[stevenew]

Hey guys,

For those of you that didn't see my introduction post, my name is Steven Winegar and I have joined the forum because I want to buy/build my first M14 platform rifle.

My vision is to find all USGI parts, have the bolt and barrel adjusted by a gunsmith on an LRB or James River Armory forged receiver and assemble the rest myself, but I have some questions I would like you guys to weigh in on.

First, can I expect an M14 with a decent condition USGI barrel that is timed and headspaced correctly to shoot well? (I am hoping for 1-2 MOA.) I am asking because I have the option to buy a barreled receiver with a bolt from LRB and use USGI parts for the rest of the rifle, but ideally I would want it to be full USGI, including the barrel and bolt. I am primarily a collector, but require all of my guns to shoot well.

Second, I see building this rifle both as a historic restoration project and as an investment and I want to make sure that I will have no trouble selling it for a fair price in the future. I would like you guys to weigh in on which receiver I should choose. I can buy an LBR and have the barrel and bolt installed for a total of $941.15. Alternatively, I can buy a JRA and have the bolt and barrel installed for $870 total. The difference in price is small so I am more concerned about the quality and reputation. (I do realize that JRA has had limited experience with M14s, but it also sounds like they are willing to stand by their products and make things right if there are any problems.

Lastly, I was planning on outfitting the rifle with all USGI SA parts. Do you guys think having matching parts will add value? Would it be more valuable to have parts made by somebody other than SA? Does $825 sound like a fair price for a full parts kit, excluding bolt and barrel? Does $350 sound like a fair price for a reparked SA bolt?http://windycitysourcing.com/M14_Kits.html

I have yet to find an SA barrel for sale, but I will keep you guys posted.

In the meantime, I greatly appreciate all your help and really look forward to this project!

Lock and Load!

Steven

 

[ordnance21XX]

Welcome from South Carolina





MOLON LABE

 

[XXXMarine]

Welcome to the forum. I would go with LRB. From a functional point the parts need not be all one make, but when you sell, from what i've seen, it seems to be easier/quicker selling if most/all parts are of the same make, esp. TRW. Good luck with your build and enjoy owning/shooting an M14 clone while you can!

 

[Doc]

Welcome to the forum from central MS.
There are lots of people on this forum with more experience than I have. I was lucky in that I obtained parts from a deceased friend and did not have to look for them. From what I can gather you will have a hard time beating Windy City for your parts.
As far as a GI barrel - if you can find a new or very good GI barrel you should expect 2 MOA or better if everything is assembled and timed correctly, plus I would have the trigger gone through and set to a sharp 4.5 pound break (will not coat you near what it can add to your shooting ability) ... or at least that has been my experience. But that my friend is no guarantee... you could be in the 3 MOA range.
As far as receives go, if I were building today I would go with the JRA.
As for all matching, I am not a collector so function is my deal.... but I would guess that to a collector all matching would be a bonus. If I were to try to build an all matching # deal - I personally would go Winchester as far as possible....no reason other than I like Winchesters....

Good luck, keep us posted

 

[hammonje]

Prices seem fair and having all SA parts build will add value.

A tuned standard with a great tube will shoot 1.25 - 1.5 MOA. I've built a few using USGI takeoff barrels with great numbers and they shoot very well indeed.

If I was going to have one rifle and was value conscious I'd go with the LRB. I have built a few so I went with Fulton and JRA to make it more affordable.

SA barrels in great shape are kind of tough to find. You might use a SAK barrel also. SAK is kind of pseudo-correct for all of them since it was a replacement barrel of excellent quality.

 

[M1 Shooter]

Welcome from Oregon! It seems like you have already done a bit of research and have a pretty good feel for what you want. Buying a nicely timed barreled action makes a lot of sense for your first build.

For many members, maybe even most, it makes not a lick of difference whether it is mixed parts rifle or a single maker rifle, the condition and function is what matters most. I have both and my best shooter is a mixed parts rifle, but my favorite is still my all TRW (except LRB) from an unissued demilled M14- it's as close to the real deal as I will probably ever get.

As for LRB versus JRA, I don't think you can go wrong with either. LRB has a long standing reputation and JRA is quickly gaining a very good reputation. Good luck with your build and enjoy your rifle!

 

[KurtC]

USGI parts were designed to shoot 2-3 moa, so there is no guarantee of accuracy. However, much of this can be attributed to the stock. Have it properly bedded into a fiberglass or medium wood stock and you should be in the 1-2 moa area.

Keep in mind that the M14 barrels had large chambers, chrome lining and a 1/12" twist, none of which is desirable if you are looking for match grade accuracy.

 

[stevenew]

Thanks a lot for the feedback guys!

I think in terms of receivers I have decided on the LRB because although I would like to support the new business, I can get an LRB receiver for only $70 more than a JRA. (They give you a huge discount if you have them time and headspace it for you.)

M1 Shooter said that most members care less about the parts used and more about the function. I know that I ultimately have to decide for myself but can anyone else chime in on this? I am torn between buying an LRB barreled receiver with a bolt and buying an LRB receiver and having a GI bolt and barrel put on it. I have found an SA bolt but have not yet located an SA or SAK barrel and understand that this may take a lot of hunting. If it might make a special collector piece in the future, I think I would be willing to do it.

Lock and load

Steven

 

[JayKosta]

I'd be cautious of expecting great results from a rifle built from a single 'parts kit'.

There is quite a bit of dimensional tolerance in the parts, and while hopefully they will at least 'fit together' and 'function', there's NO guarantee about their precision. And in some situations there might be headaches just getting things to work satisfactorily.

Having all matching mfg parts seems to be more important to collectors than to shooters.
Especially for parts such as Winchester, H&R, TRW.
GI parts are desirable primarily because they are thought to be 'made right' and durable.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[stevenew]

Advice taken, Jay Kosta. I'm dropping the all USGI SA idea altogether. I am still going for an all-matching build, but will probably go for Winchester or H&R. It is probably more feasible.

 

[six clicks]

Welcome, o with the barreled action from LRB with a usgi Profile barrel and usgi parts, the new criterian barrls are very good and accurate, I'm no expert but I don't know if ou can get a 1-2moa gun with an NOS usgi lined barrel.
A SAI match grade rifle or super match would probably perform what our after.
Have fun, building and collecting is half the fun.

 

[MemphisMachinists]

My advice is to buy a used rifle first. If you buy it right you can sell it reasonably easy. If you get lucky you might buy a rifle with a few of your desirable parts. Collecting the parts for what you want could take several years. For investment purposes think of long term. This is something that your great grandkids should be able to enjoy. Look for something older.

There are so many options now for our girls. It's tough to just have one.