By NRA’s American Rifleman staff
Manufacture of the M14 service rifle by the U.S. Springfield Armory and contractors H&R, TRW and Winchester began more than 50 years ago when computer-driven machining was in its infancy. The heart of the gun was its Garand-based receiver, which was made from a hot-drop-hammer forging that required many separate machining operations to complete. By the 1970s, when commercial manufacturers sought to make semi-automatic M14-type rifles for NRA High Power competition, most turned to investment casting. And while those guns, and others machined from steel billets, have proven entirely serviceable, some M14 purists seeking greater authenticity or longevity still desire a forged-receiver gun.
The advent of cost-effective multi-axis CNC mills in recent times has allowed a few intrepid manufacturers to produce forged and fully CNC-finished semi-automatic M14-type receivers that exhibit greater machining uniformity than G.I. originals. The latest example, made by James River Armory and sold under the Rockola brand, is the M14F semi-automatic rifle. James River was not an entirely unlikely source for such a gun, as it had already cut its teeth in the military rifle restoration business and had experience in the manufacture of new M1 Carbine receivers—hence the connection to the Rockola name. According to owner Mark Hartman, the new M14F receiver starts as a billet of 8620 steel that is heated red-hot and hammered between dies into a rough shape at Bula Forge & Machine in Cleveland, Ohio. After broaching to remove significant amounts of metal in the magazine well and barrel thread areas, it is finish-machined at James River’s Maryland facility on computer-driven machines.
Following heat treatment and Parkerizing, the M14F receiver is threaded to a Criterion chrome-lined barrel and headspaced to a newly manufactured, forged-steel bolt. Our test sample was configured as a Vietnam-era military-issue gun with a 22″ barrel fitted with a flash hider and bayonet lug. It featured some original U.S.G.I. parts along with newly manufactured components from a variety of suppliers. The walnut stock was an original M14 unit that still bore the circle “P” proofmark on the pistol grip and the Defense Acceptance Stamp on its left side forward of the wrist.
A number of Rockola M14 variants are now available, including: a similar “Carbine” model, with an 18″-barrel; a “compliant” version, the PRM-1, with a fixed 10-round magazine and no flash hider or bayonet lug; and the M21 DMR with an adjustable Archangel synthetic chassis stock and steel Picatinny rail optic mount.
Immediate impressions of the M14F were that it is a faithful re-creation of the U.S. infantry rifle that served as standard issue during the period between the M1 Garand and the M16. That impression was strengthened by the appearance of a faux polymer selector “switch” held captive in a cutout on the stock’s right side by the receiver. While in no way functional, the switch nonetheless lends the gun an appearance some owners will appreciate.
Operation of the semi-automatic M14 clone has been thoroughly covered in these pages before, so it will not be repeated in detail here. In short, though, it is a detachable-magazine fed, semi-automatic, gas-operated design. Propellant gasses tapped off the barrel drive a short-stroke piston that sends the operating rod rearward where a cutout near its handle activates a roller lug on the Garand-style bolt’s right side. A bridge at the rear of the receiver is dovetailed to accept a stripper-clip guide that allows the magazine to be recharged in place if necessary. And a bolt stop/release in the left wall of the receiver automatically holds the bolt open when the last round is fired and can be used to chamber the first round after reinserting a full magazine. A Garand-style safety in the front portion of the trigger guard is pressed forward to fire. The magazine release is centrally located behind the magazine well. It snaps over a lug on the magazine’s rear after the magazine’s front is hooked onto the end of the recoil spring guide and its rear is rocked upward into the receiver.
The M14F’s dark gray Parkerized finish was evenly applied and appeared to match between the various components. The stock appeared to have been lightly sanded to remove imperfections and was properly treated with a traditional military oil finish. A high-quality cotton web military-style sling was included with the rifle.
At the range the M14F handled and shot predictably. We bottomed out the elevation, ran it up 10 clicks and were right on target at 100 yds. The excellent sights, a duplicate of those found on millions of M1 Garands, consist of a 0.069″-diameter rear aperture and a standard-width wing-protected blade front. They were easily adjusted by way of knurled windage and elevation knobs on the receiver’s right and left sides, respectively. The familiar and easily acquired sight picture, combined with a generous 265⁄8″ sight radius, allowed for good accuracy without the necessity of adding an optic. Of course, just like the original M14, the Rockola M14F receiver can accommodate the various commercially available scope mounts by way of vertical and horizontal grooves and a threaded hole on its left side. Results, tabulated in the accompanying table, were well within our expectations for such a rifle.
Throughout testing, the Rockola M14F exhibited no malfunctions. All controls functioned as they should, magazines locked solidly into place, and there were no indications of anything other than proper fit and adjustment of components. In short, there were no surprises, and the gun’s shooting manners proved satisfyingly complementary to its appearance.
Such quality and authenticity comes at a price, and the Rockola is not for those seeking to get into the M14-style rifle realm on the cheap. Still, those who appreciate the era of wood-and-steel U.S. military rifles will find the Rockola M14F tremendously appealing, and its execution is a credit to James River Armory’s commitment to modern, quality manufacturing. Given that it is priced competitively with the few similar guns of its type, it should be well-received by discriminating buyers seeking an authentic semi-automatic representation of an original M14-style rifle.
Rockola M14F
Manufacturer: James River Armory, 3601 Commerce Drive Suite 110, Halethorpe, MD 21227; (410) 242-6991; jamesriverarmory.com
Caliber: 7.62×51 mm NATO (.308 Win.)
Action Type: gas-operated, semi-automatic center-fire rifle
Receiver: drop forged 8620 steel
Barrel: 22″ Criterion, chrome-lined, standard profile
Rifling: four-groove, 1:12″ RH twist
Magazine: 20-round detachable box
Sights: fully adjustable rear aperture; windage adjustable, wing-protected front post
Trigger: two-stage; 6-lb. pull
Stock: refinished U.S.G.I. walnut; length of pull, 131⁄4″; drop at comb, 1½”; drop at heel, 13⁄4″
Overall Length: 441⁄8″
Weight: 8 lbs, 4 ozs.
Accessories: U.S. Army M14 training manual, green cotton web sling, one magazine
MSRP: $2,195 (tested); $2,195 (Carbine); $2,195 (PRM-1); $2,795 (M21 DMR)
Source: AmericanRifleman.org