Has anyone used the M14 rifle and what are your thoughts about that rifle?

I love the M-14. I was fortunate enough to carry the fully automatic wood stock M-14 when I was stationed at the 5th Ranger Training Battalion at Camp Merrill, Dahlonega, GA. Sadly, I only fired blanks! I would have loved live fires with that weapon. We also had synthetic stock semi auto M-14s which in my opinion were inferior. I was an armorer for a while and the full auto wood stock versions were beasts!!! I like the stopping power of a 7.62 NATO round period! I would gladly hump the extra weight of an M-14 in Iraq or Afghanistan! It's basically a 20 round magazine full auto M-1 Garand which was/is an excellent rifle I have also had the pleasure to fire as a veteran doing Honor Guard. Sadly, only fired blanks out of the M-1 too! :D

SSG Roger Ayscue, we carried them exclusively in SF Phase 1 at Camp Mackall in APR-MAY70, and spent a lot of time with them in the SF Weapons course immediately thereafter. I thought it was an excellent weapon, which seems to be borne out by the majority of positive responses that you have received regarding the M14.

I had the M21 for a weapon in the Guard. Nice weapon.
I do not know why anyone thinks sending guys into action with a short carbine in a mountainous region like Afghanistan was a good idea. Its like people lost all concept of range and bullet terminal velocity at range or something. The M4 is more suitbale to a city environment than a place where you can see far beyond the range of a M4. The m14 is much more suited.

Love it. I own a Ruger mini 14 7.62m.

I grew up on it. I like it for match use although I used a M1 in 06 for the 1000yd stuff as you needed a little less "oval". I'd like to say it saved my bacon but interesting enough an AK saved my bacon.

I have since did a transformers job on my match M1A and it now has a tac stock with MRAD optics. Great propane cylinder buster at long range. Road flares make it more entertaining. I still use my favorite Sierra 168gr Match King and 4895 powder load for it. It just works every time.

I remember its reliability and the magazine got rid of "M1 Thumb". If you ever get a chance to own history, grab it and shoot it. Like the M1 and 1903, you'll understand more of what it was like.

I have used the civilian M1A model and I love it. There's a certain satisfaction I get when holding a full sized rifle vs a carbine.

I've fired one at the range, and all I can say is that it handled superbly. Great rifle, and very accurate.

Such a beautiful weapon! Never used one in the Army, but have put a few rounds in the civilian range.

As a side note: Why in the hell would you mount a ACOG on it?

I have a Federal Ordnance M-14 that Joe White rebuilt to M-21 specs for me except for steam drying and coating the stock with epoxy. He did everything else, even changing out my standard barrel and replaced it with a NM barrel. He went to church with my wife until his death. They were/are LDS and I am Southern Baptist, so I got to know him through my wife. I still have the rifle although I never had an ART or ART II scope on it. It has a second ATN X-Sight 4K Pro scope and is my "designated deer rifle".

The M-14 was (and still is) a great weapons platform! My initial rifle qualification in the military was accomplished using an M-14. Although replaced as a general service rifle by the M-16 (and later the M-4), the trusty old M-14 still has its place in combat. That said (and I'll probably really be dating myself with this), my initial pistol qualification was accomplished with a .38 cal revolver! Yeah, I'm old!