This afternoon, I was out shooting one of my M1A's. I had the same nagging thought about that flash suppressor. It's way out there. My feeling for some time has been that this is an appendage that is in hazard's way. And once dislodged, you've also lost your front sight which is attached to it.
I don't like the bayonet attachment on either the M1 Garand or the M14 design. On the M1 Garand, the ball stud that fits into the gas cylinder plug isn't as sturdy as a ring that encircles the barrel. And being locked onto the gas cylinder, this entire arrangement isn't nearly as sturdy as, say, an '03 Springfield. The M14 design bayonet mount isn't very sturdy because it attaches to the flash suppressor only, which I've already opined was a relatively fragile design.
Also, there is the matter of the (again) relatively long forward end of the M14 barrel. Barrel steel isn't all that hard; service barrels aren't all that thick. Knowing what I do about how soldiers abuse equipment, it isn't too difficult to imagine one of these barrels getting bent from prying, horsing around with a bayonet fixed, etc.
Then there is the ammo feed design of both rifles. Some people have complained that the 8 round en bloc design has its limitations. No argument, the M1 Garand was an early yet successful entry as a fielded army semi automatic rifle. So the detachable magazine on the M14 design was supposed to be an improvement. In some ways, yes. But the magazine in the M14 needs to be angled in such a position in the well in order for it to lock in. Sometimes they need a little fussing to get it locked.
I suppose we can assume that in the all-volunteer army, soldiers in the main tend to be gun-wise. That wasn't the case in the days of the M14. I can imagine panicked rookie soldiers trying and having difficulty with changing mags in the M14 in combat.
My own US Army experience started with the M14 rifle. I used it in training and it was the rifle issued to me at my first permanent duty station. These were taken away and replaced with the M16 design circa April or May 1970. In Vietnam, I had the M16 design. I have no army experience with the M1 Garand but I own some and have acquired some experience with that design.
The original M14 flash suppressor that I complain about makes the rifle, in my opinion, abnormally long and therefore a bit unwieldy in some situations. However, I notice now that aftermarket suppressors are available that are some shorter. No, I'm not going for the so-called SOCOM design.
I don't like the bayonet attachment on either the M1 Garand or the M14 design. On the M1 Garand, the ball stud that fits into the gas cylinder plug isn't as sturdy as a ring that encircles the barrel. And being locked onto the gas cylinder, this entire arrangement isn't nearly as sturdy as, say, an '03 Springfield. The M14 design bayonet mount isn't very sturdy because it attaches to the flash suppressor only, which I've already opined was a relatively fragile design.
Also, there is the matter of the (again) relatively long forward end of the M14 barrel. Barrel steel isn't all that hard; service barrels aren't all that thick. Knowing what I do about how soldiers abuse equipment, it isn't too difficult to imagine one of these barrels getting bent from prying, horsing around with a bayonet fixed, etc.
Then there is the ammo feed design of both rifles. Some people have complained that the 8 round en bloc design has its limitations. No argument, the M1 Garand was an early yet successful entry as a fielded army semi automatic rifle. So the detachable magazine on the M14 design was supposed to be an improvement. In some ways, yes. But the magazine in the M14 needs to be angled in such a position in the well in order for it to lock in. Sometimes they need a little fussing to get it locked.
I suppose we can assume that in the all-volunteer army, soldiers in the main tend to be gun-wise. That wasn't the case in the days of the M14. I can imagine panicked rookie soldiers trying and having difficulty with changing mags in the M14 in combat.
My own US Army experience started with the M14 rifle. I used it in training and it was the rifle issued to me at my first permanent duty station. These were taken away and replaced with the M16 design circa April or May 1970. In Vietnam, I had the M16 design. I have no army experience with the M1 Garand but I own some and have acquired some experience with that design.
The original M14 flash suppressor that I complain about makes the rifle, in my opinion, abnormally long and therefore a bit unwieldy in some situations. However, I notice now that aftermarket suppressors are available that are some shorter. No, I'm not going for the so-called SOCOM design.