Springfield Armory M1A ??

[pwl44m]

Need a Little help/info on this. Are original GI issue M14s available to the general public ? My Guy tells Me they are, I don't think so. I think He is confusing the new SA with the Old which produced the M14. I know there is someone here that has My answer.
Along the same line I hear Guys saying " I got My issue M14 or AR15 when I got out", anybody have any light on this subject also.
Thx in advance, it won't make a whit in the whole scheme of, it will only serve to confirm what I think I know or disprove what I thought I knew.
Perry

[MrMurphy]

No, and no.

Anyone telling you otherwise is full of stuff.

M14s ALL are considered select-fire weapons, as are M-4s and M16s and require a class III license. None have been produced for civilian sale since 1986, what's out there is it. A drop-in sear for a current production AR would turn it full auto.

A few M14s were converted to semi only way back in the day I believe, but only a VERY few.

Due to their service date, civilian owned M14s do exist, but still require the Class 3 license.

Nobody's taken home a service rifle since before Vietnam. Even pistols are almost impossible to do so past about '89 or so.

[AJMD429]

I was told by a Class-III FFL that one can purchase a full-auto M-14 legally IF one can find one that was in civilian hands prior to the no-more-new-full-autos-for-civilians law, but I've never seen one and he said he'd only seen a couple. The semiauto M1A is not hard to find (other than when there is a panic-buying spree due to pending EBR-banning legislation). The DCM sure won't sell you an M-14!

Other than the "because I can" factor, I'd not have the desire for a full-auto 308, personally.

[MrMurphy]

Agreed. My dad had the reason to use his M14 on the group therapy option in Vietnam a few times and the M16 a great many times.

As almost all others have reported, a 7.62 rifle on full auto is very hard to control, the M14 more than most due to stock design.

A belt fed is a whole different story.

[stew71]

Perry, if you're thinking of picking up an M1A, I'd get it now before our idiots under the capitol dome in Sacramento put the kybosh on that idea. I've had a Match-grade M1A for about 10 years now. Wonderful piece of equipment and fun to shoot. It'll give any fancy-schmancy AR a run for its money and then some once you get past 600m.

[Streetstar]

Perry, if you're thinking of picking up an M1A, I'd get it now before our idiots under the capitol dome in Sacramento put the kybosh on that idea. I've had a Match-grade M1A for about 10 years now. Wonderful piece of equipment and fun to shoot. It'll give any fancy-schmancy AR a run for its money and then some once you get past 600m.

Ugghhh ........... My "fun store" has a nice synthetic stocked M1A, a DSA FAL and a handful of 308 AR's on the rack right now -- what a dilemna, i've made a few purchases lately and cant afford any of 'em. I have much more familiarity with the FAL from my time in service than i do the M-14 , but would love to get my hands on either (or both) of them --- the M-14(M1A ) is an American classic in my eyes, much the same way a 1911 is

Another gentleman who owns an indoor range just put out a Colt 6920 LE with the quite normal price of $1200 on it ---- in Oklahoma City at least, the initial wave of EBR panic buying is almost over

[pwl44m]

Thanks Guys, You confirmed what I thought I knew. I think the old Gent is just confused. I have NO desire to own a Full auto anything and I am a bit confused as to what makes an M1A Ca. legal or not legal. I see a lot of them on GB and there is a sticker on the box that says "not legal in Ca. if purchased after Dec. 1999." Then there are some that look plain Jane other than the Black synthetic stock that are not legal in Ca. Only reason I look at GB is to get somewhat of an idea on price. The search continues, May have to go to the local Pawn and make a offer.
Perry

[Sixgun]

Well, I beg to differ on the M-14 being available to civilians. They must have been.......at one time.... in the past. I have seen a small handful of both Winchester and TRW M-14 semi-auto's for sale. The stocks were cut for the selector switch. I was "told" that the receivers were "fixed" so they could not be converted to full auto.

I don't know the specifics but if I saw a half dozen, and this country is big, that means there are lots more in circulation. --------------6

[pwl44m]

I know that the first maker of M1As used aftermarket receivers with all parts from demilled M14s but I can't remember the maker. It could be that some didn't get the axe like they were supposed to. I had 2 of the first ones back in about 88. I ordered 1 for My Brother and 1 for Myself. For a little extra We got a case of ammo some of which I still have.
Perry

[6pt-sika]

We are a Class 3 dealer and we have had a Beretta copy of an M-14 in the shop we sold for $8500 . We've also had 2 or 3 M-14's in the shop that were made semi auto at some point by someone and they were sold legally to others .

We can get M-14's and M-16's provided the customer wants to pay the cabbage !

Now it's kinda a c...r...a...p shoot because it works like this .

1. Custmore gives me the cash and we send it to another Class 3 dealer for the firearm .
2. Other Class 3 checks out stuff and sends in another form to the ATF and it usually takes a couple weeks for them to get the go ahead to ship it to us .
3. Then the gun appears the custmoer see's it and then and only then they can start the paperwork to get the $200 tax stamp same as if you were getting a silencer .
4. Paperwork is sent to the ATF and if you're lucky it returns in 6 months . We had some last year that took over 9 months .

So bottom line from the time you shell out the cabbage until you can take possesion expect to wait ONE YEAR and be mildly surprised if you get it sooner .

[6pt-sika]

Well, I beg to differ on the M-14 being available to civilians. They must have been.......at one time.... in the past. I have seen a small handful of both Winchester and TRW M-14 semi-auto's for sale. The stocks were cut for the selector switch. I was "told" that the receivers were "fixed" so they could not be converted to full auto.

That sounds like the 2 or 3 M-14's we had that had been made into M1-A's for lack of a better term .

[6pt-sika]

I was told by a Class-III FFL that one can purchase a full-auto M-14 legally IF one can find one that was in civilian hands prior to the no-more-new-full-autos-for-civilians law, but I've never seen one and he said he'd only seen a couple. The semiauto M1A is not hard to find (other than when there is a panic-buying spree due to pending EBR-banning legislation). The DCM sure won't sell you an M-14!

Other than the "because I can" factor, I'd not have the desire for a full-auto 308, personally.

There are a couple Class 3 guys in Florida that usually have most any fully auto on hand your heart may desire !

I think they sell mostly Mac 10's , Uzi's and M-16's . But I have looked over their inventories before and seen BAR's , M-60's , M-14's and Browning 50's !

And lemme tellya NONE were what I would call inexpensive !

[pwl44m]

NowI really "Don't" want a full auto.
Perry

[6pt-sika]

NowI really "Don't" want a full auto.
Perry

I wouldn't mind a Browning 50 on a tripod to sit in the middle of my gun room !

And you know I'd have a rather large gunroom with alarms etc if I could afford one of those . Think the last one I paid any attention to a few years ago was like 35 G's !

[MrMurphy]

The Beretta BM-59 is not a copy of an M-14.

They were designed around the same time frame, from the same starting point (The M1, which Beretta produced) but other than that.....have almost no interchangeable parts except ammo. Mr. Garand himself assisted in the design of the M14. Beretta's engineers had the same end point in mind and got there slightly differently. Mags do 'not' interchange and the gas systems are slightly different.

Having served with Italian troops, who carried the BM series rifles far longer than we did (1959 up till the late 80s as their primary service rifle), the M1 and BM59 fill the same place the '03 and M1 do in their culture. They loved them. I had a two hour long conversation about the two with an Italian master sergeant one day (he was old enough that his first service rifle was the M1 in their basic training, the BM for much of his career, and later on the current issue AR70/90).

I've also handled an imported semiauto BM59 side by side with an M1A.

[6pt-sika]

The Beretta BM-59 is not a copy of an M-14.

Whatever this stuff is not usually my cup of tea . We had one and sold it !

I was told it was an Italian copy .

Whatever makes no difference to me as I don't want one .

But the bottom line in all this is yes you can get converted M-14's and you can get fully auto M-14's . Granted they are not of recent manufacture , but they can be had if a person wants to get up off the schekels !

[pwl44m]

quote-But the bottom line in all this is yes you can get converted M-14's and you can get fully auto M-14's . Key word being "Can", it's not like Ur going to the local Gun shop and pick one up any day of the week.
There was another customer in the store when I was inquiring about one and He asked "why do U want one of those" My reply "why not" or to quote Mr. P. "because I can" Maybe! different strokes for different Folks
Perry

[Chris83716]

[quote="Sixgun"]Well, I beg to differ on the M-14 being available to civilians. They must have been.......at one time.... in the past. I have seen a small handful of both Winchester and TRW M-14 semi-auto's for sale. The stocks were cut for the selector switch. I was "told" that the receivers were "fixed" so they could not be converted to full auto.

I don't know the specifics but if I saw a half dozen, and this country is big, that means there are lots more in circulation. --------------6[/quote

I have shot one that belonged to the Idaho state rifle and pistol assoc. It was a loaner for CMP or NRA highpower competion. Stock cut and hole in the reciver for a fun switch. Several of us stood around scratching heads on the legality of that gun. Never had it open so I have no idea if the reciever was welded on the inside, but no way that gun was coming to my house.

Chris

[cfplinker]

My understanding is that the National Match M14s were built with receivers that could not accept the full auto parts. Thus, since they were semi-auto only and never had the selector switch for full auto, they could be owned without the class III license.

My gun club had 6 of these that were on loan from the Army (since returned at their request) which we used as loaners for shooters just starting in Service Rifle matches. They stayed at the club range and were loaned out for use at club matches and then returned to storage. You could try your hand at Highpower shooting in an informal Service Rifle match for the cost of the ammo which we sold for $4 for a box of 20 rounds.

[Mike Hunter]

Back 15-20 years ago, there were a couple of companies selling M14 Re welds... took cut up M14 recievers and welded them back together w/o the capability to fire full auto. MKS was one that I remember, ATF called all owners and confiscated the MKS reweld guns/frame. Big court case, I believe MKS prevailed, but was financially ruined.

There have been a few others, so seeing an ex-mil M14 out there is uncommon, but not impossible.

The frames were originally saw cut which made re-welds very practical, later they were torch cut. From what i understand MKS did the re-welds correctly, w/proper heat treatment afterwards, and are quite collectable today.

V/R

Mike