The M14 is an outstanding service rifle. Possibly the best the US military ever had.
for being so wonderful, it sure did not stick around long.
Pussy’s couldn’t handle the weight is what the powers to be claimed. Though the WWII guys could handle the M1. The M1 being nearly as good as the M14.
Stoner was an “enemy of the state” in my opinion. The GI’s having to carry his worthless invention. Politicians must have been paid big bucks for that to happen.
Stoner was brilliant, cannot say the same for the government, Stoner made concessions on Sams requests.
M14 introduced in 1957 and replaced with the M16 in 1967.
M16 still in use today
Maybe if the gumbit didn't change the powder, supplied cleaning kits and told the GIs to dump some oil in the M16s, the roll out may have turned out different. .
For those without thumbs, it's s Garden fookin Island, not Hawaii
Qualified with a M14 in basic in Ft Benning '65 liked the rifle, carried one for the first six months in RVN '66, I was a mechanic so perimeter guard duty and convoys, wouldn't have liked to
hump that in the boonies. In '67 was transferred to forward support base LZ English and given a XM 16 E1,no training other than some ammo dumps on the perimeter, no cleaning kits
were available, the XM were the problem childs, no chrome bores or chambers, edgewater buffers, high cyclic rate. I never had any problems with mine, was a gun nut before I got
drafted so I knew to keep it clean. We used brazing rods to clean the bore and had plenty access to lubes, the grunts not so much. Fifty odd years latter I have multiples of both and still
