Jing Gong JG1401 M14 Battle Rifle AEG

Introducing the JG1401 M14 Battle Rifle AEG, an Airsoft assault rifle styled after the famous M14 rifle, the predecessor to the M16 and DMR rifle issued to the US Army during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The M14 is a big boy rifle, measuring 113m with a massive 50cm inner barrel, meaning the potential for accuracy in this platform is unparalleled. As it comes from the factory, the JG1401 has a superb trigger feel and a great response, with an impressive rate of fire in full auto to back it up.

Starting at the tip of the loooong 24-inch alloy outer barrel we can find an M14 style muzzle device, which combines the front sight, bayonet lug and flash hider into a single piece. This device is a big part of what gives the M14 its classic cold war rifle looks but can be removed if you so choose. By turning the knurled nut between the sight and bayonet mount you can remove the muzzle device, revealing 14mm CW male threads beneath. This allows you to attach any 14mm clockwise (CW) threaded accessory, or a thread adapter to convert this thread to 14mm CCW if you want to add a more common CCW suppressor or tracer unit to the M14.

Moving rearwards, we come to the dummy gas block and gas tube of the JG1401, which is also constructed from alloy and matches that of the real M14 perfectly. In an Airsoft AEG this part serves no function other than to give the rifle its realistic silhouette, but the dummy gas adjuster can be threaded in and out for extra cool points.

As we reach the stock/body of the rifle, we come to the alloy barrel band, which secures the upper handguard to the stock of the M14. The screw on the right side of this handguard cap can be unscrewed, and the cap pulled forwards to remove the upper handguard in case you want to replace it with a 20mm RIS rail system, or real wood handguard. The upper handguard/heat shield sports realistic grooves, intended to help dissipate heat build-up from rapid firing in the real M14.

The stock of the JG1401 is constructed from high density ABS polymer, and is a single piece for added strength and realism. At the bottom of the stock we can find our first sling point, which is constructed from steel and is compatible with an M1 Garand or M14 replica sling, as well as standard Airsoft slings. On the right side of the stock, we can see a cut-out for the realistic charging handle/operating rod assembly, which connects to the dummy bolt carrier and can be pulled to the rear and locked. This is a nice touch of realism that was left out of the original TM design, nice one Jing Gong! The release catch for the bolt can be found on the left side of the receiver and is in the form of a wide paddle with linear texture on its upper section for additional grip. This part is a replica of the MK14 bolt release catch, a touch of modernity for this classic rifle, bringing it into like with DMR rifles issued to the US Army in the mid-2000s.

The receiver of the JG1401 M14 is constructed entirely from alloy, and features a threaded hole on the left side, and a dovetail recess on the top, allowing an M14 scope mount rail to be added if you are going long range with the M14. That said, you can still go long range without a scope, thanks to the excellent fully adjustable iron sights inherent to the M14 platform. At the time of the M14's development, the US Army had extremely high standards for marksmanship, and the M14 was equipped with iron sights which are of exceptional precision, and adjustable out to extreme ranges. The rear iron sight of the M14 comes in the form of a fine aperture which can be raised and lowered using the dial on the left side of the sight, and adjusted left and right using the dial on the right side. At either side of the aperture, the sight is protected by alloy protective wings, which should prevent damage to the rear sight in the event the rifle is dropped. This superb rear sight aligns perfectly with the fine front post, which is also surrounded by protective wings. This sight setup is one of the best iron sight setups out there, and provides an extremely long sight radius (essential for accuracy) and an ultra-low height over bore, meaning you don't have to compensate as much for bore-offset (the distance between your sights and the centre of your barrel) for accurate shooting up close.

Within the wide ejection port of the JG1401 M14, we are in for a treat. The dummy bolt features realistic rotational movement when the charging handle is pulled and makes a lovely "click-clack" sound that really makes this M14 feel like it means business. The dummy bolt features mock locking lugs which rotate to overcome the locking wedges in the receiver, just like the real thing. As far as the realism of this dummy action goes, the M14 platform is the leader in AEG designs. As previously mentioned, the JG1401 M14 also features a functional dummy bolt lock, further enhancing the realism of this already excellent design.

The controls of the M14 are a bit different to what most of us are used to. The safety catch can be found within the trigger guard and can be pushed forwards through the trigger guard to release the trigger lock, and rearward to lock the trigger in a similar manner to the M1 Garand rifle. The magazine release is just ahead of the trigger guard and is accessible from either side and can be used for speed reloads using the AK style "mag flip" reload, though we do not recommend this as it will scratch your mags and mag release! The fire selector is located on the right side of the M14, and is a rotary switch which can be turned 180 degrees to switch from semi-automatic to fully automatic. When the selector is positioned with the small protrusion at the top, the rifle is set to semi-automatic, and with this protrusion at the bottom, the rifle is on full auto and ready for some suppressive fire! The trigger can be found right where we would expect it, inside the trigger guard, and is a curved design to encourage perfect positioning of the trigger finger for rapid and accurate shooting.

The grip and stock arrangement of the M14 is a traditional rifle stock configuration, with a semi-pistol grip to provide a compromise between a real pistol grip and a traditional straight rifle stock. This arrangement is great for shooting when prone, or from a supported position, making this very fitting for a long-range DMR style battle rifle such as the JG1401. At the rear of the stock, we are treated to a lift-up stabilising butt plate brace which is intended to help control the wild recoil of the real M14 when fired in fully automatic. This isn't an issue for the Airsoft version, but this brace does assist in shouldering the M14 comfortably and can prevent the stock from sliding down on your shoulder and ruining a perfect shot. The stock also features a second sling point, meaning if you want to throw the JG1401 on your back for some sidearm fun, you don't have any other parts to buy and install (except your sling)!

Within the stock, we can find the battery compartment, which is large enough to hold most medium sized Airsoft batteries, measuring 11cm x 3cm x 2cm. We recommend a 7.4V 1300 mAh LiPo battery in nunchuck configuration for the best fit in the JG1401. The battery compartment can be accessed by lifting the stabilising butt plate extension up, and then opening the battery cover door. Inside you will find a mini-Tamiya battery connector to which you connect your battery.

So, if you are in the market for a DMR rifle base gun, or you just have more refined tastes than the hordes of modern tactical rifle users, the JG1401 M14 would be perfect for you. The long barrel, superb rotary "V-HOP" system, long sight radius and superb adjustable sights make this the perfect rifle for anyone with a "one shot, one kill" mindset, even if they aren't planning on adding upgrades!

Features

• Full metal construction
• Version.7 gearbox
• Realistic dummy bolt operation with bolt lock
• Ambidextrous magazine release
• Ready for an M14 scope mount rail
• Lift up butt plate brace
• Sling points at the front and rear
• Superb adjustable iron sights - Amongst the best iron sight designs in the world
• Long sight radius and very long barrel - Excellent accuracy potential
• TM copy "V-HOP" HOP-up system - Improved left to right stability
• Classic DMR rifle look - Blackhawk Down, 28 Weeks Later style
• 14mm Clockwise (CW) male threaded outer barrel - Ready for CW accessories or CCW adapter

Package Includes

• Jing Gong JG1401 M14 Battle Rifle AEG
• 400rnd High Capacity Magazine
• User Manual