/Wall-o-text ahead/
I know the obvious answer is to simply reduce number of mags, but for creativity's sake, I'll put forth another idea:
- Amount of magazines
- Mag size (to 10 shots)
+ Recoil (enough that you still need to re-center aim quickly even as Sharpie, so by quite a bit)
+ Per shot damage (though it still requires multiple for Scrake/FP)
- Reload time slightly (perhaps?)
The recoil would make it more difficult to use (though more fun if you handle it skillfully), as well as make firing the gun more deliberate instead of "Point at head and mash mouse1". The decreased mag size makes it weaker toward crowd-control though still better then the Crossbow.
I also float the idea of slightly quicker reload because the user will be reloading more often. It would also create a false sense of power (the same that the AA12 has), where the user feels like they are more capable of eliminating threats then they are, though in reality we all know what happens when you use the AA12 too much....you quickly run out of ammo, and are basically screwed. Hence, why I say it's a "false" sense of power. This would in-turn lead the M14 to be a "only use when necessary" gun, much like the AA12 and Xbow. You'd be able to tell the skilled player because they would save the M14 for big targets/panic situations, instead of being like those AA12 spammers you see sometimes.
So basically, capable of downing Scrakes and FP's, but easier to mess up with then the Xbow. However, it has better crowd-control then the Xbow, but still not as good as a Commando weapon. I leave the crowd-control in because, for better or worse, that's the purpose of the weapon it seems. I feel I can't take crowd-control away from it without completely changing the gun. However, I can make the gun worse at it (by reducing it's mag ammo and number of mags), and make the gun harder to use (but more rewarding), by upping the damage but severely increasing the recoil as well. This would also prevent everyone and their aunt taking the M14 whenever they can afford it, as it would be extremely hard to use unperked due to insane amounts of recoil.
Honestly I have no opinion either way on keeping the laser sight or not, but I do think the M14 should have a better ironsight at least, so people are encouraged to use it instead of discouraged by how frustrating it is to see through.
TL: DR- Please read what I have put forth. If I just outline the stats you'll say it's still OP, but if you look at my explanation you'll see just how I think the limits of the gun will nigh-force players to use it skillfully (or avoid it in favor of the Xbow) BUT not nerf it into oblivion, and make skillful use of it as...well, useful, as a skillful Xbow user, though not precisely in the same manner (which is a good thing as it adds variety).
Yeah even that ended up being long-winded....