My experience with M-14's in Viet Nam: Heavy, your field load of ammo was limited. The sights frequently would not stay tight. Few men tried to get a true zeroe and keep it. Overall they were reliable, but had need for frequent checks and minor repairs. Ejector failure and cracked stock I experienced. My limited experience with M-16's found them more accurate and easier to shoot. General cleaning seemed to be the only maintanance usually needed. Ammo amount that could be carried was almost doubled.
