Actually, the information on spare magazines and parts came from the head of the AMU. No parts have been made since 1967.
For me, the rifle sucks. That's opinion, I know. The parts and magazines is NOT opinoin. Aftermarket products may exist, but not mil-spec issue parts....there's no reason for the military to produce parts for a rifle that is obsolete, although some small store of parts may exist. Somewhere.
The M 14 is geared toward US ammo, which indeed causes no problems. But other NATO rounds, and other NATO rifles have different specs. There's the problem.
The AMU Lt. Col. (who is a Korean American, and whose name I can't spell, and who has been reassigned) was a match shooter of national ranking and very knowledgeable. He had previously been a special op guy and had service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and several non-mentionalble places. He knew whereof he spoke, although alll the things I said about the M 14 are not his opinions.
His opinion was that it was OK for its day, as a European cold-war weapon.
My experience, which comes from Viet Nam, is that it's a heavy weapon, with heavy ammo, and at the close ranges of Viet Nam and apparently of today's combat, it has no special value.
