Ian Sure Can Stir Up The Hornet's Nest

 

Reading about the reaction to the video and it's clear that so many people didn't watch it before they commented. 

Regurgitated is the common refrain that they know someone who carried one in 'Nam and they loved it!

Watch the vid!  Ian covers that.  The issue isn't that the M14 that was issued to the troops was a bad gun.  The issue is only 2/3 of the guns made actually passed inspection to be issued and that all three contractors making them were losing money making them to spec.

It's astonishing that Winchester and H&R both made Garands which are thought of as better than the Springfield made guns.

The design changed enough from the M1 that new processes had to be implemented to make the M14, contrary to what Springfield told the DOD.

It's still embarrassing that Italy and Beretta did what Springfield claimed they'd done, made a 7.62x51mm NATO rifle derived from the Garand that used tooling and processes from the original gun.

Humiliating is they did it in two years, not 17 and did it for far less money.

The BM59 is a better gun in many, perhaps most, ways than the M14.

Another thing that keeps coming up is defenders of the M14 citing their M1A.  They're not the same gun at all.  The detail differences add up fast and do a great deal to explain how Springfield Armory (no relation) can economically make them.