TSD M14

Manufacturer: TSD

Model: M14

FPS: 280-290

Cost: $35-$45

Introduction: The TSD M14 is one of the only spring M14 replicas on the airsoft market. Availible in both regular and SOCOM variants, the M14 is a very nice replica for its price. It is commonly purchasable in airsoft retail stores.

Externals: The M14's externals are extremely impressive. It has a very decent weight, most of which is concentrated in the back of the rifle in the stock. The ABS plastic feels very solid and there is no creaking or flexing in this replica. The weakest part in the build of the replica is the rear sling mount, which is completely weak and cheap plastic that will eventually break under normal usage. The front slight mount does not suffer from this deficiency. The textured parts of the body are very confortable to hold. The fire-selector is molded in and cannot move. The rear sight is very well made. The only significant detriment to the replicas overall looks is a giant seam-line runing from the front of the barrel down the sight. The M14s I have handled also were slightly prone to scratching.

Metal Parts: The TSD M14 features a plethora of metal parts which include front slight mount, rear sight, cocking bolt, and inner barrel. The inclusion of so much metal parts makes the replica feel very sturdy and makes cocking the replica feel confortable and solid.

Features: The M14 features a detached tri-rail RIS that can fits on the front of the rifle. The SOCOM variant has an additional RIS rail attached to the bottom of the front of the rifle. The SOCOM variant also has a fake ACOG (simply for looks, not skirmishable) and a cheap flashlight (half-decent and okay). Also included is a small screwdriver for locking in the RIS and a speedloader for loading the magazines.

Safety: The safety is a smaller lever on the trigger guard that flips in or flips out. It is quite solid and should not break under normal usage. Make sure to disengage the safety even when cocking the rifle to prevent wear on the replica's internals.

Magazine: The magazines are relatively solidly built with a few quirks. The first is that the magazine is quite prone to scratching. Secondly, the magazine begins to open at its seams when it reaches more than 8-10 bbs. The magazines capacity tops off around 35 bbs. Note that this coming apart at the seams does not affect the firing of the replica and is resolved when the magazine is loaded into the replica. Also note that a couple pieces of electric tape or duct tape should also fix this problem. Another interesting note about this replica's magazines is that UTG/DE M87 style magazines also can feed into this replica, but do not lock in. They simply hang in there with some light friction from the mag release. This gives you another two magazines choices: a short 17 round magazine or a large, 150 hi-cap magazine from this replica. This versatility in magazine choices is another highlight of this replica.

Firing: There is no internal difference between the SOCOM and regular version of the M14 replica. To fire this replica, make sure that the safety is off. Firing while the safety is on puts unnecessary wear on the replica's internals. The pull on the bolt is quite hard but becomes easier overtime. After hearing a solid click, guide the bolt forward to prevent further unnecessary wear on the replica's externals. Then line up the iron sights/optics, and fire. The trigger pull is firm and responsive. Note that the iron sights are only slightly adjustable for left/right, and do not adjust for elevation. The range of this rifle is excellent and easily pushes 140 feet with hop-up adjustment. Adjusting the hop-up is a simple ordeal with the hop-up adjust knob in the magazine well and simply turning in either direction adjusts the hop-up. The FPS of the rifle may seem a bit low, but it makes up for it in great accuracy and range.

Conclusion: Definately an excellent spring replica, the TSD M14 is a wonderful performer for its price and can easily outmatch almost every other spring replica. Other than some slight flaws in externals such as the rear sling mount and scratching, the rifle is both perfect for a beginner and an experienced airsofter. Ultimately, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a long range and effective spring replica.

Airsoft Springers Reviews:
Externals: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Accuracy: 5/5
Range: 5/5
Power: 4/5
Overall: 5/5