Weird Science:

1567 Views 5 Replies 2 Participants Last post by NE450N02, Jun 24, 2011

Lazerus2000

Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2011

THE Z FILES: AN M14 DO IT YOURSELF PROJECT GONE BESERK

I just picked up another Chinese M14 last week. I actually, really, truly, and genuinely needed another M14 because, I was doing all my "WEIRD SCIENCE" M14 Frankengun experiments on two BORROWED M14s.

NOT GOOD!!!!
Not the best way to keep your friends.
Too many phone calls that start off with ….
“Hey, would you mind if I …
Fill in the blanks
… to your M14 rifle?? “

So I definitely needed another M14 of my very own to chop and modify and customise and EXPERIMENT ON, and in general abuse into the eventual final form of the ultimate Do It Yourself M14 Frankengun EBR project. And I intend to share the process with the M14 Forum by documenting the slow and painful transformation from boring old ... ooops I meant CLASSIC ... M14 into a sleek, light, MODERN EBR, with better ergonomics and better accuracy.

This particular rifle is a near new Canadian spec Norinco in a GI fiberglass stock.From looking at the wear patterns, I DOUBT IF IT HAD MORE THAN A COUPLE BOXES OF AMMO THROUGH IT. I did my usual quick "rack grade M14 tweak/tune/tighten", checked the head space [ WAYYYYyyy TOO BIG, as usual], and then slapped a prototype CASM scope mount on it [I’m testing out the location and size of a crude built in rear peep for inclusion on the new "next generation" CASMs].

Using some VERY HIGH, VERY inexpensive quick release rings I am trying out for the first time, I clamped on a well used Bushnell scope that I had picked up for $ 60 at the last gun show, and went off to the range to test everything and sight it all in.

With the NEW rear aperture and iron front sights, first shot got me on paper at 25 yds. I was dead on for windage, but about 2" below point of aim.Good enough for Govt work and pretty good for a “best guess” for HEIGHT to use for the rear peep hole.

Moved out to 100 yds,
with iron sights,
and I grouped about 8" low . .

The rear peep hole is currently NON adjustable, but I'm fairly happy with these elevation settings, as with a NON-adjustable rear peep sight, it is MUCH easier to come up by filing the front sight, than it is to come down. NOTE: This was with a standard 22" barrel, and elevation should be just about perfect for a chopped 18.5" barrel, which is the length I prefer for ALL my M14s.

I then switched to the scope for some accuracy testing.
DAMmmmmm,
that rifle surprised me.

With the horrible South African 7.62 BALL, it shot 2 1/4" for a five shot group off SLOPPY SAND BAGS, WITH A CREEPY TRIGGER, AND WITH RINGS SO HIGH THAT MY CHEEK WAS WAY OFF THE COMB of the BUTT STOCK.
And 4 out of 5 were into about 1 ½”
HMmmm??

So I tried some 168 Gr Fed HP BT MATCH.
4 out 5 were into 1 1/8”, with the fifth making it a 1 3/4” 100 yd group,
off SLOPPY SAND BAGS, WITH A CREEPY TRIGGER, AND WITH RINGS SO HIGH THAT MY CHEEK WAS WAY OFF THE THE COMB of the BUTT STOCK.
HMMMMmmmmmmmm???

This looks like a very good start indeed to my M14 Frankengun project.

We’ll see how it shoots after I chuck it in the lathe, chop the barrel to 20”, and back bore 1” of the chrome lining out to an ID of .375” with my carbide round end mill, and then cut some integral porting into the 1" overbored part of the barrel.

That should make for the lightest muzzle treatment possible for an M14, hopefully still with significant recoil reduction.
AND,
if it don’t work out,
why then I can always chop it again to 18 ¾”, and thread it for a more conventional removable comp.

COINCIDENTALLY,
I just did a bunch of testing on various comps fitted to a couple of M14 18.5" shorties. Video should be posted soon.
Stay tuned …
[
LAZ 1

PS: the Z in the Z Files stands for my last name,
NOT for the other Z word.

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Lazerus2000

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jun 23, 2011

PROTOTYPE
CASM M14 scope mount, which replaces the fantastic [ but complicated ] M14 rear sight with a simple little hole drilled into the back of the mount. The bare minimum required for a rear BUIS.

That simple little hole [ you could call it a rear aperture peep sight if you wanted to sound impressively technical ] is currently NON-adjustable, which means that I need to get the hole pretty close to "JUST RIGHT" for height. The M14 front sight IS adjustable for windage, so horizontal adjustment is not really an issue.

If you choose the right rings and scope, you can use the prototype CASM built in rear BUIS WITH the scope still mounted. Using the Leupold QRW LOW 1" rings, you can use scopes that have front objective lenses smaller than 45 MM. A 50 MM front objective bell intrudes too much into the sight channel.

With HIGH rings, a 50 mm objective works just fine, but of course, with the scope mounted higher on an M14, you really are better with a cheek riser at the comb or a straight line stock.

The CASM mount is a bit higher than the ARMS 18, but because it IS higher, it is not subject to the all too common "ejected brass caught between mount and op rod" issues of the lower mounts. And as mentioned above,
you can use the CASM BUIS WITH the scope still mounted.

CASM prototype M14 scope mount with rear BUIS,
Leupold QRW rings,
and Bushnell Scopechief VI 2.5 - 8X scope.

The weird science experimentation continues.
[
LAZ 1

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NE450N02

· #3 · Jun 23, 2011

LAZ

I hate to say this, but if I had a "Classic" M14 that shot that good, I would not make any chnges to it...

I would have to find me another for my Frankenstien Project.

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Lazerus2000

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 23, 2011 (Edited)

NE,
a "Classic" Chinese M14 that shoots under 2" is NO BIG DEAL ....
if you happen to be a Canadian. The Chinese M14s are very inexpensive, and very very common up here. We have THOUSANDS of them, and you can buy NEW Chinese M14s for $ 400 - $500 Canadian.
Used, they may be found even cheaper.

As for accuracy,
under 2" is again NO BIG DEAL. I've personally owned somewhere around 100 M14 type rifles. Unless there was something significantly wrong with them, most of them shot under 2" once I found a factory load they liked. I've even seen a few that would shoot SUB-moa with nothing more than my M14 Rack Grade standard tweak/tune/tighten, a US GI fiberglass stock, a decent trigger job, a scope, and ammo they like.

These days,
almost all of my personal M14s immediately get introduced to my friend, Mr Chop Saw, and end up "shortified" with 18.5" barrels. To me, a shorty M14 handles and balances so much better than the "Classic" 22" versions. Most of the time, if the chop job and muzzle crown are done properly, the accuracy potential stays about the same, although THERE MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN WHICH AMMUNITION THE SHORTY NOW PREFERS.

So,
like I said earlier,
a Chinese M14 that shoots under 2" is NO BIG DEAL . I am no longer a target shooter, so chasing after a fraction of an inch better accuracy doesn't intrigue me like it used to. And if I DO require a 7.62 NATO semi auto ACCURATE rifle, I will turn to one of my AR 10s.

These days, I am much more interested in the short "MODERN" EBR type of M14s, optimised as much as possible for improved handling , balance, and ergonoomics. Where it really get's interesting to me, is when I start messing around [ aka "experimenting" ]with various configuration of stocks and compensators, and optical sights, and light loaded ammunition, to get the fastest, most controllable follow up shots possible out of the old M14 "Battle rifle".

I also play around with AR 15s and AR 10s. I know I will never be able to make an M14 balance as well, or shoot as fast, as my 11.5" barreled AR 15 M4Gry, or even my AR 10.
But everyone has to have a hobby,
and mine is modernising and "optimising the M14 .30 cal hole delivery system"

Hence the ongoing quest to come up with the perfect M14 Frankengun.

To me, a "Classic" M14 has no real intrinsic historical or collectable value.
It is merely the donor for my next MONSTER Experiment!!!

Does this make me a bad person???

My brother in law, an Ex-US marine trained on "classic" M14s, surely thinks so.
[
LAZ 1

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NE450N02

· #5 · Jun 24, 2011

NO it does not make you a BAD person...
Even though your are a Canadian DISHOUTDI2DI5

Just kidding, I hunted in Canada one time and found Canadians to be most friendly, and fun to be around.
It was one of my most fun hunts...

So cut, chop, and hack away...

Just let us know how it turns out.

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NE450N02

· #6 · Jun 24, 2011

PS
I have done some "drinking", and "hanging out" with, Canadian Mounties, here in the USA, that were here for, there public demo of their Musical Ride, durring our State Fair.
It is an awsome show to see...

And let the Record reflect, they held their own, and were a bunch of fun to be around...DI5

Also, I have trained Canadian "Army" and "Mounties", in schools I have done. They were fine "folks all".

I have never met a Canadian, in person, that I did not like, a lot.

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