M14E2 Rifle
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1963
About
What it is, and why it matters
The M14E2 was the developmental designation for the M14 squad automatic weapon variant fielded by the U.S. Army Infantry School in 1963 before being type-classified as the M14A1 in 1966. The rifle introduced the now-recognizable in-line straight-line stock with a fixed vertical pistol grip, a folding front handgrip adjustable through five one-inch positions, an M2 steel bipod, a muzzle stabilizer over the original slotted flash suppressor, a synthetic upper handguard for thermal protection, and a hinged steel buttplate over a rubber recoil pad. The 'E' suffix indicated experimental/engineering test status - the M14E2 was effectively the prototype and limited-issue version of what later became the M14A1. Some E2 rifles saw limited combat in Vietnam with U.S. Special Forces and MACV-SOG, where they were appreciated for their full-power 7.62 NATO cartridge but criticized for the magazine-fed format's limited suppression volume.
MACV-SOG operators in Vietnam reportedly nicknamed the M14E2 'the elephant gun' - both for its 7.62 NATO punch and for the way the bipod, foregrip, and muzzle stabilizer ballooned the rifle's profile to nearly twice that of a standard M14. Few survived the war intact; surviving examples today command five-figure prices on the collector market.
M14E2 and M14A1 are mechanically identical - the redesignation in 1966 was purely an administrative type-classification change. Production totals are usually quoted together; approximately 8,300 rifles built across both designations. Forgotten Weapons documents that early E2 conversions reused existing M14 receivers and were performed at U.S. armories.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Springfield Armory (US Government)
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1963 to 1966
- Variant of
- Automatic squad support developmental
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1120 mm
- Sight radius
- 711 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.10 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 5.76 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Trigger pull
- 22.0 N
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 850 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3430 J
- Effective range
- 460 m
- Maximum range
- 3725 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Developmental designation
Vertical pistol grip stock- Folding front handgrip
M2 steel bipod- Muzzle stabilizer
Select fire
Rubber recoil pad
Hinged steel buttplate
Synthetic upper handguard
Five position adjustable foregrip
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 5.10 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1120 mm | 1025 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 559 mm | 458 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the M14E2 Rifle
How much does the M14E2 Rifle weigh?
The M14E2 Rifle weighs 5.10 kg (11.24 lb) empty and 5.76 kg (12.70 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the M14E2 Rifle?
The M14E2 Rifle is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the M14E2 Rifle hold?
The M14E2 Rifle holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the M14E2 Rifle?
The M14E2 Rifle is 1120 mm (44.1 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the M14E2 Rifle?
The M14E2 Rifle is made by Springfield Armory (US Government) (United States). It was designed by United States Army Infantry School.
When was the M14E2 Rifle introduced?
The M14E2 Rifle was introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 1966.
How does the M14E2 Rifle operate?
The M14E2 Rifle uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Army Infantry School
- 1963
- United States Army Special Forces (MACV-SOG)
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
Stockists
Where to buy
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Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/m14e2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "m14e2", "name": "M14E2 Rifle", "manufacturer": { "id": "springfield-armory-us", "name": "Springfield Armory (US Government)", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1777, "website": "https://www.springfield-armory.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "b9dd0910a7c8bee7c58786e8b0a8f572a1d60da9a0b15c41d155cb38023c6bd8" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1963, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 5100, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}