One of my Vietnam weapons for MUTT displays

[Crusader_22]

My XM21 sniper rifle replica. Pretty loose replica, but it looks and shoots really well for the money I have in it.

The XM21 was the first attempt by the Army at making a dedicated sniper rifle based on the National Match version M14 rifle. The mods were completed by the Army marksmanship unit, and included either Weaver scopes, or later on, variations of the Leatherwood ART scopes.

Mine is a mid-90's Springfield Armory M1A with lots of M14 USGI parts, NM front sight, USGI walnut stock in like new condition. I also am waiting on a dummy button select fire part kit which mounts in the stock in the selector slot on the right side, and makes the rifle look externally like a select fire M14.

It is a dream to shoot, and I have never, ever been this attached to a rifle, and I have had a LOT of them, to include original WWII German sniper rifles, etc. I intend to keep making this better by glass bedding and accurizing per US Army marksmanship unit specs, and aquiring an ART scope.

If you have not fired an M14 (or M1A), you owe it to yourself, it is a truly superb weapon.

In the pic is the rifle, 1968 dated airborne drop case, type I ripstop cotton "boonie" hat, M3 binos with M17 case, and 5 live 7.62x51 tracer rounds.

The binos are actually civillian version of the M3, made by United Camera Corp. (no ranging reticle) In keeping with my current Vietnam war obsession, I did what the US Army did for the leather M17 cases for the M3 binos in the Vietnam war and painted the case olive drab, and did a repair on the lid catch which was trashed.

Jeff

[homerguy]

Ole "Hook" Boutin,father of the M21, is alive and well at 80 something,still around building m14's. They are great rifles albeit hard to handle in full auto!
You need a bayonet lug on that flash hider so you can don the pig sticker

[199th mp]

the M14 is, i believe, one of the best rifles around--too bad i can't own a real one here in nuttifornia.when i was trained on this at ft lewis in 1969, i had never fired any weapons at all. having no habits to change may have helped, but i ended up shooting expert with it. then we went on to infantry mos training and switched to the M16, which is much less of a rifle, though i will concede it has some good points.

[csmith]

I don't know much about this MV gun stuff Jeff but it looks pretty awsome, have always been a good shot with a civilian gun and would love to try one of those one day. Great post

[halftracknut]

you want to watch that scope when you light one up ....it'll give you the red eye...was that one made in texas or Ill. ?

[Francis Marion]

Love the whole set-up but your M1950 Weapons Case is missing the Upper and Lower Tie Down Tapes. (Says the Jumpmaster instructor who just spent the last 2 weeks showing 54 soldiers how to properly inspect it before a jump.)

[David]

Nice rifle. I just sold off a ton of scopes that I bought from Jim Leatherwood years ago. Artel scopes are getting hard to find. I was practically able to pay off for a new 151 with what I sold an artel for. I do have Texas ART left which for all purposes is the same as the failed government version of the ART 1. That Leatherwood later offered commercially.

[Crusader_22]

Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

HTN, unfortunately it is not a real ART. I am looking for one, but after buying the M416 trailer I am tapped. I'll find one someday. The scope is actually a Bushnell 3x9! I picked out because it is profiled like an ART, and the variable power ring loosely resembles the ART ballistic cam ring from 10 feet.

Francis, you are correct. Someone cut those straps off mine, many you see have had that done, someone told me it is actually a demil thing? I bought it to use as a cool rifle case and display piece.

I'm jealous, David! Sounds like it was a nice collection.

homerguy, I am looking for a cheap bayo lug flash suppressor. They are 70 bucks or so, but I think if I'm patient, I can find one cheaper. I have a brand new unissued M6 bayonet with an also new M8A1 scabbard coming in the mail which my uncle found at the Iola show last week. I'll post pics when it gets here.

I like guns and stuff....

[Motorcityman]

You need to get a USGI flash suppressor with a bayonet lug, they just don't look right to me without one. It's a sharp looking rifle forsure though and I like your display. The first thing I did when the assault weapons ban ended was put on a bayonet lug on my Springfield M1A, how else are you gonna shoot grenades with it or stab someone

Here's a pic of mine with his older brother.

Edit to add: The cheapy flash suppressors that are out there are junk, Sarco has them for like 35 bucks, I put one on mine at first and out of the blue I couldn't hit crap at 200 yards, I brought my targets to 100 and still nothing, I was hitting all day long with my FAL at both 200 and 100. I brought the target to 50 yards and still no hits, I couldn't understand why I wasn't hitting (I was using S. African surplus) I brought the target to 25 meters and finally I was on paper but I was keyholing, I checked the cheap suppressor and sure as Yellow nose brown trout I was getting bullet strikes on it send my rounds to God knows where, I put the orginal post ban suppressor back on and right away I was back on paper at 200yrds. The next day I ordered a new USGI one for somewhere in the 125 dollar range. Just some food for thought for you...

PM me your address and i'll send ya something, i'm not telling ya what it is though...It pertains to an M14

[199th mp]

i just went and checked my shelf, and i did remember right for a change--i have one issue copy of TM 9-1005-223-34 dated sept 61. this is the field maintenance manual for the M14. if either of you are interested, PM me--i'll sell it, but i'd rather trade it for anything i might be able to use on my 151. i still need a red mp light assembly or even just the mounting bracket for a start, but i'd gladly listen to any proposed trades, especially M151 tools out of the manuals.

[David]

I have a dummy selector that mounts to the stock that I dont need. If you wantit, its yours. Just PM me an address.

[Crusader_22]

MP,

That sounds great, but only if the motor city madman doesn't want it. I have 2 copies of the -20, and the 23-8 for it, but no -34.

Anything else specific you need? I don't have a lot of MUTT parts, but some other VN militaria. And other random stuff.

Thanks, David. I sent you a PM.

Oh, and the same applies to my extra -20 manual. Free to anyone who needs it. What comes around, goes around!

Jeff

[199th mp]

hi crusader--the main thing i can't find anywhere is a red MP light and the bracket it mounts on. this manual isn't worth anywhere near what that light costs, even if i could find one--i just keep mentioning it in the hope that someday someone will find one they don't need and sell it to me. so any part you have extra is worth talking about, but if you don't have extras, then how about $10 plus postage? since i haven't heard from the other member who posted, ( see, there goes my lousy memory again), he may not need it. pm me and tell me what you think, and where to mail it if you want it.

[Ralph Fuller]

Tribute to Jim Leatherwood.
http://www.leatherwoodoptics.com/index. ... &Itemid=31
I was with the U.S.A. Marksmanship Training Unit (USAMTU) at Fort Benning, GA from 1971-75, and had the pleasure of meeting Leatherwood. He was a low keyed, intelligent, unassuming guy.

[raymond]

Been a long time since I looked through my copy of The U.S. .30 Caliber Gas Operated Service Rifles by Jerry Kuhnhausen, but aren't match conditioned M14 flash hiders reamed out to a larger diameter
I'll have to dig out my M1A Super Match and photograph it tomorrow.