Springfield M14 The M - 14 is an American Semi - Automatic Rifle Created by the Springfield Company to replace the M1 Garand , it was replaced by M16 as American main battle rifle , but his variants continues in activity as a Sniper Rifle Description . The experience gained by US troops during the Second World War showed that the M1 Garand rifle has a lot of things to be improved . The first was the feeding system with 8 - rounds en - bloc clips that does not allowed the refilling of the partially full magazine . Others were excessive length and weight of the rifle . The cartridge used in M1 Garand and known as . 30 - 06 ( 7 . 62x63mm ) was too long and too heavy , effectively limiting the load of ammunition carried by each soldier . First attempts to improve M1 were made during the war , and numerous experimental modifications in . 30 - 06 were built , mostly using the 20 - rounds detachable magazines from BAR M1918 automatic rifle . One of such prototypes was the T20 ( " T " means " test " ) of 1944 . T20 was basically the M1 Garand rifle fitted with 20 rounds BAR magazine and with selective fire capability . This prototype latter evolved into the T37 rifle , which had gas cylinder moved back a little and was chambered for newest American prototype cartridge - T65 . The T65 was no more than . 30 - 06 case , shortened by 1 / 2 inch ( 12 mm ) , but retaining the original ballistic properties due to modern propellants used . It was slightly lighter and cheaper to made than . 30 - 06 , and has long effective range and good potential for accuracy , both desired by US Army . The idea of truly intermediate round was not acceptable to the US Military at that period . In the early 1950s T37 evolved into the T44 experimental rifle , which featured redesigned , self - regulated gas system with short stroke gas piston . Further development and tests lead to the slightly modified T44E4 and T44E5 ( heavy barreled squad automatic weapon ) prototypes , which were finally adopted by US Army as M14 and M15 rifles in the 1957 . The M15 , a heavy barreled weapon , however , was never brought into production . It must be noted that T44E4 was extensively tested against the only other entree in the US trials , the T48 rifle ( Belgian FN FAL rifle made under license in USA by H & R Inc . ) . Both rifles passed the trials with equally high results , but US finally settled on the T44 because it was slightly lighter , similar to M1 Garand in manufacturing and operation , and , above all , a " Native American " design . The contracts to produce M1 rifles were issued to some US companies , such as Thompson - Ramo - Wooldridge ( TRW Inc ) , Harrington and Richardson Arms Co ( H & R ) , Winchester - Western Arms Division of Olin Mathieson ( Winchester ) and Springfield Armory Inc ( Springfield ) . Production was ceased by US Government in 1964 , with some 1 380 000 weapons made . The termination of the production was the result of combat experience in the SE Asia , particularly in Vietnam . The M14 was too long and too heavy to be carried all day long in hot and wet climate . The 7 . 62mm NATO ammunition was too heavy , limiting the amount of ammunition carried by soldiers on patrols . The selective fire capability was mostly useless , since the M14 was way too light for powerful cartridge it fired , and climbed excessively when fired in bursts . In fact , most of the M14s were issued to troops with fire selectors locked to semi - automatic mode , to avoid useless waste of ammunition in automatic fire . The squad automatic version , known as M14E2 , also was not too successful in its intended role . As soon as those deficiencies of the M14 became obvious for US Army Command , they started the search for lighter rifle , and finally settled on the Colt / Armalite AR - 15 5 . 56mm assault rifle , adopting it as the M16A1 . M14 was replaced as a first line weapon in the late 1960s , but is still used in small numbers by US Navy . It also served as a platform to build M21 Sniper rifles . Semi - automatic only versions of the M14 rifle are commercially manufactured for civilian and police markets by the Springfield Armory Inc since 1974 under the name of M1A . Some other US companies are assembling the M14 - type semi - automatic rifles using military surplus M14 parts kits . Beginning in the early 1970s thousands of M14 rifles were given to several nations under military aid programs . In the 1990s alone , over 100 , 000 of these rifles have been given away to Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania , the Philippines , South Korea , Taiwan , and Turkey . In USA , for some time M14 was mostly relegated to Honor Guard and similar duties , but during recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan many old M14 rifles were withdrawn from warehouses , dusted off and issued to troops in the field to improve range and lethality of troops armed with 5 . 56mm weapons . Some M14 rifles are issued as is , some are fitted with new telscope sights to serve as a para - sniper / designated marksman rifles ( concept similar to Russian SVD rifle ) . US Marine Corps also re - issued M14 rifles for use in Designated Marksman role ( DMR ) , and those rifles are fitted with newly made polymer stocks with adjustable buttstocks and pistol grips , and other accessories such as detachable bipods or sound moderators ( silencers ) . Recently US Special Forces , operating under the US Navy flag , stepped forward with the Mk . 14 Mod . 0 Enchanced Battle rifle , which is an M14 fitted with many new commercially available parts , new stock with adjustable butt and plenty of Picatinny rails , and new accessories such as noise suppressors and optical equipment . The Mk . 14 Mod . 0 EBR is currently being used by US Navy SEAL ' s and possibly some other special operation forces within US Military . In general , the M14 was a comtroversial weapon . It had the accuracy and range of the " old time " military rifles , but was too long , heavy and lacked the automatic fire firepower of a true assault rifle , often required in the modern close combat . Nevertheless , it was a reliable and powerful weapon , often favored by users for high lethality , long range and good penetration - features much appreciated by US soldiers during recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq . The M14 is a gas operated , magazine fed , selective fire ( originally ) design . The gas system is located under the barrel , and has a short stroke ( about 1 1 / 2 inch - 37 mm ) gas piston which operates the M1 Garand style action rod . The gas system features an automatic gas cutoff feature , which limits the amount of gases used to operate the weapon . The rotating bolt is quite similar to one found in M1 Garand but it has a roller instead of the simple lug , which connects the bolt to the operating rod . The fire mode selector is located at the right side of the receiver , above the trigger , and could be removed if rifle should not be fired in bursts , or re - installed if required . The rear receiver bridge features the stripper clips guides , so the detachable magazine could be refilled in place by using standard stripper clips . The bolt stop device is incorporated into the left wall of the receiver and holds the bolt open when last round from the magazine is fired . The safety switch is similar to M1 Garand and is located at the front of the triggerguard . Standard sights consist of the blade front sight with two protective " ears " and diopter - type adjustable rear sight , mounted on the rear of the receiver . Barrel is equipped with long flash suppressor . To be used in selective fire mode , M14 can be equipped with light detachable bipod . The M14A1 Squad Automatic rifle differs from M14 in the following : the fire selector is always installed . The standard wooden single - piece stock with semi - pistol grip is replaced by the " straight line " wooden stock with separate pistol grip and with folding front grip under the forearm . The hinged shoulder rest is attached to the buttplate . Special removable muzzle jump compensator is fitted to the barrel , as well as lightweight bipod . Variants . M15 . The M15 was a modified M14 developed as a replacement for the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle for use as a squad automatic weapon . It added a heavier barrel and stock , a hinged buttplate , a selector switch for fully - automatic fire , and a bipod . Like the M14 , it was chambered for 7 . 62x51mm NATO . Firing tests showed that the M14 , when equipped with the selector switch , hinged buttplate and bipod , performed as well as the M15 . As a result , the M15 was dropped and the modified M14 became the squad automatic weapon . Accuracy and control problems with this variant led to the addition of a pistol grip , a folding metal foregrip and a muzzle stabilizer . The final design was designated as the M14A1 . M14E1 . The M14E1 was tested with a variety of folding stocks to provide better maneuverability and the like for armored infantry , paratroopers and others . No variant was standardized . M14E2 / M14A1 . Selective fire version of the standard M14 used as a squad automatic weapon . Successor to the short - lived M15 rifle . The developmental model was known as the M14E2 . First designated as M14E2 when it was issued in 1963 and redesignated as M14A1 in 1966 . M14M ( Modified ) / M14NM ( National Match ) . The M14M is a semi - automatic only version of the standard M14 and was developed for use in civilian rifle marksmanship activities such as the Civilian Marksmanship Program . M14M rifles were converted from existing M14 rifles by welding the select - fire mechanism to prevent full - automatic firing . The M14NM ( National Match ) is an M14M rifle built to National Match accuracy standards . The M14M and M14NM rifles are described in a ( now - obsolete ) Army regulation , AR 920 - 25 , " Rifles , M14M and M14NM , For Civilian Marksmanship Use , " dated 8 February 1965 . Paragraph 2 , among other things , stated that the Director of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division , Internal Revenue Service , Department of the Treasury ( predecessor to the Bureau of Alcocohol Tobacco , Firearms , and Explosives ) had ruled that M14M and M14NM rifles so modified would not be subject to the 1934 National Firearms Act ( NFA ) and , as such , could be sold or issued to civilians . However , with the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968 , the NFA was amended to prohibit sales of previously modified automatic weapons such as the M14M and M14NM to civilians M14 SMUD . " Stand - off Munition Disruption " , used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel to destroy unexploded ordnance . Essentially an M14 National Match rifle with scope Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR . Shorter , more tactical version of the M14 , with a retractable stock and multiple rails for more accessories . M14 Tactical . Modified M14 using the same stock as the Mk 14 but with a 22 inch barrel and a Smith Enterprise muzzle brake , used by the USCG M14 Designated Marksman Rifle . Modified designated marksman version of the M14 , used by the USMC . M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle . Modified M14 DMR fitted with the same stock as Mk 14 , used by the USMC . M89SR Model 89 Sniper Rifle . An M14 in bullpup configuration first introduced by Sardius in the 1980s . Later produced by Technical Equipment International ( TEI ) for the IDF AWC G2A Sniper Rifle . Modified M14 with bullpup stock designed by Lynn McWilliams and Gale McMillian in the late 1990s . Produced and delivered for testing at the Fort Bragg sniper school . M21 , M25 sniper rifles . The M21 and M25 are accurized sniper rifle versions , built to closer tolerances than the standard M14 . These are the more standard sniper rifle variants of the M14 . M14K . Variant designed and built by Master Weaponsmith Timothy F . LaFrance of La France Specialties of San Diego , California , most using forged receivers produced by Smith Enterprise of Tempe , Arizona . This rifle has a custom - made short barrel with a custom - made flash suppressor , shortened operating rod , and employs a unique gas tube system . Fully automatic versions have a removable flash suppressor . Semi - automatic versions ( of which very few were made ) have a silver - brazed flash hider to comply with the requirement that Title I firearms have a 16 " barrel . Most M14Ks employ the M60 gas tube system . Some late - model M14Ks employ a custom - designed and manufactured gas system . Both are intended to control the rate of fire in fully - automatic mode . The rear sight is a custom - made National Match type aperture , and the front sight is a custom - made narrow blade , wing - protected sight to take advantage of the additional accuracy afforded by the special barrel . The stocks and handguards on M14Ks are shortened versions of the GI birch or walnut stock , but make use of the original front ferrule . The front sling mount is relocated slightly to rear , to accommodate the shortened stock . Most handguards are of the solid , fiberglass variety ( albeit shortened ) , but a limited number were made with shortened wood handguards . The steel buttplate was deleted in favor of a rubber recoil paid , that greatly reduces perceived recoil . A limited number of M14Ks were manufactured with the BM - 59 Alpine / Para folding stock . These too had the shortened stocks and handguards , making for an extremely compact package especially suited to vehicular and airborne operations . A couple of M14Ks were built for SEAL Team members using the tubular folding stock assembly on a cut - down M14E2 stock found on some of the Team ' s full - size M14s prior to adoption of the Sage International EBR stock for M14 applications . These are by far one of the rarest variants of the M14K . M1A / SOCOM series / Scout Squad / M21 Tactical . Civilian versions manufactured by Springfield Armory . The M1A series is the basic M14 rifle with no included accessories except for the Loaded package which comes equipped with railed handguards , a bipod and a scope . The SOCOM series and the Scout Squad are based on the short - barreled version of the M14 . The SOCOM 16 comes with provisions to mount a red dot sight and the SOCOM II adds railed handguards to the package . The M21 tactical is a civilian version of the M21 Sniper Weapon System currently in use by the US military