thedrifter
12-06-05, 12:46 PM
December 12, 2005
The Lore of the Corps
Phased out in 1960s, M14 was ‘very reliable’
By Charles A. Jones
Special to the Times
During World War II and Korea, Marines primarily used the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles. However, disadvantages with both rifles eventually inspired Corpswide use of the M14.
The Garand was reliable, but it had a clip that was hard to insert and fired only eight rounds. The Carbine was lighter, but it fired a .30-caliber round that was famous for inadequate stopping power.
During the 1950s, the Army tested weapons in search of one to replace the Garand and the Browning Automatic Rifle, which was the squad automatic weapon.
After considering several designs, the Army adopted the M14 in 1957.
The M14 eliminated the Garand’s clip-feeding system, replacing it with a 20-round detachable magazine. It used the 7.62mm round, which had a smaller cartridge. It also included a flash-hider that suppressed muzzle flashes, something the Garand lacked.
The M14 also had a selector switch enabling fully automatic or semiautomatic fire, although a lock could be installed to prevent users from selecting the fully automatic mode.
Two variants of the M14 were made. The M14A1, intended to replace the BAR, failed in that role because it was too light. The M15 was a heavy-barrel version that was declared obsolete in 1959.
In 1963, the era of the M16 dawned when Defense Secretary Robert McNamara terminated M14 production. However, M14s were used in Vietnam until M16s replaced them in the mid-1960s.
The M16 had advantages over the M14. It was lighter, shorter and fired a smaller 5.56mm round.
On the other hand, the M16 initially experienced problems in Vietnam stemming from the humid jungle environment, inadequate operational and maintenance training, and an inadequate supply of cleaning equipment.
Once these problems were solved, the M16 became more reliable. But the M14 seemed to be the more robust weapon.
Capt. Robert Modrzejewski, commander of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, in Vietnam, earned the Medal of Honor in 1966 for leading his company when numerically superior North Vietnamese forces attacked it in waves over a three-day period.
His Marines were armed with M14s.
“The M14 was a very reliable weapon,” Modrzejewski said during an interview broadcast on the History Channel.
“It was a rifle that you could drop in the mud, drop in the dirt. You could drop the magazine, the bullets could get dirty, and yet the weapon would still fire,” he said.
The M14 is still used by a limited number of service members, including snipers and special-operations troops.
The writer is a lawyer and Marine Corps Reserve colonel in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie
The Lore of the Corps
Phased out in 1960s, M14 was ‘very reliable’
By Charles A. Jones
Special to the Times
During World War II and Korea, Marines primarily used the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles. However, disadvantages with both rifles eventually inspired Corpswide use of the M14.
The Garand was reliable, but it had a clip that was hard to insert and fired only eight rounds. The Carbine was lighter, but it fired a .30-caliber round that was famous for inadequate stopping power.
During the 1950s, the Army tested weapons in search of one to replace the Garand and the Browning Automatic Rifle, which was the squad automatic weapon.
After considering several designs, the Army adopted the M14 in 1957.
The M14 eliminated the Garand’s clip-feeding system, replacing it with a 20-round detachable magazine. It used the 7.62mm round, which had a smaller cartridge. It also included a flash-hider that suppressed muzzle flashes, something the Garand lacked.
The M14 also had a selector switch enabling fully automatic or semiautomatic fire, although a lock could be installed to prevent users from selecting the fully automatic mode.
Two variants of the M14 were made. The M14A1, intended to replace the BAR, failed in that role because it was too light. The M15 was a heavy-barrel version that was declared obsolete in 1959.
In 1963, the era of the M16 dawned when Defense Secretary Robert McNamara terminated M14 production. However, M14s were used in Vietnam until M16s replaced them in the mid-1960s.
The M16 had advantages over the M14. It was lighter, shorter and fired a smaller 5.56mm round.
On the other hand, the M16 initially experienced problems in Vietnam stemming from the humid jungle environment, inadequate operational and maintenance training, and an inadequate supply of cleaning equipment.
Once these problems were solved, the M16 became more reliable. But the M14 seemed to be the more robust weapon.
Capt. Robert Modrzejewski, commander of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, in Vietnam, earned the Medal of Honor in 1966 for leading his company when numerically superior North Vietnamese forces attacked it in waves over a three-day period.
His Marines were armed with M14s.
“The M14 was a very reliable weapon,” Modrzejewski said during an interview broadcast on the History Channel.
“It was a rifle that you could drop in the mud, drop in the dirt. You could drop the magazine, the bullets could get dirty, and yet the weapon would still fire,” he said.
The M14 is still used by a limited number of service members, including snipers and special-operations troops.
The writer is a lawyer and Marine Corps Reserve colonel in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie