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Do any L.E. agencies use the M1A as primary patrol rifle?

13K views 27 replies 20 participants last post by  stand watie 
#1 ·
I know the majority of Law enforcement agencies are using AR15's, M4's and pistol caliber carbines as their patrol rifle. My question is have you heard of any agency using the M1A as a issue patrol rifle? I know some agencies are pretty lenient as far as service weapons, then others have a set standard. Looking to hear some replies, thanks Billy
 
#3 ·
LE M14

The Wyoming Game and Fish Dept issue U.S.G.I. M14s to their officers...one evening this last winter, my son hit a young bull moose with his Dodge pickup, (killed it to death).. the G&F officer responded to cut off the antlers, and I looked over his M14, with his permission, told him what parts it had.. Springfield receiver, Winchester bolt, in nice shape.. he has dispatched a couple of trouble black bear in local campgrounds with it.. Wyoming Highway Patrol also have some...Les
 
#4 ·
CA DFG

California Department of Fish and Game has 'em in racks, right there in their trucks.

Last year the DFG Warden (Officer?) who checked me during dove season told me his M14 (they issue ball ammo) was great for dispatching feral dogs in the Mojave riverbed area near Victorville, CA.

In terms of Police or Sheriff's departments, you'll probably have a hard time finding M14s as the primary patrol rifle. Most agencies are too leery of the penetration of 7.62. I'm sure there are few out there, as the rifles were being GIVEN AWAY to LE agencies a while back (Ok, there was a token fee) through the DRMO program. I know several SoCal PDs that have M14s obtained through this program in their armories.
 
#6 ·
I noticed that four Rockford, IL police officers in the color guard for the memorial day parade were carrying M-1A's. I haven't had a chance to ask a LEO friend about it yet.

I'm sure the patrol officers don't carry one. My friend says he has his .40 sidearm, a carbine, a shotgun and an AR-15 in his patrol car. I'm not sure why they would need all that firepower since it's illegal for anyone else to carry weapons in Illinois.
 
#7 ·
The sheriff's dept. in the next county over from mine is donating their M-14/M1A's (14) to our local Marine Corps League Detachment. I would assume that they are concerned as mentioned earlier in this thread, about over penetrating. We will use them for burial details, parades and cerimonies. Before we found out about the M1A's , we had ordered 10 M-1 Garands from the headquarters for this purpose. We will be the best armed detachment around! 10 M-1s & 14 M-14's :D :D !!!!
 
#8 ·
i shoot high power with a Border Patrol agent (here in michigan, not in the southwest) and he has an agency M14 he shoots hipo with. he can also get an M4A1 and a UMP (is that what it is?) the agency issues him remington 'match' ammo.

i dont know if thats any good or not....

david
 
#10 ·
The Kentucky State Police used to have them but they sent most of them back.

No one knew what to do with them after most of the older guys retired.

Now only a few have them. They were real USGI rifles from the program Seventh Fleet was refering to.

Our local city PD tried to get some but they were told there were none were avalible because of the war.
 
#13 ·
Re: Do any L.E. agencies use the M1A as primary patrol rifle

I know this is an old thread, but in checking all threads I see no newer threads on this topic and in the time since this thread was created other folks might have new information.....

Does anyone know of any other LE agencies that have adopted the surplus M14/ M1A platform as an agency long gun?
 
#14 ·
Re: Do any L.E. agencies use the M1A as primary patrol rifle

In WA state the federal fish and game folks are issued M14's without the fun switch. I was qualifying a few months ago and two fish and game agents, a couple of attractive young gals, came onto the range with M14's slung over their shoulders. I exclaimed loudly "I think I'm in love!". One of the gals started blushing but her partner caught on right away said, "he means your rifle"..............well, what else could I have meant!!! :shocked:

I sneak my Bush rifle into my trunk if I know that I'm going to be out in the boonies and may need the extra range and punch and have lots of back stop.
 
#15 ·
Re: Do any L.E. agencies use the M1A as primary patrol rifle

I gave classes in assembly disassembly, using the sights, etc to some folks at Ft. Huachuca several months ago. They bought much of Mike Sadlak's stuff to mount on them. This was after going to the Sierra Vista range and using mine to put through the ringer.
 
#19 ·
Re: Do any L.E. agencies use the M1A as primary patrol rifle

My understanding is that they are training with the platform. However as with most agencies these days budgets are tight and that is affecting all training in our department. That being I said I believe that seven of the M14's were recently upgraded with Troy MCS's, optics and buttstocks. Everything equipment wise is being done through federal grants and you know how long that can take.
 
#20 ·
We used mini-14's for patrol rifles. The department has since switched to AR's. We did however, use the M-14 as the spotter's weapon for our sniper team. We got some through the old North Star program and converted the spotter's rifle to full auto capability with the selector switch we got from the local National Guard Armory.
 
#21 ·
to all,

LOTS of the smaller sheriff's offices, police departments, city marshals & constables offices here in TX have/use M-14 rifles that they got CHEAP from the government.

also, some of our Rangers MAY have/be carrying them.
(Rangers can carry/use ANY weapon that they choose to.)

i have been told, but can NOT confirm, that at least some of those agencies have been asked to return them to the military services for the war effort, as there are NOT enough of the MBR to go around.
(GEE THANKS,"wee willie klintoon" for destroying MANY perfectly good M-14 rifles AND for selling our M-14 machinery, for almost nothing, to Taiwan!)

NOTE: wee willie klintoon was "concerned, that at some future date, that civilians might have access to these machineguns. destroying them will assure that that never happens."
(fwiw, that sort of brain-DEAD, STUPID comment is what passes for INTELLIGENT discourse among leftists!)

yours, sw
 
#22 ·
I was out BSing with the range guys a few days ago while they were doing inventory. Not only do they have 30 or so M14 (some still in their plastic bags), they also have a few dozen M1 Garands! They are all Springfields, except for one that is CAI receivered. I had to jet off on a call so I didn't get to see if they had any ammo to feed those M1's.

With the wars winding down I would think that the Feds will not be asking for many M14's back.....................I hope. I'd love to tear a few of those down.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I was issued a beautiful TRW back in about 09. Our dept acquired them through the 1033 program also. If I recall correctly we got 5 - 14s and 7 - 16A1s. Kept it for three years as my primary patrol rifle. Capt decided to pass them along to a smaller dept but was not ever asked to return them. We had acquired our own M4s by that time.

I owned an early SAI select-fire rifle but had the opportunity to trade into an M1 Thompson (Savage mfg.). I miss the select-fire 14 but have others.

Still own a Socom and have a JRA.

Working on an LRB now. I plan on getting a new Bula also.
 
#27 · (Edited)
To All,

My home county SO up in NETEX still has any number of standard USGI-issue M14 rifles (rather than M1A) built by TRW, that the previous sheriff paid the princely sum of ONE DOLLAR each for years ago.

Fwiw, I've tried for years to get him to issue me one of them. = He said, "Move back home & you'll get your wish."
(He wants me, at 71YO, to return to being the County Stock Detective, if you can believe that. = I, 4+ decades ago, was "a pretty fair hand" at recovering lost/strayed/stolen livestock.)

ADDENDA: I've wondered several times what ever happened to the FIRST firearm that I was issued by the county. = a "sawed off" Double-barreled 10-gauge shotgun by Parker. = I had to turn it back in to the county when I went on AD.
(In those long ago daze, I got paid 50 bucks a month & a county credit card for driving my own car. - I thought that I was RICH, too.)

yours, sw
 
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