Vietnam Era M14 - Much has been written about the M14, much of it about the development of the rifle and surprisingly little about its use in combat. The M14 select-fire's action time was relatively short, but those who fired it in anger during the Vietnam War will never forget America's last military rifle built from walnut and steel.
1st Infantry Division M14 rifle with two 20 round magazines attached, near Bien Hoa, October 1965.
Vietnam Era M14
I recently spoke with an old friend who had considerable experience "in the country" and with a wide variety of US infantry weapons. Captain Dale Dye enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1964. He served in Vietnam from 1965 and from 1967 to 1970, surviving 31 major combat operations. He came out of Southeast Asia with many decorations, including a Bronze Star for valor and three Purple Heart medals for combat wounds.
My Full Vietnam Era Airsoft Kit, With My New M14 (asg)
He spent 13 years as an enlisted sailor, rising to the rank of master sergeant. He was selected to attend Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a non-commissioned officer in 1976. He later converted his commission and was a captain when he was sent to Beirut with the multinational peacekeeping force in 1982-83.
When I asked him about the M14, Captain Dye commented, "The M14 was a rifle and most Marines carried it enthusiastically early in the Vietnam War. I distinctly remember guys who are trying to hide their Favorite M14 when it was said that the M16 is going away.
Despite the best efforts of some commands, many Marines continued to carry M14s for quite some time after the switch was ordered. There was a certain trust factor about that rifle. Or maybe it was some sort of Marine Corps "mojo", but it seemed reassuring to carry a gun that looked, felt, and shot like a "real" rifle.
An MP from the 89 MP Group stands guard at the Tan Son Nhut Base Hospital during the Tet Offensive, February 9, 1968.
Vietnam War Commemorative M14 For Sale
There is certainly no denying the weight difference between the US Army's M14 and their M16. The M14 (loaded) tips the scales at 10.7 pounds. Its 7.62 NATO ammunition weighs more than the M16's 5.56mm. The M16 (loaded) weighs over 7.5 pounds. In many ways, the initial affinity of Vietnam-era troops for the lighter M16 is similar to the WWII GI's love for the M1 carbine (5.8 pounds, loaded) compared to the standard M1 Garand rifle ( 11.5 pounds loaded).
A Marine supports his M14 against the magazine base during the Battle of Hue in February 1968.
Several worlds were colliding when the US Army switched from the M14 rifle to the M16. At their core, the rifle concepts were different. Both were built on solid foundations, but were extremely different from each other, as was their ammunition. The military generations were changing, and this fact was dramatically illustrated by the differences between the M14 and the M16. Nuts and steel versus aluminum and plastic; .30 versus .22 caliber.
Taste and confidence in guns is clearly a generational issue. My father was an infantry sergeant in WWII. When he looked at an M16, he thought they were not "proper" rifles. My grandfather, a World War I infantryman, would probably have viewed the M1 Garand with suspicion, considering it inelegant and brutal compared to his Springfield M1903 rifle. My brothers and I considered rifles like the M16 to be completely normal, and we really appreciated the semi-auto AR-15 variants designed for the civilian market.
Vintage M14 Rifles Still Chugging Along Overseas :: Guns.com
The fighting appears to have an "evening effect" on small arms opinions. In this regard, many of the combat lessons learned in Vietnam about the capabilities of the M14 were ignored. Since the turn of the millennium, our military has been "rediscovering" the powerful capability of the rugged M14, much to the dismay of America's enemies.
The M14 still has a specialized role today. This image was taken during Operation Southern Strike II in southern Afghanistan in June 2012. Image: Photo credit: Sgt. Brendan Mackie
Along with the M4 carbines and M16 rifles that serve on the battlefield, the US Army M14 also serves. Elements of the US Special Operations Command use the Mk14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) as their designated marksman's rifle, and in Afghanistan the US Army assigns two M14 EBR-RI rifles to each an infantry platoon.
Although the M14 still serves as a US military rifle, civilian shooters can thank Springfield Armory in Geneseo, IL for offering a legal semi-automatic version of this rifle in their M1A. Field-proven and showcasing the timeless beauty of wood and steel (although you can get it in black composite if you so desire), the M1A is a wonderful opportunity to own the civilian sibling of classic American rifle.
Vietnam Era Inspired \
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Springfield Armory® recommends that you seek qualified and competent training from a certified instructor before handling any firearm and be sure to read the owner's manual. These articles and videos are considered suggestions and not recommendations by Springfield Armory. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Springfield Armory.
Tom Laemlein is a historian. While this may sound terribly awful to some, he loves it. His deep dives into historical research keep him (mostly) out of trouble and yet too often out of firing range. Tom is the author of over 30 books on military history and weapons systems. He regularly contributes articles to national magazines and websites on military history and firearms topics, and historical photographs from his collection are used by publishers around the world. In those moments when he is surrounded in a corporate environment, he will talk about marketing until he is released. Tom is married to a very patient woman and they live on the north coast of the United States near Lake Ontario. His regular misadventures with Wally, his young Tibetan Mastiff, remind him that life should be enjoyed to the fullest, at least until you're ready for a nap.
Live the Armory life. The latest content straight to your inbox and automatic entry into each of our monthly giveaways! I decided to raise this topic about M14A1s in the sniper rifle configuration as used in the Vietnam era, since now I have a better understanding of this topic. Here is the M14A1 sniper rifle as seen in Peter Senich's book, The Long-Range War (1996). It is cataloged as part of the West Point collection. The stock was apparently made of glass. (Note: I believe this is a birch stock, and I suspect it was taken directly from a box of new E2 calvarias, as they were shipped without the stock and forend handle, and the armor for the improvised 1st Calvari with the installation of a standard M14.stock and a standard M14 front swivel for this rifle).
The M14 Was A Terrible Service Rifle: An In Depth Analysis
To begin with, I had the impression that the M14A1 sniper rifle in the West Point museum, as seen in Peter Senich's book, with an E2 birch stock, an AWC scope mount, and an M84 scope, it was probably just "unique" or "ad". hoc' M14 sniper rifle used in Vietnam by an officer in the 1st Calvary (est. 1970-1971). However, I went back and re-reviewed a section in Lee Emerson's excellent book, M14 Rifle History and Development (Vol 1, 2016 edition, pages 166-167), which noted: “Less than 100 M14 rifles were fitted with walnut M14E2 stocks . for use as sniper rifles" in Vietnam. Emerson's reference comes from a January 1968 article in American Rifleman, and I was recently able to obtain and read that article for myself. In short, I found the information in this previous old issue interesting.and specific, so I decided to publish an extended excerpt of the article for anyone who is interested.
Excerpt from the article: "Snipers in Vietnam Need Firepower Too," by Louis A. Garavaglia, American Rifleman, January 1968, pages 18-19:
"...During my tour of duty in Vietnam as a first lieutenant in the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company of the US Army's 4th Division, a sniper detachment became an organic part from our unit. All those who volunteered for this had knowledge and experience. of firearms before entering the army. The detachment was divided into teams of 3 men who usually operated at considerable distances from the units of -conventional troops. If detected and attacked while moving to or from an objective, the team was on its own. Their survival depended on being able to deliver heavy firepower. At first, the sniper squad did not have a Table of 'Standardized Organization and Equipment and therefore had a lot of latitude in the choice of the weapon This allowed us to extensively test the Winchester 70 and Remington Model 700, the bolt scoped actions used by marine snipers, and compare them with -versions M14, M16A1 and 3 of the rifle the Russian assault AK-47. (My note: the author is shown with a captured Czech Model 58 assault rifle, so
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