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Hot Water posted:
josef posted:
Hot Water posted:
josef posted:

8MM film taken by a buddy who sent this to me decades ago. He's gone now.

But this was our Basic Training at Ft Knox. I'm standing outside our Barracks with my M14. The rest are shots of my Platoon coming out of the barrack, we were 2nd Platoon, The Devils. Company D-12-3.First shot is outside Mess Hall, then church we attended, Gold Vault Boulevard, follow it all the way out to the famous Ft Knox Depository. The rest are shots of company ground and end of day training being dismissed.

Boy were we young back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPqcq_scGg

Cool. What year was that?

Sept. 1964

Thanks. I was drafted in November 1964. Sure wish I had that M14 now, but they have gotten pretty expensive.

Here's my M1A (M14 legal version) along with one of my 5 Garands.

Aviary Photo_131865341998587356

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Personally I like the big bad BAR!! Charlie kept his head down when that opened up. Hide behind a tree, cut the tree in half!!! If you have even heard one youd never forget it! M16 .223/5.56 nothing but a squirrel rifle. Hit em a 7.62 they dont get back up and shoot at you anymore. Hit em 2,3,4 times with a . 223 ,couple minutes later they are back in the fight. rob

That video does bring back memories--basic training at Ft. Gordon Oct 1964. While we used the M-14 they were being phased out at the time for the M-16. Always amazed at how cold it could get in Georgia, the guy in charge always let the coal furnace go out in the barracks.

Spent the rest of my time at APG doing statistical work on terminal ballistics. An interesting couple of years.

oldtimer posted:
Personally I like the big bad BAR!! Charlie kept his head down when that opened up. Hide behind a tree, cut the tree in half!!! If you have even heard one youd never forget it! M16 .223/5.56 nothing but a squirrel rifle. Hit em a 7.62 they dont get back up and shoot at you anymore. Hit em 2,3,4 times with a . 223 ,couple minutes later they are back in the fight. rob

I agree. Our Headquarters Battery, did have a BAR "in stock", but as many times as I asked the Sargent of the Armory to allow me to take it out and "test it", he never would give in. He did however let be try one of the famous WWII M1s. When I became a full time Jeep Driver, they eventually took my M14 away, and issued me a 1911 45ACP pistol.  There is NOTHING like large caliber fire power, and being assigned to the Headquarters, Division Artillery, 2nd Armored Division, I must admit that I really preferred the 8" self propelled Howitzer!     

In 1962 at Ft. Dix , NJ, I trained with a "real" rifle, the venerable and dependable M-1. It got my late uncle safely through North Africa, Anzio and D-Day in WWII with the Big Red One! The M-14's had crappy stocks that were prone to cracking and breaking. When I became an E-5 at Fort Carson, CO, I turned my M-14 in for a Colt 45. It was fun, however, to shoot my full-auto M-14 at the firing range! I would take an M-1 over an M-14 any day for my personal use! They were built to withstand tough conditions and abuse. 

Last edited by Tinplate Art
Tinplate Art posted:

In 1962 at Ft. Dix , NJ, I trained with a REAL rifle, the venerable and dependable M-1. It got my late uncle safely through North Africa, Anzio and D-Day in WWII with the Big Red One! The M-14's had crappy stocks that were prone to cracking and breaking. When I became an E-5 at Fort Carson, CO, I turned my M-14 in for a Colt 45. It was fun, however, to shoot my full-auto M-14 at the firing range! I would take an M-1 over an M-14 any day for my personal use! They were built to withstand tough conditions and abuse. 

The M14 had the same configuration stock almost as the Garand. It was very sturdy, in fact were the receiver and trigger housing, there was more wood to encase these. In all the jumps we made in the states, and all the missions we were on, not one M14 ever failed us, nor was damaged to need replacement, repairs, or parts breakage. As to Fully Auto, very few "selector switches" were issued, and very few that carried them ever got a chance to "Fully Auto" fire them. Those that were given the selector switches were the squads "Riflemen". Later the stock was modified, etc. and a M15 version of the M14 was designated for squad rifleman use. One thing true is it was uncontrollable in full auto, but good in short bursts. In my squad, when on numerous missions, no one ever was issued a selector switch. The M14 as issued was very effective. In fact our CO made excuses for months in turning ours in for the new Mattels.

As to how well the M14 operated and its accuracy cannot be denied. It was brought back decades later and still in a modified version is used as a sniper firearm still.

I believe I'm here today, thanks to my brothers, and the M14.

JOSEF: VERY GLAD you and your brothers in arms made it back SAFE! I agree about the accuracy of the M-14 short bursts. I should point out I was NOT a combat veteran and finished my enlistment three months before my outfit, the 5th Infantry Division was deployed to Vietnam. We did some intensive training in my three years (1962-65) in Uncle Sam's Army and I did receive a very nice peacetime award, the Army Commendation Medal, for my service as Battalion Staff CBR NCO. THANK YOU for your brave service under fire! I did notice you own five Garands, so you must also share my fondness for them!

Last edited by Tinplate Art

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