On the minus side, the M14’s potent 7.62 NATO cartridge made the rifle difficult to control on full-auto fire. But on semiauto the M14 sure could deliver its deadly .308" message with great accuracy at impressive distances. Even today, the potent and ponderous M14 is still chosen by our special forces for missions requiring more “bang for the buck”.

Currently, several airsoft gun manufacturers produce nearly exact copies of the famous M14, complete with select-fire mechanisms. For this review we chose one manufactured in China by UTG (Under the Gun) Sport. It is Leapers Inc.’s own brand of high-end airsoft guns.

The UTG airsoft M14 from Leapers is an amazingly faithful look-alike of the real thing. As a matter of fact, the UTG M14, weighing a full 8 pounds and at 44-1/2" overall, is about a 1/2-pound lighter and a 1/2" longer than the real M14. This airsoft M14 is superb spittin’ image of the M14 and feels almost as solid and rugged as the real boomer.

The airsoft UTG M14 is offered in a choice of three stocks made of molded ABS. A wood-finish version most people can’t believe isn’t real wood, plus an OD green version and an all-black stock. I chose the wood-finish-stock, as it mimics the original military issue better.

Another impressive feature of this “softie” is the receiver, barrel and bolt are actually made of metal with a most realistic-looking Parkerized-like finish. In fact, the bolt can actually be pulled open and released to slam shut, just as in a real M14. Although the moving bolt does not play a part in the operation of this airsoft gun, it is nonetheless a highly realistic feature.

The airsoft UTG M14 employs a battery-powered, spring-piston motor incorporating all-metal gears for smooth and reliable operation. This model comes complete with a 1500 mAh 8.4-volt rechargeable battery in the buttstock. Also included is a battery charger. The battery supplied with this gun requires a charging time of about 3-3/4 hours with the aforementioned charger. Unfortunately, the battery accompanying the gun was a tad too fat to fit easily in its stock compartment, so I had to use one of my smaller 1100 mAh 8.4-volt rechargeable batteries instead. Being about 2/3 the size of the battery that came with the gun, I had no problem installing it. Despite this switch in batteries, the airsoft M14 performed most impressively indeed with the smaller battery. Each full charge of the battery gave close to 1,000 shots before needing a recharge.

This airsoft M14 is also supplied with two magazines, each with capacity for up to 300 6mm airsoft BBs. Being a high-performance electric softie, only highly polished top-quality plastic BBs weighing .20 gram or heavier should be used. The brass bore liner of this gun has unusually tight tolerances and use of BBs with superior dimensional uniformity and smooth finish is mandatory. The more common — and cheaper — .12 gram BBs can damage the spring-piston motor by failing to provide sufficient air cushioning, causing the piston to slam against the end of the air chamber. BBs lacking a truly slick surface — or reusing BBs — can cause jams and should be avoided. By the way, the magazines supplied with the gun incorporate wind-up mechanisms for reliable feeding of BBs to the breech.

Firing tests quickly disclosed this airsoft was an impressive performer. The selector catch is located on the right rear section of the receiver, just as in the real M14. Rotated to semiauto, the gun printed groups averaging 2-1/2" to 3" at 15 yards. The tight bore tolerances, coupled with the use of high-quality .20-gram BBs, undoubtedly had a lot to do with the test gun’s impressive accuracy.

Switching to full auto I had no difficulty keeping most bursts within a 4" circle at 10 yards. Of course, unlike the real M14, the UTG airsoft copy does not climb off target as the first few rounds are fired. Several empty pop cans were drilled repeatedly with bursts from this softie. On full auto, the UTG M14 delivers a cyclic rate of fire hovering around 800 rounds per minute. In contrast, the real deal’s cyclic rate runs about 750 rpm. Incidentally, the UTG M14 produced muzzle velocities averaging 325 fps with .20-gram BBs.

The sample was also accompanied by a rather flimsy looking web sling, Allen keys, barrel cleaning rod, and a metal scope base. The latter can be attached to the left side of the receiver via two large knurled bolts. Even with the mount attached it is still possible to use the standard sights. A short weaver rail comes already installed on the bottom front of the forearm. This rail is intended primarily for mounting a bipod.

As in most top-shelf softies, this model incorporates a hop-up mechanism allowing you to adjust the BBs trajectory by giving it more or less backspin. Increasing the hop-up adjustment basically can give the BB a flatter, straighter trajectory. Hop-up usually consists of an adjustable constriction in the barrel breech. The UTG airsoft M14 is definitely a winner all-around. In looks, performance and overall quality, this softie gets top marks, and with a suggested retail price just under $150, it sure is priced most competitively, indeed. Just remember to maintain a vast supply of top-quality 6mm BBs on hand, because this fun-gun sure is hard to put down.