The Story of M14 Rifle
defenseuptodate.com – The use of rifles in combat for the military is very necessary, especially for ground combat. One of the most famous rifles used by the U.S. Military is the M14 Rifle. The M14 Rifle is the successor of M1 Garand. M1 Garand is a very famous rifle in the era of World War II. The M1 Garand was the most advanced weapon of its time and several countries had also used this rifle. Finally, this rifle was modified in the late 1930s for the benefit of the United States military.
The M14 Rifle is easy to use but also difficult at other times. It has large ammunition which can make the rifle a bit difficult to control when in full-auto mode. This rifle becomes when used in moist and watery terrain, because of the outer material made of wood, it will make the M14 shape slightly expand when used.
The M14 was also replaced by the M16 Rifle Assault Weapon in 1967 for use by the United States army. However, various branches of the US Military are still interested in this M14 Rifle. Many soldiers complained that the M14 successor weapons such as the 5.56x45mm NATO could not be used optimally, especially in battles with a distance of 300 m. Therefore, the US Military decided to reuse the M14 Rifle by modifying the fiberglass stock, scope, and a few other enhancements. Then in the war with Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S Military need a powerful rifle and accurate rifle, because it was used for long-distance battlegrounds more than 300 m.
Now, especially the snipers began to reuse the M14 rifle. That’s because of the sophistication and precision accuracy provided by this rifle. There are also M14 Rifles that are sold to the public, but their use is limited, such as for hunting, shooting practice, and others.
M14 in Vietnam
During World War II, the American Army also used the M14 rifle in Vietnam quite usefully. This made various other countries interested in the existing M14 at the time. Now the M14 has the latest upgrade, the Mk14. This rifle has a better performance when used in various fields compared to the M14. The Mk 14 EBR has been used by the United States military since 2002. The M14 is also used in ceremonies as a token of appreciation for the United States military.
M14 Specifications
The M14 Rifle has quite capable specifications with large enough ammunition, measuring 7.62x51mm NATO (0.308 in) and caliber measuring 7.62 mm.
For dimensions, this rifle also has a length of 1,188 mm (44 in) a barrel length of 599 mm (21 in), and a weight of about 4.5 kg.