M14 Rifle History and Development Text Only Edition Lee Emerson Copyright 2009, 2010 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. Front Cover: September 01, 1987 - Armed with a M14A1 rifle, a U. S. Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team member hides in the foliage at the edge of a river while providing cover for fellow team members during a tactical warfare training exercise. Photo by Journalist First Class Lynn Jenkins, U. S. Navy. Back Cover: Photo by the author. 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 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 59 M14 Production at Springfield Armory 60 M14 Production at Winchester 62 M14 Production at Harrington & Richardson 64 M14 Production at TRW 70 The TRW Mystique 71 Raritan Arsenal 74 Experimental Items for the USGI M14 Rifle 75 The Issue M14 Rifle 82 The M14 Rifle in Overhaul 89 M14 in Service with the U. S. Army and U. S. Marine Corps 90 The M14 in the U. S. Navy 101 The M14 in Other Service 102 The M14 in the Arts and Entertainment 105 LEE EMERSON Museum Collections 118 Israel Defense Forces 119 Other Foreign Hostile Action 120 Taiwan 122 Destruction and Export of USGI M14 Rifles 124 Foreign Sales of USGI M14 Rifles 130 M14E1 131 M14E2 and M14A1 132 M14 Grenadier 136 M14 M 137 M14 NM 137 M15 141 U. S. Army Snipers and the XM21 and M21 142 M14 Product Improved Rifle 148 XM25 and M25 148 M14 SMUD 151 M14 DMR 151 M39 EMR 154 U. S. Marine Corps Scout-Snipers and the M14 Rifle 154 M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle 155 M14SE, Mk 14 SEI and M80 SDM 160 Semi-automatic Only USGI M14 Rifles 165 Hahn Machine Company and Pearl Manufacturing 165 U. S. Civilian Ownership of Select Fire USGI and Chinese M14 Rifles 167 Ignore the Petition to Sell the M14! 169 Select Fire M14 Rifle Rate of Fire Modification 170 Military versus Civilian Use 170 Part 2: The Commercial M14 175 U. S. Commercial Production of the M14 Type Rifle 175 Characteristics of Commercial Receivers 177 Commercial Receiver Geometry 178 U. S. Commercial Manufacture Select Fire M14 Type Rifles 181 2 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Camp Perry Military Reservation 182 Civilian and Military Marksmanship Awards 184 Springfield Armory, Inc. 186 Texas Production 186 M1A Receiver Shipments from 1971 to 1975 192 The Texas M1A 193 Transition from Texas to Illinois 195 Illinois Production 196 Illinois M1A Models 198 Gray-Syracuse, Inc., Valley Ordnance Co. and Hillside Manufacturing 205 Springfield Armory, Inc. and Glenn Nelson 214 Rock Island Armory, Inc. 215 Karl Maunz 216 H & R Gun Co. and Smith Ltd. 220 A. R. Sales Co., National Ordnance, Inc. and Federal Ordnance, Inc. 222 Armscorp 228 Fulton Armory 232 Western Ordnance/Smith Enterprise, Inc. 233 Smith Enterprise, Inc. Receiver Design, Manufacture and Testing 235 Smith Enterprise, Inc. Receiver Identification 237 Smith Enterprise, Inc. M14 Services 238 M14K 238 AWC Systems Technology 240 Hesse, Ltd. and Sarco, Inc. 241 Entreprise Arms, Inc. 241 Troy Industries, Inc. 241 LRB of Long Island, Inc. 243 7.62mm Firearms 247 James River Armory 248 Origin of Chinese M14 Rifles 248 Norinco and Poly Technologies Corporation 251 Production and Export of Chinese M14 Rifles 252 Chinese M14 Rifle Export to the United States 254 3 LEE EMERSON Keng's Firearms Specialty, Incorporated 255 Century Arms International 256 IDE USA and CJA 257 Chinese M14 Rifle Export to Canada 258 Chinese Receivers 258 Markings of Exported Chinese M14 Rifles 259 United States Firearms Laws 262 U. S. Law and the Chinese M14 Rifle 265 1994 Assault Weapons Ban 269 Canada Firearms Laws 270 Part 3: All Things Small and Wonderful 273 M14 Barrel Material 273 General Information on AISI 4140 Alloy Steel 273 General Information on AISI 416 Stainless Steel 274 The Barrel Making Process 275 M14 Barrel Length 276 USGI M14 Rack Grade Barrels 280 USGI M14 National Match Barrels 282 Chinese M14 Barrels 285 U. S. Commercial M14 Barrels 285 USGI M14 Stock Designs 287 USGI M14 Wood Stocks 288 USGI M14 Synthetic Stocks 293 USGI M14E2 Stocks 297 Commercial Synthetic Match Grade Stocks 298 Folding and Telescoping Commercial Stocks 299 Other Stocks 311 Hand Guards 318 USGI Sights 321 Commercial Sights 324 Muzzle Attachments 325 Military Sound Suppressors 333 4 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Commercial Sound Suppressors 335 USGI M14 Technical and Training Documents 337 Timeline of U. S. Army M14 Field Manuals 342 Timeline of U. S. Army M14 Technical Manuals 342 USGI Parts 348 USGI Parts Sales 395 Parts Interchangeability with the M1 Garand Rifle 398 M1 Garand Parts on M14 Type Rifles 399 USGI Parts Packaging 399 Notes on Commercial Parts 404 Notes on Chinese Parts 412 Commercial Parts Identification 415 USGI Magazines 416 Foreign Manufacture Magazines 420 U. S. Commercial Magazines 421 Miscellaneous Notes on Scope Mounts 422 Side Single Point Scope Mounts 423 Side Two Point Scope Mounts 425 Side Three Point Scope Mounts 426 Side Three Point Scope Mount Fitting on Commercial M14 Receivers 434 Scope Mounts Secured to the Rear Sight Pocket 435 Rail System Mounts 436 Barrel Rail Mounts 438 Cleaning Kit 440 USGI Tools 442 Commercially Available Tools 443 USGI Accessories 445 Commercial Accessories 451 M2 Type Bipods 454 Other Bipods 455 Ammunition 457 Other Calibers 464 M14 Problems 466 5 LEE EMERSON 1987 Springfield Armory, Inc. Recall Notice 470 Accurizing Tips 471 Miscellaneous Tips 472 Your Relationship with M14 Gunsmiths and Firearms Dealers 474 Appendices Appendix A: Serial Number Data for the Commercial M14 477 Appendix B: M14 Rifle Item Descriptions and Stock Numbers 505 Appendix C: M14 Magazine Capacity Restrictions 573 Appendix D: T44E4 Rifle and Accessory Information 575 Appendix E: M14 Rifle Spare Parts Allowance for 100 Rifles 591 Appendix F: Significant Testing and Evaluation of the M14 Rifle 597 Appendix G: References to United States Patents 601 Appendix H: Commercial Production and Export Data 609 Appendix I: Springfield Armory, Inc. M1A Catalog Numbers 611 Bibliography 621 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 34 Table 7: Coefficient of Static Friction for Select Materials 37 Table 8: Harrington & Richardson X Series Rifles 80 Table 9: M14 Rifle on Television 111 Table 10: Springfield Armory National Historic Site M14 Rifles 119 Table 11: U. S. Government Exports of M14 Rifles to Foreign Nations 127 Table 12: M14E1 Rifle Types 132 Table 13: Production of Commercial M14 Rifles 175 Table 14: Norinco M14 Rifles Imported Into the United States 260 Table 15: Poly Technologies M14 Rifles Imported Into the United States 260 Table 16: Chinese M14 Rifles Imported Into Canada 261 6 M14 RIFLE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Table 17: U. S. Federal Firearms Licenses 264 Table 18: M14 Type Rifle Barrel Lengths 277 Table 19: Composition of Military Barrels 280 Table 20: Properties of Walnut, Birch and Cherry 289 Table 21: U. S. Military M14 Publications 340 Table 22: U. S. Military Publications for M14 Related Items 344 Table 23: U. S. Military Publications for M14 Optical Sights 345 Table 24: Material Selection for USGI M14 Parts 348 Table 25: Observed Manufacture Dates for USGI M14 Rifle Items 366 Table 26: Subcontractors to USGI Contractors 371 Table 27: USGI Contractors for M14 Rifle Items 377 Table 28: USGI M14 Rifle Items with Part Number Markings 394 Table 29: Retail Suppliers of USGI M14 Related Items - 1970 and 1971 396 Table 30: USGI M14 Rifle Parts and Accessories Packaging 401 Table 31: Chinese M14 Rifle Part Markings 414 Table 32: Timeline of USGI Magazine Contractors 418 Table 33: M14 Type Rifle Headspace Dimensions 457 Table 34: 7.62x51 mm NATO Ammunition 458 Table 35: Springfield Armory, Inc. 477 Table 36: Smith Enterprise, Inc. 493 Table 37: Federal Ordnance, Inc. 495 Table 38: Entreprise Arms, Inc. 496 Table 39: Armscorp 496 Table 40: Fulton Armory 498 Table 41: LRB Arms 498 Table 42: 7.62mm Firearms 503 Table 43: Barrel and Receiver Group Items 506 Table 44: Bolt Assembly Items 517 Table 45: Operating Rod Group Items 519 Table 46: Firing Mechanism Items 520 Table 47: M14 Stock and Hand Guard Items 523 Table 48: M14 Stock Butt Plate Assembly