The S&T Motiv K14 is a South Korean bolt-action sniper rifle manufactured by S&T Motiv. The K14 is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.
History[]
Prior to the K14, the South Korean Army did not have an official standard-issue long-ranged rifle. In the 1970s–80s weapons such as the M1 Garand or modified K2 rifles filled the designated marksman/sniper role. Eventually, proper sniper rifles were imported from other countries for South Korean special forces or counter-terrorism units, however, the actual army simply was not interested in the usage of sniper rifles.
Requirements for a proper sniper rifle became apparent after South Korean involvement in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan, where Korean officers witnessed the effectiveness of allied and enemy snipers. In addition, the growing fear of North Korean snipers also cemented the desire for a South Korean standard-issue sniper rifle.
In 2011, requirements were made for a standard-issue sniper rifle. The rifle needed to be a bolt-action, 7.62 NATO sniper rifle, complete with a set of optics and other accessories. That year, S&T Daewoo submitted their XK14 experimental design and it became the central sniper rifle of interest, as South Korea favors locally manufactured firearms. It entered service in December 2012, officially designated as the K14. S&T Motive was awarded 3.2 billion won ($3 million USD) contract for a number of their rifles.
Design Details[]
The K14 is a bolt-action rifle with a bolt handle that rotates 60 degrees. This action has many similarities to the Winchester 70 bolt-action rifle. The stock of the rifle is made of fiberglass and polymer, while the frame itself is made of metal. The handguard features a 4-way picatinny rail system.
The K14 uses a standard 5-round box magazine, but can also accept an extended 10-round magazine.
Variants[]
- XK14: Experimental prototype.
- K14: Current mass-produced variant.