Can someone school me on the Polytech M14 clones please?

[newcastle]

I have an offer of buying one which fits my budget (this in important - an M1A isn't a possibility) but have heard conflicting rumors - There are headspace issues / headspace rumors were caused by using .308gauges not NATO gauges; The Chinese bolts are fine / you need a US bolt ; parts are interchangeable / parts are not interchangeable. tough to know where to start as I'm normally lurking on the Enfield forums. Would appreciate advice and / or directions to look for it.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[arado]

I have the Chinese and zero problems. I built it to E2 specs. Then I put an Art 4 scope on it. Still no problems punching holes in paper at 200 yards. No bigger range to use... ...gary..

[newcastle]

What are E2 specs - remember I'm a beginner at this m14 stuff. Apparently this one has USGI sights and vented handguard on it already, but the area of concern were as above

[newcastle]

bump??

[Bill Hollinger]

Newcastle, below is a picture of the M14E2. BTW, Newcastle Brown Ale is my absolute favorite!!!

[Sarge]

Without exception all of the horror stories you hear about the chicom M14/S rifles fall into one of 2 catagories.
1. The very first imports had some serious problems. These are the metric rifles. These problems were corrected within the 1st yr or so of import and all future rifles were inch pattern except for 2 small pieces and thus fully interchangeable with US GI parts.
2. PURE B.S.!!! The only exception to this is that there were some later rifles that had bad rear sights, an easy fix.
For a period of 3 or 4 years on several gun boards I made this challenge:
I'll meet you at a location of your choice - you bring your super wunderful standard sprungfield M1A and I'll bring my POS chicom M14/S and we'll shoot till one of the rifles suffers a major malfunction. The looser pays for all travel expenses and ammo costs for the winner.
For some strange reason not a single one of the loudmouth sprungfield - most wunderful rifle in the world - owners accepted my challenge! I finaly gave up and quit making the offer.
In the 15 yrs I've been on the internet I have seen many reports of major/catastrofic malfunctions with the M1A covering every single US maker. In the same period I have never been able to doccument a single major/catastrofic failure with an M14/S. Law of averages says there must have been one, but I couldn't find it!
Sarge

[mike radford]

Without exception all of the horror stories you hear about the chicom M14/S rifles fall into one of 2 catagories.
1. The very first imports had some serious problems. These are the metric rifles. These problems were corrected within the 1st yr or so of import and all future rifles were inch pattern except for 2 small pieces and thus fully interchangeable with US GI parts.
2. PURE B.S.!!! The only exception to this is that there were some later rifles that had bad rear sights, an easy fix.
For a period of 3 or 4 years on several gun boards I made this challenge:
I'll meet you at a location of your choice - you bring your super wunderful standard sprungfield M1A and I'll bring my POS chicom M14/S and we'll shoot till one of the rifles suffers a major malfunction. The looser pays for all travel expenses and ammo costs for the winner.
For some strange reason not a single one of the loudmouth sprungfield - most wunderful rifle in the world - owners accepted my challenge! I finaly gave up and quit making the offer.
In the 15 yrs I've been on the internet I have seen many reports of major/catastrofic malfunctions with the M1A covering every single US maker. In the same period I have never been able to doccument a single major/catastrofic failure with an M14/S. Law of averages says there must have been one, but I couldn't find it!
Sarge

Hi Sarge, do you have a serial number where the rifles in the "1" catagory ended? i.e., do you know what serial number the early problems ended? TIA. I have had better luck with my M14S than I did with a Springfield match done up by Bruce Dow. I really like it. Oddly, it likes delinked M60 ammo better than US Match in 308? Go figure.

[newcastle]

Thank you Sarge. Really appreciate this info. This kind of backs up what I have now heard at the local gun store. ie Some of the first imports had issues, and people have (through the wonderful interweb) perpetuated these. Also seems that the receivers of the Polytechs are actually solid and often used as the basis for match rifles (they are forged I hear). My only issue now is to figure out how to get or make 10/20 magazines for the thing as I live in Der republic of Kaliforniaski and I'm only allowed 10 rounders but the M14 looks better with a 20 round mag.

[Sarge]

Sorry, but no. I don't remember ever seeing that info. I think that those early rifles all had the bobbed muzzle break on them, but?
Regardless they wouldn't be hard to ID since they were ALL metrik rather than the US inch type.
Sarge