Is the M-305 a milsurp?

I think a major difference in the M305/MP44 issue is who is buying the rifles. The M305's are not being bought by collectors who've dreamt of owning a real M14, they're bought by shooters looking for a cheap, centrefire, semi-auto that isn't an SKS.

The SSD repro's are being bought by the collector's and dreamers.

This site is primarily designed for the collector and collector/shooter. That's why you'll see the M305 in the non-milsurp forum and the SSD rifles in the milsurp area. Both rifles are equally welcome here, they're just going to be in different forums.

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Originally Posted by Stevo

I think a major difference in the M305/MP44 issue is who is buying the rifles. The M305's are not being bought by collectors who've dreamt of owning a real M14, they're bought by shooters looking for a cheap, centrefire, semi-auto that isn't an SKS.

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I would agree with the "collectors who've dreamt" part, but I would say that they ARE being bought by "shooters who've dreamt".

What is an M305, I've never heard of one?-SDH

Norinco M14/305 is a Chinese sort of knock off/ civilian version of the military M14. It was never a select fire weapon and the "s" model has a long enough barrel, they can therefore be sold to us regular sheep, here in Canada.
Pete

Thanks Pete, Sounds like my home state of New Jersey-SDH

I think the original M14 type rifles made in the PRC were selective fire,and were intended for supply to groups supported by the PRC. The redesign/remanufacture for commercial sale in the West came later. I am aware of a 305 type rifle with the op. rod cut for the connector, and saw a photo of the underside of a receiver which suggested a "ghost" of where a selector tang may have been. Of course, the op. rod could have been a substituteed M14 part, but I do not think so. The rifles imported more recently have none of these features, of course. Based on the rifle being originally produced for military purposes, the commercial versions are about as close as you can get to a milsurp rifle, without actually being one. Most folks are never going to own or shoot a US M14, or a STG., MP38 or MP3008, so these commercial versions have their place.

That's it exactly. A wonderfull rifle, that fills a niche well. But I don't think you could call it a true milsurp. The point being it is a commercial version.