New Springfield M1A

+1 on BruceB's statement. My Loaded model is a little older than his, but my experience has been the same. After many, many rounds of nato surplus from several different countries, I have yet to have any issues at all. You'll be surprised at the accuracy potential from using the iron sights alone. While expensive, I have never once regretted the purchase and this is one rifle I will never consider selling.

congrats on the new rifle! i just got one myself, i havent even shot the thing yet haven't had a spare minute yet, and as of right now we're getting 2 feet of snow... ill get out there and shoot it soon though. i ordered 7.62 nato from aim, it is in good shape, i cant wait to shoot it

Learn all that you can. Break it down, clean and grease it first thing.
Name it!!
Buy lots of ammo.
Love it and shoot it often.
Save up to buy more.

ammo, i get the best results from surplus. usgi cotton sling and some extra mags. that will get you started, then you can add books/manuals, a few tools and extra parts. these are great rifles and so much fun to shoot. but mostly shoot it and shoot it often. i have never had a rifle that i enjoy shooting as much as my m1a bush model.

I have a Springfield M1A but need to get more range time with it.
What has everyone used on the wood stock? I've had good results with 2 coats of Tung oil.

Tung oil is what is suggested.

rayman said:

I bought one recently too, got the mags, & turner sling. This is a fun rifle to shoot. One thing that gets me is that it is a little costly to shoot a lot. Yes, the owners manual pretty much explains everything. One funny thing, the manual says not to disassmble it too much (field strip & clean) or it could affect accuracy.

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Lots of guys say the same about the M1 Garand, the older brother to the M1A (M-14). It affects accuracy because it causes wear on the trigger guard, which is what holds the rifle tight in the stock. If you have glass bedding, it also tends to tear that up too. My rifles (Garands) need to settle back down after I tear them down completely.

yeah, if you break down your gun, try smacking it a few times after you put it back in the stock. it helps it settle back in.

PRvi is good stuff. The German DAG surplus is generally good but some batches are badly corroded, the point of being a possible safety issue, and it's hard to know in advance what you'll get. If you get a batch that is not corroded, it's great.

I have great luck with Portuguese surplus ammo. But, the German stuff is good. Stay away from Pakistani ammo and steel case stuff, like Wolf or Brown Bear.

ive blasted about 500rds of pakastani ammo with no problem. my m1a has also blasted rounds of Wolf but i dont buy wolf anymore. the steel casing doesnt bother me......its the bi-metal jacket.

The British Radway Green surplus is good to go, also. I get some of my best groups with that stuff. It shoots noticeably better than the Portugese surplus I have. The Portugese isn't bad though... it always goes bang. I hear a lot of guys like the German DAG, too. I'd go with either British or German, whichever you can find the best deal on.

The main thing though, like I said before, is to buy a few battle packs of ammo and a GI web sling and bring that thing to an Appleseed. A good deal of the Appleseed instructors are M-14 guys and can teach you a lot about them. We also shoot the Army Qualification Test from the days of the M-1 and M-14. It is a blast.

My Springer M1A is my favorite rifle.
Google "Sadlak" to look at some appropriate, pertinent goodies for your new main battle rifle.

Mike

Any Tips or techniques that you are willing to share would be helpful. Anyone care to suggest ammo suppliers mags ect...

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Joe, congrats on the new rifle!

I've had my springfield for four years now. My two cents:

- don't use wolf .308, also- I used surplus tracers which shot real dirty and fouled up my gas tube (causing FTE), so don't cut corners on ammo

- on that note, make sure the gas tube is open prior to going to the range

- it is not necessary to take the action and barrel from the wood stock each time you clean her

- mags are cheap, ammo isn't (you may have learned this)

- its not exactly the rifle you wield in home defense- or going around tight corners... thing feels like an oar in the house

- I was given a bipod (legit GI issue) which helps at the range, look into one

- I didn't mount a scope yet- if you do, don't skimp, get good glass

Springfield's aluminum ones are pretty much worthless. You cannot keep them tight becasue the recoil peens up the aluminum and they get loose again.

The ARMS 18(?) mount is a good one and I have seen it on the range but did not buy it.

I went with the brookfield precision one many years ago. I carefully put it on the rifle and tightened it up. I have never touched it since. Works great.



Here is what it can do off the bench. 50 shots, 100 yrds, stock M1A SuperMatch. I never did anything but shoot it.

Other tools to get are a gas cylinder wrench and tool to loosen the gas plug.

I have the Bassett High mount and love it. Great price, great product and great company.
I can use my irons without removing the mount, but when I have removed the mount, I have no change in zero.

As for Port being ok, my standard loves it. I get 1 MOA with it all day long.

i have the bassett low picatinny and love it.

easy to take on and off too:



me looking cheezy at the range:

Peter,

i noticed you dont have the front metal band on your stock. did you take it off? and is your gun a standard or loaded?

Absolutely stock. It is an older SuperMatch. Here is one of its brothers, the National Match.



Of course off the bench and 50 shots at 100 yrds. (My standard for checking shooting).

so the stock comes w/o the metal front band? is that for accuarcy? nice rifles!

M1-A

Bought a super match in 1985. Sold it and then went and bought it back. Only problem was brass thrown straight up in 1 out of 3 shots and bouncing off scope mount and jamming the action. Sent it back to SA this summer and they fixed it free. Lifetime warranty. If you only could own 1 rifle the M1-A is it. Enjoy.

Skipbo32,

That is the way it came. I never really noticed that it does not have a metal band before. I just shoot it and don't really look at it much. Since I did not mess with it, it is they way it came from Springfield back in 96 if I remember right.

Great gun. I just got 500 rnds of brass and 500 seirra 168's so I can start to load again for it.