when the going gets HOT.......WE BUILD M-14's

[charleskieffner]

well the DAWG DAZE of summer are here. as a native of this god foresaken dezert june actually wasnt too bad. since im a cheap ass im still running the swamp coolers since dewpoint only made it above 55 degrees for a bout a week with no rainfall at my house. this week hell will be here, with 115 degree daze and thats when ya gotta be smarter than the average bear and hide out. and what better to hide out with than an M-14 or (2). yuck yuck.

im really just going to go over all my springfield custom arrington accurized super duper match fastners and swab the barrel a few times and general lubrication and function fire with 168 federals.

my real focus will be improving a few things that have bugged me after a owning a SOCOM-16 for a few years now. obviously they have been a hell of a sales item for springfield due to shorter barrel length and weight reduction. muzzle flash? HELL THATS VALUE ADDED W/a SHORTER BARREL! FER SURE GETS EVERJUANS ATTENTION AT THE RANGE!

anyway first and foremost for any of you whom ever hefted a M-14 in the winter with gloves on soon realized the BOLT STOP lever is a giant PITA to operate when wearing gloves. well smithenterprises.com here in tempe,az. has come up with an oversized bolt stop lever for them. my FFL is amigoes with smith and is going to pick me juan up for cost. that problems solved.

next a full blown freakazoid M-14 fanatic by the name of mike sadlak(sadlak.com) has been building a number of re-designed better mouse traps for the M-14 due to the wars in iraq and afghan. amazing how a tried and true workhorse gets a makeover.

first of his mousetraps that i have my eyes on for my super duper match is a titanium scope mt. its a damn heavy rifle to lug around and saving grams let alone ounces is paramount. mmmmmm its nice and so is the price tag. check 'em out also makes aluminum models.

next he makes a wayyyy cool TIN(titanium nitride coated-easier to clean) coated NATIONAL MATCH piston. have read some tests where guys have changed their u.s.g.i. piston out for sadlaks and posted tighter groups! hell thats simple and its a standard op cleaning drill everytime ya fire one. so why the hell not! dont ferget to re-install DRY! ie. no hoppes or bore cleaner left on it as per all u.s.g. i. publications.

also sadlak has taken the NATIONAL MATCH spring guide and honed it to a fine dead nuts replica if not better than brookfields( m-14 gurus of yesteryear). the newer spring guide disallows the spring from binding up and therefore you have a smoother action. hell thats only 39 bucks! why not? we LIKE SMOOTH! another simple retard install.

next we will replace the op rod spring and the hammer spring with TUBBS2000 springs. these springs are the best money can buy and exceed all factory specs. once again smooth hammer and smooth op rod guide spring makes for happy happy joy joy smooth action.

next sadlak refined the magazine release lever. wider IS BETTER and LONGER is better. especially with gloves on. if you have ever combat reloaded a legal 5 rd hunting magazine you will know exactly how much of a PITA that is. this lever will alleviate that debacle, and assure a positive release of the magazine under combat wombat BUCK FEVER when ya missed the previous 5-6 shots because the big old buck deer scared the hell outta you and ya need to reload another mag.

i had arrington accuracy here unitize the front end and give it a trigger job a few years back after stuffing 200 rds thru it for break-in. the only optic i will ever put on the socom is a zeiss reflex red dot. i dont want any more weight on this one. its simply a snap shot shooter that can get covered in mud rain snow sand and still shoot iron site or red dot out to 600yds.

if ya cant tell yet.................this will become my "3-gun" shooter for combat wombat matches maybe the end of this year when it cools off. really really really thinking about getting my younger son and myself signed up for this. looks like one hell of alot of fun and ya NEVER KNOW when the DEER and THE ELK may rise up in an INSURRECTION and FIGHT BACK! LOL!

[charleskieffner]

why this was percipitated-precipitated..............is because of reading an article on the m-14 forums about springfield armory inc. having some problems with their fiberglass stocks cracking where the full auto selector switch would normally be located. for you FNG's that would be on the right rear of the receiver.

well LO and BE-HOLD with the naked eye i can see a crack. with a magnifying glass it shows up BIG TIME! called SAI. and they said to take receiver group and barrel group apart from stock, call us, and we will issue a UPS ticket and ship the stock to us and we will send you a NEW JUAN FREE OF CHARGE! PICK BLACK OR GREEN!

OOOOOOO LAH LAH...................GREEN BABY! will match my future fall high fashion deer ensemble.

i like this alot. the reason is black evil assault rifles just dont match my high dollar fall fashion hunting ensembles, since i dont dress out all in BLACK NINJA fatigues when i go hunting. or ever for that matter.

since this socom is NOT BEDDED for uber accuracy like the super duper match, this wont be a big deal swapping stocks. if it was bedded this would be a ROYAL PITA rebedding receiver group to stock. whew! dodged that bullet.

oh by the way...........for you uber M-14 freaks...............the receiver on a M-14 has over 225 machining ops on it to complete. we did quite a few of these for smith ent. here years ago for their national match weapons. oh if ya didnt know the reason why the NORINCO m-14 POS's where breaking receivers right and left its because of the POS INFERIOR LOW ROCKWELL HARDNESS STEEL the chinese where using. bottomline................if ya want a m-14 receiver BLOWING UP IN YOUR FACE...........be a uber cheap ass and BUY A NORINCO!

cant wait to see what kind of groups this will do with fed 168 BTHP's.

[charleskieffner]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! i love ordering goodie parts. i especially LOVE when they are ALL in stock @ brownells and midway.

and i flat out GET A STIFFY when a problematic or bothersome design is taken from just an idea and a better mousetrap is CNC'd and brought to market.

this is MY RIFLE! IT IS THE ONLY JUAN LIKE IT................................!


springfields QC is pretty good but anything off the rack is mass produced.

springfields custom shop is VERY GOOD.

arrington accuracy and smith ent. are thru the ROOF ANAL as far as design/fit/function. ie. GOES BANG EVERYTIME NO MATTER WHAT!

next monday night when everything arrives.............CORRECTIVE SURGERY! cant wait.

[m21sniper]

I hate black M-14s. It seems somehow sacrelidgeous to see my beloved old girl all "tactical'd" up like that.

[charleskieffner]

oh yeah fergot to add. TUBBS2000 springs(midway) are chrome silicon uber BUENO! make them for m-1 carbines(my next build) also M1-Garands(highly recommended for worn out hacked on arsenal rebuilds from DCM-my hunting peudners)) unless ya spent the bucks up front for a match grade, and then ya outta be fine.

when its hot...........the range opens at 7am and buzzing 15 minutes over there for a couple of hours taking 100-200yd shots is always mega GIGGLE FUN!

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I hate black M-14s. It seems somehow sacrelidgeous to see my beloved old girl all "tactical'd" up like that.

my new FREE OF CHARGE STOCK will be a beautiful politically correct GREEN EARTH TONE to appease all the anti-gunners and tree huggers.

and lord KNOWS HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS! LOL!

yeah springfield is just starting to come out with a plethora of different models in P.C. earth hugging GREEN F/GLASS STOCKS!


the last thing i need is some goofy assed socom II with mega goofy assed rails hanging all over it for LAZER BEAM DEATH RAYS/FLASHLIGHTS/INFRA RED etc.

hell my socom dry weight no mag,no rounds is 8.6 POUNDS!

lightweight IS GOOD for a snapshot(smile here) rifle!

[vash]

i am confused..that picture is a socom 16 right??? that is a M14?

i am not versed in all the call numbers...charles if you find a socom 16 in your neighborhood for sale, cheap, i would appreciate a head's up...

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by vash

i am confused..that picture is a socom 16 right??? that is a M14?

i am not versed in all the call numbers...charles if you find a socom 16 in your neighborhood for sale, cheap, i would appreciate a head's up...

yes it is a SOCOM-16 from springfield armory. 16" barrel. scout is 18" barrel and the rest are 22" barrels.

flavors for standard M-14's:

standard
standard loaded
fiberglass stock standard
f/glass standard loaded
national match
super duper match
m-21 sniper
m-25 whitefeather
socom 16
socom II.
stainless barrels/parkerized barrels/black barrels

arringtonacuracy.com
smithent.com
fultonarmory.com
springfieldarmory.com

gen patton would be walking around with a stiffy if we had these during WWII! LOL!

duffs book will explain usgi vs national match parts and history
avail at fulton armory

remember the better($$$$$) it is..........the more afeared you will be of using it in the elements after ya get the sticker shock. ask me how i know!!!

gunbroker would be where i would look 1st. decent prices.

[HardDrive]

Yer kind of a nut.

But in a way that I really like.

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Yer kind of a nut.

But in a way that I really like.

well thank you. we strive to achieve the impossible/near impossible/ on a daily basis. when its 115 degrees out and yer at home at night or on the weekends, what better way to achieve total shooting NIRVANA than to take a socom and apply the latest greatest high techno goodies to get a better grouping.


stay tuned for the winchester m-1 carbine internal build. im "hoping" with homebuilt reloads about 2" groups at 200 yds. we will see. im dealing with a 65 year old barrel that IM NOT REPLACING!

[andytheturtle]

Darn, I came in here expecting M-14's, not M1A's.

[rnln]

there is a thing I always wonder. It will be a silly question but I always wonder what if, IF, you hit someone else on the other side when shooting in the jungle? How can a person ensure not to accidentally hit anyone else on the other side?

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by rnln

there is a thing I always wonder. It will be a silly question but I always wonder what if, IF, you hit someone else on the other side when shooting in the jungle? How can a person ensure not to accidentally hit anyone else on the other side?

Not sure what you mean by 'jungle', but most folks do not go shooting in the forest just for fun. Target shooting is typically done at a firing range, or in terrain where you are shooting into a hillside. You never shoot into 'the woods', and ensure that you have a clear path between you and your backstop.

Hunting is a different story. Its only happened to me once in my lifetime, but I did have a bullet come within 100ft of me a couple years ago during deer hunting season. From the sound of the shot, I would guess the shooter was .5 mile away. Bullet torn through a thicket of scrub oaks and bushes. Crcrdcrdcrdaaaack! My father was 100yrds away, and he could hear the bullet come through. Scary.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Hunting is a different story. Its only happened to me once in my lifetime, but I did have a bullet come within 100ft of me a couple years ago during deer hunting season. From the sound of the shot, I would guess the shooter was .5 mile away. Bullet torn through a thicket of scrub oaks and bushes. Crcrdcrdcrdaaaack! My father was 100yrds away, and he could hear the bullet come through. Scary.

i guess now you know better, and you check if Dick Cheney is in the region before you go near a forrest, right?

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by rnln

there is a thing I always wonder. It will be a silly question but I always wonder what if, IF, you hit someone else on the other side when shooting in the jungle? How can a person ensure not to accidentally hit anyone else on the other side?

well..................FRATRICIDE IS VERY COMMON despite drill instructors and range masters POUNDING INTO FNGS SKULLS TO ID YOUR TARGET AND KNOW YER BACKDROP EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU POINT A WEAPON! some MORONS just dont get this basic rule.

i too have been shot at in colorado with a belted magnum bolt action by some WHISKEY DRUNK AS HELL TEXAS MORONS! after the second round going over my head...........i lit off (6)SIX rounds out of my hk-91 and did a faster than snot combat wombat reload(mag dumped on ground) and AIMED RIGHT FOR THE SHOOTERS SKULL FROM ABOUT 600 yds. had he shot one more round my way......he and his other (2) CLOWN MORON FEEK UP'S WERE DEAD! it aint a game! it aint a joke! ITS THE REAL DEAL! you shoot at me FOR ANY REASON IM SHOOTING BACK......................A FEECKING LOT!

now for you city slickers:

a DEER DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AN ELK!

a ELK DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A DEER!

if ya CANT FIGURE OUT A WHITE TAIL FROM A COUES DEER(subspecies) FROM A MULE DEER. go stare at some racks at cabelas or buy or get drawn for "ANY ANTLERED DEER HUNTS" until ya can figure it out.

a merriam turkey DOES NOT look nor appear to be AN ELK EVER! unless maybe tripping on acid.

a COYOTE IS NOT NOR WILL NOT EVER LOOK LIKE A WOLF! canus lupus is MUCH BIGGER!

you CANNOT NOR WILL NOT EVER SHOOT AT SOMETHING YOU CANNOT ID. a hunter in colorado MUST WEAR OVER 400 sq inches of flourescent ORANGE AT ALL TIMES HUNTING!

a HORSE OR MULE WITH OR WITHOUT ORANGE ON IT DOES NOT NOR WILL NOT EVER LOOK LIKE AN ELK/DEER/ANTELOPEZ(speed goats).

its the snap shots that get people killed. no ID of target nor backdrop. thats why i like long range shooting. anything that walks runs flys crawls into your designated KILL ZONE can be ID'd, friend or foe.

in arizona i ALWAYS WEAR ORANGE DEER HUNTING TOO MANY DRUNK ASSED CITY SLICKER MORONS!

elk hunting here im in FULL CAMO AND SCENT more than likely in my numerous sniper hides we use. i will see YOU before YOU see ME! and im betting that most people can ID a human vs. an ELK! i guess im betting my life on this minor trivial sight picture.

[charleskieffner]

well drinking my coffee this fine am morning drooling over my M1-A SUPER SOCOM GOODIES i received from brownells and midway. mmmmmmmmmm YUMMY!

the sadlak national match piston is a WORK OF ART! TIC-N coated all purdy. everyjuan coded w/mfg date.

the sadlak op rod guide is also a work of art. one piece nats ass el perfecto held tolerances.

the sadlak wider/longer magazine release is wayy cool despite a lil involved gunsmithing to replace. very in depth color photo instructions supplied.

my TUBBS 2000 chrome silicon UBER SPRINGS (op rod and hammer spring) are a sight to behold.

still waiting on smith ent(tempe,az) extended bolt release to arrive from my FFL.

this is the kind of stuff i LIVE FOR! uber goodies!

gotta buy some TETRA GREASE for grease points today and some more MILCOMM lubricant for lube points.

also received a badger ordinance t-handle bolt roller greaser. makes it wayyy easier to get GREASE on BOLT ROLLER $6 bucks or find somejuan that shoots goofy .40 caliber rounds and ya got a homemade bolt greaser. .45 too big and 9mm too small for job.

[rnln]

This was what I meant. Is there a rule/policy to avoid this or just a general hunting rules everyone should know?

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Hunting is a different story. Its only happened to me once in my lifetime, but I did have a bullet come within 100ft of me a couple years ago during deer hunting season. From the sound of the shot, I would guess the shooter was .5 mile away. Bullet torn through a thicket of scrub oaks and bushes. Crcrdcrdcrdaaaack! My father was 100yrds away, and he could hear the bullet come through. Scary.

[charleskieffner]

well as any of you that own a M-14/M1-A know or should know ............they need grease and lubricant to make them function. yesterday i went to 2 shops looking for TETRA gun grease. no luck. found some shooters choice grease which goes up to 350 degrees. TETRA goes up to 750 degrees. some guys use simple waterproof wheel bearing grease much to somes angst(purists). i started reading into temps tested on various components under rapid fire. apparently the op rod spring gets up to 500 degrees under combat wombat pressure. this came off of TUBBS website, and thats why they use chrome silicon springs for all of their builds. another interesting note is how if i were to use the grease i bought(shooters choice 350 degrees) its obvious it would SLOUGH OFF of spring op rod op rod guide under heated conditions. soooooooooo...........my search for TETRA GUN GREASE CONTINUES> i can always get it air bombed into by brownells or midway but i'll try again today. its HOT AS HELL HERE and buzzing around finding components in a a/c vehicle beats the hell out of being outside. one of the keys of a smooth m-14 is heavy grease along rails where action slides and all over along op rod and op rod guide and spring. this makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE and thats why i want TETRA!

i did manage to remove my gas port threaded cap and replace it with the sadlak national match piston. 62,000 swabs and 1/4 gallon of hoppes #9 got it clean as can be. re installed sadlak piston flat side up(DRY) and put grease on gas port cap threads and gave it a snug with combo tool and its happy as a clam. just cleaned oem piston with my usgi drill bits and brake cleaner. man what a mess! they certainly get carboned up quickly. or was it owner/operator failure to clean after last shooting session. NOTE TO SELF: clean piston as well as bore EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU GO SHOOTING...............wayyyyyyyyyy easier to clean gas port and piston then every 2 years.

i was told DUFFS book on m-14's is a good one to own as far as tricks of the trade. my tricks have come from my ffl/smith/and arrington and the m-14forum.com. they have some great info on about every and any problem or upgrade with a m-14. some real good info re: testing of new fangled ops and product items and believe me they aint kind if a product fails and/or is a POS! some of the GURUS OF M-14's have some great articles there. very informative.

[Rick Lee]

You can probably find that lube at the gun show here this weekend. Though between parking and admission, that'd be another $22.

[svandamme]

why bother with parking and admission, if you gotta gun?