M1A opinons.

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ChevyGuy91

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I shot the M14 often while in the Navy, and I have to say that is my favorite firearm as of yet. I have wanted one for a while, and I am seriously considering picking one up. As much as I want a neutered clone to what I shot in the Navy, I think I like the 16" SOCOM II model minus the tactical rails. Any opinions, ups or downs I may not be aware of? Is there a big difference in performance between the SOCOM II and the standard model?

I think I am leaning towards the standard M1A, but I do like the idea of the shorter SOCOM II.

Thanks for your time,
Ed
 
edmorseiii said:
I shot the M14 often while in the Navy, and I have to say that is my favorite firearm as of yet. I have wanted one for a while, and I am seriously considering picking one up. As much as I want a neutered clone to what I shot in the Navy, I think I like the 16" SOCOM II model minus the tactical rails. Any opinions, ups or downs I may not be aware of? Is there a big difference in performance between the SOCOM II and the standard model?

I think I am leaning towards the standard M1A, but I do like the idea of the shorter SOCOM II.

Thanks for your time,
Ed
Click to expand...

I have a Socom 16 and I love it. I feel it has better balance than the Socom II because you don't have a the added weight of the rails up front. JMO.

It is expensive to shoot though, oh well. [grin] I've let a couple of people here shoot it, it always seems to bring a smile to peoples faces.
 
The SOCOM-16 was my compromise rifle. At the time, I was looking for a Scout. I bought it because I wanted an M1A, did not want a Standard and could not find a Scout. I have never looked back - I absolutely adore this rifle. Mine is hardly recognizable from what it was when I took it out of the package. It's new enveloped in a Troy MCS, (rails a plenty). As soon as I find a Scout, it will go back into it's USGI birch, (was badass in that stock). Without optics, expect this to be a CQB+ rifle. may - especially purists, pan this rifle due to it's "lack of accuracy". In reality, it's built to be a close-quarters weapon. The wide Trijicon front blade, coupled with the large rear aperture make this not a match rifle for drilling the X-ring at 500-yards, but a rifle for hitting man-sized targets as far as you can see, but ideally inside 200-yards. I put a Tripower on the front rail and was easily able to drill stuff out to 400, (the farthest I've shot it). With irons, the wide tritium blade will tend to cover smaller targets beyond 200, but is center-mass-able well beyond that...

Buy it - you'll love it. If you want a bit further reach, go for a Scout. The 18" barrel, thinner post and smaller ap, make it a more precise rifle at extended distances. The 2" added to the barrel makes it more of a target rifle, but takes away from the bad-ass boomstick rifle just a bit...[wink]
 
Depends what you want it for? HD? get a short barrel. If you want a rifle to shoot get the full rifle. i believe the standard rifle is cheaper than the SOCOM II and the scout.
 
Well it wouldn't be for home defense, I would think that to be overkill and I have no disillusions of whacking tangos from my roof at 600 yards away. It would be a shooter, once I find a range to join. I didn't take into account the added noise from the shorter barrel, that is a good point. I do kind of like the idea of the 18" barrel, that sounds like a maybe happy medium.

Thanks for the replies,
Ed
 
edmorseiii said:
I shot the M14 often while in the Navy, and I have to say that is my favorite firearm as of yet. I have wanted one for a while, and I am seriously considering picking one up. As much as I want a neutered clone to what I shot in the Navy, I think I like the 16" SOCOM II model minus the tactical rails. Any opinions, ups or downs I may not be aware of? Is there a big difference in performance between the SOCOM II and the standard model?

I think I am leaning towards the standard M1A, but I do like the idea of the shorter SOCOM II.

Thanks for your time,
Ed
Click to expand...
You will get more muzzle flash and blast from the short 16.5" barrel of the SOCOM, because you will not have a complete burning of the smokeless powder within the barrel. Before purchasing a full-sized .308, I fired the Ruger "Frontier" model (a version of the Scout-type rifle) with the 16.5" tube and didn't like the flash and noise. I chose the full-sized Ruger KM77MKII .308 instead. Also, in .308, you will lose about 25 feet-per-second of velocity for each inch of barrel less than 22".
 
I have an SA M1A Loaded. It's my favorite rifle. I've shot Mass Mark's SOCOM as well as a SOCOM in a normal synthetic stock. Those were great also but I prefer the longer barrel.
 
Thanks for all the input, I think I am going to set my hopes high, and save my pennys for a National Match. Maybe down the road pick up a short boom stick for fun/blue helmets.

Unless of course I happen to find one at a good deal.
 
Last edited:
If it is just for range work, get the standard M1A set up. The longer barrel gives you a longer sight radius.

The various SOCOM models look cool, but they are really, really heavy.
 
edmorseiii said:
Thanks for all the input, I think I am going to set my hopes high, and save my pennys for a National Match. Maybe down the road pick up a short boom stick for fun/blue helmets.

Unless of course I happen to find one at a good deal.
Click to expand...

Another thing you might consider is trying to find a Polytech M14 and then sending it off to Fulton Armory to have them work it over.
 
Madball13 said:
will that call for a name change?
Click to expand...

Yup ... thinking about: "FreeMark" or "NewMark" or perhaps: "MySOCOM16IsMoreQuietThanYoursMark":...Hmmmm

M1911 said:
If it is just for range work, get the standard M1A set up. The longer barrel gives you a longer sight radius.

The various SOCOM models look cool, but they are really, really heavy.
Click to expand...

Okay Dench...[cheers]

Ed: Unless you plan on truly shooting matches, I'd skip the NM. It's a great gun, but limits what you can do with it down the road, (double lugged, bedded, heavy, etc). If you want the accuracy, with a more traditional profile, get the Loaded. Medium weight match barrel, NM front post, USGI profile. Look into the Scout though. You're giving up no practical range anyway, can be fitted with a USGI FH if you want. Unless you're planning on shooting out past 800-yards, the Scout offers a more handy package. Hell, if I could I would have one of each...Nothing you pick will be a bad choice. If your budget allows, skip China and go for an LRB...[wink]
 
Thanks for the advice, food for thought. I won't be seriously trying to buy until probably after tax returns, unless the right deal comes along.
 
I love my loaded. And I love my scout.

I did a few things to my scout that make it very handy without being stuck with a muzzle break and a 16" barrel like the SOCOM. If I had to get rid of every other rifle (not that I have all that many to begin with), that's the one I would keep.
 
crak said:
I love my loaded. And I love my scout.

I did a few things to my scout that make it very handy without being stuck with a muzzle break and a 16" barrel like the SOCOM. If I had to get rid of every other rifle (not that I have all that many to begin with), that's the one I would keep.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Scout is awesome. While you are "stuck" with the 16" barrel, (I don't fee stuck), you are not with the muzzle break. Smith, Troy and I believe Phantom make flash hiders for it. I'm getting the Troy, (easy Vellnueve YHM does not make one), because it and the Smith are suppressor ready...
 
MassMark said:
Yeah, the Scout is awesome. While you are "stuck" with the 16" barrel, (I don't fee stuck), you are not with the muzzle break. Smith, Troy and I believe Phantom make flash hiders for it. I'm getting the Troy, (easy Vellnueve YHM does not make one), because it and the Smith are suppressor ready...
Click to expand...

That's good news. There were no flash hiders for it back then.
 
Please if you wouldn't mind what were the few things?

A big part of me wants to be a purist and go with a USGI clone, and the other part of me want's to have the cool stuff. Eventually I will probably wind up with both.
 
I cut the stock right down to the rear sling swivel and attached a very nice grind-to-fit pad that makes shooting it a breeze. Instead of that big monster rail on the front of the Socom, I have a replacement front swivel with a tiny rail on it just in case I need a tactical beer holder.

A vortex flashider is shorter than stock and more effective. There's also a direct-connect version of the vortex that I don't think uses the castle nut and would be even shorter than that, but back then they had no way of using an M1A front sight with it. Since then, they came out with a direct connect version that will work with a standard front sight and if feel like spending more money on it, that'd make it even better.

Bottom line it's about the same size as a socom with the center of mass closer in, less junk up front, a flash hider, and a longer barrel.

My Loaded has a kydex riser that makes the scope usable with an actual cheek weld. I have the same cheek riser for the scout, but it's tough for me to decide whether to put it on or not. On the one hand, I want as little crap on it as possible, and it does make the rifle a little more unwieldy. On the other hand, there's no cheek weld when using the scout mounted scope/aimpoint.
 
Personally, I think the rifle should be the way the Good Lord intended it......

m14.jpg
 
PatMcD said:
Personally, I think the rifle should be the way the Good Lord intended it......

m14.jpg
Click to expand...

That's sweet and if I have my way, one day I'll have an LRB M14 built to as close to USGI as possible. If I really hit it big, there's some transferrable real-deal M14's out there as well...Yum. I do however like to keep my feet planted in both worlds and stretching out this rifle to it's true potential with the addition of modern accessories, (Troy MCS/Sage/VLTOR/Smith etc), is a good thing in my book. The M-14 has seen somewhat of a resurgence on the battlefield thanks to people like Tony Lawrence, Steve Troy, Ron Smith and a cast of others...I love the look and feel of a full length USGI M14 - the balance, the heft, the function. I also appreciate the level to which one can take an aging rifle design and transform it into a modern weapons platform - yesterdays technology suitable for the shooters and soldiers of the present...

DSC_5623.jpg


SANY0201.jpg


SANY0211.jpg
 

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