Call it the most hated battle rifle in American history if you will, but there are still a lot of devoted shooters out there that drill, hunt, and compete with M14 rifles. It is an indelible part of history after all, and one’s rifle is always better than a hypothetical alternative.
So there are a lot of people that own them, is the point, and the following point is that therefore, owners need to understand proper maintenance protocols and adopt them.
Cleaning Your M14 Barrel
Keeping your M14 barrel clean is not only a matter of firearm reliability, but at a certain point, it also becomes a matter of accuracy, as heavy copper and lead fouling can adversely affect consistency.
To clean the barrel, clear the weapon and remove it from the stock. Get a cleaning rod of appropriate length, attach a bronze cleaning brush, and soak the brush in powder solvent.
Run this through the bore, from breech to muzzle, several times.
Then, swap for a cleaning jag and slip a patch over the jag or through the notch. Soak the jag in powder solvent and run through the barrel from breech to muzzle.
When the patch breaks through the muzzle, take note. It should be black with fouling.
Run it back through and replace the patch with a clean, dry one. Run patches through until they come out clean and white.
Now what’s left for you to do is remove any copper or lead fouling in the bore. Since the M14 shoots jacketed 7.62x51mm NATO bullets, you should be mostly dealing with copper fouling.
Repeat the process with a bronze brush, only this time use some copper fouling solvent. Run the brush through a few times to scrub loose the fouling, then remove the brush and add a cleaning jag with a patch.
Run the patches through the bore once more, replacing until they are no longer covered in blue-green fouling streaks and come out clean.
Thoroughly dry the barrel before reassembling the rifle. You can apply a very thin coat of gun oil to the inside of the barrel to protect against corrosion if you wish, just make sure to run a patch or two through to absorb any excess.
- Important note: When cleaning your M14 barrel, or any rifle’s barrel, always (and only) clean from breech to muzzle. The reason for this is that contact with the muzzle’s crowning can damage it and badly affect accuracy.
Cleaning the M14 Gas System
In addition to the M14 barrel, your rifle’s gas system should also be cleaned after roughly every 500 rounds in order to keep it functioning properly.
Remove the gas plug, then get a nylon brush and clean the exterior of the gas piston. Use powder solvent if necessary to dislodge fouling, but completely dry when done before reassembling.
You will also want to clean the inside of the gas piston. Use a thin nylon cleaning brush on a cleaning rod to get inside. Do not use steel, and avoid brass if you can help it.
Then clean the gas cylinder in the same manner as described above.
If you have used any solvents to dislodge fouling in either the gas plug, piston or cylinder, make sure to thoroughly dry all of the components before reassembly.
Do not apply oil to any of the gas system components.
Here for a New M14 Barrel?
If your M14 barrel is too far gone and you need a replacement, visit SARCO, Inc. They currently have a bunch of new production M14 barrels in .308 that are made by one of the best manufacturers in the country. Visit their website for more details.
