View Full Version : James River M14's. What's the skinny?
Forged? I'm listening! Which one is better the LRB or the James River receivers and does James Rivers sell stripped receivers? I've only seen them on the internet as complete rifles. I haven't even thought of looking for their website yet. Is this a viable, less expensive route as the LRB?
Well, if you're looking for an LBR you will have to get one somewhere else than directly from LBR. I contacted LBR about a month ago and they are booked solid for 8-10 months.
There have been quite a few posts on M-14 Firing Line Forum on the James River product.
http://m14tfl.com
Myself, I'm not sure they are really worth $700 more than a Springfield M1A Std Walnut, or $600 less than a M1A Super Match. Springfield will be also be there for the life of the rifle; I'm not sure that James River will not fall by the wayside the way Armscorp did. It is great to see the forged vs cast receiver debate is still going strong after 30+ years of cast receiver Springfield M1A production.
Well, if you're looking for an LBR you will have to get one somewhere else than directly from LBR. I contacted LBR about a month ago and they are booked solid for 8-10 months.
I had 2 on order that just came available in this batch but I might have to let them go and order from the next batch, they were ahead of schedule. :cray:
There have been quite a few posts on M-14 Firing Line Forum on the James River product.
http://m14tfl.com
Myself, I'm not sure they are really worth $700 more than a Springfield M1A Std Walnut, or $600 less than a M1A Super Match. Springfield will be also be there for the life of the rifle; I'm not sure that James River will not fall by the wayside the way Armscorp did. It is great to see the forged vs cast receiver debate is still going strong after 30+ years of cast receiver Springfield M1A production.
I got out of M14/M1A's after the MKS debacle and I lost 3 rifles total to forfeiture.
As a civilian, I'm not too worried about the receiver debate.
It is great to see the forged vs cast receiver debate is still going strong after 30+ years of cast receiver Springfield M1A production.
Which are all substandard junk marketed to bubba gun buyers.
I read all scottryan posts, scott tells the truth.
Which are all substandard junk marketed to bubba gun buyers.
Sure Springfield Armory, Inc. has had some QC issues in the past (I even used to be a big Colt fan...lol), but SAI will take care of it for life. I have been shooting M1As since the early 80's when they were the only game in town & and have never had a problem with my rifles. Most of the line at our local Service Rifle matches that are not shooting ARs or Garands are shooting M1As. My Super Match that was built in the early 90's is a great shooting reliable rifle. Don't get me wrong, my Armscorp NM rifle is dear to my heart & I would love to have a new match rifle built by Clint McKee (Fulton Armory) or Phil Arrington (Arrington Accuracy Works). It's only a matter money (or lack of)...lol.
Bubba
mass-diver
07-29-10, 09:19
Which are all substandard junk marketed to bubba gun buyers.
Ya, there are tons of reports of their receivers failing *roll eyes*
Ya, there are tons of reports of their receivers failing *roll eyes*
Maybe not their receivers, but PLENTY of failures due to sub standard junk and assembly over the past 15 years or so.
My father had one that disassembled itself....the barrel literally unscrewed from the receiver while he was shooting it, sub 300 rd count.
Yes, they have great CS, but they've had a lot of practice.
mass-diver
07-29-10, 09:42
Maybe not their receivers, but PLENTY of failures due to sub standard junk and assembly over the past 15 years or so.
My father had one that disassembled itself....the barrel literally unscrewed from the receiver while he was shooting it, sub 300 rd count.
Yes, they have great CS, but they've had a lot of practice.
I think I remember reading another post where you referenced that incidence (IIRC they did you send you a new rifle - but that's still VERY disturbing and dangerous).
They make a lot of rifles and there have certainly been problems with QC over the years, but I still think they have put out some really nice rifles as well that are not junk. Don't get me wrong they can't compare to a crazy horse (that cost 4K), but, for the most part I think SA puts out a decent, mid-shelf rifle. Maybe the equivalent of a Bushy AR or a little better?
In our our litigation crazy world, SA would not be selling unsafe rifles for very long. Most of the problems that I have read about are easily repaired/corrected by the mfg. I have never heard of a quality cast M14 type receiver (SAI, Fulton Armory, Armscorp, etc.) going south. Lawsuits would have destroyed the company that made unsafe products.
That said, I would love to have a match rifle built with a forged LRB or Smith Ent receiver, they are just to expensive for my budget. Maybe my son does not really need for Dad to help w/ college....lol.
I am interested in a James River forger receiver basic rifle. They are now selling for $1879 on the Atlantic Arms website. Howvere, it is still quite a bit more expensive ($500) than the std walnut M1A.
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/storeproduct905.aspx
I think I remember reading another post where you referenced that incidence (IIRC they did you send you a new rifle - but that's still VERY disturbing and dangerous).
They make a lot of rifles and there have certainly been problems with QC over the years, but I still think they have put out some really nice rifles as well that are not junk. Don't get me wrong they can't compare to a crazy horse (that cost 4K), but, for the most part I think SA puts out a decent, mid-shelf rifle. Maybe the equivalent of a Bushy AR or a little better?
And that's the crux of the issue......Bushmaster is a sub par company that produces sub par AR's. They can produce decent rifles, but choose not to.
To Springfield's credit, the guy I talked to was very attentive, and I think expected me to ask for something like a M21 in return....and was audibly relieved when I told him all I want was a GI spec'd rifle. I got a rifle back with the original serial # but a new in wrap GI barrel, oprod, bolt, trigger group, and beautiful walnut stock.
Iceberg, I don't honestly care, and I doubt most here do, whether the receive is forged or cast, as long as it does it's job and is dimensionally correct. I've not heard of a Springfield cast receiver having a catastrophic failure do to improper construction. The vast majority of problems have occured once Springfield ran out of GI parts and started using commercial barrels with tighter .308 Win. chambers vs. 7.62x51mm NATO, commercial extractors, bolts, and oprods.
I've personally seen these issues, this isn't internet hearsay.
As far as the James River guns....I'd be interested in knowing the back story....I thought they were somehow affiliated with Armscorp.
I'd pay the extra that they're asking for a James River vs. a Springfield simply because it comes with a hard chrome lined Krieger Criterion barrel vs. an unlined Wilson that Springfield offers.
I got a rifle back with ... a new in wrap GI barrel, oprod, bolt, trigger group
Which is another reason why springfield sucks.
They used up all the real GI parts on the market. Now anyone wanting to restore a real M14 or build a higher end LRB has to pay alot of money and search high and low for GI parts.
I would have been nice if under Clinton the government had not cut up and destroyed all those M14s in the early 90s.
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