocket 418 Rail System Mounts 418 Barrel Rail Mounts 420 Cleaning Kit 421 USGI Tools 424 Commercially Available Tools 425 USGI Accessories 426 Commercial Accessories 433 M2 Type Bipods 434 Other Bipods 436 Ammunition 437 Other Calibers 444 M14 Problems 446 1987 Springfield Armory, Inc. Recall Notice 450 5 LEE EMERSON Accurizing Tips 451 Miscellaneous Tips 452 Your Relationship with M14 Gunsmiths and Firearms Dealers 454 Appendices Appendix A: Serial Number Data for the Commercial M14 457 Appendix B: M14 Rifle Item Descriptions and Stock Numbers 483 Appendix C: M14 Magazine Capacity Restrictions 549 Appendix D: T44E4 Rifle and Accessory Information 551 Appendix E: M14 Rifle Spare Parts Allowance for 100 Rifles 567 Appendix F: Significant Testing and Evaluation of the M14 Rifle 573 Appendix G: References to United States Patents 577 Appendix H: Commercial Production Data 585 Bibliography 587 List of Tables Table 1: Elements of Alloy Steels 15 Table 2: Composition of AISI 8620, AISI 4140 and AISI 416 Steels 16 Table 3: Properties of AISI 8620, AISI 4140 and AISI 416 Steels 16 Table 4: Suppliers of USGI Rifle Grease 27 Table 5: Select Properties of Some Military Greases 32 Table 6: Select Properties of Some Military Lubricating Oils 33 Table 7: Coefficient of Static Friction for Select Materials 37 Table 8: Harrington & Richardson X Series Rifles 79 Table 9: M14 Rifle on Television 109 Table 10: Springfield Armory National Historic Site M14 Rifles 115 Table 11: U. S. Government Exports of M14 Rifles to Foreign Nations 123 Table 12: M14E1 Rifle Types 128 Table 13: Production of Commercial M14 Rifles 169 Table 14: Springfield Armory, Inc. M1A Catalog Numbers 198 Table 15: Norinco M14 Rifles Imported Into the United States 253 Table 16: Poly Technologies M14 Rifles Imported Into the United States 253 Table 17: Chinese M14 Rifles Imported Into Canada 254 Table 18: U. S. Federal Firearms Licenses 256 6 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Table 19: M14 Type Rifle Barrel Lengths 269 Table 20: Properties of Walnut, Birch and Cherry 280 Table 21: U. S. Military M14 Publications 325 Table 22: U. S. Military Publications for M14 Related Items 330 Table 23: U. S. Military Publications for M14 Optical Sights 331 Table 24: Material Selection for USGI M14 Parts 334 Table 25: Observed Manufacture Dates for USGI M14 Rifle Items 352 Table 26: Subcontractors to USGI Contractors 356 Table 27: USGI Contractors for M14 Rifle Items 362 Table 28: USGI M14 Rifle Items with Part Number Markings 378 Table 29: Retail Suppliers of USGI M14 Related Items - 1970 and 1971 380 Table 30: USGI M14 Rifle Parts and Accessories Packaging 385 Table 31: Chinese M14 Rifle Part Markings 397 Table 32: Timeline of USGI Magazine Contractors 402 Table 33: M14 Type Rifle Headspace Dimensions 437 Table 34: 7.62x51 mm NATO Ammunition 438 Table 35: Springfield Armory, Inc. 457 Table 36: Smith Enterprise, Inc. 473 Table 37: Federal Ordnance, Inc. 474 Table 38: Entreprise Arms, Inc. 475 Table 39: Armscorp 475 Table 40: Fulton Armory 477 Table 41: LRB Arms 477 Table 42: Barrel and Receiver Group Items 483 Table 43: Bolt Assembly Items 494 Table 44: Operating Rod Group Items 496 Table 45: Firing Mechanism Items 497 Table 46: M14 Stock and Hand Guard Items 500 Table 47: M14 Stock Butt Plate Assembly Items 506 Table 48: M14E2/M14A1 Stock Assembly Items 508 Table 49: M14 DMR Stock Assembly Items 513 Table 50: Sage International Stock Assembly Items 514 7 LEE EMERSON Table 51: Twenty Round Magazine Items 519 Table 52: M2 Bipod Items 520 Table 53: Organizational Maintenance Items 524 Table 54: Direct Support Maintenance Items 528 Table 55: General Support (Depot) Maintenance Items 529 Table 56: Procurement Substitutions - Interchangeable Items 534 Table 57: Accessories for Various USGI M14 Rifles 538 Table 58: Repair Items 547 Table 59: M14 Magazine Capacity Restrictions in the USA 549 Table 60: T44E4 Rifle Parts and Recommended Spare Parts 551 Table 61: T12 Bayonet Parts 557 Table 62: T140 and M76 Grenade Launcher Parts 558 Table 63: T6 Auxiliary Winter Trigger Parts 559 Table 64: T44E5 Rifle Parts and Recommended Spare Parts 567 Table 65: M14 Rifle Spare Parts Allowance for 100 Rifles 573 Table 66: Significant Military Tests Involving the USGI M14 Rifle 573 Table 67: United States Patents 577 Table 68: BATFE Production for Armscorp USA and Springfield Armory, Inc.