[Brother in Arms]

Anyone care to help me not spend close to $1500? or should I take the m1 plunge first. I am thinking about selling most of the other rilfes in my collection to get an M1A. But I can a get a m1 for a lot less. truth is I want them both. But ii dont on any rifes in .30-06 i as thinking or rebarreling a shot out m1 in .308.
can anyone help me its keeping me up at night.

Brother in arms

[kfranz]

Don't buy it. The rest is up to you.

[longtooth]

Dont sell the majority of your long guns to get the M1A. Do save for it. You will love it.

[Mantis]

Go for the Garand. Out of all of the rifles that I own, it's the most fun to shoot. The supply won't last forever either. You can buy surplus ammo from the CMP. There's nothing like that "ping" sound when you empty the clip.

[Chipperman]

I would not sell guns to acquire an M1A. I would also get an M1 first.

[KIDGLOCK]

Get an M1A first , do what you have to do ie; sell the wife .

A man just plain needs a 30 cal battle rifle . I have a Garand ....BUT theres nothing like a 20 round mag and a Bayo lug to piss off those that need it !!

[cmidkiff]

Talk me out of an M1A

Why? It's a fine rifle, if you want one, and have the money, why would anyone talk you out of it?

Selling off guns to get a gun doesn't make any sense to me. The only time I sell a gun is if I purchase one that doesn't run right... I don't want a gun that doesn't shoot well. If you didn't want the gun, why did you buy it in the first place?

[spencerhut]

I've had my Loaded M1A for about 2 months. Picked it up on 6/6/06 to be exact. I've only put about 300 rounds through it so far but I love it. I put the Fulton Armory Picatinny front swivel, Leatherwood scope mount and a biothane sling on it so far. Dropped a coyote at 250+ yards (off hand) yesterday morning on the back side of my property with it. (Normally I wounldn't shoot a living thing. The coyote had been pestering my dogs for the last couple of days, trying to get at my ducks or geese no doubt.)

Leatherwood scope mount http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=158000

http://www.fulton-armory.com/

[HankB]

You can still get a service-grade M1 Garand from the CMP for $550 - but time and supply are running out; wait just a couple of years, and you'll be out of luck.

I have a nice M1A, built for me as a target gun by a NG armorer, and consider it to be a fine rifle, but I think long and hard before paying 3x the price of a CMP Garand for something from SA Inc., especially if it meant selling off several other rifles.

[mattw]

I am not a believer of the "sell this gun to buy that one" philosophy.

That being said, I worked cutting grass and doing yardwork for two years in high school before I was legally old enough to get a real job. I managed to save $1200 and went to the next gunshow with all of that cash in my pocket (16 years old at the time) and had my dad buy an M1A for me. It was worth every penny and every drop of sweat.

Springfield Armory isn't going anywhere, just save your money. They make M1As and M1 Garands. Don't sell guns you've already got to get something different.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/mdw1016/MVC-062F.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/mdw1016/MVC-063F.jpg

[ArmedBear]

How's this:

The ammo's expensive, the gun feels like lifting a barbell by the end, and it's $1500.:D

If you still want it, save the money.

[mattw]

the ammo and mags are UNGODLY expensive. but then again... so is gas :rolleyes:

It only weighs about 11 lbs fully loaded :neener:

[BozemanMT]

M14's/M1A's are just awesome rifles
truly
I have a whole safe full of rifles and I love that M14/M1A whole bit
I just bought a Fulton Armory Super Scout
worth every dime.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mostly cuz my wife stole my springfield M1A.

oh, and they are making new magazines again, so they are down to $30 each (I know, not cheap, but cheaper than they were)

I do agree, save it, they will still be around.

used ones are around too for a little cheaper.

[db_tanker]

Nah...you don't want that...


Get a SA-58 instead...at least you get a pistol grip! :)



<ducking for cover>


D

[HankB]

I managed to save $1200 and went to the next gunshow with all of that cash in my pocket (16 years old at the time) and had my dad buy an M1A for me. STRAW PURCHASE ALERT! STRAW PURCHASE ALERT! :neener:

[possum]

buy it buy it, buy it!
one of the greatest rifles ever made in my personal opinion!
my next per diem check is gonna go towards the purchase of one for myself!

[DnPRK]

Sorry, I'm not going to talk you out of getting an M-1A. Got a couple myself. Sell blood if you need money to get it.

[possum]

or plasma!:)

[gunshack]

Talk me out of an M1A

Um, it's my favorite rifle... I own two already and a LRB is in the works... This is not helping, is it?

[10-Ring]

Yeah, I doubt you'll find anyone here ready to talk you out of a firearm purchase :neener: I tried it before I bought my M1A :eek: and it's now almost 2 years old! :cool:
Enjoy your new rifle! :neener: :cool:

[Dave Rishar]

Talk you out of one? I could say some negative things about the design:

-- Weird method of removal for op-rod. (A step backwards from the M14.)
-- Bolt tricky to strip/reassemble; tools required. (To be fair, this is almost never necessary.)
-- Bedding iffy.
-- Trigger assy can lose clamping pressure over time, exacerbating the bedding issue.
-- Front sight mounting system is questionable; any mild to moderate blow will shift windage and possibly damage the screw and/or dovetail.
-- Rear sight fragile; if aperture is higher than the ears, any mild to moderate blow stands a good chance of damaging or destroying it.
-- Sight markings and usage make little sense without practice and study.
-- Rear sight screws sometimes loosen themselves.
-- Rear sight screws sometimes strip themselves.
-- Improperly mounted (or even properly mounted, but OOS) flash suppressor can contact bullets. (You'd be surprised how often this happens with M14's.)
-- Barrel weight is lighter than it should be in stock form.
-- Overall weight is heavier than it needs to be in stock form.
-- Put your finger in the receiver and it may hurt.
-- Put your supporting hand in the wrong place and it will hurt.
-- Get sloppy with your positions and that will hurt, too.
-- Quality of newly-made cast parts is sometimes suspect.
-- Handguard is easy to break during removal unless gas system is disassembled.
-- Disassembling gas system will probably shift zero.
-- USGI magazines remain expensive. (They are making new magazines, but they are not making these.)

That just about covers the negatives. Of course, most of these can be applied to the M1 as well.

If you want one, buy one. I've had mine for about five years now and it's not one that I'd sell. Do not fool yourself into thinking that it's perfect, though -- it's not. It is, however, pretty darned good.

[rbernie]

You really want an AR-10. :evil:

[mattw]

Weird method of removal for op-rod. (A step backwards from the M14.)

Even though I've had my M1A for over three years now I've only had to strip it once to clean it. I don't do much shooting (maybe about 100 rounds every year) because i don't have much time to get out because of class and work.

Are there any special tricks to removing the M1A's oprod? The manual that came with it from springfield is very vague in this area and I've tried for a long time to remember how I did it last time but I just can't figure it out. Alot of this has to do with the fact that I never strip it and i'm sure its still very stiff.

Any pictures of the position that the oprod should be in on the receiver and pictures of its subsiquent removal would be a huge help.

[BoySetsTheFire]

Ordered my Garand a few days ago. It's a historical piece. And you can send it off to National Match Armory, or a number of people, to trick it out into a prized match rifle when you have saved the up the extra money.

The M1A just isn't a Garand!

[flip180]

If you want the rifle then get it at whatever means that let you sleep at night. I own a black synthetic M1A Scout and, I did sell off guns to get it. I get bored with guns and sell them off to buy new ones to try out until I find the ones I like to keep. That came from the many times I tried different pistols to find the two pistols that best suit my CCW needs. I've always wanted an M1A but didn't want to hunker down to save up for it. When ever I did get some money to spend on a gun, I would buy some BS gun to satisfy a gun purchase instead of saving up for the M1A. I ended up with a safe full of guns that I didn't shoot and then tried to figure out why I let myself talk myself into buying all of those guns in the first place. I sold them off and bought my M1A along with the 7140 rounds of South African ammo here at the house. BTW, I don't miss any of those guns. Yeah they looked nice in my safe but I never shot them. Do what makes you happy. Here's a little temptation.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/flip180/m1A002.jpg

Flip.

[gunshack]

The only down side to the M-14 is the cost. Once youre over that, you're over it.

Don't get cought up in up-grades, just get the bare bones Springfield Armory Inc. Standard M1A. It's the best value for a M-14 type. I see them selling on gunsamerica for $1300.

My Bush::neener:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/gunshack/AA9126.jpg

[dmckean44]

Bud's Gun Shop has the standard synthetic for under $1200.

[Dr. Dickie]

I would say get the M1A. The only caveate is, don't do it until AFTER you have a couple of Garands. You gotta have at least two, I think that is the minimum. It's in the in Constitution or something, I explained it all to my wife some years back.

[HankB]

. . . don't do it until AFTER you have a couple of Garands. You gotta have at least two, I think that is the minimum.It's three. Otherwise the stacking swivels don't work correctly. ;)

[cavman]

What is the debate here?

I thought that the SA M1A1 was just a new Garand. Are there fundamental differences between the two?

thanks and have a great day
cavman

[Carl N. Brown]

My cousin and brother-in-law have M1As.

To keep peace in my family, I would have to
talk you INTO an M1A.

[mattw]

I thought that the SA M1A1 was just a new Garand. Are there fundamental differences between the two?


The answers you are looking for are at this web site:

http://www.springfieldarmory.com

[cavman]

gotcha.

thanks.

cavman

[rockstar.esq]

I blame The High Road for causing my unholy desire to attain one!

Although you'll hear about FAL and AR parts guns that seem to get assembled for loose change and pocket lint, the majority of them cost $1000 and up. If you want a 7.62x51 (308 win) battle rifle, those prices are pretty typical however painfull. I've decided to hold off on buying one new as I'm hoping that my earnings will gain ground elsewhere first. I have to take a moment and inquire about the claims of expensive ammunition. Seriously what is being compared here? My guess is that the 7.62x39 and the 5.56mm is getting thrown in as though either of them are in the same class as a deer hunting/sporting cartridge like the 7.62x51. I don't mean to start another which ammo is best debate so much as to say that if you compare the average cost of the .270 Win, 30-06 spg, 7mm Rem, or nearly anything Weatherby you'll find that prices are comprable if not favorable for the .308 Win. One fly in my ointment is the 7.62x54R which is so crazy cheap that it makes everything short of .22LR seem pricey. But I digress...

[VeT|Us]

You shouldn't sell your guns to buy an M1A.

You -should- sell your guns, buy an M1A and mail it to me. :neener:

No, seriously, don't sell your guns. The minute you do, you'll regret it.
I know. Most of us do. Save up your hard earned money. May not get you the M1A as fast, but it will be much more rewarding.

[Creeping Incrementalism]

I know Springfield and the M1A have a good reputation, but based on my personal experience with them, I am very unsatisfied considering all the money I plonked down.

I've shot two of recent manufacture and both are jam-a-matics. I don't like the way my SOCOM II came assembled. It took a pair of pliers to take off the op-rod/charging handle assembly, a screwdriver to loosen up the windage adjustment so it could be turned with fingers, and when it gets a failure to extract, I sometimes have to wail on it with a brass mallet to get the bolt back. Not to mention that the POS synthetic stock started flaking off black paint, revealing white underneath, from just breathing on it, practically. On one rifle sent back to Springfield because it was jamming about roughly every three shots, you could tell from the feedramp that they only test-fired one shot to check their work. Well, guess what, take that thing out, fire two more shots, then jam.

I would urge you to get a Fulton.

[mattw]

Hell I would've gotten a fulton if I had $1000 more dollars!

That is the first time i've ever heard of a springfield armory M1A refered to as a "jam-o-matic." The simple fact is that the M1A (while it may use cast parts instead of USGI like Fulton does) is the best bang-for-your-buck M14 AND it carries a LIFETIME warranty. How can you beat that?


7.62x51mm is expensive when compaired to other military surplus ammo. When compaired to off the shelf commercial hunting ammo it is fairly priced, but compaired to 7.62x54R or any other military round in its family it is very expensive.

[caliber729]

I have a serious bug for an M1A, not sure if I should get the Scout or Socom 16. My main concerns are what I have been reading about muzzle blast from the 16 incher and reliability issues from SA overall.

Can anybody offer any first hand impressions of muzzle blast compared to the 18 incher and/or the full size?

Also, I am interested in the 110 grain Hornady TAP ammo, anybody with first hand info? (i.e. muzzle blast, recoil, accuracy)

Sorry to add new questions to someone elses thread.

[BoySetsTheFire]

I've also heard, "Get a Fulton". But I'm sticking with my recommendation for a CMP Garand.

[BozemanMT]

I've got a Fulton Scout and a Springfield standard (that I got a smoking deal on used, keep looking, they exist) and I need MORE

The Scout is much handier, it's only real difference is the 3" shorter barrel but it makes a big difference in how it feels and moves. I like it. It's better balanced. With a full size, you need a fiberglass stock to get somewhere close to the same balance.

I've handled the SOCOM II and well, it's well too heavy and it's way too heavy out in front. I don't like it. But you should handle one for yourself. I think it's gadgets for gadgets sake. But, everyone's opinions differ, that's why there are 1000's of guns.:D

Definately get an M14/M1A, you won't be sorry

BTW, mag prices are coming down, they are being made again. Brand new manufacture: $29.99
Not great, but better than 2 years ago.

[Brother in Arms]

Thanks everyone
im just a little bit stuck at this point im not sure what I should do with the firearms I have I more than I can easily take care of and I certainly can't shoot them all with any regularity. I have 8 different rifle calibers which I know isnt alot but its alot for me. I have managed to get my shotgun gauges down to 3. and 2 pistol calibers. Id like to get down to 3-4 rifle calibers. So 7.62X51mm is a caliber Id like to support. Currently I have an FAL parts kit with no reciever that I could build which price wise is proabably the way to go considering the price of an M1A. Or a CMP M1 would be about the same as a good FAL reciever.

I guess I will have to see what develops.

Brother in Arms

[hso]

There won't be any Garands that you can touch for the price of yet-again-another Springfiled M1A in a short while so why squander your chance to purchase a piece of history for a copy of a piece of history.

Get the Garand.

Proud owner of a 1943 Springfield M1 Garand and an M14S FedOrd.

[Brother in Arms]

I think i might buy my father in laws M1 his is a Korean war era springfield with its originalbarrel itis an but its in good shape and he has one of the long 16" sword bayonetsfor it.

Brother in arms

[Creeping Incrementalism]

That is the first time i've ever heard of a springfield armory M1A refered to as a "jam-o-matic." The simple fact is that the M1A (while it may use cast parts instead of USGI like Fulton does) is the best bang-for-your-buck M14 AND it carries a LIFETIME warranty. How can you beat that?

The lifetime warranty is crap if they can't fix the problem. My friend and I took this rifle out last weekend, and it wasn't running right again. This thing is a total lemon. One time it jammed on the neck of a brass case it had just ejected. Another time it slam-fired. It was also jamming every other shot with after-market mags that worked in a SOCOM II we also shoot. This was using South African surplus.

However, that SOCOM II ran just fine this last time. So maybe it is just one bad rifle.

[MechAg94]

I have had a Springfield standard M1A for 5 years or so. While I haven't put a great deal of ammo down range with it, it has been pretty reliable. I have had some issues with the cheap aftermarket mags, but the $25 USGI mags you can still buy seem to work a whole lot better. The cheap mags might give me a hang up once or twice per mag. I am not sure if something is wrong or if I just need to clean and debur them. I have never had a slam fire, but it does leave marks on rounds you eject without firing.

Anyway, I have heard several people on this site mention problems with their Springfield Armory M1A rifles, but I have heard at least 10 times that number report no problems and good performance. Make your own choice.

[bofe954]

The only argument may be that a .308 AR could be had for the same price. It would be easier to accessorize (if you are into that) and work on. Arguably easier to clean and easier to accurize (if you want a match type or varmint type rifle).

Flame suit on...

Given the same choice I ended up with a M1A. I had enough plastic in my life at the time and had a .223 AR. Now I debate how I can justify a .308 AR when I have an M1A...

[Brother in Arms]

Well I did it
I bought an Armscorp M14 with all GI parts. It came with 2 20 round mags and I got it private sale for $950! I think I did well it shoot good and I will probably do a range report later. I love my new rifle and plan on getting very proficient with it.

Brother in Arms

[Wes Janson]

That SOCOM 16 (not II) seems like it would be a very nice rifle. I've handled a couple of them, and fired a single shot from one once, but never had much chance to really examine the model in depth. If anyone here owns one, what did they think of it? Have the early production issues been resolved? Does the stock's paint flake off really easily? How is reliability? Accuracy?

Thanks!

[10-Ring]

I have only shot a few 100 rounds through my M1A, but I really like it. I don't know why I waited so long before I got one. Congrats! :D