Thinking about an M1A...

[agabriel]

Hello,

I'm thinking about an M1A and would like to get a additional thoughts. I want to shoot the rifle at 100 to 600 yards, although this rifle won't be a match gun.

I've been leaning towards an SAI loaded based on specs and prices, but an older SAI's made up of USGI parts could also be neat. I'm really not sure if USGI parts are actually better than current commercial parts. I'm also interested in how often an M1A requires service and if the Springfield Armory warranty should be important to me. What else has been missed or should be considered?

Thoughts?

Anthony

 

[92G]

the SA M1A loaded with walnut stock is freakishly beautiful. immediate gun boner. if I were willing to get back into .308 it would be top semi-auto on my list.

 

[jason19711971]

Great rifle for long distance target shooting. Had mine for 2 years very accurate and reliable. Pretty easy to clean and break down.

 

[jason19711971]

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[Rockrivr1]

I purchased a Loaded SA M1A about 7 years ago and it's one of my favorite rifles. Very easy to shoot and very accurate. Mine is in a black synthetic stock, which I prefer but you can't go wrong with the wood option as well. Mine doesn't have a lot of USGI parts in it, but after a little over 3K rounds I haven't had a problem with her yet. I'd buy it again in a second.

 

[Steve Marshall]

I bought mine in 2002. The only failures to date have been from unfamiliar shooters riding the bolt down.
The costs are high. It seems that every shooter wants to try it. Stock up on extra ammunition. Shoot ball in it and hit as far as you can see. You can use the front sight as a rangefinder.

 

[mac1911]

I can't get rid of the draw to the M1a....I love it's looks .....but when it comes to the price. Well it turns me off.
See when I see how much a base M1a current production rifle cost I see another M1 garand and 1k rounds of HXP?
Also when you look into what it takes to get a M1a shooting well and consistent and keeping it that way....well it gets insane.
I know at some point a M1a variant will come home with me someday. I hope you get a nice one and you get one that shoots nice at 600 yards. I only know one person who actually shoots a M1a out to 600 yards but his is a full blown NM rifle.

If you do get a M1a there's a lot here that will help getting the most out of your rifle.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...B3yNn7Cenx1hiRkuA&sig2=1bJGcc8vJh-feUUW2orVTg

 

[agabriel]

I bought mine in 2002. The only failures to date have been from unfamiliar shooters riding the bolt down.
The costs are high. It seems that every shooter wants to try it. Stock up on extra ammunition. Shoot ball in it and hit as far as you can see. You can use the front sight as a rangefinder.

How do you use the front sight as a rangefinder?

 

[agabriel]

I can't get rid of the draw to the M1a....I love it's looks .....but when it comes to the price. Well it turns me off.
See when I see how much a base M1a current production rifle cost I see another M1 garand and 1k rounds of HXP?
Also when you look into what it takes to get a M1a shooting well and consistent and keeping it that way....well it gets insane.
I know at some point a M1a variant will come home with me someday. I hope you get a nice one and you get one that shoots nice at 600 yards. I only know one person who actually shoots a M1a out to 600 yards but his is a full blown NM rifle.

If you do get a M1a there's a lot here that will help getting the most out of your rifle.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...B3yNn7Cenx1hiRkuA&sig2=1bJGcc8vJh-feUUW2orVTg

I know of a few folks shooting CMP USGI M1 Garands at 600 successfully, so a loaded M1A seems to have even more advantage. I don't think an M1A will shoot like an AR, but it should be fun.

The link is cool - thanks.

 

[DarthRevan]

Now you have me looking at M1s...
Cant decide on which one though.

 

[slap shot]

How do you use the front sight as a rangefinder?

http://m14forum.com/m14/127704-use-your-nm-front-sight-rangefinder.html

Width (of TGT to FSP) Range (yards) Elevation setting (Ball ammo)

Full width....................250.................BZO (200+2 clicks)
3/4 width....................333.................300+1 click
2/3 width....................375.................300+3 clicks
1/2 width....................500.................500
1/3 width....................750.................700+3 clicks
1/4 width....................1000...............1000

 

[Clecko54]

I bought a loaded M1A not that long ago, phenomenal rifle.
no ragrets

 

[mac1911]

http://m14forum.com/m14/127704-use-your-nm-front-sight-rangefinder.html

Those come ups don't seem right?
I might be missing something though....mAybe based on a calibrated drum to NATO 7.62?
Any front sight can be used to judge distance. Same as a mil dot scope. As long as you know your target size and how much your sight covers X inches at 100 yards.

My great uncle WWII vet told me.
If the Man is bigger than the front sight hold center mass or his advice around the belly...if he's with in 300 yards you should get a hit on target. If the front sight covers the target hold on the head .
Most M1/M14/M16 are about 7 MOA wide give or take a moa. Not considering any match sights.

 

[Christian]

Great rifle for long distance target shooting. Had mine for 2 years very accurate and reliable. Pretty easy to clean and break down.

Tonys the goods, really friendly and super helpful if you contact him(along with a lot of other folks) over at M14Forum. Heck, you don't even have to ask him as most of the things one would ask can be found on his YT channel.

As to get them running well the only thing I've done to mine is this and for the past three years it's run like a champ. They can bit a pricey to feed(depending on what each one likes just like any other rifle) but I'd rather take it on every range trip than my other rifles. Fortunately for me my other .308 likes cheap Privi 145gr. 200 count battle packs the best so that helps to offset the operating costs of my M1A(well that's what I keep telling myself ).

Some other things you may want to pick up to make life easier are a wrench, a drill bit kit, and a torque wrench for the gas plug. Although I know others who have never used one, ever, they just good and tight it or use a witness mark.

 

[Steve Marshall]

One of the things they taught in Basic was that at 250 meters the front sight was the width of a man. The rest is extrapolation.

My M1A is, after umteen thousand rounds, about a 3 MOA rifle at 100 yards. My last outing I got ~ 12" ten shot groups on a B-27 silhouette at 300 yards. That's about the norm.

 

[mac1911]

I know of a few folks shooting CMP USGI M1 Garands at 600 successfully, so a loaded M1A seems to have even more advantage. I don't think an M1A will shoot like an AR, but it should be fun.

The link is cool - thanks.

I would love to shoot my M1 out to 600 yards but not many places around me to do it... many clubs even at the nationals for the as issued M1 match are 200 yards now.
I'm sure though these guys running the M1s at 600 have them tweaked a little and most likely not using surplus M2?

 

[mac1911]

Now you have me looking at M1s...
Cant decide on which one though.

Yeah that's my problem also. Thing is I grew up around several vets that said the M14 was a solution to a non existing problem. Which has sunk into my head. Also if anyone argued that the 308 is more accurate than a 30-06 those old dogs would say get a 308 M1.
I still like them and shot one of my dad's friends a lot when I was young and have wanted one since then.
OP range report when you get one.

 

[agabriel]

I would love to shoot my M1 out to 600 yards but not many places around me to do it... many clubs even at the nationals for the as issued M1 match are 200 yards now.
I'm sure though these guys running the M1s at 600 have them tweaked a little and most likely not using surplus M2?

Perhaps, but the person who did said he was using a stock CMP M1 with match ammo. The results weren't match worthy, but he was keeping it in the scoring rings with a sling and iron sights.

 

[mac1911]

Scoring ring is good....it's not always easy to hit that target.
I was actually surprised I did as well as I did my first time at 600
Shot 171 and 184
I will gander though a SA Inc M1a standard will do about as good.

The average mean radius for acceptable accuracy for the M14 was 5.5"
Garand upon rebuild was 5" at 100 yards. As far as I could find out they did not have a accuracy standard set for new M1.
Mean radius is very forgiving way of testing...

But again a 5" group will hold the black bull if you can keep them there..

I will end up with one but my hopes is to find a old one that was built up to be a match rifle for a decent price.

The simple test for accuracy which has not changed in many years
Is 7-10 shots inside a 1.77" group at 1000 INCHES

 

[agabriel]

Scoring ring is good....it's not always easy to hit that target.
I was actually surprised I did as well as I did my first time at 600
Shot 171 and 184
I will gander though a SA Inc M1a standard will do about as good.

The average mean radius for acceptable accuracy for the M14 was 5.5"
Garand upon seasonal was 5" at 100 yards.
Mean radius is very forgiving way of testing...

But again a 5" group will hold the black bull if you can keep them there..

I will end up with one but my hopes is to find a old one that was built up to be a match rifle for a decent price.

Yes - exactly what I want. I don't necessarily want (or need) a sub MOA M1A; but I fun magazine based M1 platform sounds awesome. When score matters I can dig out the match grade AR.

 

[bigben111435]

Springfield is the only M1a. And unless you want a forged receiver like a FA, or LRB, its also the only way you get an m14 style rifle under 2k. Palmettostatearmory has deals frequently. Usualy listing the rifles between 1250 and 1500.

For SA: plan on buying sadlak spring rod guide, and sadlack nm gas piston. less than a 100$ together. you will have a smoother recoil, less of a punch more of a drive. so easier to stay on target, more consistent wear on piston, clyinder, etc.

Also, why not buy with a walnut stock, much easier/cheaper to buy synthetic(maybe thumbhole, or pistol grip stock) after the fact. Good companies like Mcmillan will even have you send your rifle to them to glass bed it in their stock for a 100% perfect fit.
I own a SA m1a I bought in 2003, and have never had a problem with it, that's a few thousand rounds, mostly handloads.

 

[mac1911]

Yes - exactly what I want. I don't necessarily want (or need) a sub MOA M1A; but I fun magazine based M1 platform sounds awesome. When score matters I can dig out the match grade AR.

Nice...now the AR i was really not wanting to like the AR...but once I tried service rifle its hard to beat the AR for that game. You go into it with a known acceptabilityof accuracy thats good.
young shooter bought a base M1a and was unhappy it didnt peper the 10 ring like his NMAR. one of the retired USMC armors at my club said " well of course not its not a NM rifle spend another couple few grand and you will destroy that 10 ring maybe a few Xs also"

Just for reference to others reading for a sub MOA M1a/M14 Fulton will build one with a krieger heavy match barrel for just under 4K and shooting Federal Gold Medal Match ammo for 1.25$ plus a round

https://www.fulton-armory.com/cart.aspx there are others out there also LRB full blowm match rifle will run 4K plus.... ohh the fun. If I could hold better than 3 moa maybe maybe I would get silly with the M1a

 

[1903Collector]

You can pick up a rock-ola from James River Armory for around 2.5K, all forged parts if that's important to you. Every time I get ready to order one "Something else" happens!

 

[agabriel]

You can pick up a rock-ola from James River Armory for around 2.5K, all forged parts if that's important to you. Every time I get ready to order one "Something else" happens!

Fifteen years ago cast vs forged would have been a big deal for me; not so much now. I have had a number of guns since with lots of forged parts and they held up really well with lots of rounds going down range every month. In an ideal world, a rock-ola or a fulton would be great but it is almost 2x the cash. Actually, isn't the fulton receiver cast these days? I feel like I read it somewhere, but could be mistaken.

 

[mac1911]

Fifteen years ago cast vs forged would have been a big deal for me; not so much now. I have had a number of guns since with lots of forged parts and they held up really well with lots of rounds going down range every month. In an ideal world, a rock-ola or a fulton would be great but it is almost 2x the cash. Actually, isn't the fulton receiver cast these days? I feel like I read it somewhere, but could be mistaken.

Cast with 8620...

 

[mac1911]

You can pick up a rock-ola from James River Armory for around 2.5K, all forged parts if that's important to you. Every time I get ready to order one "Something else" happens!

2200$ with no options and a refinished gi stock....yikes. only advantage is forged receiver and bolt? Built to USGI specs.
So 5-6moa....yes I would go with the 12-1500$ SAI base rifle at that point.

 

[agabriel]

Well, I now have a loaded M1A. Seems like a great rifle and I'm looking forward to shooting it!

 

[mac1911]

Well, I now have a loaded M1A. Seems like a great rifle and I'm looking forward to shooting it!

Sweet! I'm excited for you. Now get some ammo and get us a range report.
Where did you pick it up and for how much...

 

[Sweeney]

Yes, the Fultons are cast.
Forged receivers are made by;
LRB
Bula Defence
Rock-Ola (James River Armory forged by Bula)
Gun Works of Lower Alabama

SAI parts are made by Wayne Machine in Taiwan and are cast. Rock-Ola uses in spec USGI or newly made by Bula Defence parts.

 

[Sweeney]

Well, I now have a loaded M1A. Seems like a great rifle and I'm looking forward to shooting it!

Enjoy! The M14 is my favorite rifle. New parts are being made in the US by BULA defense and will soon be carried by Brownell's. I do suggest adding a Sadlak spring guide as it smooths out the action. There are plenty of other tweaks you can do if you choose down the road.

Obligatory M14 pic;