What Happened to the M14 rifle?

Posted by
Christopher Eger
Jul 29, 2007

The M14 was the standard service rifle of the US military for a couple years. They were produced from July 1959 to June 1964. Records show that some 1,380,358 M14 rifles were made. The M16 was ordered as a replacement for the brand new M14 by direction of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara starting in 1966. By 1970 the barley used weapon had been largely replaced in active duty. The National Guard discontinued using the weapon by 1980. No less than 479,367 M14 rifles were destroyed in 1993-94 and an unknown number were de-milled (cut with a blowtorch and welded shut) then transferred to JROTC units as drill weapons. Over 321,905 surplus arms were exported to foreign militaries under the Excess Defense Articles program and others. These were largely transferred abroad to Greece, Israel, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Taiwan, Turkey, Venezuela, Columbia, Iceland (which doesn’t have a military), and Lebanon in the 1970s and 1980s and the new Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia in the 1990's.

Today the US military has less than 10% of the original M14 production left in its depots. The navy has replaced most of the 2000 M14s in their inventory with M16s just this year but plans to keep a couple M-14 rifles on board each ship to shoot lines (ropes). The Air Force has 3,500 M-14s listed in their arsenals. Most of these are for base honor guards but a few do see service with deployed EOD units to blow up things from a distance.

The US Army still has 22,660 of the rifles in use and another 87,462 of all grades in storage. The Rock Island Arsenal converted 1,435 M14 National Match variant rifles to M21 sniper rifles with ART scopes in 1969. The M21 was the Army's dedicated sniper rifle until 1988 when it was replaced by the M24 bolt action rifle (based on the Remington 700). The M14 was dusted off again during the Global War on Terrorism to serve again in a sniper role. A number of the weapons in active issue are the designated marksmen rifles (DMR). These rifles are given to platoon-level marksmen who have taken a two week course in battlefield long range fire. This concept has been used by the Warsaw Pact since the end of World War Two but is new to the US Army. This is different from the two man scout sniper teams (aka ‘real snipers’) popularized since Vietnam. The DMR rifle has been equipped with either a Leupold or Unertl ten power scope. The Marines also issue no less than 381 of these DMRs.

Besides the Corps of Cadets at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy, the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) keepers of Arlington National Cemetery is the sole remaining regular United States Army combat field unit where the M14 is still issued as the standard rifle.

Oct 18, 2008 10:30 PM

Guest :

I trained in 1964 with the M-14. In Vietnam I was issued the same, with
active slector and bypod. I felt I had a chance. One day we were running tests, to show our ARVN friends, the effectiveness of rifles. We put a ammo can in front of a tree, then we shot one of their M1 Carbines, AK-47,M-16 & M-14. With no surprises, our results showed the(M-1)made a small hole in and out of said can, then stopped just bit inside the tree, (AK-47)produced the same pattern, but much deeper into the tree, (M-16)effected a small hole going in, with a larger exit, but stopped at tree with little penetration, (M-14)presented a small hole in and out of the can and also, throuth the tree, kicked dirt 50 yards down the line. You quickly learned, to bow your head when hearing a M-1 carbine or M-16, then bend over further at the sound of a AK-47, but, but, to lay flat at a M-14 report.

Oct 28, 2008 7:50 PM

Guest :

I too qualified expert on the M14 in Army basic in Jun 68 but in the final days of basic training, had to start getting to know the "poodle shooter"...M16. Having been a hunter since the age of 9, I hated this crappy little popgun. I was on my way to combat medic school and though I spent some time in VN, I also spent 18 months in a VN evac in Tokyo. It's hard to generalize about this but I think the M16 actually created a worse wound than the M14 in the survivable category. They could both take limbs, but I think the M16 did it in a more hideous way...peace and long life to all my brothers and sisters.

Nov 6, 2008 6:20 PM

Guest :

Like many others, I trained with the M-14 in the Army. While I never used the rifle in combat, it was the standart issue in early 1966. Having been a hunter, I found the rifle to be a very good one. In qualifying in basic, I did fine after the first mistakes. It seems that when initially zeroing our rifles, the guy next to me was shooting at my target. With the speed that we were having to qualify, they quickly set my sights. I was screwed up for a couple of weeks until they took me back to re-zero. Things were great after that.

Lesson: double-check.

Just this evening, an episode about Navy Seals on the Military channel indicated that many of their teams still use the M-14.

Mar 9, 2009 9:25 AM

Guest :

I was Basic Infantry trained in Jan-Feb 68 at Ft. Gordon, GA using the M-14, shot expert. The M-16 was light, and flimsy with no comparable long range accuracy equal to the older rifle. So despite carrying the M-16 in Vietnam, and knowing it intimately, I'd love to locate a military spec M-14 in good condition, but the stupid government policy of destroying these excellent rifles rather than simply removing the full auto capability and charging the gunsmithing cost to buyers who would have flocked to get them, is all to typical of how the idiots run things. I own a new SA Super Match M-1A, yet continue to look around for the elusive Mil-Spec M-14 of my days in Basic training.

Apr 17, 2009 12:32 AM

Guest :

I was born May 31, 1973. My mother's father worked on the design
of model 14/m14 with Mr. Garand. His name was Laurence Oscer
Laflin. It is a shame they never mention him, or the boys that
died while the m16 jammed do to upper recever not being plated.
The only problem with the model 14/m14 was stock swell in tropic theater.
I am not the only one that feels the change to the colt was a mistake.
the D.O.D will never own up to. I thank you all for the sacrifices you
had made in the name of freedom. I was crapping my diper wile you all got
delt something that was fubar. With the up most respect," Welcome home"!
thanks, Lawernce P. Minsky

Apr 28, 2009 5:09 PM

Guest :

the M14S DADDY THE M1 WAS THE FIRST GAS OPERATED SEMI AUTO ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN WW2, THE M14 WAS THE IMPROVED VERSION OF THE M1, AND HAD THE ADDITION OF AN IMPROVED GAS SYSTEM AND A 20 RD MAGAZINE..ITS A SHAME IT WAS ONLY USED FOR SUCH A SHORT TIME..I THINK IT WAS MOSTLY POLITICAL THAT IT WAS DONE AWAY WITH.. IT SEEMS LIKE MANY OF THE DISIGNERS ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM DIRECT GAS IMPINGEMENT SYSTEMS AND ARE ONCE AGAIN TRYING TO COME UP WITH A GAS/PISTON SYSTEM THAT COVERS ALL THE BASES, LIKE FASHION DESIGNERS MAYBE THE OLD M14 WILL COME BACK IN STYLE AND THEY CAN GIVE UP REINVENTING THE WHEEL...

May 1, 2009 6:47 AM

Guest :

I am very sadden to learn our government destroyed the M-14. I trained in USMC boot camp, infantry regiment training and individual combat skills school with he M-14. I carried the beast in Vietnam and can positively state without a doubt, there was no squad based rifle that could match its stopping power at the time. I always wondered what happen to these fine rifles because they never made it into the Civilian Marksmanship Programs. I remember six different times being ordered to report the armorer to replace it with an M-16 (the Mickey Mouse McNamara Mattel special). I was able to make it through two tours with the beast. I call it the beast because it was a B*T*H to carry with six fully loaded magazines sometimes. But it never let me down. I never got a chance to fire a US Military issue M-1 so my testimony stands based on my own personal experiences. The fact that I came home intact speaks volumes about a marine and a well maintain rifle can accomplish. To all men and women in any U.S. uniform who have stood the watch. Semper Fi.

Jun 19, 2009 5:59 AM

Guest :

Gentlemen thank you for your service
Those looking for a M14 the closest you can get to the real deal is an LRB M14 with all US GI parts. You'll pay a pretty penny but it is a lot of rifle. You can buy a Springfield M1a but it isn't like the LRB ...a forged receiver and such ....fine rifle but not the same. It's a shame and a waste of our money that we aren't allowed to buy these beautiful rifles and that many were simply destroyed. It wouldn't taken that much effort or cost to make these non -auto and legal for us civilians.
I have shot both the M1a and the FAL and I have to say they each have their own pluses and minuses but the M14 is easier to hit with and that in end is what it is all about.
As for the 7.62x51 round......well when I hit the target stand at 500 yrds and it goes clean thru the regular steel tube and no doubt keeps going. there is no hiding from it unless you have armor plated steel. try that with a m16 !