I found an inexpensive way to scratch that full auto itch. Replace powder and primers with about 4 K PSI of air. One can have inexpensive full auto fun up to .30 caliber. Since no fire is involved I shoot full auto in my backyard legally, suppressed of course. The law is no FIREarm discharge within city limits. I do leave the  tree rats alone they are like a freakin national treasure here locally. I do need to reduce the Nutria population, I'm just not a night person. Again the locals think the water rats are "cute" surprised there is not a bounty.

I highly recommend PCP if you wish to scratch a full auto itch, a .22 cal mag dump costs about half a buck. .22 pellets are cheap, .22 slugs are more. Limit is about 20 25 grains weight. The heavier slugs will work single shot in my rifle. Pyramyd air has lots of toys, many others as well. PCP is big fun, the world's largest and most dangerous game is falling to air guns.

Bo Rich said
I had the same results with the M14.  With a three shot burst at 25 yards I hit the x ring on a B27 target with the fist shot.  The second shot hit the head, and the third shot was somewhere above that.  I saw  the CEO of the CMP state that they have just over 400 1897 trench guns that they will sell.  He did not go into detail on that.  He did say that the M14 semi-auto rifles would be available for sale in January of 2027, and they will be sold at around $2,000 each.  Also you could buy two of them if you wanted.  The 1911A1 pistols will have a new limit of two a year starting in January.  Until then you are limited to four in a lifetime.
  

That seems like a lot of $$$$ for an M14 rifle, but I suspect that they will all sell quickly.

I have never tried to purchase a firearm from the CMP... how does one go about getting on the list to purchase one?  I am considering making an attempt to buy one of the Model 1897 Trench Guns.

Bert

Bert H. said

 . . . .  We could hit the target with the first two shots, then it was simply wasting ammo into the dirt berms.  That was the very first time I shot a full automatic weapon.
Bert  

Yeah . . .I also fired a full auto M14 . . .ONCE!!

Standing offhand, only my FIRST round hit the target!

If I was to do it again, I’d have the sling hanging from the front swivel and the other end on the ground . . . .UNDER MY LEFT FOOT!!

TXGunNut said
I was thinking the 1897's may be refurbished. Not familiar with the trigger on an auto M14 but maybe it will be something simple; possibly a drop-in sear like the more recent civilian reproductions. Pretty sure they've already worked it out as they have announced plans to sell them. 
 
Mike
  

The M14 rifles came in two variations, those with a selector switch for full auto, and those without (semi-auto only).  The one we carried on our U.S. Navy submarines were the semi-auto only variation.  Back in the early 1980s we accidently received (3) of the full auto variants when we ordered (10) rifles. The NSN for them was just a single digit different, and somebody in the Supply department goofed up.  We discovered it when we took all (10) of the rifles to the Naval Weapons Stations Yorktown to certify them.  We loaded two of them and emptied a full 20-round magazine out of each one of them before turning them back in.  We could hit the target with the first two shots, then it was simply wasting ammo into the dirt berms.  That was the very first time I shot a full automatic weapon.

Bert

James W said

James W said
I  see wear, rust and pitting on a gun under a receiver all the time from sweaty hands and misuse. And there are scratches from files and sandpaper? Hmmm... Plus I would think that salt and acid from someone could eat away at a serial number over 100+ years. Either way, sweaty hands can surely do a lot of damage from people handling a gun for 100 years and not taking care of it properly. There are probably thousands of grandpa's old guns out there from 100 years ago with serial numbers worn off.  And I might be wrong, but did shotguns even need a serial number before 1968 other than an NFA Weapon?
  

No firearms required a serial number before the GCA of 1968 was enacted in November of that year.

Bert

James W said
I  see wear, rust and pitting on a gun under a receiver all the time from sweaty hands and misuse. And there are scratches from files and sandpaper? Hmmm... Plus I would think that salt and acid from someone could eat away at a serial number over 100+ years. Either way, sweaty hands can surely do a lot of damage from people handling a gun for 100 years and not taking care of it properly. There are probably thousands of grandpa's old guns out there from 100 years ago with serial numbers worn off.  And I might be wrong, but did shotguns even need a serial number before 1968 other than an NFA Weapon?
  

Mike

CMP to Sell Winchester 1897 Trench Guns: Collectors Take Not - Firearms News

Mike

I have not seen the gun where ONLY carry wear removed serial numbers. Bluing yes, steel...not so much. The seller was smart to take the gun back, removed or altered serial numbers are a very big deal for someone that holds a valid FFL.

In this case when you look closely at the receiver and the barrel extension, there's pretty obvious signs of tool marks going laterally across them. All of the extension number was gone except a tiny ghost portion of the leading 4. The receiver has 2 strong 4s and a ghost image of a zero to the right of the second 4. It's a shame too because it looks like it would have been a mid 5 digit s/n.