This Is My Rifle: The U.S. M-14

Guns Magazine, Sept, 2000 by Clint Smith

More than 1.5 million of these battle rifles were issued to American soldiers with the statement, "There are many like it, but this one is mine."

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. 1 must master it as I master my life. I will learn it as a brother. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as lam clean and ready My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country ... So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy but peace.

With this credo, written by Maj. Gen. WH. Ruperetus USMC, I received my initial introduction to the M-14 rifle on Oct. 28, As young Marine recruits, we had been issued the rifles early in September, but our primary focus until this time had been sitting on shiny little buckets and conducting repetitive disassembly, cleaning and reassembly drills. In the warm fall California sun we gathered together like inverted muskox in the "snapping in" circles at Edison Range on Camp Pendleton, practicing firing positions while locked into biting slings and cramping Thighmaster positions.

Little did we know or appreciate the value of the hard work invested in us. Very soon, it would serve some of us well.

The M-14, a long-time favorite of the U.S. Marine Corps infantryman, was carried ashore by the Marines in their first action in the Republic of Vietnam circa 1965. This first all-Marine campaign, dubbed "Operation Starlight," was to be the initial test of men and metal that would set the stage for the next 10 years of Marine Corps history. In this time before the M-16 was issued in significant numbers, the bulky, cumbersome M-14 remained a powerful and effective force in combat.

Master Of The Jungle

The air feels heavy as you slowly draw a breath into your lungs. Mist glides in the air around you, carrying the familiar smell of unwashed bodies blended with the remnants of LSA and bore cleaner. You try to wiggle your toes silently to relieve an itch on the skin of your always-wet feet.

Hours ago the sun sank below the horizon, and you know all too well that it will take its own sweet time in returning. In these dark hours, when your own hand disappears into the blackness at arm's length, your mind is consumed with childhood fears of falling into a bottomless pit. The only sounds are your breathing -- which never seems quiet enough -- and the barely audible hum of the Starlight scope atop your M-14.

Minutes or hours pass by when suddenly the humming green-eyed Cyclops finds what it has been looking for: a squad of shadowy, featureless stick figures is coming up the trail -- your trait Slowly but deliberately they move closer and closer, unaware of your presence...

Built around the basic mechanics of the M-1 Garand, in its inception and experimental stages, the M-14 rifle was known as the T44. This rifle, chambered in 7.62mm NATO, was America's entry into the trials to find a suitable rifle to fire the newly standardized NATO cartridge.

With its gas-operated mechanism, 20-round detachable magazine and cyclic rate of 750 rpm, the M-14 beat out the European competitors and was adopted by the U.S. forces in 1957. When military contract production ceased in 1964, approximately 1.5 million rifles had been made. A contemporary semi-auto-only version of the rifle, called the M1A, is still being manufactured today by Springfield Armory.

The main battle rifle configuration of the M-14 had a selective fire capability which was generally locked out of use on the standard issue infantry rifle. Excellent sights consisted of a protected front blade with rear sights being adjustable for windage and elevation. The rifle could be fitted with a bipod, bayonet, grenade launcher or even an enlarged winter trigger for use when shooting with gloves.

The squad automatic version of this rifle was designated the M-14A1. It had a straight-line stock with a pistol grip, folding forward hand grip, muzzle-attached compensator, recoil pad and folding shoulder rest. Due in part to the rifle's overall light weight, both the A1 and battle rifle versions can be a little unruly in full-auto fire.

The precision version of the M-14, called the M-21, was put to use in Vietnam. With that conflict's flexible lines of engagement, application of precision riflemen armed with the M-21 was particularly effective. Through further development of the M-14 National Match rifle, the gun was finally standardized by the Army as the XM-21 sniper rifle in December of 1975.

My Rifle, My Friend

Lying silently, patiently in the jungle darkness, you feel the firm contact of a hand on your leg which lets you know that your team members are aware of the approaching enemies as well. You shift your rifle slightly to place the T-shaped crosshair onto the oncoming soldiers as you feel a cool rush move through your body.

The wait seems endless until, suddenly the unearthly quiet is broken by the horrific crash of Claymore mines, accompanied by a flash which you can only wish was the returning sun. Your M-14 bucks in smooth rhythm against your shoulder as red trails of tracers streak toward the soldiers who are now scrambling desperately to get off the trail -- your trail. Ticks and thumps of passing overhead projectiles in the dense foliage assure you that the range is close and that the soldiers are armed and are not relinquishing ownership of the trail easily.