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If you have a Smith receiver build a Smith
Option 1
Back in the Day. Build it as Ron’s dad would had
Option 2
With All SEI parts rear sight, gas system, barrel, scope mount anything else Smith related In a Mac Stock since their in Phoenix AZ as a Smith.
From what I understand there are 2 types of Smith receivers
One made out of bar stock. Ron’s dad
One made by Armscor marked Smith Inc
Whatever you Do Build It not let it set around to be turned into a cod weight
Pfc out
PS in the late 80’s I was going to build one and got talked out of it by M1 collector. Not the real I was told. The 14 type builds aren’t the Real Deal BUT Still have a Loyal Fallowing and Quality Builds still Very Desirable

 

If you had one of these, what would you do with it, and who would you have do it?
…I'm sitting on some parts, and one last Birch stock that is empty. Someone will probably bed a USGI stock for that lug, and I have to decide between a USGI barrel or new production. It's a nice choice to have to make?

What would you do?

Since it’s a rear lugged receiver it really needs to go into an oversized commercial wooden stock, or a McMillan Fiberglass stock. (Note: A USGI stock is typically too thin once it’s hogged out to accommodate the rear lug - and will often crack at the left rear corner over time. Thats what the USMC discovered when they added a rear lug to their match builds w/ USGI stocks).

I personally would definitely not build it with a skinny USGI barrel or skinny USGI stock. Instead, I’d bed it in a McMillan M1A stock with a torque screw threaded into the rear lug; the best heavy profile SS match barrel I could find (Kreiger or Bartlein), NM sights and all the typical NM mods. I would build the equivalent of an SAI Supermatch with that lugged Smith receiver.

…or if an optic system is preferred, same build but with the McMillan M3A stock (bedded in MarineTex):

Again, a NOS rear lugged Smith receiver is somewhat unusual - and it was made that way for a full-blown match build as shown in the below article. My 2cts.

Fwiw: Here's a article from 1991 on a double-lugged Smith receiver (full-match build):

https://www.veritasresearchconsulting.com/M14_Manuals/M140791_red.pdf

...That's what I would do with it, since you asked....

 

That's a tough call and I have the same problem. I'm sitting on one, though I have a new in the tube Saco-Lowell NM med barrel for it. I'm hoping to someday find a McMillian M2A stock and do a Marine DMR build, but those stocks are impossible to find. Let us know what you decide to do.

 

 

Wow, that’s a lot for a green M2A stock. It’s an early one that pre-dates the actual USMC contact version, possibly the type used on the mid-90s prototypes. (The cheek piece should have two knobs and buttpad is also not the correct version w/ spacers). But with 16 bids, I guess it’s close enough these days, as all the original DMR stocks are already built-up at this point.

 

Wow, that’s a lot for a green M2A stock. It’s an early one that pre-dates the actual USMC contact version, possibly used on the mid-90s prototypes. (The cheek piece should have two knobs and buttpad is also not the correct version w/ spacers). But with 16 bids, I guess it’s close enough these days, as all the original DMR stocks are already built-up at this point.

Yea, my jaw pretty much hit the floor, considering that I saw a 93K SM go for less than $1,500 3 days later.

 

Actually it's a later stock than the Original USMC DMR stocks,and it has the wrong cheek riser on it,I contacted the owner and someone replaced the 2 hole riser with the single hole and drilled the stock to accept the single screw setup. The forearm is also narrower on the the later M2A stock and this exhibits that as well.
Mcmillan changed the mold on the later M2A stocks and this is one of them.

 

So, $2,500 for a stock that’s been monkeyed with? Not this guy.

 

Yep,somebody really wanted it,hope they know what they actually bought and not a USMC version.

 

For $2500, I’ll bet Jack Daly still has 2 nice Walnut E2s hangin around and there’d be enough left over for a nice Big Red from Treeline. Of course, that would mean I’d need 3 more rifles to put in em. 🤔

 

This appears to be one of Smith's early cast receivers (<1991). Overall they were quite excellent and the quality was close to the billet receivers they made. It should make up into an excellent rifle. I'd recommend a McMillan stock and a heavy barrel for the build.

 

Thats going to make a nice rifle. Like most people are saying, Id suggest a nice McMillan stock. That receiver deserves the best parts you can throw at it.

 

No real opinions on how you do your build. But, keep us posted. Opportunities to learn are always welcome.

 

I've been at this for a few years, I'll post a "family photo" when I have a moment. Tell me what you'd do, not what you suggest I do. I won't take your advice in that regard, because it's not what I asked, and maybe you're old hat like me, maybe you're not.
Who.
Who would you have build it. You would do it yourself? OK thanks for playing. Maybe I'll call SEI and see if they'd like to. After that, who you gonna call?

 

.... Who.
Who would you have build it. You would do it yourself? OK thanks for playing. Maybe I'll call SEI and see if they'd like to. After that, who you gonna call?

Similar situation but diffrent,.. For my top shelf rifle build, i contacted Tony Ben and had him route, bed, barrel and headspace a rear lugged LRB with a Kreiger medium and all turned out fantastic. Time wise was what he quoted and with stellar workmanlike quality. If i need another dream rifle, i'd go back. What else can be said?

Smoky

 

If you had one of these, what would you do with it, and who would you have do it?

I think that first question asked has been sufficiently answered. Now as to the second question…

Who.
Who would you have build it. You would do it yourself?

If glass-bedding is not involved, I can build my projects with assistance from my local M1/M14 gunsmith/ shooting buddy. However a rear-lugged receiver requires professional glass bedding, and neither he nor I have that specialized experience: So here’s the three active M14 specialists on this forum doing bedding jobs: Ted Brown, Tony Ben, and Forceman (Terry).

Fwiw, I wanted a USMC style double lug set-up given my old USMC McMillan take-off stock that I had acquired, and Forceman is the only person I am aware of that does that kind of work (welding on a front lug).

Replica USMC double-lugged match M14 project is now...

Stopping by this forum w/ an update re a project that I previously discussed on this forum back in 2019 and early 2020. Last week I received my latest M1A project back from Forceman, who was instrumental in assisting me in getting this project completed, so a public thank you to him is in...

www.m14forum.com

Before:

In process:

After:

….since you asked ‘who’ to build that nice rear lugged Smith receiver, those three M14 specialists (Ted, Tony, Terry) are my recommendations for bedding it, IMO preferably with a properly installed torque screw/pillar set-up given the rear lug, as shown here:

This kind of work exceeds my skill set, hence I leave torque screws in rear lugs up to the professionals…

Not sure SEI does this kind of bedding work anymore…perhaps they do, but good luck w/ the build regardless.

 

If you really want something special, you can contact Frank at Bartlein barrels as he's doing a special run of M14 heavy and medium barrels which should be ready in the fall.

For a rear-lug SEI, I'd suggest an old-school match service rifle configuration. I wouldn't recommend a welded lug on that receiver. A rear-lug is just fine. I make my pillars out of shot-out 223 barrels. I'd also recommend a GI welded/unitized gas cylinder with the Sadlak vented gas piston and the NM spring guide. Find some nice NM 1/2 MOA rear sights and a Woodland McMillan stock.

I'd also get a Shooting Sight fully adjustable trigger. No need for the speed hammer, but the trigger is worth it, IHMO.

The three of us can route stocks for rear lugs if needed.

Here are a couple of rear/double lug builds I've done...

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/my-first-rear-lugged-m14-build-bed-mc89s-rifle.491570/?post_id=4392788#post-4392788

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/first-double-lugged-build.512423/?post_id=4597429#post-4597429

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/finished-my-personal-double-lugger-range-report-included.532018/?post_id=4815226#post-4815226

I reside in Florida now, if that matters to you.

Tony.

 

Well you certainly have a beauty of a receiver to build off. The fact that it’s rear lugged does probably limit your stock to a wide body type, but I agree it certainly should obviously be bedded. Regarding a GI standard weight barrel- I take a different viewpoint than a lot of other people. I used to bed my M14s almost exclusively and use either med weight SAI barrels from loaded rifles, or a 362 GI barrel. Then I bought a Remington 700 tactical rifle with a good scope. At that point I personally determined that the M14 is an assault-type rifle, not so much a sniper rifle. So I build most of mine with quality USGI parts, and a GI standard barrel (with little or no wear). Sometime I bed them, but usually I consider them a honest 2-3 MOA rifle. I personally don’t go after the quest of 1 or 1.5 MOA on this platform. But that’s certainly a 1 MOA receiver to build such a rifle if that’s your goal.

 

Yes of course, that sounds like a dream rifle as far as M14 goes.

 

If you have a Smith receiver build a Smith
Option 1
Back in the Day. Build it as Ron’s dad would had
Option 2
With All SEI parts rear sight, gas system, barrel, scope mount anything else Smith related In a Mac Stock since their in Phoenix AZ as a Smith.
From what I understand there are 2 types of Smith receivers
One made out of bar stock. Ron’s dad
One made by Armscor marked Smith Inc
Whatever you Do Build It not let it set around to be turned into a cod weight
Pfc out
PS in the late 80’s I was going to build one and got talked out of it by M1 collector. Not the real I was told. The 14 type builds aren’t the Real Deal BUT Still have a Loyal Fallowing and Quality Builds still Very Desirable

I

View attachment 552973

If you had one of these, what would you do with it, and who would you have do it?

Now, I was heavy into the M14 for years, took a big long break to find that the employees of SEI and the companies attitude combined.. "soured" folks on them. Fair. It doesn't change that these receivers are excellent. Their manufacture long precedes the dark days. If we could skip the "I'd throw it in the trash because I'm still mad" and similar replies, that would be great.

I'm sitting on some parts, and one last Birch stock that is empty. Someone will probably bed a USGI stock for that lug, and I have to decide between a USGI barrel or new production. It's a nice choice to have to make?

What would you do?

bought some receivers from smith in arizona that were machined from bar stock so that is a 3rd possibility

fortunately i kept 2

 

I like your question: how would I build it. Your money, right? 😎 Because it’s rear lugged, that commits me to bedding it. Being that this is, for all practical purposes, a one off receiver, (I’ll never see another) I’m going to build a one of a kind rifle. No McMillan for this one. I can use LRBs for that. I’d find one of the most beautiful figured birch E2 stocks I can and have Ted B. bed it. I’d use the Bartlein MW barrel I have ordered and as many Sa, TRW, Saco NOS parts that I can find. And then I’m gonna shoot the bejeezus out of it. Love those E2s. Oh, I’ll have Ted do a trigger job on my TG too.

 

I noted some miss information here. Smith, Inc. (Smith Ltd.) was not affiliated with Smith Enterprise in any way. Smith Enterprise did or does business as Western Ordnance. I purchased several SEI receivers between 1986 and 2002. SEI concurrently made both cast and cold rolled bar stock receivers in the late 80's. Their connection with Armscorp was that SEI was to manufacture "forged" receivers for Armscorp. I don't know that it ever happened. I ordered one of these receivers from Armscorp and it was never delivered. Instead, Armscorp offered to substitute 2 cast receivers for the 'forged" receiver I didn't get. (I had to return one of the Armscorp receivers for defects).
Eventually I was able to purchase SEI "forged" receivers from Creedmoor Sports and Western Ordnance. I also purchased cast SEI receivers. Most were as good or better than SA. SEI also did a run of cast receivers the were 100% machined on every surface. These were almost indistinguishable from the bar stock receivers. These cast receivers did not have any special markings. The cold rolled bar stock receivers were marked on the right side rail "FORGED USA". The serial numbers ran consecutively for both types with the exception of a few cast receivers that had duplicate numbers.
I used a "FORGED USA" marked receiver on my personal NM M14 to earn my Distinguished Rifleman Badge and to win an Oregon State Championship. They were very good receivers.

 

View attachment 552973

If you had one of these, what would you do with it, and who would you have do it?

Now, I was heavy into the M14 for years, took a big long break to find that the employees of SEI and the companies attitude combined.. "soured" folks on them. Fair. It doesn't change that these receivers are excellent. Their manufacture long precedes the dark days. If we could skip the "I'd throw it in the trash because I'm still mad" and similar replies, that would be great.

I'm sitting on some parts, and one last Birch stock that is empty. Someone will probably bed a USGI stock for that lug, and I have to decide between a USGI barrel or new production. It's a nice choice to have to make?

What would you do?

USMC Match M1A-California legal | M14 Forum

 

That looks really cool the way you highlighted the letters/numbers in bright yellow. Would be nice to have on a iron sighted match gun imo. My eyes arent what they used to be and that works very well. I can clearly see the detail on those sights.

 

I'm older than dirt and the M14, but six years younger than the M1. I'm thankful every morning I wake up on the right side of the lawn (we don't have much lawn as the wife's miniature horse eats most of the grass!). I saw my first real M14 in '63 when an Army rifle team brought them to a New Mexico match. We cleaned their clocks with our AFPG Garands. I was finally issued an M14NM rifle to shoot on my State's National Guard Rifle Team in 1978. My favorite rifle since! I'm getting close to retirement again.

 

At least you don’t have to mow, Ted.

 

View attachment 552973

If you had one of these, what would you do with it, and who would you have do it?

Now, I was heavy into the M14 for years, took a big long break to find that the employees of SEI and the companies attitude combined.. "soured" folks on them. Fair. It doesn't change that these receivers are excellent. Their manufacture long precedes the dark days. If we could skip the "I'd throw it in the trash because I'm still mad" and similar replies, that would be great.

I'm sitting on some parts, and one last Birch stock that is empty. Someone will probably bed a USGI stock for that lug, and I have to decide between a USGI barrel or new production. It's a nice choice to have to make?

What would you do?

I would build a match spec rifle in a McMillan stock along the lines of a USMC or Navy Team rifle but use a USGI 7791362 NM standard weight barrel to keep the weight down and get the balance right. Walnut is pretty to look at and for going to the range but not rugged and weather proof like a McMillan. I have nice birch stocks but I prefer something with more pazass . I prefer the McMillan Camo patterns on M14’s over the black. I have hunted with black for over forty years and have tired of it. The fit and balance of the vintage McMillan M14 stocks with the perfect weight M14 barrel is absolutely the best I have ever shouldered.