TRW Experimental 5.56×45mm NATO M14

[Christopher Wang]

According to Kyle Wilson on Quora, TRW Inc. experimented with converting the M14 battle rifle to fire 5.56×45mm NATO from modified M16 magazines as shown below. Unfortunately, he does not cite the source of the image nor is there much information available online. Does anyone else have more information and pictures about this conversion?


Source: https://qr.ae/pycJi1

 

[Scott Kenny]

According to Kyle Wilson on Quora, TRW Inc. experimented with converting the M14 battle rifle to fire 5.56×45mm NATO from modified M16 magazines as shown below. Unfortunately, he does not cite the source of the image nor is there much information available online. Does anyone else have more information and pictures about this conversion?

View attachment 704936
Source: https://qr.ae/pycJi1

since it's actually taking a STANAG magazine, it can't be a Mini-14, but that was my first thought.

 

[Apophenia]

I'm pretty sure that image came from The Black Rifle: M16 Retrospective by R. B. Stevens and E. C. Ezell (Collector Grade, 1992/2004).

Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc. was, of course, one of several original producers of the M14. They modified the M14 to .223 by installing a new barrel, a follower shaped for the smaller cartridge, and a filler-block to make up for the difference in depth between the original M14 magazine and that of the M16. Online sources differ as to whether this was a one-off mod or if a few M14s were thus converted.

It is not clear whether TRW was trying to extend M14 production (albeit in a new calibre) or were simply modifying the M14 for range comparisons with the M16. If the latter, TRW had government-supplied M14s in their reference collection ... so likely they formed the basis for conversion.