I know the wood stock is the best option for accuracy(except for maybe the expensive McMillian)but I prefer synthetic for a gun that might get banged around plus the weight savings would be nice so I was thinking of going that route. A lot of people say to go USGI but I've heard that without adding stiffeners in the forearm they are pretty flimsy, I've also heard the factory SA synthetic stocks are flimsy. I just want something that will drop in without a bunch of work and isn't a flimsy piece of junk?

The McMillan stock would be nice but the description says it's for the heavy barreled guns and it requires inletting to fit. My gun isn't a heavy barrel and inletting sounds like something that's beyond my skill level.

SAI's plastic stock is total junk compared to a USGI fiberglass stock, which I would not describe as "flimsy".

It's true the USGI fore end will flex with sling pressure applied, and you can see this result from hand pressure too if you're really strong (and "holding it wrong").

You can apply an epoxy material inside a USGI fiberglass forearm if you're concerned about the sling pressure affecting POI, but it's not a big deal for most shooters.

Many people find wood stocks more aesthetically pleasing, but they can suffer from humidity concerns (expanding and contracting) which also affects POI (all the time, not just when slung in prone).

Generally you'll need to have a McMillan stock bedded. That's the "inletting" they're referring to, for the bedding compound, not to get the action to fit.

Bedded wood might be good for accuracy but wood expands and contracts at a greater rate than composites.  I like GI fiberglass for general purpose and they are not as flexible as the newer plastic Springfield stocks.  There’s a company that reinforces fiberglass stocks with aluminum inserts glued in but all that adds weight.  There was a company making carbon fiber stocks but I believe they’re defunct now.

Mine was in a wood stock from 78 to about 2004.  Killed deer with it like that with one shot drops.  Snow, rain, cold, you know deer hunting weather.

Around 2004 I started with the Appleseed stuff.  I put it in a GI synthetic stock and put a bipod on it for some prone shooting.  No issues.  Shot several AQTs in the 220 to 230 range at 25 meters and a 211 on the full distance AQT on a pretty darned windy day at Ramseur.  The flags would be left, then down, then right and standing straight out, then back to the left.  No issues at full distance with the wind and a .308.  

No issues with using the sling standing, sitting or prone.  No issues with the bipod in prone.  But, maybe, I don't crank the sling down so tight my left hand/fingers go black from lack of circulation either.  Just the hasty sling for me.  GI synthetic stock worked fine for that.  Are you a field shooter or a match shooter?

For inspiration:

I have a couple available. First is an Urban Camo style that is very much like the factory Springfield piece but has a darker gray back ground color. It also includes a matching cheek rest. These pieces are fresh from being hydrodipped. I also have a factory Kryptek Highlander with a matching cheek rest installed. I have the matching handguard for the Kryptek but it has the cutout for the scout accessory mount (mount is also available).

I bought a good condition G.I. synthetic stock from Gunparts.com It was like new. Had one small spot where the gel coat or whatever it is was flaking up by the left side where the receiver contacts. It was $99

Nothing special.. just my beater...

Attached File

Get one from gunparts.com. You have a bit of cleanup on the stock. I have bought two a just cleaned them with a green monster and soap and water.

I got a nice one, clean and all parts with heavy gray park. So far I havent done anything to it.


Second pic you see the crack/chip forward of the receiver. Thats the worst spot on it.

Wooden stocks have been used for a couple hundred years.

The USGI fiberglass stock is two pieces epoxied together.

They might be, "better" than some wooden stocks, especially the lighter, thinner ones.

A lot of wide forend wooden stocks for match rifles and stocks for bedding have been made.

USGI fiberglass stocks are better than USGI wood stocks for general use (infantry).
They're more difficult to break than USGI wood and impervious to humidity.

Wide wooden NM stocks are heavy, and intended for matches where heavy rifles with heavy barrels are preferred.
This, too, is better accomplished with a synthetic fiberglass stock (such as those from McMillan).

Wood is more aesthetically pleasing to many people, and also what would've been found on every M14 used in Vietnam (since synthetic production didn't reach the troops before the US withdrew).

The XM21 sniper rifles utilized epoxy-impregnated wood stocks in an effort to overcome the humidity problems encountered in SE Asia.

Even SEAL teams had wooden stock M14 rifles into the 1980s but I'm willing to bet they only went swimming with the synthetic stocks (which were mostly found on sniper/DMR/M21/M25 configurations since they replaced wood NM stocks with McMillan stocks in that era). My understanding is that all weapons were stowed in dry bags for any water ops, with the exception of the scout/swimmer pair, whose weapons may be exposed to seawater (depending on the threat level).

SEAL riflemen did not typically employ M14 iron-sighted rifles except in arctic tundra and open desert areas (from the photos/books I've seen).

And it's completely possible the surviving 80s photos showing standard USGI wood M14 stocks (on rifles with no optics) were just weapons they grabbed from whatever local Navy armory for display/demo "photo op" use, and that the standard USGI fiberglass stocks were favored for "real missions" (when standard M14 rifles were actually deployed, which I believe was uncommon).

Not all wide stocks are super wide.

I remember the medium heavy barrels could fit a standard stock and there are wide match stocks for them.

I remember when super heavy Krieger barrels came out, the available stocks at the time had to be hogged out to accept the barrel.

Those stocks got really flexible and wider stocks came out later for them and those are very wide.

The medium wide stocks are only slightly wider than the thin stocks and have been around longer than the super wide stocks.

Yes, I've observed the same thing... and the "medium"ish NM wood stocks aren't as heavy as the "big red" etc. extra wide wood stocks, as you noted.

I'm assuming there were several commercial stock profiles produced by several manufacturers. The CMP (DCM before that) has/had published limits on oversized stocks for NM competitions.

Different probably has a whole section in his M14 book about it.

When shopping for a fiberglass stock, make sure to ask the seller if it's warped. Many of them are. Also, look for cracks. Another option would be a Vltor, a carbon fiber composite. My recommendation would be to get one
directly from Vltor in what they call their, raw finish, as bedding may be required for the rear of the receiver. Other options include either a SAGE chassis or the Blackfeather. Nice thing about the
Blackfeather is, there is only one takedown bolt to remove the entire rifle, unlike the SAGE.