EM62 Juan Erquiaga conversion

[RDS]

If anyone is interested in the EM62 Juan Erquiaga conversion of the M1 Garand to M14 box mag feed. Back in March of 2015 I posted about it with photos on the M14 forum under Tim Shufflin's sub forum. The EM62 is a very interesting weapon designed by a man with a very interesting background. I have noticed a lot of members here are members on the M14 forum

[m14brian]

I don't remember that over there but I'm sure I don't see everything. I would be interested to check it out if you feel like posting it up sometime.
m14brian

[Garanditis]

http://m14forum.com/tim-shufflin/175350-em62-conversion.html

Very interesting indeed. Thanks for the heads-up RDS! Wish I had one of those in my safe.

[RDS]

It took me 30 years to find that one. I found it by luck on Gun Broker several years ago. A shop in New England listed it but had no idea it was Erquiaga conversion. Juan Erquiaga life story is more interesting than the rifle. He went from Castro's Armorer, to exile in Fla. with a price on his head to gun designer in Ca. He is the father of the MAC 10. Ingram worked for him in Ca. before Juan fled to Peru.

[Wojtek]

Well, it turns out that I have one and I just joined this forum to post about it. I posted my rifle to the Shufflin forum a long time ago but I thought it was just a custom one-off conversion by a very cool machinist. Turns out I was wrong!

[Wojtek]

[RDS]

Can you post more photos of your rifle? I noticed your mag catch is different. Did you check out the photos of my rifle on the M14 web site under Tim's forum?

[Wojtek]

Can you post more photos of your rifle? I noticed your mag catch is different. Did you check out the photos of my rifle on the M14 web site under Tim's forum?

I have seen your photos and I have noticed the different magazine catch.

When I get back stateside I will be sure to take some photos.

[Tom in N.J.]

A friend of mine had one of those rifles. He had a 'domestic dispute' problem and all of his firearms and accessories were confiscated by the police. It was an 'assault' rifle, as was his AR-15 SP-1. He was never charged for possession. I wonder if they went "south". I have some old photos of it. I will try and find, scan and post here. (RDS you met him at Sarco.."Frank").

[Pat]

Tom, We might know each other. ByBy. Pat

[RDS]

I purchased mine several years ago on Gunbroker from a dealer in Mass. He said it came from as estate sale.

[IRON WORKER]

Would be nice to see but all those pics were lost due to Photobucket

[RDS]

If you like I can take some more photos and email them to you. Tim posted them for me the last time. I do not know if Tim still has them. The post on the M14 forum under Tim Shuffin forum is still there but the photos are gone as you know. For someone of your talents it would be a easy gun to duplicate. It is much simpler conversion than a BM59 plus the fact it uses M14 mags. It was also reported that it could be made to work with FAL mags. As Juan worked for Castro during the rebellion it makes sense as far as the FAL mags . Castro had a lot of M1 Garands and Cuba had purchased FN FALs to fight Castro.

[RDS]

I know this post is two years old. I am hoping someone else may have some more info. The only info I have is from a "Gun World" article dated April 1963. The title of the article is "The M1 "Grows" To M14 by Jack Lewis. I also have an ad from the same magazine from Erquiaga Arms Company. Erquiaga Arms would convert your M1 for $65.00. The breach of my rifle gauges a four so it was shot a lot before I purchased it.

[Smokey]

I remember reading about this several years ago. Seemed interesting, but to be done with a receiver as a "new build". However, since I'm in the democrat hell of CT, the magazines alone are a felony to own, and the rifle itself would be banned (as soon as they learn about it) if it isn't already. Maybe if/when I escape from the northeast zone of madness.
I might add an adjustable gas bleed/valve as part of the buildup were I to have one built

[RCS]

The Erquiaga conversion is a collectors item, not many around, there was another conversion of the M1 Rifle with M14 magazines called the M11 which always used demil receivers. I think sometime around 1971, there was Jerry Collyard welding M14 demils, did not last long. Someone was welding demil M1 receivers "short" for the 7,62 NATO cartridge, really nice job and used the en bloc clip too.

I did build a few projects years ago and I did build a new gas cylinder for a 30-06 barrel, the barrel was thin but I was going to cover it. It worked with a modified Johnson MG magazine with new feed lips. The M60 bipod was a salvage yard find. When M14 barrels became surplus and cheap, it was soon discovered they would fit the Garand receiver and index, which was my next project along with surplus BM 59 parts and the M14 magazine. Photos show some of my new gas system