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Bad Company 2

Bad Company 2 Weapons Index

M14
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The M14 is the direct result of feedback from soldiers that carried the M1 Garand weapon in WWII. Soldiers reported that, although highly regarded and reliable, the M1 Garand was too long and too heavy. Another problem reported was the ammunition itself. The .30-06 round was considered to long and too heavy for a soldier to carry an adequate load-out. Probably the most notable downside to the M1 Garand was the 8-round ammo clip that was used to load the weapon. The clip made refilling a partially loaded magazine well impossible. The clip also issued a clearly audible "PING" sound once ammunition was exhausted, notifying everyone, including the enemy, that the soldier just ran out of ammo and will be reloading soon. Most modern weapons employ box magazines that can be easily refilled. It should be noted by the reader that there is a GREAT distinction between a "clip" and a "magazine." A clip literally "clips" the ammunition together by the rims of the casings. A magazine contains the ammunition within its confines, just like a written magazine publication contains information within its confines.

After extensive testing and prototyping, two versions of the M14 were released. The M14 and the M15 (prototypes designated T44E4 and T44E5, respectively.) The M15 (never brought into production) was to be a squad automatic weapon used for support fire. Originally the M14 was a selective fire weapon. The user could choose between semi-automatic and full-automatic fire modes, but the general opinion was that the M14 was too light to control the recoil caused by the 7.62x51mm(.308 Win) round. The M14 carries the distinction of being just the second rifle used by the US military that had the capacity to change fire modes. The legendary Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was the first. With the advent of the M16 in the mid-1960's, the M14 began to be phased out of general deployment, although it is still used in several roles. The M14 is the base for the modern M21 sniper rifle. The M14 currently sees limited use in Afghanistan and Iraq because its range and penetration are favored over the M16(A2/A3) and M4. Although the M14 does not see much deployment with regular infantry, it is still used by the U.S. military in many roles around the world.

A few of the roles of the M14 in real life:
  • Embassy Guards
  • Special Operations
  • Many rear area sentries
  • The Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns

Statistics


Fire Mode: Semi-automatic
Rate of Fire: 260 RPM
Magazine Size: 10
Reload time: 2.015 seconds ready, 3.1 total
Damage at 9M: 39
Damage at 62M: 28

Alright class, put your learning caps on and turn your textbooks to Chapter 12: Cross-Class Weapons. Today we will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of one of the most underused weapons in Battlefield: Bad Company 2; The M14.

While the SMG's are amazing at close range, they are almost useless past about 40-50 meters. The M14 has the ability to deal great damage at close range, even when fired from the hip. It also has the capability to deliver rounds on target accurately at long range, all while packing a hefty punch.

In my BC2 experience I have found myself many times wishing I had a weapon that could extend my reach as an engineer or a medic. I, for one, refused to use this weapon for months on end. I loathed everything about it. The sights, the spray/spread, the damage, even the way it fired from the hip. The thing about it is...I wasn't using it right. When used properly the M14 is a force to be reckoned with, on par with the highly regarded 870 shotgun and the M1911 pistol. We will discuss the best way to deploy this weapon later in this article. Before we get to the good part, we have to commence with the "rat killin'".

Mechanics
As with every weapon in BC2 (except for hand grenades) damage dealt drops over distance. The M14 yields 39 damage per round for the first 8 meters, slowly degrading to 28 damage at 62 meters, thus making this a 3-shot-kill weapon out to ~35 meters, and a 4-shot weapon at ranges >36 meters.

When magnum ammo (Damage= x1.25) is selected, damage is boosted to 48.75 out to 8 meters, degrading to 35 damage at >62 meters. This makes the M14 a 3-shot weapon at all ranges. The head-shot multiplier for the M14 is 2.1. This transforms the already already impressive stats into something REALLY desirable. A head-shot, with magnum ammo equipped, yields 102.375 damage at close range. For those having trouble with addition and subtraction, that is a one-shot-kill. The only other weapons that can deal that kind of damage are the recon class primaries (with the exception of the VSS), the M16A2, AN-94, and the pump shotties. Good luck firing your M95 from the hip. As for the shotguns, I've died more than once while working the slide after missing with the first round.

In the rate of fire department, the M14 shares the same 260 RPM fire rate as the M1911 pistol. "A bit slow," you say? No one seems to complain about the M1911. As long as you take care with your shot placement (Just like with the M1911) this will be but a small hindrance on your way to Battlefield dominance.

With the M14 you can go from an empty magazine to blasting away again in 3.1 seconds. That is faster than 90% of the other weapons in the game. Only four of the 41 weapons at your disposal reload faster than the M14: the XM8, M16, XM8C and the PP2000.

Another thing to remember is the fact that the weapon is ACTUALLY ready to fire after only 2.015 seconds. You don't necessarily HAVE wait the full 3.1 seconds for the weapon to finish it's post-reload animation. As soon as you see that the ammo counter has returned back to ten, you can quickly pull up your sidearm and immediately return to your M14. You can shave off as much as a half second or just a bit more. That doesn't sound like much, but you should know by now that a half second in a FPS game can be the difference between getting a triple kill, or being one of the three that died.

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Video Portrait

This video created by Dan7. Thank you Dan. Great work.

Dan's original M14 video can be found here. We chose to create a new video to showcase the ACOG and red dot sight that were recently added for the M14 and the G3.

Role
So...to explain this in a bit less-technical manner...the M14 (*theoretically*) deals 39 damage for every round spent at close range. At longer ranges damage per round comes in at a a degraded 28. When compared to two other highly popular rifles, the AN-94 and the M16A2, the M14 may be found lacking at first glance. Do not be deceived by the pure numbers. One must also consider practical application of the weapon.

Ever tried taking someone out from long range with either the M16 or the AN-94? The same burst-fire that we love at close and medium range is deceitful at long distances. Many times the first round will strike the enemy, with the second (and third with the M16) soaring right over their head. At distance it can require as many as 3-5 pulls of the trigger with the M16 or the AN-94. That doesn't sound like much, but one must consider how much ammo is being spent down range. That equates to anywhere from 6 to 15 rounds being spent. With the M14 you have the luxury of bringing down enemies with only 4 rounds at long range. That's anywhere from 33-73% less ammo spent with the M14.

I know there are naysayers out there reading right now. "So what?" you say. "I can take someone out with only two shots from my M24 or M95," you say. Well, one must also consider that whilst wielding the M24 or the M95 it will be far more challenging to bring down an enemy in the chance that the player is surprised by a close range assailant. Once again...good luck firing your M95 from the hip.

"Yeah, but my UMP or my AN-94 can bring 'em down in a jiffy at short range!" you say. In rebuttal I say "The UMP only deals 20 damage at point blank range; the M14 deals 39 damage without magnum ammo!" The AN-94 also deals 20 damage per round. At point blank range that equates to 40 damage per trigger pull, just one point better than the M14. Should someone try to sneak up on you and poke you with a knife, don't be afraid to turn around and feed 'em a lead salad from the hip. It only takes three rounds from the M14 to put down a short range enemy, that is 20% less ammo than both the UMP and the AN-94.

About the only downside to the M14 is the magazine size. Since it only holds 10 rounds, it is advisable to avoid confrontations with more than two enemies at a time. Even then, extra care should be taken due to the relatively slow rate of fire. Two medics running together will likely laugh at your feeble to attempt to assert your Battlefield authority over their heathenistic, M60-wielding ways as they blast you into oblivion.

The "Tactical Reload"

Something to keep in mind when using this weapon (and every other weapon, as a matter of fact) is tactical reloading. This can also be termed "partial reloading." A tactical reload is just what the name implies. You reload your weapon to give you a tactical advantage.

Scenario:
You are moving with your squad and you all come across a nest of recon players. You all use part of, but not all, the ammunition in your weapons to take out these recons. You now have 4 rounds in your weapon. In haste you move on, looking to do some more ravaging, without reloading. You run into a building and find a medic and three assault players. You and your squad engage in a firefight with this group of enemies.

Two of your squad mates are killed in the first few seconds by a grenade, but they severely wounded the three enemy assault players before dieing. You put a bullet in each of the wounded players, killing them. You then turn and try to kill the medic that is left, but since you did not reload after killing the recon players earlier, you are only able to hit him with one round. This medic is now angered and begins to weave a tapestry of destruction on your face with his infernal M60. After you die the enemy proceeds to plow your squad mate like last years corn. He then revives all of his dead comrades and they run and arm the MCOM, while you are waiting to spawn.

This enemy squad has now dug themselves in and are very effectively guarding this MCOM. Your team is unable to kill all of them and disarm the objective. Your team loses the game, ultimately, because you failed to reload your weapon before engaging in a firefight.

Now, this is how it MIGHT have played out if you had done a tactical reload:
You are moving with your squad and you all come across a nest of recon players. You all use part of, but not all, the ammunition in your weapons to take out these recons. You now have 4 rounds in your weapon. You then take a few moments to reload before you move on, looking to do some more ravaging. You run into a building and find a medic and three assault players. You and your squad engage in a firefight with this group of enemies.

Two of your squad mates are killed in the first few seconds by a grenade, but they severely wounded the three enemy assault players before dieing. You clean up the mess and kill the three wounded players (with one bullet apiece), and then kill the medic with your remaining seven rounds. You use the medic kit from the fallen enemy to revive your squad mates.

The enemy must wait to spawn as you and your squad move to a more advantageous anti-flanking position and hold off the attackers for last couple of minutes in the match. Your team wins, ultimately, because you and your squad reloaded your weapons before running into a fight.

The point is, just like the small amount of time we talked about earlier, a small amount of ammo can make a huge difference in the outcome of a fight, and even the entire match. Always keep your weapon topped off with ammunition. The click of an empty magazine is the last thing you want to hear when you are in the middle of killing enemy hordes that are bearing down on your position.

Designated Marksmen

Remember, as the "designated marksman" your role is provide support from all but the longest ranges. You aren't the one meant to go charging into the MCOM like Rambo, killing every living thing on the way.

"The mission of the SDM(Squad Designated Marksman) is to deploy as a member of the rifle squad. The SDM is a vital member of his individual squad and [he is] not a squad sniper. He fires and maneuvers with his squad and performs all the duties of a standard rifleman. The SDM has neither the equipment nor the training to operate individually or in a small team to engage targets at extended ranges with precise fires.

The secondary mission of the SDM is to engage key targets from 300 to 500 meters with effective, well-aimed fires using the standard weapon system and standard ammunition. He may or may not be equipped with an optic. The SDM must, therefore, possess a thorough understanding and mastery of the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship as well as ballistics, elevation and windage hold-off, sight manipulation, and range estimation."

--direct quote from the Rifle Marksmanship Field Manual
issued by the Department of the Army--


As you can see, your primary directive is to be an active part of your squad, not a lone wolf, slowly dismantling the enemy team one at a time. The recent additions of the 4x optic and the red dot sight have greatly enhanced the versatility of this weapon. By giving us the ACOG for the M14, DICE has made a significant change to the game. This allows engineers and medics to effectively fight from long range (the 300-500 meters mentioned above), where previously the SMG's and LMG's were somewhat difficult to wield at long ranges. Now one is much more powerfully equipped to engage tanks from afar, with a bit less fear of taking a main cannon round in the teeth. This still is no excuse to stay back away from the action when you are needed. If there is an enemy tank rollin' into your MCOM, move your ass in there and give them a reason to be scared the next time they consider coming into your zone.

This update for the M14 does not only help engineers and medics, but also the assault class. Once again, this weapon is tailor made for long range engagement. Even more so now that we have a 4x optic at our disposal. As an assault this can allow you to press forward when defending and plant C4 all over the enemy's ingress routes. Lay traps for those tanks and quads. Since you also have your trusty M14+ACOG you can also lay down lethally accurate suppressive fire to keep those incoming infantry on their toes. Place your shots well and your rounds won't just be suppressing, but hitting their marks and putting Charlie out of commission.

The red dot sight is another welcome addition to the M14. Use the red dot to key in on the very high short range power of this weapon system. This weapon is great for an attacking assault or engineer. Once your squad moves up near the objective, get the charge planted and stay within 10 meters or so and lay waste on the MCOM with your rockets or C4, and use the M14+RDS to take down anyone trying to stop your reign of destruction.

Notes


Overall, the M14 is a very underrated and overlooked weapon. It delivers great power and good accuracy. The description DICE provides in the "file photo" proclaims that the M14 is "tailored for the designated marksman role." I could not agree more. This weapon holds its own against all of the short range weapons and refuses to be overlooked in the long range department. If you are looking for a weapon that bridges the gap between SMG's/assault rifles and the recon primaries, look no further than the M14. With a little skill and practice you will find yourself racking up kills in no time.