From 1957 onwards, until its replacement by the M16, the M14 was the standard rifle of the US forces and saw extensive service in Vietnam . The M14 was adopted in 1957 as the successor to the World War 2 M1 Garand, and was basically an evolution of that rifle.

The US Army had fought World War II and the Korean War with the Ml Garand as its standard rifle. It was a sound and reliable weapon, but it had several defects. In the first place, it was heavy; and it felt heavy to anyone accustomed to a simple bolt-action rifle. The fore-end was fat and almost impossible to grasp unless one had large hands and attempting to use it with a bayonet demanded considerable effort. The South Vietnamese troops, with their considerably smaller stature found the M-14 almost impossible to use and retained the M-1 until such time as the M-16 became available.

The M1 Garand fired from an eight-round clip; the clip was loaded into the magazine, and from then on there was no way you could top up the magazine without ejecting the clip and the remaining rounds and putting a fresh clip in. And when the last shot was fired the clip was automatically ejected; if it landed on a rock or frozen ground, the ‘ping' told your opponent that you were holding an empty rifle, and he popped up and shot you while you were still fumbling with the next clip. When the US troops had used the M2 carbine, with its selection of semi- or full-automatic fire, they wanted to know why the Garand couldn't be adapted for full-automatic fire as well.

In September 1944 Springfield Arsenal began working on an improved Garand which would fire from a 20-shot box magazine and have full-automatic capability. There was no particular rush since it was obvious that such a development would not be completed in time to affect the current war.

After WWII the US Infantry laid down some specifications for its next rifle. The new rifle would fire the same .30 cartridge, have full-automatic fire, a 20- or even 30-shot magazine, a bipod (for use when firing automatic), a grenade launcher, a folding butt, and improved sights and had to weigh no more than nine pounds. What they were asking for was the Garand, with additions for automatic fire, bipod, grenade launcher and a bigger magazine, which was to weigh half a pound less than the original Garand. It was to take 12 years before the Army found a solution.

When the 7.62mm x 51 NATO round was selected in 1953 a new rifle based on the Garand was adopted.

What eventually appeared, and was standardised as the M14 rifle in June 1957 (see Technical Specifications), was little more than a 'product improved' M1. The gas actuation system was slightly changed; the magazine was a removable 20-round box which could be topped up from chargers. The ability to fire full-automatic was designed into the weapon, but was then neutralised by removing the selector lever and fitting a 'selector lock'. As and when higher authority decided that a particular regiment or company was to be allowed the luxury of full-automatic fire, the locks were removed and selectors fitted; eventually the rule became that two men in each rifle squad would have selective fire M14s to act as the squad light machine-gun section.

M-14A1

This was perhaps just as well, for the M14 fell between several stools. It had been intended as a lightweight full-auto rifle, but in fact it weighed half a pound more than the M1. Unfortunately, the US Ordnance Department had refused to be persuaded by the British that an intermediate cartridge was a vital part of a lightweight rifle design, and the American T65 cartridge, later to be standardised as the 7.62x51-mm NATO round, was adopted. This, although slightly shorter than the old .30 M1 cartridge, was still just about as powerful, and firing that from a 10-lb rifle at 700 rounds a minute produced an entirely uncontrollable weapon.

The main and more obvious improvements on the Ml Garand were the gas system and magazines. On the Ml the magazine was fixed and had to be loaded using a charger. On the M14, detachable 20-round box magazines were used. The normal M14 fired semi-automatic only. A slide-on bipod could be provided, and the rifle fitted the M76 grenade launcher which was slipped on to the flash suppressor and secured to the bayonet lug. The M14 weighed 5.1 kg (1 1/2 lb), with a full magazine and cleaning kit carried, and measured 1,120 mm (44 in) in length. It had a maximum effective range on automatic with the M2 bipod fitted, and on semi-automatic without the bipod, of 460m (503 yd). When the bipod was added, the semi-automatic range increased to 700m (766 yd). A special suppressor was fitted to the muzzle of the sniper rifle which did not affect the performance of the bullet, but reduced the velocity of the emerging gases to below that of sound. This made location very difficult as the target heard only the 'crack' of the passing bullet and no 'thump' from the rifle.

The M14 National Match (Accurised) was the sniper rifle variant, which has been renamed the M21 in recent years. Production of the M14 ceased in l964 and in 1968 the M14Al went into production with better facilities for full automatic fire, including a bipod.. The M14A1 came close to being a light machine-gun, leading one authority to call it a 'machine rifle'. It had a pistol grip, a folding fore-hand grip about half-way down the forestock, a folding bipod, a shoulder strap, and a sleeve was fitted over the muzzle to act as a compensator when firing fully automatic which helped to keep the barrel down and prevent 'climb'.

The M14 and M14A1 had a relatively short frontline service life despite the fact that about 1,500,000 were produced.

Gas Operation

The gas system of the M14 was radically altered from that of the Garand which tapped gas close to the muzzle in a simple system that gave the operating rod a sharp and heavy blow, which the firer felt.

The M14, on the other hand, tapped gas further back down the barrel, but used a cut-off and expansion system to drive the piston. Gas entered the cylinder and moved a valve sleeve which cut off the entry of any more gas once a measured amount had been admitted. This gas was then allowed to expand, and thus drive the piston back in a more gentle and progressive manner. The rifle was therefore steadier and successive shots could be fired more quickly and accurately. The positioning of the gas port also improved the barrel's vibration period and added to the overall accuracy of the weapon.

The only variant of the M14 that ever saw any serious service was the M21 Sniper Rifle. This was originally developed as a competition rifle and was known as the M14 National Match (Accurised), and the differences between the M14 and the M21 are matters of detail. The barrel is carefully gauged and selected and is not chromed; the trigger mechanism is hand-finished to ensure a crisp and consistent pull; the gas cylinder and piston are hand-fitted and polished, and so forth. The result is a rifle that will consistently put 10 shots inside a 15-cm circle at 300 metres. A range-finding telescope is fitted, and a sound suppressor can also be fitted to the muzzle if required which did not affect the performance of the bullet, but reduced the velocity of the emerging gases to below that of sound. This made location very difficult as the target heard only the crack of the bullet and no shot from the rifle.

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