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View Full Version : Where are the surplus M-14s?


A.Rex
April 16, 2001, 12:52 PM
Well the father-in-law got a look at my new M1A today and after picking it up he started doing all these rifle drills and so forth... Needless to say, I was quite impressed. I had no idea he was once in the military.
Anyway he says, "Oh yeah, I remember this baby." And a smile mixed with pleasure and pain dons his face.
I can tell he's remembering so I leave him with his thoughs and he comes back with "I wonder what happened to all those rifles, we sure had a million of 'em." And he gets out some pictures. He wasn't joking, stacks and racks, and there in a picture was one that caught my eye. It had a handguard or pistol grip stock. On an M14? I had no idea.

Are these stocks available somewhere to purchase? (I'd love one). But whatever happened to all the M-14s? Are they sitting in a warehouse somewhere in rural Utah or something?

Alan B
April 16, 2001, 01:09 PM
here is the break down thanks to FRED's in shotgun news Apr 1 2001 issue
of the 1,380,000 M14s produced 450,000 given away prior to 1996. 750,000 destroyed (by order of King Bill) 170,000 still in the inventory. As of the July 1996 publishing date of Scott Duff'a M14 Owners Guide

Given away to baltic states by King Bill
Estonia 1/9/98 40,000
Latvia 5/96 10,000
11/5/99 30,500
Lithuania 1/9/98 40,000

TOTAL 120,500

estimated number left 50,000 maybe!

the story is pretty bleak

Turk
April 16, 2001, 01:26 PM
The M-14 is capable of full-auto fire and any surplus will never be released to the public for sale.

The pistol grip belongs to an E-2 model it was the full auto verison also had a bipod, stablizer that fitted over the flash suppressor, special sling etc.

In a line infantry unit (1969 24th Infantry Div.) the 14's carried by a rifleman didn't have a selector switch to make it full-auto. The E-2 had a selector switch installed.

I did have a friend that was with the 25th Inf. in RVN and his regular M-14 had a selector switch installed this was before they changed over to the M-16

Turk

Different
April 16, 2001, 01:55 PM
For M14 stocks check out Fred's in Shotgun News. His ad is usually around pages 70 - 72. I have bought from him several times and recommend him. Alternately, you can sometimes find an E2 stock to bid on at eBay.

Alan B
April 16, 2001, 02:09 PM
Turk "The M-14 is capable of full-auto fire and any surplus will never be released to the public for sale"

But if you were to shear the steel lug machined on the right rear of receiver (it only holds the selector switch) off, it will NEVER have the capability of being converted to full auto again. It was just the anti gun people in the guberment who have an idioc attitude of (once a machine gun always a machine gun)without ever taking the characterstics of the gun its self into question (one rule fits all). It is probable one of the easiest rifles to permanetly render incapable of full auto ever built.

Face it, the only reason they choped these rifles is because they didn't want us (the civilians) to have them. They could have sheard the tab off and made $1000 bucks a rifle instead of around $350 or so for the left over parts on those few that made it out in parts sets.

As a full auto the M-14 always left a lot to be desired as it was damn near uncontrolable.

Spectre
April 16, 2001, 02:41 PM
A lot went to the Israelis...

4V50 Gary
April 16, 2001, 03:53 PM
That the Bush Administration relents and allows civilianized M14s to be sold via ODCMP. I don't care if the selector was ground off, I want a forged frame TRW.

Turk
April 16, 2001, 04:16 PM
Gary,

It will never happen selling the 14's semi only. As Alan B said once a machine gun always one. It would take changing the law and I don't look for that to happen even with a pro gun president.

Turk

Alan B
April 16, 2001, 04:17 PM
There have been a few sold by ODCMP but not many and not for a long time.

Q-Man
April 16, 2001, 04:34 PM
A.Rex, if you install a pistol grip stock on a post-ban rifle, you will become an instant felon, thanks to the '94 Clinton crime bill. Of course, if caught, it would be an excellent time to argue your 2nd Amendment rights before the Supreme Court and get the crime bill thrown out.

If you really wanted the pistol grip stock on your pre-ban rifle, you would have to remove the flash suppressor and then either permanently install a muzzle break or remove the threads from the end of the barrel.

cuerno de chivo
April 16, 2001, 05:54 PM
Make it no threaded bbl, no flash hider, no bayonet lug, and the pistol grip would be legal. Like a pinned flash hider on a Mini-14, a permanently attatched flash hider on a Mini-14, or a pistol gripped stock on a Mini-14.

A.Rex
April 16, 2001, 06:21 PM
So... a pistol grip stock is illegal on an M1A... legal on a semi-auto AK47, and legal on an AR15.
Makes sense to me, Thanks Democrats!

Gewehr98
April 16, 2001, 06:55 PM
Confused me there, Q-Man...

"If you really wanted the pistol grip stock on your pre-ban rifle"

I think you meant POST-BAN in that sentence, since a pre-ban (pre-September 1994) rifle can have an E2 stock, no problem at all.

A.Rex, there's more than one way to skin a cat with regards to pistol grips on detachable magazine semiautos. Those recent postban AK and AR-15 variants with pistol grips are missing bayonet lugs, threaded muzzles, and flash hiders, which are deemed by USC 922(r) as "evil assault weapon" parts, after passing of the 1994 Crime Bill. You are allowed only so many of those parts per rifle, hence the trade-off. The postban Springfield Inc M1As did away with their bayonet lugs to keep the threaded muzzle and flash hider. To keep the pistol grip on the postban AR-15 and AK-47, the bayo lugs and flash hiders had to go. Now, if you have a muzzle brake, as opposed to a flash hider, you're ok under that law. Silly, ain't it? DPMS even sells a pump-action AR-15, that skirts the whole issue by being manually-operated, so it has all the "evil features", albeit in a somewhat lame method of operation...

Q-Man
April 16, 2001, 07:44 PM
Sorry. Yes, I meant Post-ban. Brain fart.

Wow, I didn't know about the pump action ar15. I can't imagine anyone being able to sell those.

From http://old.ar15.com/legal/preORpost.asp
A few years ago, our government passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, more commonly known as the 1994 Crime Bill. This law "restricts the manufacture, transfer, and possession of certain 'Semiautomatic Assault Weapons'." (AN OXYMORON IN ITSELF, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.) So what, you say, is a "Semiautomatic Assault Weapon"? The law (Section 921 (a) (30), Title 18 U.S.C.) defines it as so:

Any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as;
* Norinco, Mitchell, Poly Technologies, Avtomat Kalashinikovs.
* Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI, Galil.
* Beretta Ar70 (SC-70).
* Colt AR-15
* Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, FNC.
* SWD M-10, M-11, M-11-9, M-12.
* Steyr AUG.
* Intratec TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22.
* Revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12.

Any semiautomatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of the following features:
* a folding or telescoping stock.
* a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.
* a bayonet mount.
* a flash suppressor or a threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor.
* a grenade launcher.

A semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of the following features:
* an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip.
* a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip or silencer.
* a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned.
* a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded.
* a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.

A semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of the following features:
* a folding or telescoping stock.
* a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.
* a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds.
* an ability to accept a detachable magazine.
Post-Ban AR15s get rid of the folding or telescoping stock (used in M4 configurations), the bayonet mount, and the flash suppressor. They don't have a grenade launcher as an integrated part of the design. Therefore, semiautomatic post-ban AR15s with detachable magazines have only one feature from the list--the pistol grip--and therefore comply with the law.

Post-ban M1As get rid of the bayonet mount, but keep the flash suppressor as the single item on the list.

Stupid and evil politicians lead to stupid and evil laws. In this case, the politicians wanted to ban guns that look a certain way.

Southla1
April 16, 2001, 07:56 PM
Stupid and evil politicians lead to stupid and evil laws. In this case, the politicians wanted to ban guns that look a certain way..............Its a pity that the 80,000,000 firearms owners in this country do not get together and "ban" those "Stupid and evil politicians"........by anyone of the 4 boxes!

HankL
April 16, 2001, 08:08 PM
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1441545&a=10814423&p=41447330&Sequence=0
MOLON LABE! This is one point in time where I will not sell out to the what if's. The above rifle is built around an American semi automatic receiver with all original American USGI parts including the stock. It's all USA made.
You guy's are making my head hurt. :( Yes, I put it together before the pre/post crap started but [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] is up with all of that? All the rifle is, IS something with some historical correctness and a pleasure to own and shoot and no value to a bottom feeder.

Matt VDW
April 17, 2001, 09:17 AM
As Alan B said once a machine gun always one. It would take changing the law and I don't look for that to happen even with a pro gun president.

Is the "once a machinegun, always a machinegun" rule actually part of federal law, or is it just an interpretation of the law by the BATF?

Alan B
April 17, 2001, 12:45 PM
I believe it is the ATFs current interpretation probably made by some pencil neck who never saw a rifle.

James K
April 17, 2001, 09:11 PM
No, it is in the law, though not in those exact words.

1. Write your Senator or Member of Congress.

2. Tell him or her that you want the government to sell cheap machineguns to the general public.

3. Don't hold your breath waiting for the law to be changed.

Jim

Danger Dave
April 18, 2001, 06:11 AM
A bunch of them went to the Contras, too.

I know someone who was down there - he had pics of several cases of M14's and other ordinance - some cases were opened, with the locals admiring their new hardware.

Sometimes when the gov't says "destroyed", they really mean "sent somewhere we don't want to talk about".

And yes, as far as the law is concerned, there is no such thing as an ex-machine gun. Once the receiver is registered Class III, there's no turning back.

Alan B
April 18, 2001, 10:57 AM
Ok if its the law, Someone pull out their copy of the regs and cite it, chapter, page, and paragraph. Then lets see which law passed by congress stated this. I think you will find that M-14s owned by the federal Government have never been papered as a class III firearm.

Jim said
"No, it is in the law, though not in those exact words.

1. Write your Senator or Member of Congress.

2. Tell him or her that you want the government to sell cheap machineguns to the general public.

3. Don't hold your breath waiting for the law to be changed. "

I thought what we were talking about was M-14s which had the lug for the selector switch removed which is not capable if being a full auto again? Im sure the poeple over at VPC love your comment Jim.