Armscorp M14

[rallyshooter]

Anyone know about armscorp m14s? I know theyre not forged recievers, but they seem to have a better reputation that current springfields for what little info I have been able to find.

I have an opportunity to trade for a NM armscorp m14 in a troy M14 mcs system. I'll be trading my 16" DSA stg58 para FAL for it straight up. Is this a good deal?

Also, does anybody know if the buffer tube that comes with the troy MCS is milspec or commercial? I'd like to eventually swap out the standard m4 type stock for a sopmod buttstock

[Sgt_Gold]

The following is off a 200+ page document I have on M14\M1A production:


Production and Services – Armscorp of America, Inc. was formed in 1981 by Jack H. Friese. It built accurized M14 type rifles for competition shooters. In 1985, the company was located at 9162 Brookville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mike Gruber and Clint McKee, who would later go on to establish Fulton Armory, also worked at Armscorp of America at this time. The company moved to 4424 John Avenue Baltimore, MD 21227 at some point between September 1987 and June 1989. About 1992, the other owner of Armscorp of America sold out his interest to Jack Friese. Mr. Friese then reorganized the firm as Armscorp USA, Inc. In late 2007, Mr. Friese sold the business to Mark Hartman, owner of James River Manufacturing. James River Manufacturing produced Armscorp logo M14 receivers from January until March 2008.

Smith Enterprise, Inc. sold some billet machined receivers to Armscorp of America, Inc. about 1985 and 1986 but none were stamped Armscorp of America. They were Smith Enterprise stamped receivers and advertised as such. A complete rifle with a Smith Enterprise receiver, all USGI parts and a used USGI stock was advertised by Armscorp of America initially in Shotgun News for $539.95. The Armscorp of America advertisement listed the bare Smith Enterprise M-14 receiver for sale at $199.95 and complete USGI parts kits without the receiver for $239.95. A TRW M14 parts kit was an additional $10.00. The customer demand for the bare receivers and assembled rifles was so great in 1986 that it took the firm until early 1988 to fill the backlog of orders even with a price increase. The June 1986 Soldier of Fortune review of the Armscorp of America M14 listed the retail price for the Armscorp of America M14 at $674.95 with a used USGI stock. In the summer of 1986, the Armscorp M14 was available with a used USGI wood or fiberglass stock or a new commercial manufacture walnut stock. Each complete rifle was test fired and shipped with a sling and twenty round magazine.

Armscorp of America, Inc. was machining investment cast receivers at some point by the summer of 1987 using castings supplied to them by Smith Manufacturing Co. (Holland, OH) through Karl Maunz. As of September 18, 1987, Armscorp of America had completed the machining of the first five lots of receiver castings using its own personnel and CNC machine tools. Armscorp of America receiver heat treatment was performed according to the USGI procedure and certified by the vendor. Smith Enterprise, Inc. sold some casting equipment and tooling to Armscorp of America, Inc. about 1988 or 1989. From that point, Armscorp of America made its own receiver castings for several years. In the waning years, Lamothermic Corporation (Brewster, NY) supplied the receiver castings to Armscorp USA and James River Manufacturing.

Armscorp of America and Armscorp USA marketed several versions of semi-automatic M14 rifle through the years:

M14 - Service grade rifle assembled in 1991 and 1992 only with Chinese parts
M14 R - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and USGI synthetic stock. This model was available from 1986 to 2006.
M14 RNS - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and National Match walnut stock.
M14 RNSB - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and USGI birch stock.
M14 Beginning National Match - Match grade rifle assembled with hand fitted USGI parts and USGI National Match barrel from 1993 to 1996.
M14 NMR - Match grade rifle built to the USAMTU specifications with National Match sights and a choice of standard, medium weight or heavyweight barrels. This model was available from 1987 to 2006.
M21 - Match grade rifle with a rear lugged receiver and choice of McMillan fiberglass stock or a wood laminate stock. Rear lugged match grade rifles were available from Armscorp from 1986 to 2006.

Armscorp of America receiver with serial number A00326X has been identified as billet machined. However, most Armscorp brand receivers were machined from investment castings, e.g., serial number A0039XX. Armscorp USA, Inc. (later JRM / Armscorp) manufactured standard, rear lug and double lugged receivers. It was the first commercial manufacturer to sell factory new lugged receivers. From the start in February 2003 until May 2007, Armscorp USA made the castings and machined them into finished receivers for Fulton Armory according to its specifications. The firm poured castings and machined them into finished receivers for West Texas Armory. The West Texas Armory receiver serial numbers begin with the letters WTA. The first thirteen WTA prefix serial number M14 NM receivers were manufactured in July 2006. Dan O’Neal of West Texas Armory (Lubbock, TX) went into business as a Federal Firearms Licensee in April 2006.

Armscorp heat treated its receivers to 56 to 58 HRC surface hardness with a case depth of 0.012 " to 0.018 " per the USGI receiver drawing. While it was in business, Armscorp provided M14 gunsmithing services such as rifle assembly, barrel installation, stock bedding, National Match trigger and flash suppressor modification, and clean and lube. Note that the large majority of Armscorp brand M14 type receivers have been sold by the manufacturer as stripped units. However, Armscorp did supply match grade rifles upon request. From 1984 to 1986, Bruce Dow built an average of four match grade rifles per month with Armscorp receivers for Armscorp to fill customer orders. In the 1980s, Armscorp of America manufactured and marketed a National Match operating rod spring guide. It was made of stainless steel and had a collar at the magazine catch for the end of the operating rod spring to rest against. For awhile some time after 1987, Armscorp of America also machined M14 barrels in-house from blanks. In mid-2006, Armscorp USA was investigating the possibility of manufacturing four forged M14 parts including the bolt. At least one prototype M14 bolt was made. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition.

Receiver Markings - Some of the Armscorp receivers were stamped M21 or XM25 instead of M14 NM or M14 to allow for sale in New Jersey, USA. The State of New Jersey, curiously, has banned new sales of some firearms by name rather than by operating characteristics or features. The markings 7790189 or 7790189 F have been observed on Armscorp receivers under the stock line on the right hand side.

Dupage Trading Company (Chandler, AZ) sold in 2003 a very small number of semi-automatic T44 rifles. These rifles were assembled with Armscorp USA receivers marked T44, T44E4 stocks, and surplus USGI M14 parts. A production run of Armscorp USA receivers was produced for the M-14 Firing Line online discussion board in 2007. The serial numbers assigned to this series were TFL001 through TFL250. The TFL series receivers are stamped with the M-14 Firing Line logo on the receiver heel. The serial number is stamped below the logo. Above the logo, the receiver is stamped: top line - U.S. RIFLE second line - 7.62 MM M14 NM. When James River Manufacturing became the owner of Armscorp in January 2008 there were about eighty serial numbers still left in this series to be assigned to receivers.

Armscorp USA receivers with The Firing Line serial numbers (TFL prefix followed by three digits) were made in 2007. James River Manufacturing managed the project of producing the last Armscorp marked receivers from January 01, 2008 until March 11, 2008. This included the last few TFL series receivers. The following is a partial list of TFL series receiver serial numbers that were delivered to the buyers: 001 through 081, 084, 085, 088, 089, 095, 097, 099 through 101, 105, 111, 113, 120 through 123, 130, 137, 158, 164, 171, 172, 176, 177, 193, 194, 222, 225, 226, 230, and 236.

Stampings on Armscorp receiver operating rod rails varied over its production history. There appears to have been seven operating rod rail markings:

1) At some serial number greater than 1120 but until at least serial number A003XXX, the Armscorp receivers were stamped SILVER SPRING MD on the vertical surface of the operating rod rail.
2) The operating rod rail stamping changed to ARMSCORP OF AMERICA SILVER SPRING MD by serial number A0035XX.
3) The third operating rod rail stamping was ARMSCORP OF AMERICA BALTIMORE MARYLAND. This information was stamped on a receiver with a serial number as low as A00398X.
4) By serial number A006037, the stamping had changed to ARMSCORP OF AMERICA BALTIMORE, MD. The city and state lettering was about half the height of the company name lettering.
5) Next came the operating rod rail marking ARMSCORP USA BALTIMORE MARYLAND by no later than receiver serial number 10451.
6) The sixth operating rod rail marking was ARMSCORP BALTIMORE MD as shown on receiver serial number 11XXX and 17371. The sixth marking was also used on WTA prefix serial number receivers. By serial number 17494 the operating rod rail and under-the-stock markings were applied by electropencil.
7) Beginning at receiver serial number 17605, the operating rod rail marking was changed to JRM / ARMSCORP BALTIMORE MD. This reflected the change in ownership of the Armscorp name.

Armscorp did issue custom receiver serial numbers. For example, Bruce Dow had six custom serial number Armscorp of America receivers made: BR DOW 001, MS DOW 001, SB DOW 001, JB DOW 001, NL DOW 001, and RB DOW 001. At least one Armscorp custom receiver serial number was preceded by the letter A. Armscorp of America M14 type receivers were given the letter A prefix about the same time (no later than February 1988) the CNC machine tool programming was changed for cutting the receiver bolt lug recesses. The serial number prefix S indicates the receiver was made of stainless steel instead of AISI 8620 alloy steel. At least twenty stainless steel receivers were produced by Armscorp USA in the mid to late 1990s."

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

It's what I own Armscorp NM with Winchester GI parts. Sounds like a good trade.

[Different]

Sgt Gold's post is text from an earlier edition of M14 Rifle History and Development by Lee Emerson. Here is the text on Armscorp from the current Fifth Edition of M14 Rifle History and Development (720 pages):

Armscorp

Production and Services – Armscorp of America, Inc. was formed in 1981 by Jack H. Friese. It built accurized M14 type rifles for competition shooters. In 1985, the company was located at 9162 Brookville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mike Gruber and Clint McKee, who would later go on to establish Fulton Armory, also worked at Armscorp of America at this time. The company moved to 4424 John Avenue Baltimore, MD 21227 at some point between September 1987 and June 1989. About 1992, the other owner of Armscorp of America sold out his interest to Jack Friese. Mr. Friese then reorganized the firm as Armscorp USA, Inc. In late 2007, Mr. Friese sold the business to Mark Hartman, owner of James River Manufacturing (then 1512 Jabez Run Millersville, MD 21108) and former U. S. Marine and Master Class competitor with the M14. James River Manufacturing produced Armscorp logo M14 receivers from January until March 2008.

Smith Enterprise, Inc. sold some billet machined receivers to Armscorp of America, Inc. in 1986 but none were stamped Armscorp of America. They were Smith Enterprise stamped receivers and advertised as such. A complete service grade rifle with a Smith Enterprise receiver, all USGI parts and a used USGI stock was advertised by Armscorp of America initially in Shotgun News for $539.95. The Armscorp of America advertisement listed the bare Smith Enterprise M-14 receiver for sale at $199.95 and complete USGI parts kits without the receiver for $239.95. A TRW M14 parts kit was an additional $10.00. The customer demand for the bare receivers and assembled rifles was so great in 1986 that it took the firm until early 1988 to fill the backlog of orders even with a price increase. The June 1986 Soldier of Fortune review of the Armscorp of America M14 listed the retail price for the Armscorp of America M14 at $674.95 with a used USGI stock. In the summer of 1986, the Armscorp M14 was available with a used USGI wood or fiberglass stock or a new commercial manufacture walnut stock. Each complete rifle was test fired and shipped with a sling and twenty round magazine.

Armscorp of America, Inc. was machining investment cast receivers at some point by the summer of 1987 using castings supplied to them by Smith Manufacturing Co. (Holland, OH) through Karl Maunz. As of September 18, 1987, Armscorp of America had completed the machining of the first five lots of receiver castings using its own personnel and CNC machine tools. Armscorp of America receiver heat treatment was performed according to the USGI procedure and certified by the vendor. Smith Enterprise, Inc. sold some casting equipment and tooling to Armscorp of America, Inc. about 1988. From that point, Armscorp of America made its own receiver castings for several years. In the waning years, Lamothermic Corporation (Brewster, NY) supplied the receiver castings to Armscorp USA and James River Manufacturing.

Armscorp of America and Armscorp USA marketed several versions of semi-automatic M14 rifle through the years:

M14 - Service grade rifle assembled in 1991 and 1992 only with Chinese parts
M14 R - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and USGI synthetic stock. This model was available from 1986 to 2006.
M14 RNS - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and National Match walnut stock.
M14 RNSB - Service grade rifle assembled with USGI parts and USGI birch stock.
M14 Beginning National Match - Match grade rifle assembled with hand fitted USGI parts and USGI National Match barrel from 1993 to 1996.
M14 NMR - Match grade rifle built to the USAMTU specifications with National Match sights and a choice of standard, medium weight or heavyweight barrels. This model was available from 1987 to 2006.
M21 - Match grade rifle with a rear lugged receiver and choice of McMillan fiberglass stock or a wood laminate stock. Rear lugged match grade rifles were available from Armscorp from 1986 to 2006.

Armscorp of America receiver with serial number A00326X has been identified as billet machined. However, most Armscorp brand receivers were machined from investment castings, e.g., serial number A0039XX. Armscorp USA, Inc. (later JRM / Armscorp) manufactured standard, rear lug and double lugged receivers. It was the first commercial manufacturer to sell factory new lugged receivers. From the start in February 2003 until May 2007, Armscorp USA made the castings and machined them into finished receivers for Fulton Armory according to its specifications. The firm poured castings and machined them into finished receivers for West Texas Armory. The West Texas Armory receiver serial numbers begin with the letters WTA. The first thirteen WTA prefix serial number M14 NM receivers were manufactured in July 2006. Dan O’Neal of West Texas Armory (Lubbock, TX) went into business as a Federal Firearms Licensee in April 2006.

Armscorp specified receiver surface hardness at 56 to 58 HRC with a case depth of 0.012 " to 0.018 " per the USGI drawing. While it was in business, Armscorp provided M14 gunsmithing services such as rifle assembly, barrel installation, stock bedding, National Match trigger and flash suppressor modification, and clean and lube. Note that the large majority of Armscorp brand M14 type receivers have been sold by the manufacturer as stripped units. However, Armscorp did supply match grade rifles upon request. From 1984 to 1986, Bruce Dow built an average of four match grade rifles per month with Armscorp receivers for Armscorp to fill customer orders. In the 1980s, Armscorp of America manufactured and marketed a National Match operating rod spring guide. It was made of stainless steel and had a collar at the magazine catch for the end of the operating rod spring to rest against. For awhile some time after 1987, Armscorp of America also machined M14 barrels in-house from blanks. In mid-2006, Armscorp USA was investigating the possibility of manufacturing four forged M14 parts including the bolt. At least one prototype M14 bolt was made. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition.

Receiver Markings - Some of the Armscorp receivers were stamped M21 or XM25 instead of M14 NM or M14 to allow for sale in New Jersey, USA. The State of New Jersey, curiously, has banned new sales of some firearms by name rather than by operating characteristics or features. The markings 7790189 or 7790189 F have been observed on Armscorp receivers under the stock line on the right hand side.

Dupage Trading Company (Chandler, AZ) sold in 2003 a very small number of semi-automatic T44 rifles. These rifles were assembled with Armscorp USA receivers marked T44, T44E4 stocks, and surplus USGI M14 parts. A production run of Armscorp USA receivers was produced for the M-14 Firing Line online discussion board in 2007. The serial numbers assigned to this series were TFL001 through TFL250. The TFL series receivers are stamped with the M-14 Firing Line logo on the receiver heel. The serial number is stamped below the logo. Above the logo, the receiver is stamped: top line - U.S. RIFLE second line - 7.62 MM M14 NM. When James River Manufacturing became the owner of Armscorp in January 2008 there were about eighty serial numbers still left in this series to be assigned to receivers.

Armscorp USA receivers with The Firing Line serial numbers (TFL prefix followed by three digits) were made in 2007. James River Manufacturing managed the project of producing the last Armscorp marked receivers from January 01, 2008 until March 11, 2008. This included the last few TFL series receivers. The following is a partial list of TFL series receiver serial numbers that were delivered to the buyers: 001 through 081, 084, 085, 088, 089, 095, 097, 099 through 101, 105, 111, 113, 120 through 123, 130, 137, 158, 164, 171, 172, 176, 177, 193, 194, 222, 225, 226, 230, and 236.

Stampings on Armscorp receiver operating rod rails varied over its production history. There appears to have been seven operating rod rail markings:

1) By no later than serial number A1000 to at least serial number A003XXX, the Armscorp receivers were stamped SILVER SPRING MD on the vertical surface of the operating rod rail.
2) The operating rod rail stamping changed to ARMSCORP OF AMERICA SILVER SPRING MD by serial number A0035XX.
3) The third operating rod rail stamping was ARMSCORP OF AMERICA BALTIMORE MARYLAND. This information was stamped on a receiver with a serial number as low as A003940.
4) By serial number A006037, the stamping had changed to ARMSCORP OF AMERICA BALTIMORE, MD. The city and state lettering was about half the height of the company name lettering.
5) Next came the operating rod rail marking ARMSCORP USA BALTIMORE MARYLAND by no later than receiver serial number 10451.
6) The sixth operating rod rail marking was ARMSCORP USA. BALTIMORE MD. It appeared by no later than receiver serial number 1119X.
7) The next marking was ARMSCORP BALTIMORE MD as shown on receiver serial number 17371. This operating rod rail marking was also used on WTA prefix serial number receivers. By serial number 17494 the operating rod rail and under-the-stock markings were applied by electropencil.
8) Beginning at receiver serial number 17605, the operating rod rail marking was changed to JRM / ARMSCORP BALTIMORE MD. This reflected the change in ownership of the Armscorp name.

Armscorp did issue custom receiver serial numbers. For example, Bruce Dow had six custom serial number Armscorp of America receivers made: BR DOW 001, MS DOW 001, SB DOW 001, JB DOW 001, NL DOW 001, and RB DOW 001. At least one Armscorp custom receiver serial number was preceded by the letter A. Armscorp of America M14 type receivers were given the letter A prefix about the same time (no later than February 1988) the CNC machine tool programming was changed for cutting the receiver bolt lug recesses. The serial number prefix S indicates the receiver was made of stainless steel instead of AISI 8620 alloy steel. At least twenty stainless steel receivers were produced by Armscorp of America about 1988.