You'd drool if you saw my EBR clones. I'm going for something a bit more ambitious this time. Something that's completely custom and requires more than just turning a wrench.

Yea and it weighs about twice what this thing will, and has the balance of a bowling ball at the end of a stick.

Post them.  It might help offset the current build.

Mine balances just fine.

If I cared about weight...I wouldnt pick a M1A in the first place.

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Beauty and the beast.

How does that make us drool?

Giving you a hard time. EBRs are sweet no matter if its a standard EBR build or more customized.

@Joe_Sakic thank you...I like it a lot.

Here is more info on it: https://m14forum.com/users/thehun06/albums/m1a-ebr-build/

That's as close as any civilian is ever going to get to a Mk14. It's in an original 6 screw chassis with the two hole plate and furniture that I got from a guardsman who bought it from his unit when they had to turn their M14s back in after their deployment. All GI parts (excepting the receiver of course), and the non GI parts are correct right down to the scope rings.

Did you get a DRMO letter from this guardsman when you got all the M14 goodies? Without it...well...you might have stolen/not approved for civilian use government property...just saying...make sure you CYA with this stuff and have the proper documentation.

Kind of depends on which variant one is cloning...yes...6 screw is awesome...can't run it...heavy barrel...I too replaced all parts with USGI or better on my EBR...its a bad addiction...but well worth it.

I wasn't trying to make it perform to any particular standards. Obviously there are better options all around if performance is your goal. I was simply trying to make it as faithful to the original as legally possible.

Yes, I verified with Sage that it's not stolen. The NG units were loaned M14s from active duty, but all EBRs were reserved for active duty. Ergo, NG units used discretionary funds to purchase Sage chassis and dropped their borrowed M14s into them. When their deployment came to an end, they had to return the rifles, but the chassis belonged to them. With no reasonable expectation of needing them again, they made them available to their soldiers to purchase.

ETA: The only 5 screw Mk14 I'm aware of is the Mod 2. That's actually how the 5 screw top covers came about if I remember correctly. The Navy was fed up with their SSRs' bedding wearing out, so they requested Sage make a chassis that could handle the heavy barrel. All other variants had either a gov profile barrel or a medium contour, which fits in the normal 6 screw chassis. Word to the wise, though, if you're wanting to clone a Mod 2 the straight pull stock is pretty much impossible to find.

According to sage, there is zero difference between the two, besides more barrel choices, which is why they started shipping all the new production with the 5 screw top cover, just so they didn't have to keep making two different versions. They still drill and tap the 6th screw in the standard chassis just so they're backwards compatible, and they will actually sell you a 6 screw cover if you ask them (assuming they still have some left). They did the same thing with the stock. When they switched to the new style butt pad, they still drill a third hole so they're compatible with the old SpeedFeed ones.

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Notice the straight pull stock.

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If you can make it out, you can see the 5 screw top cover, and you can see the corresponding place in the chassis where the 6th screw would normally be, where that has been milled away to accommodate the heavy barrel. So there are still two different versions of the chassis, but only one top cover. Just a note to consider, that if you order a new standard chassis, even though it will have a 6 screw chassis, you will still get a 5 screw top cover unless you specifically request a 6 screw one.


Here's the commercially available Mod 2 stock. Note how it drops the comb more than the milspec version.

Well, then that makes better sense.

GarandThumb is right (I think, anyway) about the mini-RDS/HopCo mount combo being one of the few optic set-ups that works in a practical way for the M1/M1A platform  - it doesn't add much weight to an already weighty weapon, and the mount's low-height relative to your cheekweld (with the RDS sitting where the rear sight would be) means your still shooting the rifle the same as you'd do it with the irons, except that (as GT demonstrates) the mini-RDS is more MOA-'precise' for aiming than the irons, and so it makes first-round hit probability higher as the distance to the target increases.

Yep, he's correct. That is by far the most practical option available for a standard service grade M14 at the moment. However, I think a low power optic like an ACOG makes a little more sense. The SEALs seem to feel the same way since you almost always see them using horribly mounted ACOGs (with 5.56 reticles no less) on their Mod 0s.

This design will place the ACOG in the perfect position for both height and eye relief. It will also make the backup irons atop the ACOG very usable. That's something that no one has done to this point is to have an optic on the M14 that doesn't make the sights useless in some way. The Navy tried with the Mod 0, but it didn't work very well. Even with the comb all the way down, it's hard to get low enough to use them, and with the comb that low you're barely getting a chin weld when looking through the badger rings. Inevitably, you're going to raise the comb, making the irons unavailable. I guess you could argue they're there as backup in case the optic fails, since you can lower the comb without tools, but I think it's more realistic that you would need them for a close up shot. The backup irons on the ACOG serve that purpose extremely well.

I'd be lying if the thought of mounting a TA648 hasn't crossed my mind...as you can tell...I don't care about weight...that is what my SCAR is for...haha

I'm sure there will be several iterations. If you want maybe I can send you a prototype to try out. Not sure if it would fit that particular one because of how much bigger it is, but my initial gut reaction is it would probably work.

What you drinking man?

Very kind offer...however my EBR stays as is...I "might" switch from a Sage to VLTOR...but not sure yet.

Besides ergonomics, the Vltor doesn't really offer anything. You might look at the Blackfeather. Also, Sage is currently working on a lighter version of the EBR that's going to be the same weight as a national match stock. I don't know what the ETA is on it, but I imagine it's not too far off. You don't have to be an engineer to look at a Sage chassis and immediately notice that it could lose some weight.

I like the utility of it.  Any thought to using a different stock/grip adapter like the Mesa tactical high tube or make your own.  Use a folding stock adapter.  You could throw a prs or ubr stock on it to counter balance the rifle.

How is that bm59 stock attached to the wood?  How sturdy is it?

Very interested in the optic mount you come up with.

Extremely sturdy. It's functionally the same as the original. The only issue is that the M14 stock doesn't quite have enough meat in the corners to perfectly match up with the corners of the folding portion. Therefore the acraglas to fill in the gaps, purely for cosmetic purposes. It didn't come out as well as I had hoped. Next time I'm going to inlay extra wood so there won't be any gaps.

I really like the BM59 Alpine stock's ergonomics. I've used various aftermarket stocks for M14s, and this is by far the best pistol gripped stock out there. It doesn't feel ad hoc like the others do. Everything about it feels right. The LOP, comb height, and balance are all perfect. And it's light and low profile, just a very handy rifle in general. Something you wouldn't mind carrying and shooting offhand.

Yeah the EBR is one stout piece of chassis.

Jury is still out for me on the Blackfeather....

WOW...

I've never seen that unique combination on any M-1A before.

If it makes you happy O.P., then Go For It.

It's partly a mental exercise trying to achieve what the original Mk14 was supposed to be, before things got out of control. Most people don't know it, but the original Mk14 program was supposed to give the SEALs a light and compact M14 that they could comfortably carry while on skis. The original stocks were GI fiberglass stocks with Sage 870 shotgun stocks attached to them. They made around 300 of them, but Sage said no more after the initial batch because fiberglass is almost impossible to machine.

So they came up with this aluminum chassis to replace the GI fiberglass stocks. It was initially supposed to be a polymer stock with aluminum reinforcement, but they didn't plan on making very many of them and the setup cost was too high. So they devised the guide block system to try and get better accuracy to justify the weight.

What the SEALs originally requested was almost on the order of a scout rifle. This was the original concept:



The SEALs already had their SR25s at that point, so they weren't really looking for another DMR. And I'm guessing the reason they didn't just carry the SR25s instead of the M14s was that they were heavy and too long.

I have a OLD copy of Small Arms of the World from 1970 or so.

They have some interesting variations of the M-14 stocks, including side folders, a schimiser style under folder and some other experimental for paratrooper & Armored Infantry use.

I love the look of the Sage style slider, but would imagine it has issues with cheekweld on those rods and not too sure how solid - wobble free it would be with a 7.62x51 NATO rifle.

I didn't mean to come across as snarky (if you thought so.)

Firearms are unique as the people who own them, so finding what works for YOU and that YOU like is what counts...

Rock On!  

Not at all, I appreciate anyone who's actually interested.

Can you take a picture of those stocks?

so you had the hardware, but not the complete stock?

that hardware is from a Beretta BM59 Alpini stock, and yes SA or someone had them adapted to the M14 , (I have one)

if you need optics, ditch the acog and go with a scout scope, or dot mounted on a scout scope rail

Somebody didn't read the entire thread. Shame on you!

And so it begins.

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Good luck.

The first critical dimension has been successfully achieved.

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Honestly...the rear sight pocket is the perfect mounting point...love how my CASM mount fits in there...square.

That's where I got the idea. I'm actually going to be using the hardware from a CASM mount.

OP, if you want a comfortable side folder... here you go.

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OP, pmd you.

Which stock is that?

Sig MCX/MPX side folder, on a VLTOR stock, with an adapter I got a company to make. ( so it's an amalgamation of 3 seperate companies) and it works perfectly. I have the smaller version of that stock (without a cheek riser built in) on another vltor stock with an M1a Socom 16 in it.

I worked with Stormwerkz to have the adapter made and it's now a standard item on their web site. I have a few other ideas I am trying to pitch to them as well for new products.

http://stormwerkz.com/stock-adapters/vltor-m-14-modstock-adapter-type-2-m1913-interface/

ETA; I have no vested interested in stormwerkz, they just happened to be great to work with and helped me make the part I wanted come to reality. The machining / fit / finish is amazing. I contacted VLTOR about making the adapter. They politely told me they had no interest in making this adapter ever. So I found someone else to make it. It does make the vltor into a rather expensive stock, but I think it's well worth it, and I have handled many others. This is light and the most compact modern stock you can get.

I have that adapter sitting in my M14 Parts box. Just in case somewhere down the road I find a nice cheap Troy stock to put on my Socom 16

There was a dude who made the perfect riser for that.

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Progress is being made. The last tricky bit is drilling and tapping the holes for the bolts that go through the windage and elevation. It will be easy sailing from there on out.

Any update?

I think Fall Is coming early this year so I’ll probably be able to get out in the shop and finish the first prototype real soon. Keeping up with the yard is about all I can stand to do in this heat and humidity.

I’m at a loss for words

Update

We need to start a petition to ban the OP.

I mistakenly opened this thread again and was SHOCKED at that first picture.  It is depraved, horrific and without redeeming merit.

BAN the bastard!

You are a wordsmith.
I couldn't have said it better.

I have never seen an ACOG turned into a carry handle before.

This rifle needs a BeowulfX mount for sure.

Fwiw when I used to like M1As I'd have been all over something like this. I had wanted the Vltor originally and ended up with a Troy MCS before I stopped liking them. Something like OPs build looks like it would be fun for a hog build.

Have you considered something like an ARMS M1A base and a Leupold 1.5-5? A period optic base and a lightweight optic that seems to have had some use at the time.

I had one of those folding stocks and after 5 rounds I opted to put a standard fixed stock on it.  I have never shot something more unpleasant than that stock.

OP should send the rifle to Tooth n' Nail armory to see if they can fubar this rifle up more than it already is.....

After hundreds of dollars, scout rail, Ultimak rail, pistol scope, red dot, stripper clip mount etc...

I just shoot my m1a with irons.