February 18th, 2020
7minute read
The Cold War of the 1950s featured several violent insurgencies around the world.
The French fought insurgents in Southeast Asia and in Algeria.
The British dealt with uprisings in Malaya and Kenya.
Revolution and revolt rocked Cuba, Egypt and Laos.
By the early 1960s, uprisings would burn in the Congo, Rhodesia, Mozambique, Angola and Columbia.
The war in Vietnam ramped up.
The conflict in many of these nations took place in rugged jungle environments.
New small arms were in demand to effectively fight, or counter, a guerrilla war.
In 1959, the M14 became Americas standard rifle.
Apparently, creating new product names was not a strength for H&R.
Clearly noticeable is the large, perforated cone flash hider.
A few examples may have been fitted with a metal under-folding stock.
Firing the Guerrilla Gun, particularly on full-auto, must have been quite an adventure.
Tracking a Rare Rifle
Not a lot of information exists on the H&R Guerrilla Guns.
Their serial numbers began with the letter X. in 1962 Experimental M14 Guerrilla Rifle as modified by Harrington & Richardson.
Weapon weighs approximately 8 lbs.
Uses the 7.62 NATO cartridge.
Unique gas system and conical flash hider.
Well-made of forged components.
Apparently, some were sold at the H&R bankruptcy auction during 1986.
Whats the Point?
The strange Guerrilla Gun highlights an ongoing problem in military firearms design.
Knockdown power generally requires a larger cartridge.
The firepower needs of a modern battlefield demand full-auto capability.
Budget parameters require that the platform serves well in many roles.
It must be comfortable to shoot, accurate and have a good cyclic rate.
All the military wants is, well, everything.
We have yet to find one rifle platform that does everything well.
loaded and just 35.6 long, the Carbine is a soldiers dream to carry.
After World War II the selective-fire M2 Carbine was introduced and proved itself capable as an automatic weapon.
The .45 caliber Thompson SMG was another capable combat veteran from World War II.
Sturdy and dependable, the Thompson delivered tremendous short-range firepower.
However, its 10+ pound weight wasnt making many new fans.
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces began to phase them out during the mid-1960s.
The M16 also became a major player in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The U.S. Army would shortly approve it for jungle warfare operations.
By 1969 the M16 would replace the M14 as Americas standard rifle.
Go to forum thread
M1ATMTanker
The Last Steel Warrior: The U.S. M14 Rifle
