Fulton Armory Upgrade of Polytech M14/S For Newbies
Frederick V. Carreon
DRAFT material for faq,
By: Frederick Carreon (car...@pluto.ee.cua.edu)
I decided to write this submission to the FAQ after reading similar
questions posted to this (rec.guns) newsgroup. In fact, my version of the
question was posted in 1995. This topic has been covered multiple times in
the time I've first joined this newsgroup, and that was 1990! I am a
newbie with this rifle, so this is a post for newbies by newbies.
My thanks to: Jim Purtilo, Dave Putzolu, Robert Gibson, and last, but not
least, Clint McKee, Pat, and Paul Baker of Fulton Armory (who also have my
$$$).
1. Why a Polytech M14/S?
Regardless of world politics, we should look at the heart of the rifle
itself, the receiver. I decided to purchase a Polytech because of these
three reasons:
i. Receiver geometry
ii. Satisfactory metallurgy
iii. Price
i. The receiver geometry of the Polytech has been described as
excellent. What does this means in newbies' terms? It means that
with some hand lapping and fitting work on the receiver (by a competent
M1A/M14S gunsmith), a USGI bolt will function perfectly in the receiver,
and proper headspace will be maintained. There is also no problem with
fitting a USGI op rod with the receiver. With a properly mated GI
bolt/barrel with the Chinese receiver, the problems associated with the
soft PRC bolt will be solved.
ii. Metallurgy. I have never heard of a first hand or published report
of a receiver failing metallurgically after an upgrade has been performed.
Chinese receivers surprisingly enough, are forged, not casted. This is a
more expensive and labour consuming technique. I find this to be a plus,
seeing the fact that the original M14 receivers were forged also. The
Springfield and Armscorp receivers are milled from castings. However, I
haven't heard of metallurgic failures from Springfield or Armscorp
either.
iii. Price. The Polytech M14 goes for about $475-600 in the SGN and the
Gun List. With an upgrade and a few more extras. One can have a reliable,
rebuilt rifle with a guarantee from one of the well known gunsmiths in the
field for less than a standard M1A. The total should run around $950-1100,
depending upon extras. The bonus is that the rebuilt Polytech will have
USGI parts and not commerical reproductions which do appear in M1As.
One side note: Should there be a metallurgic problem with the receiver,
litigation against the PRC Government will be difficult, in comparison to
an US firm.
2. My experience:
One of the major reasons that I chose to bring in my Polytech to Fulton
Armory is because they are only 45 minutes away from my home. I dropped
off my Polytech and she came out looking like a champ. My receiver was
mated with a TRW bolt and a Winchester barrel. The trigger, hammer, and
sear was replaced with USGI parts, along with a stainless steel gas
cylinder shim set and connector lock. Fortunately, my op rod was
excellent and fitted quite well, so I did not have to have that replaced.
However, the Op rod guide and pin were replaced with GI parts. By the
way, Op rods are quite expensive ($100). The rifle's headspace was
1.6315, which is quite good.
The original rear sight was literally falling apart each time I turned the
elevation knob, this was due to its' retaining nut that would not allow me
to raise the elevation without coming loose. It was replaced with a
rear sight NM aperature with a new elevation knob, spring cover, windage
knob, and rear sight base. The front sight was replaced with a NM front
sight, and a new flash suppressor nut was also installed.
Extra:
As for the original stock, the indentation due to the trigger group was
pretty deep, so I decided to splurge and drop another twenty bucks for a
stock in pretty good shape. It also has a very noticable cartouche of the
Eagle on the left in the dead center of the receiver, and a "P" in the
grip. It is noted that Walnut was available for another ten bucks.
3. Thoughts & Impressions:
I haven't had a chance to fire it yet. However, on first impression it
feels tightened up quite a bit. Front and rear sights are a dream when
compared to the original sights. Originally, the gas cylinder assembly
was "very" loose when I first got it, and now it is "very" tight and
solid. The trigger is sweet and I can feel the two stages. The original
stock did feel a little better, but the birch stock is much harder. I
will be adding more to this post after I get some ammunition and go down
to the range.
#From what I see and feel, I like my upgrade. Clint did quite a good job
on my rifle. Literally, my Polytech went in as one rifle, and came out as
another. I am not affiliated with Clint or Fulton Armory in any way,
shape, or form. I am just a customer who did some research. If you
decide to do this job with another M1A/M14S smith, please tell us the
details. I am quite sure that the group would like to know how it went
and what you think.
Fred Carreon
02Mar97