REVIEW: Winchester M14 Air Rifle
Over 1.3 million M14 combat rifles were issued to U.S. Military Veterans of the 1960s and early 70s. The standard service rifle for U.S. Army and Marine infantry was a modification of the famous M1 Garand, developed in the 1930s and utilized throughout World War II. Winchester was one of four firearms manufacturers contracted by the U.S. military to supply M14s. The M14 was used by U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps basic and advanced individual training from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. More than forty years later, Winchester Air Rifles has introduced this M14 air rifle as a salute to the military and to this gun which set a standard for power, accuracy and reliability.
The Winchester Air Rifle model M14 features a rifled steel barrel, a blade front sight and adjustable rear sight for accuracy. The M14 has a durable composite stock, is a semi-automatic, dual ammo gun which shoots both BBs and pellets. The CO2 clip holds two standard 12 gram cylinders to produce a maximum muzzle velocity of 700 feet per second. Load two CO2 cylinders into the clip then insert it into the gun.
The clip also holds two 8-round magazine for a total of 16 shots without reloading. Load BBs, pellets or any combination of BBs and pellets into the magazine then re-insert the magazine into the clip. After 8 shots, flip the clip to continue shooting. You might pick up the Winchester Air Rifle M14 for its historical significance. But the pure backyard fun, serious marksmanship, and realistic semi automatic action will make it the most enjoyable airgun you've ever owned.
|
Airgun Specifications:
|
Airgun Features:
|
More Information About This Product
Winchester M14 Air Rifle Photos
Amazon.com Product and Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
273 of 279 people found the following review helpful.
Surprising power and accuracy
By Leafhopper
I have read many reviews of this air rifle in which people complained about the amount of plastic used. Yes, there is a lot of plastic, but I think these critics are missing the point here. It is a light weight rifle and I think that is just fine. It doesn't tire you like a wood and steel M14 would and it certainly doesn't cost what an M14 or even a full metal and wood replica would cost. What you do get is an amazingly accurate and powerful co2 gun.
I own the Crosman single shot 2300T with the Walthar Lothar precision barrel which is a very accurate pistol set up with the removable stock as a carbine. This Winchester M14 is every bit as accurate and I believe it is even more accurate, with the added convenience of a double 8 round stick magazine. I own many air rifles and pistols, none of which come close to the accuracy of this rifle.
I was able to group 5 shots (the size of a quarter) in the red bullseye from a distance of 75ft standing off-hand. I have never done that before with any of my firearms or airguns. And, I can shoot all day with out my arms getting tired (which says a lot since I'm 70 years young). I put a sling on my M14 ( Ultimate Arms Gear Tactical M1 M-1 Carbine Military Mil Spec Quality Classic WWII Reproduction OD Olive Drab Green Canvas 1.00" Rifle Sling by Ultimate Arms Gear) available at Amazon. This is a great sling and utilizes the sling swivels built into the rifle. Here is a link to that sling: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UOUKT2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
The plastic used in this rifle is a very strong and durable composite material. I'm not worried about breaking it. If wood is important to you, I understand that at least one person has replaced the plastic with wood for that more realistic feel by using a M1/M14 surplus stock and some dremel work. I'm not going to do that as I appreciate the light weight and durability of the composite stock it came with.
Another thing, I appreciate the the 2 cartridge (CO2) power plant of this rifle. The 2 co2 cartridges give this rifle the power it has and I get about 80 good shots with it (that's about $.0125/shot). And, it is a lot cheaper than those 88 gram co2 cartridges to operate shot for shot. I own the Beretta CX4 Storm pellet carbine that uses these 88 gram cartridges and every time I have to replace one it's $12 (for about 180 shots or $.06/shot) for comparable power.
I can honestly recommend this pellet rifle for young and old...if you can aim, you will hit what you are shooting at!
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful.
Scope your M14
By DdubYa
Bought the M14 for grandson's Xmas. We have done some mods and wanted to show that a scope mount fits the rifle. (CYMA Airsoft M-14 rifle scope mount) available at ebay, amazon or Sears (believe it or not) in "Specialty Hunting Accessories" when I was searching. I tried a few of my firearm scopes and they work well when using the correct height rings on this mount. A scope with 4" eye relief works well.(ymmv). Great accuracy using the rifle sights but the scope adds a little SNIPER eye candy. Rifle sights work with the scope mounted as well. I won't complain about the plastic stock, co2 usage, etc, but will about the noisy sling mounts that rattle and changed them out for the real M14 mounts. Overall, we are impressed with how closely the rifle matches the real M14. ( The real M14 stock liner screws fit into the recesses on the air rifle...see pic). If your into replica firearms check this Winchester M14 out.
55 of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent with two annoying inexcusable flaws--Now 3 Stars
By A. Becker
Love the gun, like the design how the co2 is separate and uses well made brass seals. Power and accuracy great. This is a nice quality Japanese made air rifle and anyone criticizing the use of plastic is not being realistic for $80. Now the dumb part. Several other reviewers commented on the co2 arrangement and while a little of a pain what was stupid was both provided hex allen wrenches broke immediately upon use cracking at the tiny lanyard holes. They should just put metal wrenches in for a few pennies more. I used a 10mm allen wrench and it worked good but including a metal wrench should have been a no brainer. One more small detail that would be a nice to have is a flip up butt plate which is a feature I love about the real M14 but would raise cost a bit.
Update - less than a week later I'm removing one more star because one of the screws that pushes the co2 into the seal is plastic like the broken wrenches I mentioned above. Given these parts have to have the strength to pierce the co2s. This part is typically metal and it was a poor choice to go with plastic! I will contact Daisy for a replacement and I still LOVE how it shoots (tried BBs and they were surprisingly accurate!)
Update 2 - still going strong but annoying to have to baby (be gentle) when torquing the plastic puncture screws on the magazine when changing co2. Hopefully they fix this Achilles Head in an otherwise cool air gun. Big Props to Daisy for sending out a replacement magazine the day after I called them, so the customer service was SOLID
History behind the firearm that inspired the Winchester M14 Air Rifle
The M14 was developed to replace four different weapons systems the M1 rifle, the M1 carbine, the M3 "grease gun" and the M1918 Browning automatic rifle (BAR). The intention was to simplify the logistical requirements of the troops by limiting the types of ammunition and parts needed to be supplied. However, it proved to be an impossible task to replace all four. The M14 was also deemed "completely inferior" to the World War II M1 Garand in a September 1962 report by the comptroller of the U.S. Department of Defense. The cartridge was too powerful for the submachine gun role and the weapon was simply too light to serve as a light machine gun replacement for the BAR.
The M14 remained the primary infantry rifle in Vietnam until it was replaced by the M16 in 1966 67, though combat engineer units kept them several years longer. Further procurement of the M14 was abruptly halted in late 1963 due to the U.S. Department of Defense report which had also stated that the AR-15 (soon to be M16) was superior to the M14. (The DOD did not cancel FY 1963 orders not yet delivered.) After the report, a series of tests and reports by the U.S. Department of the Army followed that resulted in the decision to cancel the M14.
The M16 was then ordered as a replacement for the M14 by direction of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1964, over the objection of the U.S. Army officers who had backed the M14. (Other factions within the Army research and development community had opposed the M14 and the 7.62 51 mm round from the start.) Though production of the M14 was officially discontinued, some disgruntled troops managed to hang on to them while deriding the early model M16 as a frail and under-powered "Mattel toy" that was prone to jam.
In late 1967, the U.S. Army designated the M16 as the "Standard A" rifle, and the M14 became a "Limited Standard" weapon. The M14 rifle remained the standard rifle for U.S. Army Basic Training and troops stationed in Europe until 1970.
In the mid-1990s, the Marine Corps chose a new rifle for Designated Marksman (sniper) use, an M14 modified by the Precision Weapons Shop in Marine Corps Base Quantico called the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR). It is intended for use by security teams (SRTs, FAST companies), and Marine Scout Snipers in the cases where a semi-automatic rifle would be more appropriate than the standard bolt-action M40A1/A3 rifle. The USMC Rifle Team uses the M14 in shooting competitions. Although the M14 was phased out as the standard-issue rifle by 1970, M14 variants are still used by various branches of the U.S. Military as well as other armed forces, especially as a sniper rifle and as a designated marksman rifle, due to its accuracy and effectiveness at long range. Special active units such as the OPFOR units of the Joint Readiness Training Center use M14s.
Few M14s were in use in the Army until the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. Since the start of these conflicts, many M14s have been employed as designated marksman and sniper rifles. These are not M21 rifles, but original production M14s. Common modifications include scopes, fiberglass stocks, and other accessories. A 2009 study conducted by the U.S. Army claimed that half of the engagements in Afghanistan occurred from beyond 300 meters (330 yd). America's 5.56 45mm NATO service rifles are ineffective at these ranges; this has prompted the reissue of thousands of M14s.