This young Minuteman is holding my "China Doll," a Chinese PolyTech M14S semi-auto M14 clone that I have owned since 1994. You will note, if you look carefully, that I "GI'ed" the front end with a USGI flash suppressor and an M14E2 muzzle brake. The muzzle brake is very efficient and can be easily removed from the flash suppressor. The brake itself is anchored by a bolt torqued down against the bayonet lug.
Here is a stock M14S front end with no suppressor cuts and no bayonet lug to satisfy the anal sphincters who forced the AWB on us.
This front end suppresses nothing. It actually seemed to produce more flash than a straight barrel 7.62mm rifle when I did night tests with my buddy Ranger Rick some years ago.
M14E2 removable muzzle brake. It reduces the felt recoil and makes the rifle more controllable.
Different ammo and flash suppressors/muzzle brakes produce different flashes. (Chinese manufacture steel case .308 produced a blinding flash at least two feet long out of a straight barreled deer rifle!)
The USGI M14 flash suppressor on the other other hand almost completely suppresses the flash at night.
Here is a friend's M14S (the same rifle as above) which he has just "GI'ed" the front end of.
In order to do this job, you need a pair of GI castle nut pliers, available at Brownell's and other outlets.
If you don't have a manual telling you how to do this operation, you can find one here.
You should also replace every spring in the rifle with USGI. In my experience, Chinese spring quality is crap. Other than that (and optics for old tired eyes), I have done nothing else to the rifle and it remains hard-hitting, accurate and eminently serviceable 17 years after I purchased it for somewhere in the neighborhood of $350.00 if I recall correctly.
I also always use USGI magazines. Don't bet your life on a Chinese or cheap aftermarket mag.
If you decide to go with an M14E2 brake, make sure it is USGI and not a cheap Chinese casting. The extra flash generated by the brake is barely discernible at night.
Mike
III
7 comments:
Not to mention the inside of that fake hider rusts like crazy. Seems like no matter how much you clean and oil it'll grow rust fuzz without constant attention.
Oh, addendum: the GI-type flash hiders are currently available from Sarco (http://www.sarcoinc.com) for $35 plus shipping.
Did Norinco at one time make these rifles too?
Got muzzle brakes on both Springfield M1-A1's .308 make them very controllable and very loud, will be looking into a suppressor after setting aside a little more ammo.
I can think of no better semi-auto battle rifle that these almost M-14's,except for maybe the Garand.
Dennis
III
Texas
What spare parts would you recommend for the m14/m1a?
Thanks Mike!
Yeah Chef, Norinco made these as well, I believe they were called the Type 305. Poly Technologies and Norinco are both industrial organs of the Chicom army. Most afficionados hold that the Polytech M14s are superior cosmetics-wise. The key is that the receivers are FORGED, as God intended.
FWIW Fulton Armory says that the Chicom mags are quite reliable. My preference is USGI or Taiwanese. The Korean mags with the "HNR" stamped floorplate are hit or miss. ALL the US commercial M14 mags are CRAP! AVOID!
The only current .mil contractor for M14 mags is Checkmate Industries (CMI). Their mags are GI spec, reliable and not that expensive. To my way of thinking, the piece of equipment that is too expensive is the "bargain" piece of junk that won't even perform the job you bought it to do. Buy cheap, and buy twice.
I am given to understand that the Chinese wood stocks are either chu wood (rough and unattractive) or walnut (later Polytech guns are supposed to be walnut). Buttplates are cast and do not fit GI stocks. My polytech rests in a USGI syntetic stock. If you come across a GI synthetic in good shape, buy it. Fred's (www.fredsm14stocks.com) finally ran out of them.
I second Mike WRT springs, especially the op rod spring. I'd go further and say switch the Chinese hammer and trigger-disconnector for USGI. Garand parts are interchangeable here, and cheaper than M14 parts. I was starting to get hammer follow with the Chinese parts, which are too soft. Might also smooth out your trigger pull, it worked for me.
You should also consider swapping out the sights for USGI. The Chinese front sight is just plain ugly and the rear sight is hopeless, IMHO. Find a rear sight assembly that's NOT stamped "WCE", as ALL the Chinese clones are stamped WCE.
You might see an improvement in accuracy with a Sadlak op rod guide, I know it sure makes the gun feel more smooth. I also recommend a Buffer Technologies recoil buffer. Definitely feels like it reduces the battering of my receiver.
Some early Chinese guns seem to have been imported with "real" flash suppressors. I cannot tell if mine is Chinese or GI (it came with the rifle, which I bought used) but it is an actual flash suppressor and not a solid piece of metal with no slots cut through.
My Polytech, China Girl, is more accurate than she has any business being (about 1 MOA with Hornady match and iron sights) especially after having looked at the barrel with a borescope. I have been meaning to get her re-barreled and converted to a US bolt but hell, if it ain't broke... The fact that it shoots almost as well as my new LRB is enough to make a fella feel cheated.
Really a great one.........
Post a Comment