I only knew the whereabouts of a handful of M110 rifles that had already been allocated to other companies’ sniper teams. SW: During the time of deployment, my unit had a severe shortage of M110 and M24 sniper rifles. with a teammate after zeroing their rifles at combat outpost Kushmond, Paktika Province, Fall 2011. How did you come to be issued that rifle, and how many did you see in service while on deployment? U.S. TAL: You are one of the few people I know who carried an M14 overseas during GWOT. A short time after, I was selected to attend sniper school where I was introduced to the KAC M110 SASS, M24 sniper weapons system and M107 anti-materiel rifle. It was there that I was first introduced to the M14 rifle.
I began my training as a rifleman for an upcoming 2011 deployment to eastern Afghanistan.ĭuring training, my leadership advised me they had selected me to attend a scoped rifle course called “LRM” or long-range marksmanship. I served in the 172nd Infantry Brigade and 1st Infantry Division “Big Red One”. Army and enlisted as an infantryman in 2010. Can you tell us a little bit about when you were in, what unit you were in, and just some background information on your service? Soldiers with Task Force Currahee fire at iron targets with M14 rifles during training Forward Operating Base Salerno, Khost province. TAL: You served with the United States Armed Forces during the Global War on Terrorism. I’ve been working as a full-time police officer from New England for the last six years. I’m a proud American, infantryman and firearms collector. (SW): Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my experience with one of my favorite firearms. First, can you just introduce yourself, and what your current occupation is? The Armory Life (TAL): Thank you for taking the time to sit down with The Armory Life. Army soldiers conducting combat operations at RC EAST, Paktika Province, October 2011. Scott was kind enough to answer some questions about his service with the M14 in a modern combat role, and talk about the pros and cons of the Springfield Armory M1A’s military sibling. A hardcore firearms enthusiast and a third-generation soldier, Scott is one of the most talented self-taught gun guys that I know.
While the M14 may have retired from being the primary service rifle, it remained in use with the military, almost in the shadows.Ī great friend of mine, Scott W., served overseas during the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and carried the M14 for much of his deployment. armed forces never completely abandoned the M14. With its origins in the Cold War, the U.S. For many, this marked the end of the M14’s service, going down in history as America’s shortest-serving main service rifle.
Army, in particular, was quick to shed their M14s, with the Marine Corps holding on to the beast of a battle rifle well into the late ’60s.
The grueling terrain of the wet jungles and steep highlands of Vietnam became a catalyst of this transition, and more and more American units began trading in their heavy-hitting 7.62mm M14 rifles for the lighter 5.56mm M16. As the United States of America entered the conflict in Vietnam in the mid-1960s, it was in the midst of a slow small arms transition from the venerable M14 to the lightweight, smaller caliber M16.
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