M14 rifle
| M14 rifle | |
|---|---|
An M14 rifle shown with a 20-round magazine | |
| Type | Battle rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service |
|
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | See Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1954 |
| Manufacturer | |
| Produced | 1957–1980 |
| No. built | 1.3 million |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| Length | 44.3 in (1,126 mm) |
| Barrel length | 22 in (559 mm) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 in) |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 700–750 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s) |
| Effective firing range |
|
| Feed system |
|
| Sights | Aperture rear sight, "barleycorn" front sight |
The M14 rifle is an American battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It was accepted as the service rifle of the United States Armed Forces in 1957, with production starting in 1959. The M14 replaced the semi-automatic M1 Garand in US service.
In 1967, it was officially replaced as the US service rifle by the M16 assault rifle, a lighter weapon with a smaller 5.56×45mm intermediate cartridge. The M14 remained in use by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps for Basic and Advanced Individual Training from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
The M14 rifle remains in limited service across all branches of the U.S. military, with variants used as sniper and designated marksman rifles, accurized competition weapons, and ceremonial weapons by honor guards, color guards, drill teams, and ceremonial guards. Civilian semi-automatic variants are used for hunting, target shooting, and shooting competitions.
The M14 served as the basis for the M21 and M25 sniper rifles, which were eventually replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System. A new variant of the M14, the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, has been in very limited service since 2002.