The M14 was adopted in May, 1957 to replace three then current shoulder arms: the M1, the caliber .30 carbine and the M3 submachine gun.  The rifle used the 7.62mm NATO standard cartridge.  It was capable of either full or semi-automatic fire.  The rate of fire was 750 rounds per minute.  It had a maximum range of 3,500 yards with a muzzle velocity of 2800 feet per second.  The magazine held 20 rounds.  The rifle was air-cooled, magazine fed and operated by a gas cutoff expansion.  A total of 1,381,581 M14s were produced. 

On November 19, 1964, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that the Springfield Armory was “excess to the needs of the Federal Government” and would be phased out by April, 1968.  On April 30, 1968, the Springfield Armory was officially closed.  It came under the control of the National Park Service, where it is maintained as a museum.

     Our specimen is an M1A, the civilian model M14, which has the auto/semi-auto selector switch removed.  It is marked on top of the receiver “U.S. RIFLE” “7.62mm M1A” “SPRINGFIELD” “ARMORY” and serial number 001297 in five lines.  There is a cartouche of an eagle on the left side of the stock and a “P” behind the trigger guard.