My USMC shooting team M14 with smear stock!

[USMCSGT0331]

My M14 collection seems to be slowly growing, but it takes a while to build absolutely perfect clones! I've been working on a USMC shooting team M14 with a smear stock and Barnett barrel for about 4 or 5 years, that's about when I acquired my first parts for the build. The rifle was put on the back burner until recently, when I made a trade with forceman (from the M14 forum) and got an original USMC smear stock from him. He then found me a 5 line Springfield receiver and I gave him the green light to start the build!

I've always wanted one of these rifles, and I've always read the threads posted here when you guys but these USMC target guns. Well, I can finally join the club! This rifle was built by Terry (forceman on the M14 forum) with a 5 line Springfield receiver, original USMC M14 smear stock, original USMC M14 Barnett barrel from 1991, and various GI parts. Terry built this amazing rifle to exact USMC specs and even used a 2112 armorer made tool for unitizing the gas system or something like that. The rifle turned out great and I can't thank him enough for his help with the build!

Now the most important part, the photos! Also, if any of you have a similar USMC shooting team M14 (smear or woodland stock), please post some photos here in this thread for us to enjoy!

 

[BEJ762]

Did he weld on a front lug to make it a double lug gun or just rear lug?

Rifle looks great. I have a few USMC rifle team stocks I built rifles out of. Will need to post pictures.

 

[Belvedere]

Thing of beauty. I got into M1As years ago. Sadly sold almost everything. Think I have one M14 stock left. Knew I'd never find another one like it so I kept it. Someday.....

 

[USMCSGT0331]

Did he weld on a front lug to make it a double lug gun or just rear lug?

It'd a double lug rifle

 

[D_TROS]

These are mine. I have a woodland stock but its not in pic. have to get some more pics...

these are not mine just cool pics. wish I had that thumper rifle...

 

[Random Guy]

Now the most important part, the photos! Also, if any of you have a similar USMC shooting team M14 (smear or woodland stock), please post some photos here in this thread for us to enjoy!

OK, I guess I should have posted a few pics of my replica, per the request. Based on the woodland stock, it presumably came-off a mid-1990s era USMC M14. The rifle was actually built around this NOS barrel from 1995, which I acquired after 18 months of politely begging a retired USMC 2112...(Per the retired 2112, the "REV 1" reference relates to a few subtle things that Gene Barnett did for the USMC re these match barrels. It's also 1/10 twist instead of 1/12, and it was for their "long range" M14s that often used the old Sierra 180 grain match bullets). Also seen is the welded-on front lug.

Front and rear lugs seen here on a 1995 era SAI M1A receiver, prior to being threaded for the torque screws/bolts:

The take-off USMC parts I acquired for this build included a highly modified front sight (on the right). Standard M14 sight is on the left.
I was told by a former USMC rifle team member that this sight was for their "1000 yard M14s" for some sort of special long-range match.
I tried it once, but my eye sight these days simply can't focus on such a small and thin sight, so it's just a conversation piece at this point.

Completed rifle in the case. (Weight with a sling and empty mag is 13 lbs, 7 ozs, so it's about 3.5 pounds heavier than a standard M14/M1A rifle).

Unfortunately I can not shoot this rifle to its real potential, but it was a neat build. (Pic from a Quantico-based M1A match in June 2021).

 

[lyman]

Lovely Rifle,

when I first started shooting Service Rifle a lot of the guys at the range I was shooting at were (and still are) State Team guys and had similar rifles,

I started out with an AR, but do have a clone of sorts with a wood stock and GI heavy match barrel, (need to find the pics) built to 1968 match specs

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

@sinister you have a wealth of knowledge on the M14's, SDM-R's, snipers, etc...
Any idea what the "REV 1" special sauce refers to specifically that Mr Barnett did on @USMCSGT0331 's barrel here?

Also- thoughts/experiences on the KAC M110 vs HK M110A1?

Love your posts BTW @sinister ; thx a bunch for your contributions here and ARFCOM sir! And same to you @USMCSGT0331 !

Vintage is the best section on the 'hide. Change my mind


PS: off topic I know.. but were any SDM-R's or SAM-R's ever run with a can? Swear Ive seen a pic of a SDM-R with a corn cob but cant find the picture for the life of me..

 

[Random Guy]

Any idea what the "REV 1" special sauce refers to specifically that Mr Barnett did on @USMCSGT0331 's barrel here?

Actually I think you are referring to my barrel. Here is what I was told by a retired 2112 who made the "Big Team" USMC match M14s in the mid-1990s. Gene Barnett was asked to make a batch of heavy match profile, 1/10 twist barrels with the shoulder of the gas cylinder pushed forward about 0.010" and that these barrels also lacked any gas port. (see middle arrow for shoulder area that I think is slightly different from the drawing). Apparently he marked those barrels "USMC SPEC REV 1."

I was told this slight modification allowed the 2112 to mock-up the barrel with its gas cylinder without the use of any shims and allow them to "time" the gas cylinder lock for 'ideal timing." Once the gas cylinder was in the "idea" location from a "timing" perspective with the gas lock installed, the 2112 would use a punch to mark the exact location of where the gas port should be located. They would then remove the gas cylinder and drill the hole for the gas port to ensure gas port proper alignment, and using a port size of their choosing, if desired. That's how my rifle was built with this barrel.

Here's that 1995 dated Rev 1 barrel when I got it. There is an "X" stamped on it, noting that it has no gas port. Below this is a 1990 dated medium weight USMC barrel that had the gas port already drilled. The retired 2112 told me that most of their Barnett heavy barrels were 1/12 twist, but this "Rev 1" barrel with 1/10 twist was for their "long range" M14s, but he didn't clarify if he meant 600 yard competitions, or the 1,000 yard special match that I guess is done from time to time. He said only a small number of these barrels were made by Gene Barnett in 1995 and they were used on the "Big Team" rifles in 1995-96. After that they switched to the NM M16s, I think in 1997? I obviously feel lucky to have it.

One other odd thing about USMC match M14 barrels made by Gene Barnett was the extra long cut for the handguard clip.
You can see that here on a 1995 and 1990 dated USMC barrel. No idea why the USMC wanted such long HG clip cuts.
The "REV 1" barrel is 1/10 twist, which is sort-of unusual, as most USMC barrels seem to be 1/12 twist, but I have been told that the USMC
also experiment with a batch of 1/13 Barnett barrels, and it would not surprise me if they also tested 1/9 at some point. I think in the late 1980s and into the mid-1990s the old Sierra 180 grain match bullet with 9 degree boat tail design remained supersonic past 1000 yards, and that may have been used in handloads for the "long range M14s." (Sierra later changed that bullet to a 13 degree boat tail and it was no longer appropriate for 1000 yard shooting, but by the mid-1990s the new Sierra 175 match bullet was introduced along with M118LR).

One more note from another USMC MOS 2112 who built match M14s. Once built, they would test the rifles with 3 different ammunition types, Federal 'Red box' which was the old 168 match ammo, then M118, and some where tested with their handloads, but he didn't elaborate much on that later ammo. He said that M14 rifles that shot best with the "red box' ammo were to be used on the "short line." (which I think he meant 200 yards). Rifles that shot best with the M118 were used on the "longer lines" and I assume that was the 300 and 600 yard line. The handloaded ammo was not explained, but I think it was their "heavy mojo" ammo with possibly the old Sierra 180 grain match bullet (w/ 9 degree boat tail).

The M14 rifles with 1/10 twist barrels like mine were reportedly used with the heavy mojo ammo, as they could shoot beyond 600 yards and I think the wind deflection was better with the old 180 grain Sierra match bullets. Anyhow, that's what some old 2112s told me re their M14s.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Actually I think you are referring to my barrel. Here is what I was told by a retired 2112 who made the "Big Team" USMC match M14s in the mid-1990s. Gene Barnett was asked to make a batch of heavy match profile, 1/10 twist barrels with the shoulder of the gas cylinder pushed forward about 0.010" and that these barrels also lacked any gas port. (see middle arrow for shoulder area that I think is slightly different from the drawing). Apparently he marked those barrels "USMC SPEC REV 1."

I was told this slight modification allowed the 2112 to mock-up the barrel with its gas cylinder without the use of any shims and allow them to "time" the gas cylinder lock for 'ideal timing." Once the gas cylinder was in the "idea" location from a "timing" perspective with the gas lock installed, the 2112 would use a punch to mark the exact location of where the gas port should be located. They would then remove the gas cylinder and drill the hole for the gas port to ensure gas port proper alignment, and using a port size of their choosing, if desired. That's how my rifle was built with this barrel.

Here's that 1995 dated Rev 1 barrel when I got it. There is an "X" stamped on it, noting that it has no gas port. Below this is a 1990 dated medium weight USMC barrel that had the gas port already drilled. The retired 2112 told me that most of their Barnett heavy barrels were 1/12 twist, but this "Rev 1" barrel with 1/10 twist was for their "long range" M14s, but he didn't clarify if he meant 600 yard competitions, or the 1,000 yard special match that I guess is done from time to time. He said only a small number of these barrels were made by Gene Barnett in 1995 and they were used on the "Big Team" rifles in 1995-96. After that they switched to the NM M16s, I think in 1997? I obviously feel lucky to have it.

View attachment 8163126

One other odd thing about USMC match M14 barrels made by Gene Barnett was the extra long cut for the handguard clip.
You can see that here on a 1995 and 1990 dated USMC barrel. No idea why the USMC wanted such long HG clip cuts.
The "REV 1" barrel is 1/10 twist, which is sort-of unusual, as most USMC barrels seem to be 1/12 twist, but I have been told that the USMC
also experiment with a batch of 1/13 Barnett barrels, and it would not surprise me if they also tested 1/9 at some point. I think in the late 1980s and into the mid-1990s the old Sierra 180 grain match bullet with 9 degree boat tail design remained supersonic past 1000 yards, and that may have been used in handloads for the "long range M14s." (Sierra later changed that bullet to a 13 degree boat tail and it was no longer appropriate for 1000 yard shooting, but by the mid-1990s the new Sierra 175 match bullet was introduced along with M118LR).
View attachment 8163127

One more note from another USMC MOS 2112 who built match M14s. Once built, they would test the rifles with 3 different ammunition types, Federal 'Red box' which was the old 168 match ammo, then M118, and some where tested with their handloads, but he didn't elaborate much on that later ammo. He said that M14 rifles that shot best with the "red box' ammo were to be used on the "short line." (which I think he meant 200 yards). Rifles that shot best with the M118 were used on the "longer lines" and I assume that was the 300 and 600 yard line. The handloaded ammo was not explained, but I think it was their "heavy mojo" ammo with possibly the old Sierra 180 grain match bullet (w/ 9 degree boat tail).

The M14 rifles with 1/10 twist barrels like mine were reportedly used with the heavy mojo ammo, as they could shoot beyond 600 yards and I think the wind deflection was better with the old 180 grain Sierra match bullets. Anyhow, that's what come old 2112s told me.

Yes sir, my mistake @Random Guy ! Thanks for the post, you're a class act sir and your M14 clone collection is amazing!

 

[sinister]

I don't know what Gene's "Rev 1" for the Marines was.

For the longest time I shot a 1-12 in my M1A with Sierra 175 Matchkings and stunk up Butner and Perry every time I did. Delta's Sergeant Major Norm Crawford held the Camp Perry Palma M14 record for a few years and pointed out to my brother in the pits, "Your brother's bullets are going trans-sonic and keyholing into the target."

"Any advice for him? He's stuffing that case with as much XXX (powder) as he can crunch into it."

"Buy a bolt gun."

I scored Gunnery Sergeant Pete Prieto from the Marine Team when he won one of the Camp Perry national matches. Later he was firing their "G4" load (some un-godly amount of 4895 compressed into a 7.62 case behind a 168 Matchking) in the thousand-yard matches. The cases didn't fully extract nor eject (the weapon had to be hand-cycled) and the brass was done after one shot. I think the 1-10 twist had a lot to do with keeping the bullet spinning and just stable enough at 1,000 yards.

 

[sinister]

Also- thoughts/experiences on the KAC M110 vs HK M110A1?

Not impressed with either.

If it was my own money, I guess I'd go with the Knight if it passed SOCOM spec vice Army (the MK11 is NOT the M110, and vice-versa), and the HK isn't close.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

and the HK isn't close.

Really??!!! Damn! Thanks for your input as always sir, love your posts.
Care to expand on the HK M110A1? I always thought and heard that the G28/M110A1 was an exemplary rifle...

 

[sinister]

The HK is a very popular rifle in Europe because any EU military can buy it and not have to pay international tariffs or taxes. What an EU (typically NATO) military pays will be a whole lot less than a KAC.

The HK was spec'ed for the US Army as a generic squad marksman's rifle to engage targets to 600 Meters -- NOT a semi-automatic sniper system.

The Infantry Center is a complex tangle confusing itself. It now has an M110A1 (HK) Designated Marksman Rifle (SIG telescope); an M110A1 Semi Automatic Sniper Rifle (HK with Schmidt-Bender telescope); and an M110A2 (KAC) sniper rifle update-upgrade program.