Thanks for watching guys! Check out the accompanying blog for this video here: armourersbench.com/2022/06/12/m14s-in-ukraine/ Check out the weapons in Ukraine playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLt7Io-OQBYSpPwU2o06V67DBI_aKEfeNn If you'd like to support our work check out the TAB patreon: www.patreon.com/thearmourersbench Thanks! - Matt
@@TheArmourersBench My first rifle in the USMC in 1973. Still used at Boot Camp and rifle range. I was expert with it 248 out of 250, shoot the eyes out of a snake at 500 yards. Then I was issued an M16 A1... Made a great hose but you sure weren't going to reach out and touch anyone with it. I notice no 16 platformed weapons out there... I loved how US forces had to bring them out of storage for Iraq and Afghanistan as their POS 16's/M4's sucked for air beyond about 200 yards...
ahhh No Russia is not the USSR no mater what the propaganda claims , and this is not about saving the world from communism the Russian Communists are a group of quaint old men who stick to managing Russia's social programs and are happy that they have a real economy to draw from....this is 2022 not 1960 the Russians are rocking weapons that just came out of production and full kits including body armor while the Ukrainians are fielding their 5th stringers with no training and expecting them to fight with weapons made before they were even born.
@@doughesson Especially with the Army adopting the M5 in a battle rifle cartridge, the M14 would say "Gee, its almost like you've come full circle huh?!" LOL.
Yes the M14 is an old rifle. Yes the M14 was the shortest standard issue rifle for the US. But there’s something special about 7.62x51mm out of a 22 inch barrel.
There’s something real special about a 7.62x51 out of a 16in barrel 🤙 more compact and a booty smacker out to 500yds when I’d not like to take shots past 250yds with my 5.56. The whole 1000yd range of a .308 just isn’t realistic, using it in a real world way the 7.62NATO round is an awesome DMR rifle caliber no matter what semi auto platform you use to sling em.
@@MrDeplorable-sw9cz no, it's based on the numerous books, ordnance reports, SDM training (thw only reason M14s were issued in the role during the Early Gwot was they were cheap and available; they also were all worked over by armors, and mostly given new stocks, because everytime you remove the action from a polymer or wood stock, if doesn't seat in exactly the same spot without a fuck ton of acraglass, or inlet metal blocks), gunsmith training, and building service rifles for competition, the main point for most M14 variants in America, combined with 3 combat tours and experience in using the rifle on the clock. It doesn't hold zero. Wooden furniture can and does swell to the point of locking the gun up. They had a history of rusting close overnight in ambush positions. The open top receiver sucks in dirt and debris, and locks up. It is longer, heavier, and less accurate than its contemporaries. The Ammo and mags are heavier (and I routinely hike with full kit of 12 loaded 7.62 in my belt), and mags more prone to bungling the insertion under stress due to the rock and lock nub missing the catch. The ordnance department had more reports of failures in Vietnam of the M14 in its short service there, than the M16. You can do all this research on your own. The M14 is mythologized because the ignorant think it's an upgraded M1- it isn't. It's the love child of an thalidomide M1 and the best retardation the ordnance department could produce. They see the pics of early Vietnam, and get nostalgic for the romantic idea of what it was then. They've never had to patrol 8 klicks through the woods with an M14- shit, most of them have never humped the gun and more than 3 mags from the car to the bench. When you get down to it, it's a shit rifle for grunt work. Any rifle is better than none, but there is no reason to jerk off the Ordnance Department's biggest blunder that actually, factually, no shit got men killed by being a shit rifle in the field.
In 2011 I was a designated defensive marksman for Triple Canopy after doing 8 years with the 82nd 1st/504th. All of us DDM’s had MK14’s and it was my first hands on experience with that particular weapons system. I can tell you that those rifles put in a lot of work and I had exponentially more confidence in that platform in terms of mid range engagements, stopping power and reliability compared to the M4 I carried during OIF and OEF with the 82nd.
1968 I was drafted and my first rifle was an M-14, 7.62x51, fmj accurate to 450 meters (Ft Campbell rifle range). The National Matches at Camp Perry featured the M-14 that fired across the course. With the M-14 you were never out gunned on the competition course or the jungles of Southeast Asia. The 7.62 hits like Thor's Hammer, as I have first hand experience with it.The XM-21 made a world class sniper rifle.
Unfortunately it's turned into an artillerymans' war:( and the M14 is probably too much gun. This is the same theater of operation that lead the Germans to deploy an intermediate cartridge rifle in the first place.
@@evancourtney7746 it depends what part of the UKraine you are fighting in.. UKraine grows a lot of wheat.. America grows a lot of wheat too.. get a look at battle distance in Kansas… I am not saying they need rifle squads with these rifles.. I am saying that if you are a rifleman seeing enemies at 400 yards and a bit it is nice to have a rifle that will send rounds out accurately that will penetrate body armor.
Having used the M14 in Iraq (way back in the dark ages of 2005 lol), it is a pretty solid rifle for the fighting in Ukraine. The 7.62x51 NATO round has great ballistics, great penetration and great stopping power. I could see the M14 putting in some excellent work in some of the longer-range engagements in eastern Ukraine, where the longer barrel combined with the 7.62x51 round will significantly outperform Russian battle rifles. However, from experience in Iraq, the M14 is also quite serviceable in an urban environment where its semiautomatic capability, high accuracy and lethality make it an excellent SDM weapon. In summary, just because a weapon is old doesn't mean it isn't good. The M14 was and is a damn fine rifle and was one of my favorite shooting platforms over my ten years in the Army.
we trained in with this rifle in 1972, hitting a Baker Target at 500 yards, I thought they were kidding as we marched further and further from the 250 yard line till all was visible was a dot across that firing range; this rifle was very easy to tear down and clean, could take a beating, and reliable; USMC
The basic M14 iron sights are really, really good. You have to know how to use them, but you can hit and kill just about anything you want out to about 500 yards - and that is actually quite a lot for an ordinary infantryman. 500 yards? you can barely see a person.
Not sure what you mean by "know how to use them"? Outside of being completely incompetent with a rifle they are very easy to use and become competent with esp. if you have ANY experience shooting (say plinking with .22). The M1 & M14 are generally designed for a farmboy to be able to pickup and kill the enemy. Gun nerds will get into complicated MOA discussions and talk about best firearms for various circumstances, but in the end there still seems to be a place for a "full battle rifle" in the field. The overall design of this rifle, with it's big cartridge and iron sites is timeless. Very approachable and effective in it's basic form. 👍
@@squig808 Thanks for the reply. Not everyone really knows how estimate wind, range and make effective adjustments to sights that are adjustable for both windage and elevation, particularly for targets that might be significantly greater or lesser elevation than you are.
Agree 100%. The stock M14 is an excellent weapon. Its range is really limited more by the limitations of human vision than by the capabilities of the rifle and its round. Its ability to hit hard at long range makes it a great weapon for some of the longer-range engagements that we have seen in Ukraine (which has a lot of large, open fields). The 7.62x51 should also punch through most of the Russian body armor we have seen fielded thus far. Another major advantage is that it is pretty easy to strip and clean, which is important for troops in intensive combat in muddy conditions.
I was issued the M-14 in 68 for basic training. I liked the rifle and cartridge except for the weight. When the opening announcer stated lightweight I had to laugh! Back then I was a strong 20-year-old and the weight didn't bother me. However, anyone calling it a lightweight is an idiot. It would be a good choice in the Ukraine with the long ranges they are shooting at.
The M-14 rifle is what I trained with at Ft. Bragg, NC, USA in 1968. The M-16 was already being used in Vietnam, but the Army had so many M-14s and .308 ammo, they used them for target and bayonet training. We were familiarized with the AR-15 training rifles for one day at the end of basic training. They felt like shooting a .22lr semi-automatic with zero recoil compared to the M-14.
My father had to train with the M-14. I have no idea why he didn't get issued the M-16A1 as it did exist at the time of his stay in boot camp. (Were M-16s immediately rushed to the battlefield, leaving very few for new recruits?) He said it kicked HARD but at least you knew the bad guy absolutely would not be getting up if you got a solid hit.
I am currently serving in the Lithuanian military and using an m4 with 4x scope. A very fun weapon to shoot from the building, and quite reliable I only had 1 jam. the downside is that it is very loud and quite heavy.
Not really. The 7.62 NATO cartridge is the premier medium machine gun ammo in the world (yes, the Russians still use the antique 7.62 Rimmed (adopted in 1891!)
Most Infantry combat in Ukraine is still falling into the 300 meter range, which negates pretty much all the perceived benefits of a 7.62 battle rifle, and amplifies it's faults.
I trained with the M-14 at Camp Pendleton. I love that weapon. Fired expert in boot camp with one. Ukraine is open ground. The extra range of the 7.62 round would be appreciated.
THIS IS MY RIFLE , THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE ????? DEVIL DOG LEATHERNECK MARKSMANSHIP , A MARINE WITH HIS " WEAPON " , SCORING HITS WHEN THEY COUNT .
I used the M-14 in basic training back in Jan 1969. Very accurate out to 300 yards with standard open sights. Later in nam I saw one of our snipers with a scoped m-14 so they must have been very accurate.
As I mentioned to you in the past Matt, I saw Lithuanian troops returning from deployment in Afghanistan in or around 2007 transiting through Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Vilnius. When disembarking they collected their M14's from the aircraft Purser and exited the airport ahead of the rest of the passengers. I have also seen curiously stocked M14's in Lithuanian service with what appears to be locally produced stocks!
I have a Lee Enfield that was apparently restocked during WWII in Australia because the stock is some kind of heavy jungle wood - it sure isn't walnut !!! That's what I like about it.
I trained on that rifle it's a mighty fine platform and can reach out and touch unlike the M4 / M16. The original M14 had select fire capability, you can empty that 20 round magazine quick I noticed several of those aren't running a sling. You really want that sling when you go to select fire.
Hey, M-14 is a good shootin' iron. That's what they gave us -- along with pecker-head East German helmets -- to do OPFOR training for newbies in late 80's. I liked them because they were solid, could do a butt-stroke without breaking and could mount a sturdy bayonet that you could fight with.
I bought one of these M14 when I was 20, used it for culling pigs on a outback farm. If I hit the pig under 100 feet the bullet would go straight through but over 300 feet or more it dropped every pig I shot. Their loud but deadly rifles.
I love the M14, though I only carried one for drill. The snug weight and balance felt natural to me, unlike the m16-a2's & 3's. The m14 is still a formidable weapon even when it's unloaded
I Have a hot passion For early to mid cold war weaponary in modern context, i find it so cool to see these rifles used in The field. Im sure they are just fine as long as you dont go storming buildings or march 100km with them
I love seeing content like this, who would have known that the US armys shortest lived standard issue rifle would become a rifle that still fights today, it may he heavy, but as long as she gets the job done. As a suggestion, you should cover the FN FNCs that I’ve been seeing around the foreign defense forces
@@tim7325 they never got rid of the because they're a reliable accurate hard hitting rifle with decent range, but they just weren't standard issue once the m16 was standsrdized.
@@TylerSnyder305 Agreed, we had 2 M14's in our company armsroom for the two people that wanted them. I carried an M16A2 in it's original configuration. I did have the opportunity to shoot the M14 on the range, fine rifle.
I have a Springfield M1A Scout with an LVPO and offset irons as my primary “get out of dodge” gun. I love AR platform rifles, but the Scout just blows them out of the water for my needs.
@@doktork3406 dam right…you get hit one of these…you won’t be complaining…”i’m not satisfied with that… could you send it again please”…..no no no ….you will be satisfied first time out…GUARANTEED !!
@@0baddawa0 LMAO! 1.6 MOA is pretty good. Most combat shots are minute of man, hitting center mass. Even a sub moa rifle at 500 yards is making 5 MOA for it to be a 1 MOA at that distance. For example, on the Armory Life YT channel they got a 6.5 Creedmoor M1A to achieve 8 MOA at 1000 yards. 1 MOA at 1000 yards is 10 MOA. They got it to group 8 MOA meaning it was well under 1 MOA at 1000.
@@pliskenx51mm83 and you, like so many others in this thread, are comparing a civilian maintained rifle to a military issue one, and that's not even the same ballpark.
@@0baddawa0 LOL! So? Are you implying the military with state of the art training isn't able to keep up and maintain weapons in its inventory? Is that why the Army is switching over to the M5 now and dumping the M4. The M4 can't be kept maintained properly? XD.
I have all manner of rifles. AK's, AR's, bolt action, etc.. My M1a is a beast and still perfectly capable of its original mission, dropping orcs at medium to long range distance. I can maintain her with a bore snake, chamber maid, rag, oil, and a tiny can of grease. I can clean her to battlefield readiness in under 5min. I can detail strip and clean once every 1k rounds in under 15min. Switch my rds with a magnified optic and I can make accurate hits out to 700yds all day long.
The M-14 started in the 1950's as the first American rifle for the Cold War against the Soviet Union, aka Russia. The other rifle was the FN FAL. The M-14 finally gets to be used in combat against Russians. A full 80 years after the M-14 was made to shoot Russians.
Excelle nt rifle,reliable and deadly about 700 yards. USMC Marines qualified with this rifle at 550 yards open sights. Marine Sgt combat veteran Viet Nam! Semper Fi!
As a replacement for a main battle rifle, auto rifle, light machine gun and sub machine gun because that's what it was supposed to do according to the ordinance department
@@Scrap_Goblin No. The ultimate mission - as designed in the 1950s - was killing Russians. The categorical designation ultimately doesn't matter at the receiving end. The Russian is being shot by an American weapon.
@@shoelessbandit1581 well since it replaced the garand as the main battle rifle I would say it was a major step up from that. Also at the time the only auto rifle in service was the BAR it was also a step up from that in that it spread auto fire through the military exponentially .. I love the garand by the way..
Adding one or two DNR M14 with optics per squad makes complete sense. When they encounter a MG or Automatic Rifle the DNR can be brought to bear with accurate neutralizing fires.
ogre lg don’t know what you said other than “svd”, but I think that’s enough to nonetheless say, sure but the M14 is as good a DMR as the svd so if they can’t get an svd for whatever reason, changing to scarcer ammo is better than using like a mosin or something worse.
Yes, we received M14. The rifle proved to be excellent as a marksman's rifle. Unfortunately, only two magazines were given in the kit. Unable to purchase additional. Therefore, most of them refused and handed over to the warehouse.
Andrii, that's a really interesting point you make about the magazines. Are you guys doing without marskmans rifles or have you access to something else now?
@@TheArmourersBench We have a big shortage of Marksman rifles. Everyone regrets that they had to hand over the M14. Moreover, it was possible to install optical sights without problems. I know that individual units kept them in service, taking magazines from those kits that were handed over to the warehouse. Unfortunately we didn't get anything in return. My friend is now forced to wear a Mosin-Nagant with optics in addition to the AK.
@@andriiyevdokymov6781 tha k you for your insight into the situation Andrii, if you'd be open to further discussion perhaps we could email? armourersbench@gmail.com thanks!
It would be awesome to see you do a video on both the Scar-L’s(MK16), and/or Sig MCX rifles in Ukraine. And even those these two aren’t really your type of thing, it would also be awesome to see videos on what volunteers have been spotted with(specifically western ones), and GPNVG-18’s that are in use by Ukrainian SOF units, as no one has done a video like that yet. I’d be more than happy to help with that last one if needed.
@@TheArmourersBench Cool. If you need help, let me know! I watch pretty much every piece of video on the conflict I can find. I've seen a lot of volunteers with Scars especially.
I am a Viet Nam era vet and trained on this weapon. In my opinion there is no better rifle out there than the M14. I used to say if I can see it I can hit it. I would trust my life to this gun any day which is why I own one now!
@ Joe Suasville - I have heard the same sort of comments praising the M-14 from some Vietnam veterans I once knew. I was too young to go to that particular round-up (I turned fourteen in 1975), but I knew a half-dozen or so Army and Marine Corps combat veterans of that conflict (plus one Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines), and to a man, those guys praised the M-14 and hated the M-16 which replaced it. Lots of smack gets tossed around on the internet about the M-14, but if the guys who were there and carried them into battle thought highly of the rifle, then that trumps anything some rear-area pogue thinks.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 My cousin was a Marine in Vietnam and told me the M14 - while heavy, was valued in a squad as it was able the shoot through tree trunks from which the VC were firing behind while the M16's just wouldn't penetrate. It also had greater range when needed.
The M14 was designed for this type of war. it wasn't suited overly well for Vietnam's jungles, but the gun itself was designed for a war in Europe. solid rifle if you keep it off full-auto. Accurate as heck and hits like a train.
I was in Nam '66-'67, the M-14 was never a problem in deep brush/jungle, it worked 24/7, not like the Matty Matel specials they gave us in the Spring of '67, which were pieces of crap.
@@boondocker7964 Hey man, first of all thanks for your service. Also I heard the wood on the M14s swelled up in the heat and climate and was just a bit too heavy and long for Vietnams terrain? I for one would have always picked that over the M16 personally but would like to know your thoughts/experience with them 😁
@@TheGreyWolf94 The M-14, I had from July '66 till about Feb. '67, did not swell up all through the Monsoon of Nov-Dec. '66, it was slightly heavy, all rifles are "heavy", but, not to the point of it being a hindrance of some sort. Don't forget, we were young bucks, under 20 years of age, not old men of 75 years, even in dense brush/jungle, if you will, it was not an onerous piece of equipment, rifle, six mags, at least one bandoleer, pack, two canteens, E-tool, claymore, 3-4 M-26's, C's, AND a flack jacket to keep you warm, sometimes they would have you carry a 60 MM round for the mortar crew, each guy in the platoon would get a mortar round to hump, not every operation, but, just another piece of crap, at least it wasn't an 81 round.
@@boondocker7964 Wow, that's really great stuff to know. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the rifle and being in 'Nam in general. Again, thanks for your service, take care of yourself and god bless, sir.
I used both the M14 and the M16 when I was in the Marines. While the M16 eventually turned into an excellent rifle, the M14 was (and probably still is) a much more reliable rifle. That big bolt and simple bearing-in-grove lockup just worked. Also, outside of the jungles, the M14 had a big range advantage over the M16 and the Garand sights are still the best iron sights ever made in my opinion. 500 Yard hits are easy using an M14, even with iron sights.
Shenmi, you brought up the most overlooked design advantage the M14 has over any of its peers. The bolt bearing dramatically increases functional reliability. It also lends itself for clearing malfunctions much faster if needed. There's an advantage with having only two exposed locking lugs. The recesses in the receiver are easily accessed, and can be cleaned or cleared fast. The other advantage is having direct override manipulation over the bolt via the oprod. I agree 100%, as far as iron sights, there's no equal. Their intuitive and easy to manipulate.
I went thru the 82nd Airborne sniper course in 1985 using the M21 system which was accurized M14 with ART1 and 2 scopes. I was on SFODA 751 when I attended. The rife was great, the scopes sucked.
Sorry no. Do know it was refered to as an M21 system and we (sniper buddy and I) went thru at least 6 different Art 1 and 2 scopes mostly because of oil spots inside on lenses I think. Scopes really sucked. 1985 was long time ago for me. lol@@Afterconflict
@@danielwarnes7231 Interesting info, and how reliable was the automatic range adjustment? Also, another question, what was your go-to method of storing magazines, I've seen photos of ALICE M16 pouches being used by M21 users (likely with the magazines crammed in), but I've also seen mentions of the older M-1956 pouches being used.
@@Afterconflict Storing magazines was the standard H harness we wore in 1985 with the 4 magazine capacity pouches on your web belt. Wore a butt pack that I carried a box of 100 rounds in also. Have no idea what you mean by automatic range adjustment. We used the two types of scopes. They had different reticles in them. Don't remember which was which. Money was so tight that we could not get new scopes. Just old rebuilt ones. Think I went thru 6 while in the course. Sorry not better info, 30 plus years and I'm old now so maybe memory failure, but really have no Idea about the range question. We applied what we called bust on target to adjust shots normally. You observed where the round hit in relation to the target and the reticle, then moved that point onto the target. Was very effective for fast adjustment. Not like calling the mils and then clicks on the sight. That is good for range fire or target shooting. But in a rapid fire situation it is worthless. The M21 of course was semi auto. This actually came in handy when you needed to take out or suppress multiple targets quickly. I the recent wars Iraq and Afghanistan it was obviously much different than the terrain and situations I worked in. I rarely had over 300 yards of sight line visibility. I never fired a shot over 600 yards myself. No laser range finders and only field techniques like smoke, flags or tree movement to estimate wind. I'm just being petty, but when I watched videos of "sniper hides" with tables, sandbags, cases of bottled water and chairs I just don't have as much admiration for the "sniper". Shooting is the easy part in my day. Field craft is what got you in and back out. Not sitting secure and shooting lame targets. The sights are so much better now. Exact ranges and auto adjust for wind, temp and humidity! Carlos Hathcock these guys are not (but then neither was I). Army didn't even have a sniper school when I was in SF. Glad they at least fixed that. I was no steller example of a sniper. But I did help my team with my skills, just as each of them contributed too.
For when it's too hard to reach out out with an AK, and you don't wan't to be at potential disadvantage in war with a bolt action, the M14 fits the Marksman role perfectly.
in 2014 ukrainian army ad, an m14 can be seen in a frame where two sniper are aiming, the main sniper is using a svd, and the second is aiming a m14, this weapons has been being used by ukrainians since many years ago. Is cheap, easy to use and perfect for the Ukrainian land,
The Philippines are still using M14 as their Battle Rifle before but now they are all replaced by Remington M4s (R4A3s) but it does not mean that M14 are out of service because they are been refurbished by the Local Arms Manufacturers and upgrade it into Mk14 EBRs, M21, M14 SASS with Suppresor and most of it are M14 with Precision Sniper Scopes as their Designated Marksman Rifle. And all are seen during the Marawi Siege by both Army and Marines. M14 is great choice for Designated Marksman and I think the the Ukrainians can refurbish that rifle into EBR as well. So that they can attach some IR Illuminator and Scopes.
Wish I had an m14 not a mini 14..there are just to beautiful and deserve to be in a hall of fame as the most beautiful and accurate weapon on the field.
An Ukrainian government official showed his Kel Tec Sub 2000 on a TV interview. This conflict is a treasure trove because almost any weapon can be "clone correct".
Just because something is obsolete, does not mean it is useless or without value. If you have no weapon, a nagant revolver is an upgrade. Good command can find use for anything. I'd like to know how many black tips have migrated towards the conflict. If so data from the conflict may provide some validity to the US Army's integration of the new Sig.
If you paid 3000 then you got ripped off. Also it was always a decent rifle, just was not fit for its original intended role. Ofc now there are better options for marksman rifles but it is still a good rifle in that regard.
Not only would an m14 reach farther than an ak but if it had a scope it'd be more accurate especially since it'll most likely be shot in semi auto. A 308 also hits harder than a 7.62x39 or a 5.45x39
I didn't notice any select fire switches installed. In 'Nam there was usually only one guy in the squad with a switch and everyone else fired single fire. I never fired one full auto, but I saw it done. After about the 4th or 5th round they were pointing at the sky! Best fired in two or three shot bursts on full auto. Best accuracy is single fire!
M-14's (7.62x 51mm.) are very reliable and hard- hitting, I am happy to see that the Ukrainians have access to a plethora of weapons both old and modern. An armed society is a polite society, Ukraine is proving that an armed and trained populace with access to practical arms is the only way to stop a full- out invasion or aggression by a tyrant. Long live Ukraine and it's beautiful people and culture, you have proven your valor and determination to defend your home. Slava Ukraini
@@VulcanGunner No problem Brad, it is a great saying. I believe that the more people that are educated on guns and what they can and can't do, the better. It is always fear of that which people don't understand that causes freedoms to be taken away. I have been shooting guns since I was 5 and my experience helped me develop a healthy amount of both fear and respect for weapons of all kinds. I love that quote, and I am a History addict, I have studied the past of gun control in America and by dictators from Hitler to Stalin. Always keep learning and have Faith. I don't know if you're religious, but these are times that look like something out of the bible. Stay safe out there, All the best.
@@justinwaters8679 Hello Justin, I spent twenty years in the Army and in 1983 I went to Berlin. When we passed into East Germany on board the train it looked like some turned off the lights. I could see the silhouettes of buildings and houses but very few lights. Then, it lit up again as we approached West Berlin. West Berlin was modern, clean, great people, food was fantastic and I drank quite a bit of beer. Check Point Charlie, the Escape Museum and several memorials were visited over a couple of days. One day were were transported into East Berlin, wow what a difference. At this point I had spent almost a year and a half in West Germany and I never saw such a clean country (you could not see any war damage from WW2). East Berlin was sad, it looked old and tired and people seemed to always be on guard. They were nothing like the Germans I met from the West and this is not a knock on East Germans at all, they just looked scared to me. Most of east Berlin looked like a set from post-apocalypse movie. Looks like communism had failed hard to take care of it's own people. Oh Justin, may I say hello from The People's Republic of Cook County, Illinois. Respectively, Brad Riley SSG, US Army Retired
@@VulcanGunner Salute to you, Mr. Riley. Your experience over 20 years, especially in East-Germany reminded me of the aerial view of north and south Korea from space at night. The South is well- lit and bright, while the north only has spots of light coming from Pyongyang and the port of Wonsan. This is an image that demonstrates the picture you have just painted about the former GDR. I despise communism and totalitarianism in general, and that is one huge reason why. The economic disparity between the free south and the communist north is all anyone should have to see to prove that totalitarianism creates a hell- on- earth scenario for those trying to live. Korea is much like East Germany, where the darkness and shadows you described during your service still persist in the north. The lack of enthusiasm and motivation had to be because of the Stasi, as I am sure that you know that they kept records on everything every GDR citizen ever did in life, and they were not afraid to lock people away for any form of dissent. It is sad what FDR allowed at the Yalta conference, when he basically handed all of central and eastern Europe over to Stalin on a silver platter. The Yalta conference betrayed the partisans of eastern Europe and the normal citizens, when Hitler and Stalin were just as responsible for the simultaneous invasion of Poland and the following declarations of war. I would have liked to see what gen. Patton wanted to do, Patton wanted to remobilize the remaining Wehrmacht along with allied and American soldiers to attack Russia and take Stalin out to ensure the freedom of all of Europe for good. Strange that he ended up being relieved of duty and happened to die in a car "accident" soon after. The Soviets surely had the motive, as Patton was Communist Russia's biggest threat in the days following WW2. Communism always fails hard, and it does so at a great expense to human life. The great- leap forward aka the great- leap off- a- cliff is a prime example. I am glad you are educated on this, because my generation (I'm 32) are taught almost nothing on the evil and genocide by communist regimes, all they hear about is WW2 and Hitler, not Stalin, who is the other side of the same coin as Hitler, wish they had both got taken out. I send Prayers from the Peoples Republik auf Komifornia, I love being a Conservative Christian white- male, because that is the only way to be a "rebel" here in the Kali Reich, and I love to surprise people. There are still a few sane men left in Kali. God Bless and thank you for your career of service, it seems you have paid your dues to your Nation in spades, and that is to be Respected. With all due reverence and respect, All the best to you and I salute you for your service. God Bless you Mr. Riley.
I joined the Marine Corps in 1971 and the M-14 was the weapon we qualified with. After bootcamp we were issued the M-16 wich was junk. M-14 is the real deal.
The Filipinos been using these until now, even on recent wars they used these rifles. Despite being old, they are still prefered by many soldiers because of its power and range which is good in open fields and thick jungle woods. Also proved good in fighting in urban warfare.
We killed buckets of taliban from our OP with the M14. I don’t understand the criticism of the system. Usually first or second round would make its target well past 700m. It will serve them well.
@@curtislarson1487 Absolutely an upgrade. The Estonains called the M14 "fully terrible," and they didn't even have to pay for the rifles. They got them for free and still thought they were pieces of shit. Because they are. The M14 has always been an abomination. An AR10 will be more reliable, more durable, more accurate, more ergonomic, easier to maintain, easier to add optics to...simply better functionally in every way.
My company in 3AD had a couple of m21s in our armory and I was allowed to shoot one while at the range. I was impressed with it and the scope. I've admired them ever since.
You are not going to feel "naked" carrying an M14 on any battlefield. Perfect designated marksmen rifle. A tad heavy but the Ukranians counteract this weight with the weight of their balls. 😊
Adequate as a DMR simply because it's chambered in 7.62 NATO, not really the best due to weight and maintenance concerns... At this point though I'm sure the Ukrainians will use whatever they can get.
In north west Ukraine there are mountains and trees. In eat Ukraine there are wide open rolling fields with hedge rows . Both instances this rifle is good for. It has the range to take advantage or the fields. It also has the range to take advantage of the hills in western Ukraine.
The M14 is an excellent weapon!! Very accurate!! Excellent stopping power with the 7.62 round!! Only negative, it's heavy, but other than that and excellent weapon!!
The old geezers at US Army Ordnance were still fighting the Napoleonic wars and shooting competition at Camp Perry. Best thing McNamara did was to get rid of those clowns.
Its about time these rifles are used again! As a 45Bravo in the US Army I did training at Anniston Army Depot. In the early to mid 1980s they were rebuilding all the M14 rifles. The finished rifles received cosmoline and were crated. It was thought that if we ever fought the Soviet Union in Europe these would be issued again. Hopefully they will save a few for our boys. I have a feeling we will be dragged into this war or WWIII before long...
Thanks for watching guys!
Check out the accompanying blog for this video here: armourersbench.com/2022/06/12/m14s-in-ukraine/
Check out the weapons in Ukraine playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PLt7Io-OQBYSpPwU2o06V67DBI_aKEfeNn
If you'd like to support our work check out the TAB patreon:
www.patreon.com/thearmourersbench
Thanks! - Matt
M-14 is no joke with the right scope, will get you at 1000 meters....
You could do one about the FN rifles that found their way into ukraine
@@Big-boi92 definitely near the top of my list!
I'm very happy to see your successful view counts, hopefully you get the attention you deserve.
@@TheArmourersBench My first rifle in the USMC in 1973. Still used at Boot Camp and rifle range. I was expert with it 248 out of 250, shoot the eyes out of a snake at 500 yards. Then I was issued an M16 A1... Made a great hose but you sure weren't going to reach out and touch anyone with it. I notice no 16 platformed weapons out there... I loved how US forces had to bring them out of storage for Iraq and Afghanistan as their POS 16's/M4's sucked for air beyond about 200 yards...
To think, this is what the M14 was originally envisioned for.
ahhh No Russia is not the USSR no mater what the propaganda claims , and this is not about saving the world from communism the Russian Communists are a group of quaint old men who stick to managing Russia's social programs and are happy that they have a real economy to draw from....this is 2022 not 1960 the Russians are rocking weapons that just came out of production and full kits including body armor while the Ukrainians are fielding their 5th stringers with no training and expecting them to fight with weapons made before they were even born.
Every M14 over there,if it was sentient would be saying "Our day has come!"
@@doughesson Especially with the Army adopting the M5 in a battle rifle cartridge, the M14 would say "Gee, its almost like you've come full circle huh?!" LOL.
It was envisioned by rear echelon geezers in the Ord Dept whose heads were stuck in 1918.
@@LuvBorderCollies well at least it looks better than Mondern rifles gotta give it that
Yes the M14 is an old rifle. Yes the M14 was the shortest standard issue rifle for the US. But there’s something special about 7.62x51mm out of a 22 inch barrel.
The M14 is a shit rifle.
There’s something real special about a 7.62x51 out of a 16in barrel 🤙 more compact and a booty smacker out to 500yds when I’d not like to take shots past 250yds with my 5.56. The whole 1000yd range of a .308 just isn’t realistic, using it in a real world way the 7.62NATO round is an awesome DMR rifle caliber no matter what semi auto platform you use to sling em.
I'd say that it has some very powerful energy about it
@@0baddawa0
Is that based on your vast knowledge and experience of using it in combat?
@@MrDeplorable-sw9cz no, it's based on the numerous books, ordnance reports, SDM training (thw only reason M14s were issued in the role during the Early Gwot was they were cheap and available; they also were all worked over by armors, and mostly given new stocks, because everytime you remove the action from a polymer or wood stock, if doesn't seat in exactly the same spot without a fuck ton of acraglass, or inlet metal blocks), gunsmith training, and building service rifles for competition, the main point for most M14 variants in America, combined with 3 combat tours and experience in using the rifle on the clock. It doesn't hold zero. Wooden furniture can and does swell to the point of locking the gun up. They had a history of rusting close overnight in ambush positions. The open top receiver sucks in dirt and debris, and locks up. It is longer, heavier, and less accurate than its contemporaries. The Ammo and mags are heavier (and I routinely hike with full kit of 12 loaded 7.62 in my belt), and mags more prone to bungling the insertion under stress due to the rock and lock nub missing the catch. The ordnance department had more reports of failures in Vietnam of the M14 in its short service there, than the M16. You can do all this research on your own. The M14 is mythologized because the ignorant think it's an upgraded M1- it isn't. It's the love child of an thalidomide M1 and the best retardation the ordnance department could produce. They see the pics of early Vietnam, and get nostalgic for the romantic idea of what it was then. They've never had to patrol 8 klicks through the woods with an M14- shit, most of them have never humped the gun and more than 3 mags from the car to the bench. When you get down to it, it's a shit rifle for grunt work. Any rifle is better than none, but there is no reason to jerk off the Ordnance Department's biggest blunder that actually, factually, no shit got men killed by being a shit rifle in the field.
Thank you for correctly referring to scoped M14s as "Scoped M14s" instead of "M21s" as many others (incorrectly) have!
Isn't the M21 a Serbian AK variant?
@@zanesmith7727 it is also a M14 variant
@@zanesmith7727 It's the DMR variant of the M14 (M14NM to be technical).
Good to know
I'm guessing scoped M14s may have the full auto selector while M21s don't?
In 2011 I was a designated defensive marksman for Triple Canopy after doing 8 years with the 82nd 1st/504th. All of us DDM’s had MK14’s and it was my first hands on experience with that particular weapons system. I can tell you that those rifles put in a lot of work and I had exponentially more confidence in that platform in terms of mid range engagements, stopping power and reliability compared to the M4 I carried during OIF and OEF with the 82nd.
1968 I was drafted and my first rifle was an M-14, 7.62x51, fmj accurate to 450 meters (Ft Campbell rifle range). The National Matches at Camp Perry featured the M-14 that fired across the course. With the M-14 you were never out gunned on the competition course or the jungles of Southeast Asia. The 7.62 hits like Thor's Hammer, as I have first hand experience with it.The XM-21 made a world class sniper rifle.
If you are a rifleman in a rifleman’s war these are damn fine rifles to have.
yes they are, with scope and just ball ammo easy hits to 600 yards
Unfortunately it's turned into an artillerymans' war:( and the M14 is probably too much gun. This is the same theater of operation that lead the Germans to deploy an intermediate cartridge rifle in the first place.
@@evancourtney7746 it depends what part of the UKraine you are fighting in..
UKraine grows a lot of wheat.. America grows a lot of wheat too.. get a look at battle distance in Kansas…
I am not saying they need rifle squads with these rifles.. I am saying that if you are a rifleman seeing enemies at 400 yards and a bit it is nice to have a rifle that will send rounds out accurately that will penetrate body armor.
not really considering that the m14 sucks
@@ishitrealbad3039 It sucks for jungle warfare. On open plains, it's superior.
Having used the M14 in Iraq (way back in the dark ages of 2005 lol), it is a pretty solid rifle for the fighting in Ukraine. The 7.62x51 NATO round has great ballistics, great penetration and great stopping power. I could see the M14 putting in some excellent work in some of the longer-range engagements in eastern Ukraine, where the longer barrel combined with the 7.62x51 round will significantly outperform Russian battle rifles. However, from experience in Iraq, the M14 is also quite serviceable in an urban environment where its semiautomatic capability, high accuracy and lethality make it an excellent SDM weapon. In summary, just because a weapon is old doesn't mean it isn't good. The M14 was and is a damn fine rifle and was one of my favorite shooting platforms over my ten years in the Army.
All sniper rifles in the U.S. army,are no longer used in favor of the new Barrett Mrad rifle,it's considered the best sniper rifle ever.
It's pretty cool seeing Combloc and Western weapons in combat being used by one side
Filipinos never get rid of it.. we loved the M14 so much.
The M1 Garand is a close 2nd place.
we trained in with this rifle in 1972, hitting a Baker Target at 500 yards, I thought they were kidding as we marched further and further from the 250 yard line till all was visible was a dot across that firing range; this rifle was very easy to tear down and clean, could take a beating, and reliable; USMC
Yup.
It is a great rifle but not when time comes to clean it. I'd pick the AR10 over the M14 for the ease of breaking down and cleaning.
The basic M14 iron sights are really, really good. You have to know how to use them, but you can hit and kill just about anything you want out to about 500 yards - and that is actually quite a lot for an ordinary infantryman. 500 yards? you can barely see a person.
4 clicks up at 200 yards like the M1 Garand ?
Not sure what you mean by "know how to use them"? Outside of being completely incompetent with a rifle they are very easy to use and become competent with esp. if you have ANY experience shooting (say plinking with .22). The M1 & M14 are generally designed for a farmboy to be able to pickup and kill the enemy. Gun nerds will get into complicated MOA discussions and talk about best firearms for various circumstances, but in the end there still seems to be a place for a "full battle rifle" in the field. The overall design of this rifle, with it's big cartridge and iron sites is timeless. Very approachable and effective in it's basic form. 👍
@@squig808 Thanks for the reply. Not everyone really knows how estimate wind, range and make effective adjustments to sights that are adjustable for both windage and elevation, particularly for targets that might be significantly greater or lesser elevation than you are.
Agree 100%. The stock M14 is an excellent weapon. Its range is really limited more by the limitations of human vision than by the capabilities of the rifle and its round. Its ability to hit hard at long range makes it a great weapon for some of the longer-range engagements that we have seen in Ukraine (which has a lot of large, open fields). The 7.62x51 should also punch through most of the Russian body armor we have seen fielded thus far. Another major advantage is that it is pretty easy to strip and clean, which is important for troops in intensive combat in muddy conditions.
You can reach out farther than 500. The problem is how far can you see.
I was issued the M-14 in 68 for basic training. I liked the rifle and cartridge except for the weight. When the opening announcer stated lightweight I had to laugh! Back then I was a strong 20-year-old and the weight didn't bother me. However, anyone calling it a lightweight is an idiot. It would be a good choice in the Ukraine with the long ranges they are shooting at.
Both the M14 and its ammo are lighter than the preceding rifle, the M1.
So did some of my friends, Some units didn't transfer to the M16 until the late years of Vietnam
Without a skilled armorer to keep it accurate, those M14s won't be useful at range for long.
As someone's described the M1 Garand,the M14 weighs just enough.
The same complaint was leveled at the M1 rifle until it was time to fight. When the enemy was in sight all the men was happy to have it!
The M-14 rifle is what I trained with at Ft. Bragg, NC, USA in 1968. The M-16 was already being used in Vietnam, but the Army had so many M-14s and .308 ammo, they used them for target and bayonet training. We were familiarized with the AR-15 training rifles for one day at the end of basic training. They felt like shooting a .22lr semi-automatic with zero recoil compared to the M-14.
My father had to train with the M-14. I have no idea why he didn't get issued the M-16A1 as it did exist at the time of his stay in boot camp. (Were M-16s immediately rushed to the battlefield, leaving very few for new recruits?) He said it kicked HARD but at least you knew the bad guy absolutely would not be getting up if you got a solid hit.
Thanks
I am currently serving in the Lithuanian military and using an m4 with 4x scope. A very fun weapon to shoot from the building, and quite reliable I only had 1 jam. the downside is that it is very loud and quite heavy.
Aw come one, "quite heavy"? Really you must be what, late teens or early twenties in age? Probably strong as an ox.
Quite heavy? Heavier than it should be, yes, because of the stupid barrel profile, but still lighter than most of the alternatives on the market
M4 and M14 are two different guns.
I believe you have an M-14 they are much heavier tan an M-4 !!! Probably a spelling error at the worst place !
Considering the Ranges in the Ukraine, the 7.62x51 NATO is a good choice; but the Ammo might be a bit difficult to find.
It's difficult to find 7,62 NATO AP rounds,but there's plently of normal 7,62
If it's 7.62 NATO you can use 308 rifle ammunition
Not really. The 7.62 NATO cartridge is the premier medium machine gun ammo in the world (yes, the Russians still use the antique 7.62 Rimmed (adopted in 1891!)
Most Infantry combat in Ukraine is still falling into the 300 meter range, which negates pretty much all the perceived benefits of a 7.62 battle rifle, and amplifies it's faults.
@@0baddawa0 7.62 is a devastating round.
Really killing it with all the Ukraine content, my guy🙂
Thank you!
I trained with the M-14 at Camp Pendleton. I love that weapon. Fired expert in boot camp with one. Ukraine is open ground. The extra range of the 7.62 round would be appreciated.
THIS IS MY RIFLE , THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE ????? DEVIL DOG LEATHERNECK MARKSMANSHIP , A MARINE WITH HIS " WEAPON " , SCORING HITS WHEN THEY COUNT .
best medium range Sniper rifle ever made i used it alot i absolutely love it.
Absolutely Peter it will reach out and touch something.
Back in '66-67 I had both M14 & M16. Sure, preferred the 14, especially at the range.
Yeah, E/2/1, 1st Mar. Div. Sure preferred the M-14, especially in the field.
I learned to shoot with an m14. It was accurate and powerful.
That is so cool. Love old American wooden rifles like the m14.
I used the M-14 in basic training back in Jan 1969. Very accurate out to 300 yards with standard open sights. Later in nam I saw one of our snipers with a scoped m-14 so they must have been very accurate.
Our squad designated marksman in Afghansitan had M-14 with the EBR kits.
As I mentioned to you in the past Matt, I saw Lithuanian troops returning from deployment in Afghanistan in or around 2007 transiting through Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Vilnius. When disembarking they collected their M14's from the aircraft Purser and exited the airport ahead of the rest of the passengers. I have also seen curiously stocked M14's in Lithuanian service with what appears to be locally produced stocks!
Yes, you have! Yeah those crazy thumbhole ones that have fat forends. I know the ones you mean.
I have a Lee Enfield that was apparently restocked during WWII in Australia because the stock is some kind of heavy jungle wood - it sure isn't walnut !!!
That's what I like about it.
I trained on that rifle it's a mighty fine platform and can reach out and touch unlike the M4 / M16. The original M14 had select fire capability, you can empty that 20 round magazine quick I noticed several of those aren't running a sling. You really want that sling when you go to select fire.
Hey, M-14 is a good shootin' iron. That's what they gave us -- along with pecker-head East German helmets -- to do OPFOR training for newbies in late 80's. I liked them because they were solid, could do a butt-stroke without breaking and could mount a sturdy bayonet that you could fight with.
I bought one of these M14 when I was 20, used it for culling pigs on a outback farm. If I hit the pig under 100 feet the bullet would go straight through but over 300 feet or more it dropped every pig I shot. Their loud but deadly rifles.
M-14 or M1A?
This content just keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Thanks for watching.
I love the M14, though I only carried one for drill. The snug weight and balance felt natural to me, unlike the m16-a2's & 3's. The m14 is still a formidable weapon even when it's unloaded
I used an M14 as ships security force while serving in the US Navy. Best firearm I ever used...not light but very accurate with very little recoil
I Have a hot passion For early to mid cold war weaponary in modern context, i find it so cool to see these rifles used in The field. Im sure they are just fine as long as you dont go storming buildings or march 100km with them
The M14 is a fine rifle I’ve used it and qualified with it it hits a lot harder than a 5.56
I love seeing content like this, who would have known that the US armys shortest lived standard issue rifle would become a rifle that still fights today, it may he heavy, but as long as she gets the job done.
As a suggestion, you should cover the FN FNCs that I’ve been seeing around the foreign defense forces
Absolutely on the list. I may do a video looking at the various 5.56 rifles that have been in use.
We (the U.S.) still had them in service in Iraq in 2005.
Coming from a civilian who was never in any kind of military, I wouldn’t have guessed, I just thought it was for drill and training after the 80s
@@tim7325 they never got rid of the because they're a reliable accurate hard hitting rifle with decent range, but they just weren't standard issue once the m16 was standsrdized.
@@TylerSnyder305 Agreed, we had 2 M14's in our company armsroom for the two people that wanted them. I carried an M16A2 in it's original configuration. I did have the opportunity to shoot the M14 on the range, fine rifle.
Damn fine rifle. It won’t die because it is reliable for stopping dudes, and it can reach out and smack something outside of 500yds with no problem
I have a Springfield M1A Scout with an LVPO and offset irons as my primary “get out of dodge” gun. I love AR platform rifles, but the Scout just blows them out of the water for my needs.
I never knew about M 14 is being in Ukraine, really interesting!
Thanks Matt!
Also didn't know but i'm not surprised.
Very simple rifle, cheap, easy to maintain, fires a mighty round. A logical choice
@@doktork3406 dam right…you get hit one of these…you won’t be complaining…”i’m not satisfied with that… could you send it again please”…..no no no ….you will be satisfied first time out…GUARANTEED !!
A scoped m14 is an effective dmr, and can be done for a few hundred dollards
The m14 is, by all accounts, still an excellent marksman rifle.
2022 and going Strong.
No, it's not. That's why they aren't issued anymore. Even the worked over M21 weren't sub MOA, averaging 1.6 MOA, IIRC.
@@0baddawa0 LMAO! 1.6 MOA is pretty good. Most combat shots are minute of man, hitting center mass. Even a sub moa rifle at 500 yards is making 5 MOA for it to be a 1 MOA at that distance. For example, on the Armory Life YT channel they got a 6.5 Creedmoor M1A to achieve 8 MOA at 1000 yards. 1 MOA at 1000 yards is 10 MOA. They got it to group 8 MOA meaning it was well under 1 MOA at 1000.
@@pliskenx51mm83 and you, like so many others in this thread, are comparing a civilian maintained rifle to a military issue one, and that's not even the same ballpark.
@@0baddawa0 LOL! So? Are you implying the military with state of the art training isn't able to keep up and maintain weapons in its inventory? Is that why the Army is switching over to the M5 now and dumping the M4. The M4 can't be kept maintained properly?
XD.
M14s have weirdly been a popular hunting rifle in eastern europe for a while
I have all manner of rifles. AK's, AR's, bolt action, etc..
My M1a is a beast and still perfectly capable of its original mission, dropping orcs at medium to long range distance. I can maintain her with a bore snake, chamber maid, rag, oil, and a tiny can of grease. I can clean her to battlefield readiness in under 5min. I can detail strip and clean once every 1k rounds in under 15min.
Switch my rds with a magnified optic and I can make accurate hits out to 700yds all day long.
Someone's been reading too many bad novels and thinking they're reality.
@@wlewisiii Someone's been watching too many RUclips videos and thinking its reality.
Please calm down.
Yea, YOU.
The M-14 started in the 1950's as the first American rifle for the Cold War against the Soviet Union, aka Russia. The other rifle was the FN FAL. The M-14 finally gets to be used in combat against Russians. A full 80 years after the M-14 was made to shoot Russians.
Excelle nt rifle,reliable and deadly about 700 yards. USMC Marines qualified with this rifle at 550 yards open sights. Marine Sgt combat veteran Viet Nam! Semper Fi!
We used M-14 in Vetnam as the M-16 wasn't very good a long ranges
In the jungle long range wasn’t an issue ,rice paddies a whole different issue however
Our "point man" would use a .12ga w/ .00 buck because the .223 round would get deflected by the brush ~ NO deflection with the "Brush Cutter" !!
@@williampfaffjr7684 exactly
Nice, the M14 being used for the mission it was imagined.
As a replacement for a main battle rifle, auto rifle, light machine gun and sub machine gun because that's what it was supposed to do according to the ordinance department
@@Scrap_Goblin No. The ultimate mission - as designed in the 1950s - was killing Russians. The categorical designation ultimately doesn't matter at the receiving end. The Russian is being shot by an American weapon.
@@Scrap_Goblin and sucked for all of those
Protecting NAZIS?
@@shoelessbandit1581 well since it replaced the garand as the main battle rifle I would say it was a major step up from that. Also at the time the only auto rifle in service was the BAR it was also a step up from that in that it spread auto fire through the military exponentially ..
I love the garand by the way..
Adding one or two DNR M14 with optics per squad makes complete sense. When they encounter a MG or Automatic Rifle the DNR can be brought to bear with accurate neutralizing fires.
для этого есть svd
ogre lg don’t know what you said other than “svd”, but I think that’s enough to nonetheless say, sure but the M14 is as good a DMR as the svd so if they can’t get an svd for whatever reason, changing to scarcer ammo is better than using like a mosin or something worse.
@@ogrelg4131 the SVD is mainly made in china with their NDM rifles, and the Russians, neither want to sell it.
Yes, it makes sense to give svd to those who want to kill more americans on their territory. It will be fair.
M14 is a great rifle no matter what modified :)
It’s shit
Yes, we received M14. The rifle proved to be excellent as a marksman's rifle. Unfortunately, only two magazines were given in the kit. Unable to purchase additional. Therefore, most of them refused and handed over to the warehouse.
Andrii, that's a really interesting point you make about the magazines. Are you guys doing without marskmans rifles or have you access to something else now?
@@TheArmourersBench We have a big shortage of Marksman rifles. Everyone regrets that they had to hand over the M14. Moreover, it was possible to install optical sights without problems. I know that individual units kept them in service, taking magazines from those kits that were handed over to the warehouse. Unfortunately we didn't get anything in return. My friend is now forced to wear a Mosin-Nagant with optics in addition to the AK.
@@andriiyevdokymov6781 tha k you for your insight into the situation Andrii, if you'd be open to further discussion perhaps we could email? armourersbench@gmail.com thanks!
Do guys prefer the m-14 to the SVD?
@@Eggomania86 Due to the lack of SVD.
It would be awesome to see you do a video on both the Scar-L’s(MK16), and/or Sig MCX rifles in Ukraine. And even those these two aren’t really your type of thing, it would also be awesome to see videos on what volunteers have been spotted with(specifically western ones), and GPNVG-18’s that are in use by Ukrainian SOF units, as no one has done a video like that yet. I’d be more than happy to help with that last one if needed.
Currently compiling evidence of 5.56 rifles in use so they'll definitely be mentioned!
@@TheArmourersBench Cool. If you need help, let me know! I watch pretty much every piece of video on the conflict I can find. I've seen a lot of volunteers with Scars especially.
@@darklyripley6138 Absolutely, any help is very much welcome. If you spot anything cool drop me a line at armourersbench@gmail.com :)
I am a Viet Nam era vet and trained on this weapon. In my opinion there is no better rifle out there than the M14. I used to say if I can see it I can hit it. I would trust my life to this gun any day which is why I own one now!
@ Joe Suasville - I have heard the same sort of comments praising the M-14 from some Vietnam veterans I once knew. I was too young to go to that particular round-up (I turned fourteen in 1975), but I knew a half-dozen or so Army and Marine Corps combat veterans of that conflict (plus one Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines), and to a man, those guys praised the M-14 and hated the M-16 which replaced it. Lots of smack gets tossed around on the internet about the M-14, but if the guys who were there and carried them into battle thought highly of the rifle, then that trumps anything some rear-area pogue thinks.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 My cousin was a Marine in Vietnam and told me the M14 - while heavy, was valued in a squad as it was able the shoot through tree trunks from which the VC were firing behind while the M16's just wouldn't penetrate. It also had greater range when needed.
My brother carried one one in Viet Nam , he always talked very well of it , I missed the last draft by 7 months,
Ditto for me, RVN '66-'67.
thanks for constant updates on the situation
No problem, thanks for watching.
The M14 was designed for this type of war. it wasn't suited overly well for Vietnam's jungles, but the gun itself was designed for a war in Europe.
solid rifle if you keep it off full-auto. Accurate as heck and hits like a train.
I was in Nam '66-'67, the M-14 was never a problem in deep brush/jungle, it worked 24/7, not like the Matty Matel specials they gave us in the Spring of '67, which were pieces of crap.
@@boondocker7964 Hey man, first of all thanks for your service. Also I heard the wood on the M14s swelled up in the heat and climate and was just a bit too heavy and long for Vietnams terrain? I for one would have always picked that over the M16 personally but would like to know your thoughts/experience with them 😁
@@TheGreyWolf94 The M-14, I had from July '66 till about Feb. '67, did not swell up all through the Monsoon of Nov-Dec. '66, it was slightly heavy, all rifles are "heavy", but, not to the point of it being a hindrance of some sort. Don't forget, we were young bucks, under 20 years of age, not old men of 75 years, even in dense brush/jungle, if you will, it was not an onerous piece of equipment, rifle, six mags, at least one bandoleer, pack, two canteens, E-tool, claymore, 3-4 M-26's, C's, AND a flack jacket to keep you warm, sometimes they would have you carry a 60 MM round for the mortar crew, each guy in the platoon would get a mortar round to hump, not every operation, but, just another piece of crap, at least it wasn't an 81 round.
@@boondocker7964 Wow, that's really great stuff to know. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the rifle and being in 'Nam in general.
Again, thanks for your service, take care of yourself and god bless, sir.
@@TheGreyWolf94 Mine had a fiberglass stock -- but that was in the late 1980's.
I used both the M14 and the M16 when I was in the Marines. While the M16 eventually turned into an excellent rifle, the M14 was (and probably still is) a much more reliable rifle. That big bolt and simple bearing-in-grove lockup just worked. Also, outside of the jungles, the M14 had a big range advantage over the M16 and the Garand sights are still the best iron sights ever made in my opinion. 500 Yard hits are easy using an M14, even with iron sights.
lmfao, the m14 is less reliable than an AR.
@@ishitrealbad3039 You know literally nothing.
@@ishitrealbad3039
Are you drawing that conclusion based on real world experiences, or video games and Google?
Shenmi, you brought up the most overlooked design advantage the M14 has over any of its peers.
The bolt bearing dramatically increases functional reliability. It also lends itself for clearing malfunctions much faster if needed.
There's an advantage with having only two exposed locking lugs. The recesses in the receiver are easily accessed, and can be cleaned or cleared fast. The other advantage is having direct override manipulation over the bolt via the oprod.
I agree 100%, as far as iron sights, there's no equal.
Their intuitive and easy to manipulate.
that and it's weight absorbs recoil,
and makes it a good club if the russians get too close.
I both loved and hated my M14 in Vietnam. I do have a warm heart in seeing it being used.
You hated having a bullet launcher that worked 24/7, and could reach out and touch a target at 500+ yards?
That’s awesome just goes to show doesn’t matter if it’s old it’s still effective
I went thru the 82nd Airborne sniper course in 1985 using the M21 system which was accurized M14 with ART1 and 2 scopes. I was on SFODA 751 when I attended. The rife was great, the scopes sucked.
As a general question, do you remember what markings were on the receiver, if it was just the "M14NM" markings, or did it have unique "M21" markings?
Sorry no. Do know it was refered to as an M21 system and we (sniper buddy and I) went thru at least 6 different Art 1 and 2 scopes mostly because of oil spots inside on lenses I think. Scopes really sucked. 1985 was long time ago for me. lol@@Afterconflict
@@danielwarnes7231 Interesting info, and how reliable was the automatic range adjustment?
Also, another question, what was your go-to method of storing magazines, I've seen photos of ALICE M16 pouches being used by M21 users (likely with the magazines crammed in), but I've also seen mentions of the older M-1956 pouches being used.
@@Afterconflict Storing magazines was the standard H harness we wore in 1985 with the 4 magazine capacity pouches on your web belt. Wore a butt pack that I carried a box of 100 rounds in also. Have no idea what you mean by automatic range adjustment. We used the two types of scopes. They had different reticles in them. Don't remember which was which. Money was so tight that we could not get new scopes. Just old rebuilt ones. Think I went thru 6 while in the course.
Sorry not better info, 30 plus years and I'm old now so maybe memory failure, but really have no Idea about the range question. We applied what we called bust on target to adjust shots normally. You observed where the round hit in relation to the target and the reticle, then moved that point onto the target. Was very effective for fast adjustment. Not like calling the mils and then clicks on the sight. That is good for range fire or target shooting. But in a rapid fire situation it is worthless. The M21 of course was semi auto. This actually came in handy when you needed to take out or suppress multiple targets quickly.
I the recent wars Iraq and Afghanistan it was obviously much different than the terrain and situations I worked in. I rarely had over 300 yards of sight line visibility. I never fired a shot over 600 yards myself. No laser range finders and only field techniques like smoke, flags or tree movement to estimate wind. I'm just being petty, but when I watched videos of "sniper hides" with tables, sandbags, cases of bottled water and chairs I just don't have as much admiration for the "sniper". Shooting is the easy part in my day. Field craft is what got you in and back out. Not sitting secure and shooting lame targets. The sights are so much better now. Exact ranges and auto adjust for wind, temp and humidity! Carlos Hathcock these guys are not (but then neither was I). Army didn't even have a sniper school when I was in SF. Glad they at least fixed that. I was no steller example of a sniper. But I did help my team with my skills, just as each of them contributed too.
Excellent rifle. I qualified with it in '67 at Camp Pendleton. The transition to the M-16 had already begun and that was what we used in VN.
Its nice to see these old rifles getting a second life. Always thought it was a beautiful rifle. The M14 kept my grandfather alive through Vietnam..
I really like the M-14 Used it in training while in the states. Got to vietnam and issued a TOY MATEL M16 good for butter flies. 10th armored 4th inf.
For when it's too hard to reach out out with an AK, and you don't wan't to be at potential disadvantage in war with a bolt action, the M14 fits the Marksman role perfectly.
in 2014 ukrainian army ad, an m14 can be seen in a frame where two sniper are aiming, the main sniper is using a svd, and the second is aiming a m14, this weapons has been being used by ukrainians since many years ago. Is cheap, easy to use and perfect for the Ukrainian land,
I was issued an M-14 in the Army in 1966. This rifle is still potent and is fighting the European war it was designed for. It is a beautiful weapon !
The Philippines are still using M14 as their Battle Rifle before but now they are all replaced by Remington M4s (R4A3s) but it does not mean that M14 are out of service because they are been refurbished by the Local Arms Manufacturers and upgrade it into Mk14 EBRs, M21, M14 SASS with Suppresor and most of it are M14 with Precision Sniper Scopes as their Designated Marksman Rifle. And all are seen during the Marawi Siege by both Army and Marines.
M14 is great choice for Designated Marksman and I think the the Ukrainians can refurbish that rifle into EBR as well. So that they can attach some IR Illuminator and Scopes.
Some US special forces still use the M14 but imo they're too heavy especially carrying a couple hundred rounds of ammo.
Wish I had an m14 not a mini 14..there are just to beautiful and deserve to be in a hall of fame as the most beautiful and accurate weapon on the field.
springfield makes a real nice copy...walnut stock & all...M1A...only in semi auto of course...
Wait, so my 3000 dollar paper weight is no longer obsolete!!!??!!!
An Ukrainian government official showed his Kel Tec Sub 2000 on a TV interview. This conflict is a treasure trove because almost any weapon can be "clone correct".
Just because something is obsolete, does not mean it is useless or without value. If you have no weapon, a nagant revolver is an upgrade.
Good command can find use for anything. I'd like to know how many black tips have migrated towards the conflict. If so data from the conflict may provide some validity to the US Army's integration of the new Sig.
The word you're looking for is obsolescent.
It never was obsolete, they just tried to make us think it was.
If you paid 3000 then you got ripped off. Also it was always a decent rifle, just was not fit for its original intended role. Ofc now there are better options for marksman rifles but it is still a good rifle in that regard.
That’s very good private Pyle I think we finally found something that you’re good at
Not only would an m14 reach farther than an ak but if it had a scope it'd be more accurate especially since it'll most likely be shot in semi auto. A 308 also hits harder than a 7.62x39 or a 5.45x39
Russian Armor is dogshit too. So they aren't stopping 7.62x51mm at all.
They good solid rifles that are also very accurate..The M14 a powerful rifle too.
I didn't notice any select fire switches installed. In 'Nam there was usually only one guy in the squad with a switch and everyone else fired single fire. I never fired one full auto, but I saw it done. After about the 4th or 5th round they were pointing at the sky! Best fired in two or three shot bursts on full auto. Best accuracy is single fire!
The M14 was only really supposed to be fired on full-auto with a bipod deployed.
I've seen at least one with the F/A switch. Its possible it might have been welded inside the receiver to keep it semi auto.
@@daneaxe6465 This was only done on M14NM rifles as part of the conversion to National Match standards, most have the standard selector locks intact.
M-14's (7.62x 51mm.) are very reliable and hard- hitting, I am happy to see that the Ukrainians have access to a plethora of weapons both old and modern. An armed society is a polite society, Ukraine is proving that an armed and trained populace with access to practical arms is the only way to stop a full- out invasion or aggression by a tyrant. Long live Ukraine and it's beautiful people and culture, you have proven your valor and determination to defend your home. Slava Ukraini
An armed society is a polite society, Robert Heinlein.
Thanks for the thumb's up
@@VulcanGunner No problem Brad, it is a great saying. I believe that the more people that are educated on guns and what they can and can't do, the better. It is always fear of that which people don't understand that causes freedoms to be taken away.
I have been shooting guns since I was 5 and my experience helped me develop a healthy amount of both fear and respect for weapons of all kinds. I love that quote, and I am a History addict, I have studied the past of gun control in America and by dictators from Hitler to Stalin. Always keep learning and have Faith. I don't know if you're religious, but these are times that look like something out of the bible. Stay safe out there, All the best.
@@justinwaters8679 Hello Justin, I spent twenty years in the Army and in 1983 I went to Berlin. When we passed into East Germany on board the train it looked like some turned off the lights. I could see the silhouettes of buildings and houses but very few lights. Then, it lit up again as we approached West Berlin. West Berlin was modern, clean, great people, food was fantastic and I drank quite a bit of beer. Check Point Charlie, the Escape Museum and several memorials were visited over a couple of days. One day were were transported into East Berlin, wow what a difference. At this point I had spent almost a year and a half in West Germany and I never saw such a clean country (you could not see any war damage from WW2). East Berlin was sad, it looked old and tired and people seemed to always be on guard. They were nothing like the Germans I met from the West and this is not a knock on East Germans at all, they just looked scared to me. Most of east Berlin looked like a set from post-apocalypse movie. Looks like communism had failed hard to take care of it's own people. Oh Justin, may I say hello from The People's Republic of Cook County, Illinois.
Respectively,
Brad Riley
SSG, US Army
Retired
@@VulcanGunner Salute to you, Mr. Riley. Your experience over 20 years, especially in East-Germany reminded me of the aerial view of north and south Korea from space at night. The South is well- lit and bright, while the north only has spots of light coming from Pyongyang and the port of Wonsan.
This is an image that demonstrates the picture you have just painted about the former GDR. I despise communism and totalitarianism in general, and that is one huge reason why. The economic disparity between the free south and the communist north is all anyone should have to see to prove that totalitarianism creates a hell- on- earth scenario for those trying to live. Korea is much like East Germany, where the darkness and shadows you described during your service still persist in the north.
The lack of enthusiasm and motivation had to be because of the Stasi, as I am sure that you know that they kept records on everything every GDR citizen ever did in life, and they were not afraid to lock people away for any form of dissent.
It is sad what FDR allowed at the Yalta conference, when he basically handed all of central and eastern Europe over to Stalin on a silver platter. The Yalta conference betrayed the partisans of eastern Europe and the normal citizens, when Hitler and Stalin were just as responsible for the simultaneous invasion of Poland and the following declarations of war.
I would have liked to see what gen. Patton wanted to do, Patton wanted to remobilize the remaining Wehrmacht along with allied and American soldiers to attack Russia and take Stalin out to ensure the freedom of all of Europe for good. Strange that he ended up being relieved of duty and happened to die in a car "accident" soon after. The Soviets surely had the motive, as Patton was Communist Russia's biggest threat in the days following WW2.
Communism always fails hard, and it does so at a great expense to human life. The great- leap forward aka the great- leap off- a- cliff is a prime example. I am glad you are educated on this, because my generation (I'm 32) are taught almost nothing on the evil and genocide by communist regimes, all they hear about is WW2 and Hitler, not Stalin, who is the other side of the same coin as Hitler, wish they had both got taken out.
I send Prayers from the Peoples Republik auf Komifornia, I love being a Conservative Christian white- male, because that is the only way to be a "rebel" here in the Kali Reich, and I love to surprise people. There are still a few sane men left in Kali. God Bless and thank you for your career of service, it seems you have paid your dues to your Nation in spades, and that is to be Respected.
With all due reverence and respect, All the best to you and I salute you for your service. God Bless you Mr. Riley.
The rifle of the red scare.. fighting the reds.. where we thought the Cold War would turn hot
What a timeline this is
Excellent video mate.
Thanks Carl!
This is a good way of putting this rifle to good use
Well, with a scoped M14 I would be pretty confident in an infantry battle - in the second row.
I joined the Marine Corps in 1971 and the M-14 was the weapon we qualified with. After bootcamp we were issued the M-16 wich was junk. M-14 is the real deal.
ok boomer
The Filipinos been using these until now, even on recent wars they used these rifles. Despite being old, they are still prefered by many soldiers because of its power and range which is good in open fields and thick jungle woods. Also proved good in fighting in urban warfare.
I’m glad the M14 finally fulfilled its intended purpose.
The M-14 is used at the Naval Academy in Annapolis as the marching rifle, inoperative with leaded barrel but with bayonets.
Would like to have a few of those!
Most of my military was with the M-14, both semi and full auto. I liked it a lot.
Never stick ur barrel out a window like the man in this video.
Being a Marine in the 70’s and 80’s taught many navy personnel and how to shoot this awesome rifle.
Wow. Looking for a Stg 44 next😀
m14 has range, accuracy, and stopping power. nothing fancy. war ain't no video game.
I'd much rather engage a trained enemy from beyond the effective range of their AK with a M14. What a great piece of kit.
We killed buckets of taliban from our OP with the M14. I don’t understand the criticism of the system. Usually first or second round would make its target well past 700m. It will serve them well.
Estonia is currently upgrading to AR-10s from LMT
They are!
Not an up grade
@@curtislarson1487 Absolutely an upgrade. The Estonains called the M14 "fully terrible," and they didn't even have to pay for the rifles. They got them for free and still thought they were pieces of shit. Because they are. The M14 has always been an abomination. An AR10 will be more reliable, more durable, more accurate, more ergonomic, easier to maintain, easier to add optics to...simply better functionally in every way.
@@curtislarson1487 you’re insane if you think the modern AR-10 isn’t superior to the M14.
@@Anni3sgotagun It's not just an AR-10, it's from LMT. They do things quite well.
My company in 3AD had a couple of m21s in our armory and I was allowed to shoot one while at the range. I was impressed with it and the scope. I've admired them ever since.
Outstanding!! I hope they are using them very well.
Sure. I have seen lots of videos in Russian hands. Meaning. All those Nazis are dead 😂😂
@@havanascp9602 Take your meds, commie. If they're not sanctioned in St. Petersburg.
Notice the offset scope mounting to allow for case ejection
You are not going to feel "naked" carrying an M14 on any battlefield. Perfect designated marksmen rifle. A tad heavy but the Ukranians counteract this weight with the weight of their balls. 😊
with the spray and pray tactics of the rookies, give it about 3 weeks and they will have logistics problems before dumping all their m14s
@@kwanchan6745 from what i have seen of fighting in the countryside spray and pray is all you have because you cant see past 50 meters
Adequate as a DMR simply because it's chambered in 7.62 NATO, not really the best due to weight and maintenance concerns... At this point though I'm sure the Ukrainians will use whatever they can get.
Lighter than an M1 ?
In north west Ukraine there are mountains and trees. In eat Ukraine there are wide open rolling fields with hedge rows . Both instances this rifle is good for. It has the range to take advantage or the fields. It also has the range to take advantage of the hills in western Ukraine.
The M14 is an excellent weapon!! Very accurate!! Excellent stopping power with the 7.62 round!! Only negative, it's heavy, but other than that and excellent weapon!!
M14s are very nice. I would use one in a war for sure. 20 round mags. Can kill someone at three quarters of a mile away or 731 meters.
The old geezers at US Army Ordnance were still fighting the Napoleonic wars and shooting competition at Camp Perry. Best thing McNamara did was to get rid of those clowns.
3/4 mile is 1320 yards. 1320 yards is not 731 meters.
Its about time these rifles are used again! As a 45Bravo in the US Army I did training at Anniston Army Depot. In the early to mid 1980s they were rebuilding all the M14 rifles. The finished rifles received cosmoline and were crated. It was thought that if we ever fought the Soviet Union in Europe these would be issued again. Hopefully they will save a few for our boys. I have a feeling we will be dragged into this war or WWIII before long...
Cool to see that old war horse is still out there m14 is for sure a dead accurate hard hitter for sure
A "lightweight shoulder weapon..."? (0:15) Lightweight isn't the first word that comes to mind when I think of the M14/M1A.
.308 is the most fun round to shoot!
As a driver in Nam 67/68 we had the M14 . Rather large for the cab of my truck but you new it would always work .