CA Fish and Game?

[RolnCode3]

rolncode - i think you mean M14 - not M1.. they look similar but every F&G I have seen uses M14

Nope. M1A. It's the box magazine fed carbine version of the M14. The M14 is a full-size battle rifle and is huge. Apparently doesn't fit into most of the vehicles. So they modify it or purchase M1A's which are the same basic rifle, but smaller. There is a possibility that some wardens do have M14s though.

Springfield Armory

 

[WayneH]

Hey wayne. Did you see in the programming any mix mode or p25 set up. In the radios thanks

Adding to what avtarsingh said I'd be willing to bet the HT radios were purchased with Analog Only too. Some of the other State LE equipment I've seen that can do it doesn't have it.

 

[dsmiley]

Nope. M1A. It's the box magazine fed carbine version of the M14. The M14 is a full-size battle rifle and is huge. Apparently doesn't fit into most of the vehicles. So they modify it or purchase M1A's which are the same basic rifle, but smaller. There is a possibility that some wardens do have M14s though.

Springfield Armory

By M14...do you mean a Ruger Mini-14 perhaps

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pu...bROfdidze4S1YqKyCZmXq4dWqyaShA1SiYkqfmyJ3Rd0Y

 

[RolnCode3]

By M14...do you mean a Ruger Mini-14 perhaps

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pu...bROfdidze4S1YqKyCZmXq4dWqyaShA1SiYkqfmyJ3Rd0Y

Nope. M-14 is the predecessor to the M16. Looks VERY similar to the M1, but it's detachable box-fed and not 30-06. It's a .308/7.62 NATO round. I think only Springfield Armory makes M1A/M14 (unless it's a gov't surplus-then I don't know who made them). The Mini-14 is a .223 made by Ruger. Worlds apart. The Mini-14 is like a little kid, while the M-14 is a 6'5", 350 lb linebacker. DFG carrying .308s is documented elsewhere, and I can attest first-hand that's what is in the vehicles.

I feel like we're getting sidetracked, so I just tracked down the definitive document. DFG's Warden Firearms Manual. Very 1st image, first page: M1A/M14. Section 5 discusses both as well.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/warden/docs/firearmsmanual_0109.pdf

 

[Big_Ears]

Maybe he's thinking of the M16A4 version w/ the telescopic tubular stock. Anyways staying with the thread, I've monitored Cal F&G wardens in Modoc Co. using Nevada State F&G frequencies. They probably could call up the Nevada County SO if needed. That's if you don't hear anything on the normal listed freqs. Anyways they usually talk simplex and in real cryptic lingo. Something like "Did you hear where that shot came from?" "Sounded like it was up by the ole mine." "What about that one"? I'm gonna work my way down the river and meet up with you past Rattler's Gulch"." I just heard a shot and saw some head lights going south on N104A. Are you in position to intercept?"

 

[procopper7005]

I noticed more the piece of crap antenna that looked like his dog ate it But the attitude was appropriate I think. The poachers were using a scanner in the commission of a crime. They were also using FRS/GMRS radios in the commission of the crime. Aren't the police allowed to listen to them while committing a crime? This isn't the same as a person lawfully driving down the street listening. Apples and oranges.

Any cop who works street narcotics in an urban area quickly learns that dope dealers use these radios for lookouts. In many areas of the country some officers are monitoring FRS/GMRS while on patrol on a regular basis. You would be surprised at what you hear near high crime areas on these. Go to any major city and hang out near a housing project with a scanner and listen in to the criminals talking about where they see cops.

 

[code3cowboy]

Maybe he's thinking of the M16A4 version w/ the telescopic tubular stock.

The M16 system looks nothing like the M1 or M14 systems, I would highly doubt that.

Depending on the location and the Warden, there may be any number of frequencies or radios available to a warden. Due to the nature of their work, interoperability is not an option for them. I frequently hear them on other agencies channels.

 

[akulahawk]

Just for clarification... the M14 evolved from the M1 rifle. The M14 can be made to be either select fire (semi/full-auto) or semi-auto only. The Springfield M1A is based on the M14 design, but an M1A receiver can not accept an M14 trigger group. M14 rifles shoot the 7.62 x 51mm cartridge (very similar to .308 Win) and the M1A is generally chambered in .308 Win. The M1 Garand, as adopted by the DOD, was chambered in .30-06 and later some were chambered for the 7.62 x 51mm.

The M16/M4 rifles look absolutely nothing like a Garand/M14/M1A pattern rifle. Incidentally, the Ruger Mini-14 is essentially a scaled-down M1A. It's chambered for .223 Rem just like most AR-15 rifles.

I happened to see a parked F&G Warden's truck and it certainly appeared like it had an M14 with a compensator (not a flash hider) in the rack. I couldn't see the left side of the stock below the rear sight, so I can't say for certain that it was an M14, but presence of a happy switch would be pretty concrete evidence... The stock did look fairly old... like my Garand's stock. The compensator (aka brake) looked like it'd been in place for a while. After doing some research, it may have been an original M14 compensator.

 

[RolnCode3]

The website's server certificate is a mess. I was told the M14s were surplus through DOD, and needed work before being deployed.
https://www.drms.dla.mil/rtd03/leso/weapons.shtml#updates

 

[akulahawk]

That those M14 rifles would need work makes sense... otherwise the DoD would have repurposed them to be M21 or M25 rifles for the DMR/Sniper role. Given that the M14 can be outfitted quite easily with most M1A rifle stuff and that the platform is well understood (there are very good instructions on how to accurize them to match grade) and that it's a cheap means to acquire hundreds of full-auto capable rifles that have the capability to take basically all game animals found in California...

I don't think that the rifle I saw was an M1A, it was most likely an M14. I just wish I'd had a chance to see the manufacturer's stamp on the receiver...