Howdy from yet another damn Texan!

[Grunt Medic TXARNG]

San Antonio based here.  Recently retired (from the Guard, so no money yet) Army medic, just getting into the 7.62 game.  Am building up a .308 AR to put head to head with my semi M14 for comparison purposes.  I have an ever increasing pile of parts - should have everything I need to start the build this weekend.  I saw the lower receiver tutorial - that should come in handy, so thanks in advance!  Thanks also for some of the posts in the troubleshooting section, so I have an idea what to expect when I start my break-in period,

Looking forward to participating here - if this is anything like the other boards I post to, I'll rack uo a couple of hundred posts pretty quickly!

[gunjunkie]

Welcome from up in the Panhandle.

[YWHIC]

Welcome (from soon to be) Van Horn/Valentine area..

[Madhouse]

Howdy from Houston

[outkastsl]

Welcome!  I'm from California.  I'm new too but these guys here are great!

[washguy]

Howdy from Big D      :)  Wash

[Retired JM]

Welcome from Texhoma! What sort of M14/M1A are you running?

[Grunt Medic TXARNG]

Since M1A is a trademark owned by Springfield Armory Inc., that can't be used to describe any rifle not made by them.  I had Jon Wolfe build up a USGI M14 parts set on a Fulton receiver, with his Wolfe Medium Modified barrel and op rod guide, with sights and trigger upgraded to NM specs.  Stock is a JAE G3 with a TD ACB-4 bipod.  Yeah, she can shoot.

[jkarlsruher]

A big Texas Howdy from us out here in the West Texas Town of El Paso!  Thanks to Marty for the last good plug we ever had!  And a big thank you for your service to this great country.  Fortunately I never had to be attended to by a medic, but I delivered a number of their patients to the Evac. Hospitals.  You fellows definitely do God's work.  I'm just beginning an experiment to see what accuracy and reliability I can develop out of a bare bones 16" LR308.  Keep us posted on the  M14 comparison.

JK

[Retired JM]

All GI parts? Must've set you back a pretty penny.

[Grunt Medic TXARNG]

I got lucky and found a complete set advertised as a private sale for $1050 or so, IIRC.  I got even more lucky that it was a complete set from one rifle, and in excellent condition - this would have been a deal it would have been easy to get burned on.  I let the gunsmith keep the GI barrel, and I am certain he gave me a pretty steep discount as I was deployed at the time.

If I wanted to do it again (and I still have a spare receiver in my safe, so I may well do so in the near future), I would go the same route - I see that Randy at Treeline Enterprises is advertising complete kits with barrel, less receiver, starting at $1200-

http://treelinem14.com/M14-Parts-Kits_c31.htm

[Retired JM]

I like the M14. I have a lot of nostalgia for it. The old M21 I was issued in Division back in '84 was a pretty relaible old horse as I remember. But, man, was it fragile. Getting it accurate and KEEPING it accurate was a chore. Fortunately, maintenance had a couple of old timers that knew how to keep those sticks hitting the X-ring. I vividly remember wrapping my rifle in bubble wrap prior to putting it into the M1950 on times that I was made to jump it. On most jumps, we had 2x4s in our weapons cases and our M21s were trucked out to the DZ and waiting for us in the assembly area.

I think you'll find the ease of mounting optics, perceived recoil, and cheek weld to be vastly superior in a .308 AR vs. the M14.

[Grunt Medic TXARNG]

I think you'll find the ease of mounting optics, perceived recoil, and cheek weld to be vastly superior in a .308 AR vs. the M14.

My expectations are similar, based on my experience with the M110.  I still want to campare them one to one, however.

[Team Helotes]

Welcome from home town.