Why the M14 Remains America's Most Controversial Military Rifle

Don't know if I would agree with the "most controversial" moniker. The early M-16s were infamous for their unreliable performance in VN due to design and powder problems and the resulting deaths. There were three primary reasons the M-16 came to the fore: the M-16 and its ammunition was lighter therefore was a lighter load to carry; the emphasis in VN was more of a "spray and pray" rather than aimed fire; and McNamara liked the fact it was cheaper to produce. The fact that the M-14 is still the weapon of choice for long range accuracy is evidence it does what it was designed to do.

PO1 Tony Holland I Liked the M-14.

Since I was boarded out in 1993, I have not put a single 5.56 NATO round down range. Don't and won't own a firearms in the caliber. Price per round is too expensive for plinking, and it was designed to wound, in order to take 2 OpFor riflemen out of the fight instead of one. I have rifles in several calibers and styles, for different applications. My primary for all occasions is a Ruger AR-10 clone, scoped, and with offset flip up iron sights.