Following the M14's adoption, Springfield Armory began a production line in 1958, delivering the first service rifles to the U.S. Army in 1959. Production delays caused it to be 1961 before enough were produced to replace the M1. Springfield Armory manufacture ended with TRW fulfilling its second contract and delivering the final units in 1965. The M14 was developed to replace four different weapons: the M1 Garrand, the 3 submachine gun, the M1 Carbine and the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). The cartridge proved too powerful for the submachine gun role and the weapon was too light to serve as a replacement for the M1918 BAR. With 2,560 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy, the power of the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge was valued for its excellent range and good cover penetration, however the powerful cartridge also caused the weapon to be difficult to control in fully automatic fire so most M14s were permanently set to semi-automatic fire only. Remember you can click on all photos for a larger view.

BUILDING TRW M14 KRIEGER RIFLE

Krieger Barrelo thand times withing eight degrees on TRW M14 Receiver Kreiger Barrel in jig ready for TRW M14 Receiver Timing Kreiger Barrel in TRW M14 Receiver

Finish Reaming the KreigerBarrel in TRW Receiver Flushing the chips from Reamer while finishing the Krieger M14 Barrel Cleaning all the Chips fro Finish Reaming out of Krieger Barrel

Bolt fits Perfectly in TRW Receiver and Krieger Barrel TRW/Bula Receiver with Krieger complete Mechanics are done TRW Receiver Heel with Sight

Close-up of TRW/Krieger M14 Build Finished TRW/Krieger M14 Build Close-up of TRW/Krieger M14 Build and Stock

   First picture shows the Kreiger barrel hand tigntened out of the box to within 8 degrees in the TRW/Bula Defense Systems M14 Receiver. Next photos show a little painter's tape added before the action wrench and then timing went perfectly to within 0..1 degrees.  Next row o photos are finish reaming, like to pull the reamer out an flush the residue every few seconds. between reamer cleanings. Third photo in second row is running a chamber mop in to remove any chips. Last row sho the finished TRW/Bula Defense Systems build ready for the range.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY BENCH REST M14 BUILD

LRB Receiver LRB Match Rifle Parts LRB National Match M14 LRB National Match Receiver and Sight

LRB National Match Close Up M14 National Match Stock Completed LRB National Match M14

One of my favorite times in building a rifle is the hand selecting of the parts that will be used. Got LRB M14BR receiver 05120 out of the box this morning and gathered components from my stash to get get ready to nail her together. The intention is to do another traditional build with NM rear sight. First step will be to lap the bolt to the receiver for a 60/40 contact using 300 gr lapping compound and a Brownell's bolt lapping tool. More details later.

LRB M14 BENCH REST #50100 COMES TO LIFE

LRB M14 BR #05100 Receiver LRB M14 BR #05100 Receiver LRB M14 BR #05100 Receiver& Op Rod

LRB M14 BR #05100 Receiver& Parts Group LRB M14 BR #05100 Receiver& Parts Group LRB M14 BR #05100 LRB Barrel & USGI Flash Hider

LRB M14 BR #05100 Completed Rifle LRB M14 BR #05100 Completed Rifle LRB M14 BR #05100 Completed Rifle

This build is an LRB M14BR from a group buy. LRB M14BR # 05100, Winchester bolt, USGI contour 22" chrome lined barrel, Springfield Armory trigger group, SAK op rod, USGI unitized gas system with nitrided piston, USGI flash suppressor, USGI M1 rear sight assembly, rest of the small parts are as they come out of the bins. USGI presentation grade Walnut stock from Fred's and of course one of Hawk's now to become rare and collectable ambi kits.

LRB M14 BENCH REST #50119 COMES TO LIFE

LRB M14 BR Essential Parts LRB M14 BR Barrel & Muzzle Device

LRB M14 BR Assembled Close Up LRB M14 BR Close Up LRB M14 BR Assembled and Ready to Shoot

    Nailed LRB M14BR 05119, from a group buy, together using an assortment of parts. The muzzle device is not correct traditional M14 but without a bayonet lug and ability to call it a muzzle brake instead of flash hider may fly in one of those liberal states that makes us ruin the originality of our sporting rifles.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY BENCH REST M14 BUILD

Bench Rest M14 Receiver Bench Rest M14

Bench Rest M14 Bench Rest M14 Receiver

  Finished up the M14 Bench Rest Springfield Armory USGI/Bula Defense Systems build. Parts drawer is getting pretty empty these days. Receiver is USGI heeled SA/JRA/Bula Defense Systems as is bolt and barrel. Remainder of parts including the walnut stock are USGI.

UPPER & LOWER RIFLES CLOSE TO LATE 1950s ISSUE M14s

      Except for the muzzle devices the upper and lowder rifles above are built identical to late 1940s issue M14s. The center rifle is an iron sight M25 but to most would pass as an ordinary M14 as M25s usually have glass on top.

BULA/ROCK-OLA 3145 IN GREEN STOCK

Rock-Ola Bula M14 Barreled Action Rock-Ola Bula M14 Green

Rock-Ola Bula M14 Colse up Rock-Ola Bula M14 Close Up Green Rock-Ola Bula M14 Green with Red Stock Brother

     Put together Rock-Ola #145 this morning, to be a little different, used a combination of parts from around the shop. Receiver is Bula/Rock-Ola, op rod, gas assembly and trigger group are Bula Defense Systems. Barrel and rear sights are Harrington & Richardson. Front sight is Jon Wolfe's adjustable gas lock front sight. Muzzle device is a SEI Vortex. Stock is USGI fiberglass that has been hollidized and most important of all, one of Hawk's most amazing selector kits.

ASSORTED M14 RIFLES TILL FATTEN PAGE

 

M14 Standard Scoped M14 Standard Scoped

    Top left is about as USGI as can possibly get, top right is a Bula Defense Systems M14 in red stock, bottom phoyos are a Springrield Armory M1a with Horus 4-16x and red dot for fast action CQB.

MORE M14s COMING SOON

BACK TO THE M-14 MAIN PAGE

PLEASE VISIT CoolAR15.com

guns in america, an explanation

for our european friends

NAVIGATION

ALL OF THE PHOTOS AND TEXT ON THIS SITE IS COPYRIGHTED.  NO PORTION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Join the N.R.A., Save Your Rights