Hello the Camp. Just checking in with my retro brothers, even though my path has diverged for a time. Now for the topic. My retro interest has turned to the 1957 Winchester .224 Light Rifle SCHV trials weapon that competed the AR15 in the trials.
This interest woke up as I recently reread a copy (attached) of Jeff Cooper's 1975 Guns and Ammo article on the "New Ruger Mini-14." It made me recall, that when I read it 40 years ago (in 1975), the "New" Ruger .223 reminded me of the Winchester SCHV trials .224 Light Rifle I had seen a some years before in "Small Arms of the World" as a teenager. When you look at the early 180 series Mini-14 in the Cooper Article, with its wood handguard and early 20 round magazine (identical to the .224 Light Rifle's), the resemblance is remarkable.
Cooper Article:
Winchester 1957 SCHV .224 Light Rifle:
I always thought of the Winchester .224 Light Rifle as a M1 Carbine with a "hard on." (In fact some trials rifle that were evaluated at the same time as Armalite's AR15 were beefed up or modified M1 Carbines (i.e. the Gustavson .22 Carbine). If you think about it, the .224 Light Rifle was the obvious natural evolution of the military rifle for the 1957 SCHV (Small Caliber, High Velocity) trials, based on the traditional, existing military small arms doctrine of the time - wood and steel. The Armalite weapon was so far outside that traditional doctrine with its polymer and aluminum, it is really surprising to me that it actually succeed!
I am a traditional wood and steel guy, and the M1 Carbine is my favorite martial long weapon to shoot off hand. With this love of the M1 Carbine in mind, reading the vintage Cooper article again, and the opportunity to shoot a current 580 series Ruger Mini-14, I decided to have my very own .224 Light Rifle. Since there are only about a dozen and a half in existence at Springfield Armory, NRA, and Cody Museums, that would make it a tall order.
I had tried several Mini-14s and Mini-30s in my LEO career. I liked the feel and handling, just like the M1 Carbine, BUT HATED THE SIGHTS. The horrible "mile high," unprotected front sight post made good sight picture an impossibility. Ranch rifles had the terrible rear leaf, and even early Mini's M1 Garand looking rear sights were awful. Add to that the whippy, thin pencil barrels that wandered zero after heating up, the Mini never made the grade for me.
Then I had a chance to shoot a New model 580 Series Mini-14. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SHOT! It really is an M1 carbine "with a hard on!"
It has an M1 carbine style protected post and wing military front sight, and a rear ghost ring with protective housing that also resembles an M1 Carbine rear sight. The barrel is heavier, stepped, and tapered, and doesn't wander after heating up. To make a long story short, I bought a used (like new- 99.9% finish), 2014 production at a local gun shop. Now I just need to get an early wood handguard on it to make it look a little more .224 Light Rifle-ish".
My ".224 Light Rifle" and M1 Carbine: