I've owned this rifle since 1978. It's a Springfield Armory M1A with M14A1 SAW (squad automatic weapon) stock. The grandkids like shooting this one also. :)

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Nice!! An M1A/M14 is on my bucket list!!!!!

I gained experience with the M14 while on the USS Ranger CV-61 in the mid 1980s.  I was a member of the ship's augmented security forces (an additional duty), so I was trained with M14s, M60s, M870s, M1911s... AND the famous Browning M2 machine gun - for which I was an in-port emergency gunner on the Sponson #6 M2 mount!

psteinmayer wrote on Aug 13^th, 2015 at 11:12am:

I gained experience with the M14 while on the USS Ranger CV-61 in the mid 1980s.  I was a member of the ship's augmented security forces (an additional duty), so I was trained with M14s, M60s, M870s, M1911s... AND the famous Browning M2 machine gun - for which I was an in-port emergency gunner on the Sponson #6 M2 mount!

Thank you for your service, sir. What did you think of the M14?

I really liked it. I wish I had more time with the M-14, and I would like to own one... but it's really just an update of the M1 Garand design... and I love my Garands (of course, they're no Krags)! 

Nice, if the serial # is early enough, it might be a Devine, TX made receiver.  Guys pay a bit more for them.  I let one slip away from me once because I didn't know.  Serial was 1000 something.

madsenshooter wrote on Sep 1^st, 2015 at 1:32am:

Nice, if the serial # is early enough, it might be a Devine, TX made receiver.  Guys pay a bit more for them.  I let one slip away from me once because I didn't know.  Serial was 1000 something.

I Wish it was a Devine made rifle. Serial # is a bit too high to be one though. :(
0089XX. I think production moved from Devine, TX to Geneseo, IL somewhere between 2000 and 3000.

Nice M14E2 clone.

I have only had my M1A since 2005. Last year my friend's dad found a stock in a barn and got it along with other things for $20. He gave it to his son, who just thought it was a bubba job on a stock and asked if I wanted it. I looked at it and said I think that is a real stock and that I thought I remember it from my M14 book and that it might be worth money. He just wanted it out of his trunk. A little research and realized the stock with the butt pad, and forward grip is a $500 stock. Told my friend and he said no problem. Later on I had something he wanted. When he asked "How much" I said "free". Anyways the stock was a M14E2 stock that was covered in bird poop.

before cleaning.
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Finished
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I have not shot an M14 full auto, but when I was in the Corps I did a foreign weapons shoot and two of the rifles I shot fully auto were G3 and Fn FAL. It was punishing.

I believe your bipod is on backwards.  The feet should be forward IIRC.

Also track down the correct way to mount your sling once you do change your bipod.  You could break off your front handle if it is not right.  The info will be in an Army PS magazine extract found somewhere on the web.

Added:

Found my copies

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Hi Culpeper,

I was on M14 forum when I was building this and found exactly what you posted while reading the different posts. If you look my sling is like that drawing. Also the drawing has the bipod on backwards. If you look at how they swing. they should swing forward to deploy. Take a look at this government pictures.

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Thanks
Martin

Yep, I have seen the different ways of mounting the bipod too.  My thoughts on the matter stems from an old guy who was in the Army in early Sixties and he told me the bipods were originally installed forward towards the muzzle and pulled to the rear to deploy.  He also said that not too many of these stocks were fielded and at a certain point it became a matter of did you have a bipod and is the sling set so you don't break the handle off.  He has since moved on the Great Gun Range in the Sky.

Happy Shooting!

I was armed with the M14 in 1963-66 and usually volunteered to be the guy with the selector switch and bipod. (This was before the E2 was widely issued - never saw one in service.)

I can vouch from experience that the bipod was mounted so as to fold forward for carrying. It was a substantial, lumpy assemblage of hard steel that would have been uncomfortable either at sling arms or shoulder arms had it been folded back over the forearm.

Yeah I could see that. Was flipping it around more of a Adapt and Over Come?

I was issued an m60E3 until the 240G replaced it. then I was issued an M2. The good thing was I was in Arty so if you can't truck it F--K it!

RedLeg0811 wrote on Sep 29^th, 2016 at 3:22pm:

. . . Was flipping it around more of a Adapt and Over Come?

Beats me! Mine came to me in fold-forward condition, the first one in AIT at Ft. Dix and the next in Germany.

Note that the two GI "comic books" above show the bipod in different orientations. The "E2" pamphlet shows fold-back while the "A1" has fold-forward.

Yeah I noticed that about the comic showing it both ways.

My stock was never used, but from what I have heard many of the E2 stocks were marred by the feet of the bipod. Not arguing anything here, just noting it. I think I will try flipping it just for giggles.