anybody regret getting an M1A

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Actually, thinking about it I do have a regret.

I regret I don't shoot it as much as I should. It was always fun to get my Super out on the bench and pound away magazine after magazine into little holes.
 
As with most things "Springfield", it was the later guns I regretted buying. The early guns were pretty good overall.

The last M1A I bought was a SOCOM. It, like the last half dozen or so 1911's of theirs I bought about the same time, were trouble, and their QC wasnt very good. That was about 8-10 years ago, so maybe thats been corrected, but I havent seen it personally.

My 80's and 90's era M1A's were good guns and good shooters. Fit, finish, and quality, seems to have declined as time moved forward.

Ive owned all three size versions, and if I were to buy another, it would be a standard version.

The smaller versions are slightly handier, but losing a few inches in barrel length really does nothing to reduce weight, and really all youre looking at, is "looks".
 
Adding to my earlier post. I personally prefer to buy the ones built in the late eighties to the early nineties. These tend to be mostly GI parts with commercial receivers and stocks. While there are those that don't like the M1A rifle, most find them to be accurate and comfortable to shoot. I only regret selling a couple of mine in the past. I now have two and neither of mine are going anywhere.
 
I think that if you buy one expecting it to deliver bolt-action accuracy, then you might be disappointed. These guns simply are not as mythically accurate as the internet has made them out to be. Lots of folks claim sub-MOA guns, then you find out they're measuring 3-shot groups. The 5-shot and 10-shot groups almost always show them to 1.5 to 2MOA.

Never understood why people keep saying that they are difficult to scope. They are not. You buy a quality mount (not from Springfield Armory) and you follow the instructions. Simple. They are more expensive to scope compared to other modern designs, as you now need to factor in the cost of a quality mount and (most likely) a cheek riser of some sort.

Embracing the gun for what it is, a semi-auto rifle delivering honest accuracy somewhere between 1 and 2 MOA, you will have an enjoyable ownership experience. On the other hand, if you go crazy customizing this and that, you'll end up tossing $3k or above to achieve the same results that other rifles can deliver right out of the box.

If I had a definite need for a 7.62 NATO semi-auto rifle that would be called upon for preservation of life, then I would choose the SCAR-H, LaRue OBR, LMT MWS, or the HK MR762. I love my M1A, but there are better choices these days.
 
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50 shots, 100 yrds, off the bench. Stock SuperMatch.

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50 shots, 100 yrds, off the bench Stock NationalMatch.

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My usual bench setup.

I agree if I were expecting bolt action accuracy I would be disappointed. The key to shooting an M1A well is lots of time behind it and very careful shooting approach. I figure for 50 shot groups it is not too shabby.

Some day I will get back on the range and see if I can tighten up those NM groups. I think it was mostly an eye issue of bad eyesight.
 
I decided to get the gun and went to the range for a half baked barrel break in for the first 6 rounds (one shot one clean) and 2 three round cycles and clean after which I just decided to shoot it and sight it in further.

It was the loaded that I got and looking at Peter's groups with the unscoped national match and after shooting 50 rounds through mine I am very impressed with his groups even more. shooting 100 yards with a similar target it's hard to see the target clearly with iron sights.

potential regret maybe... as a rifle to be used with iron sights for me the standard may be a better deal as I may not be able to reap the benefits of increased precision from the loaded model(assuming it is there) since my eyesight is the limiting factor. even for just banging gongs at 225 yards I realized it wasn't as easy when the target was less wide or just as wide as your front sight.
 
Regret is a strong word. I wouldn't say I regret buying it, but I don't shoot it very often. Maybe I need to work up some cast bullet loads that will cycle it so I can get some trigger time.

I think I'm just a bolt action sort of guy.
 
Re: "Lastly, my 50 year old eyes arent as sharp so I do need a scope...the M1A is a bit of a challenge (and pricey) to put a traditional scope on it and stay solid"

Love the M1A, but it is a beast to use with a scope or optic. After a couple of false starts, found success with a Bassett M1A/M14 mount and either a Leupold Mk. LR/T 3.5-10x40 with IR or a Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x40 AO with Rapid Z-1000. Also have used an ACOG on it, which - while strange looking - worked great.

The trick for getting all of this to work was using a cheek riser/cheek rest, since by the time you add the mount, the scope is fairly high off of the receiver.

The iron sights on it are superb, but like you, my eyes aren't those of a twenty-year old any longer. My solution was to get prescription shooting glasses for when I want to use iron sights. Seems to work fine...

The Bassett mount is both very stable (if you remember to check it periodically, as you would with any scope mounting system) and easy to attach/detach. The folks at Bassett include an ingenious torque wrench for tightening the mounting screw to the correct torque.

Using custom-made hand-loads, I have shot my M1A accurately out to 1000-yards. It likes BTHPs from 168-175 grains, and also FMJs at 147-150 grains. Can't speak for others, but my SA M1A has been a great rifle - accurate, robust and reliable. My only gripe is with maintenance. Springfield Armory's so-called "owner's manual" was a joke - had to track down all of the info on maintenance and disassembly/assembly from outside sources. You will need a few special tools to do routine maintenance; many guys like the bolt tool offered by Fulton Armory. Strictly speaking, it isn't essential, but it makes doing bolt service a lot easier. One other point: M1As should be liberally greased - in particular the op-rod, op-rod spring, and OR spring guide, as well as the bolt. Gun oil isn't enough.

Some folks like to shoot these off of a bipod, but if you plan to do that, consider investing in a sling stud adapter, from Smith Enterprise or similar. I also have a Match-grade op rod in mine, and it definitely helps with accuracy and smoothness of function - along with the NM barrel and trigger.

Like the M1 Garand, the M1A is sensitive to gas port pressure - and tends to prefer mid-range loads and slugs. Some kinds of commercially-available .308 loads are loaded to excessive pressure (for the M1A, that is) and can stress the op-rod and other components. Be advised. Authorities at SA and Fulton have recommended against using hand-loads in the M1A, but if you know what you are doing, it works fine. M1As and Garands tend to prefer IMR-4064 or 4895, and slugs in the range of 147-175 grains. Since the M1A is a gas gun, it is very tough on brass - even mil-spec 7.62x51mm NATO brass. You're doing well to get 3 uses out of your brass in this system. If you can figure out the nuances of hand-loading for this rifle, you can get very good results - 1.5 moa to below 1.0 moa (depending on your specific setup) - which isn't bad for a semi-auto gas gun. Factory loaded Federal 168-grain SMK BTHPs also work well, as do PPU .308 Match 168-grain BTHPs - though both are slightly higher in pressure than is probably optimal for the M1A. Using factory mil-surplus 147- or 150-grain ball, mine tends to group around 2 moa, which isn't bad considering the wide variation in the quality of 7.62x51mm NATO surplus around these days. Bottom line - feed your M1A well, and she'll take care of you.
 
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I tried to scope my first one - didn't work. Got another one a few weeks ago and its iron sights only. Its a little picky with my reloads but that's to be expected. Fires milsurp and factory ammo flawlessly. I have a AR clone (DPMS LR 308) scoped and a Win. Mod 70 in .308 for long range.

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ten shots - 100 yds

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And I wonder why I seem to be reloading .308 a lot

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I have a SA M1a which is about 5-6 years old. It has no QC problems and is very accurate.
 
Nope, never regretted it one bit. My M1As come from back in the early 90s with USGI parts (can't speak about the current crop) and have been 100% reliable, and VERY accurate. I stocked up on my cheap 7.62 NATO ammo back in the day when it was cheap as dirt so I don't have the problem of high priced ammo to blast.
As far as scoping issues are concerned, yes, if you go with the crappy Springfield mounts, you're going to have problems. I went with the BPT mount (Smith makes a clone of it these days) and it was super simple to install and is rock solid. No, it's not as simple as slapping a scope and a set of rings on my AR-10 but if you're not mechanically retarded, scoping an M1A isn't as hard as people make it out to be.
In regards to weight, well, can't really help you there other than to tell you to go to the gym and get stronger. I have a Bush length with a BM-59 style folding stock on it that is short and light as far as battle rifles go and my DMR clone that is somewhere along the lines of 14-15 pounds. Just gotta suck it up and deal with it.
 
I don't care for their awkwardness with optics, but you can't argue with their reliability. I have a couple .308 ARs (a DPMS custom build with Criterion barrel and a S&W M&P 10), and neither one has been reliable. The 14s I had never missed a beat. I like the SCAR 17 in a lot of ways, but I refuse to go with a 16" barreled .308.
 
I bought mine in the 80's before the ban. Never did want to make it all awkward with a scope. The irons suit me fine. Best rifle I've ever owned.
 
Love my Garands the best.

Think the M1A1 is a great looking and reliable rifle.

Have the NM and the Squad Scout. Like the more carbine of the two better but not as accurate as the big brother.

Never a regret.

When in the service I qualified with the M16. Later @ a different duty station someone decided we were all going to requalify. They handed me an M14. Took me a while to master the manual of arms but got to fire a whole ammo can that day and have loved the platform ever since.

Last of the wood and steel battle rifles.

Treasure mine indeed.
 
I have what I think is the perfect M1A; a Scout Squad.
I carried an M14 in Nam (yeh, I was one of the lucky ones
that could actually count on his rifle to perform) and I know
what the 7.62X51 will do in combat. If I had to go to war
today, this is the gun I would want to carry. Yeh, it's
heavier than the M4 and blah blah blah. Well, you can
easily guess how I feel about the M16. I know all the
arguments and they don't mean squat as far as I'm
concerned.
The 18" Squad Scout is the best blend of the 16" SOCOM
and the Standard M1A with the longer barrels IMO. I have
at least 1500 rounds thru mine, probably more, and it's
never hiccuped just like my M14 in Nam.
You know the old saying, "you dance with the one that
brung you"? Well, when and if I ever have to dance again,
it'll be with my M1A. I even have it stipulated in my will
that it's never to be leave the family.
Dano
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I sure as hell regret getting RID of mine! I sold it the get up the money to buy a Broomhandle Mauser, which I still have, but I sure miss that M1A. It was made by the Geneseo bunch in the early nineties, when they were still using a ton of GI surplus parts. I worked at the Armory those years, before going with Les Baer. I had Butch load it up with all TRW parts. Anybody that knows anything about M-14s knows that Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge made the best parts. (Hope I spelled that right) When they weren't making M-14s they were making Jet engine turbine blades and other parts that required extreme precision.

It shot like a dream and held a couple inches at a hundred yards. A better shot than myself could have done better.

That gun was (IS) number 1 om my list of guns I wish I still had!
 
I purchased an M1A National Match about 1 year ago.
The rifle has been performing flawlessly so far.
I also own a Norinco M14 clone (M305) which cost 1/4 the price of the Springfield. It needed a lot of fine tuning including replacing the crappy rear sight with a GI unit to get it perfect but it will do for someone on a budget.
Would I buy another Springfield, YES.
 
The M1A aka civilianized M14 is miles ahead of an AK47 in every aspect that counts. Who ever said that it wasn't much more accurate that a 47 hasn't spent time with the
M1A.

The M1A is much more accurate than an AK47 or many AR15s. The 7.62X51 round has a specific role to play in modern combat, on shot one kill! As with any combat rifle one needs to get to know the weapon to fully use and appreciate the weapon.

Having said that not everyone will do well with a combat .308. The rifle is not particularly a hunting rifle, and a good bolt .308 with a good scope will do a better job in this category. So remember that each gun was designed for a particular purpose that it will excel at, and will fit the bill in other roles, but perhaps not as well.

You will never regret buying an M1A, unless you do not understand what you are buying. The rifle's legacy bought it a place the top ten combat rifle list, is a piece of USMC history and served well in Vietnam. The M1A/M14 will go toe to toe with any AK47, even in the mud.
 
Ive had a couple m1a's, had a slew of ak's and a couple ar's and can say definitively that while our civilian m1's are a more accurate rifle than the ak, hands down bar none, NO they will not run as well dirty or muddy.
 
Seems to me that the question of whether you will regret buying an M1A depend largely on what you want it to do.

Compete in accuracy matches? You'll regret it - buy an AR.
Hunt with it? You'll regret it - buy a bolt action.
Use it in practical run-n-gun matches? You'll regret it - buy an AR or AK.
Use it for lots of practice shooting to improve you skills? You'll regret it - buy something in 5.56 or .22LR.
Shoot for accuracy at long range? You'll regret it - buy a bolt gun.

Get a ticket to the "I have the best rifle ever made" club (ignoring the facts that it spent more time in development than in primary service, and that it utterly failed at its intended role of replacing the both the M1 Garand, and BAR)? Yes, you will need an M1A for that.

Shoot off the bench a 100 yards to prove its quality as a military rifle? Yep, also a good role for the M1A.

That's unfairly harsh, I realize, but I think the M1A/M14 has been hyped way beyond its reality. Give me the choice to use (in any sort of practical scenario) an M1A or MAS 49/56, and I'll take the MAS.
 
I've already bought a springfield loaded with a ss barrel with the walnut stock last month. I've put a military sling on it and am trying to learn to shoot it with the sling. still haven't shot it prone since I just ordered a shooting mat. I like the purchase as a rifle for learning to shoot as a rifleman whether iI'll get there is something else. I even call her Charlene.:) I do think she was pricey but I got her for $1650 with a free $45 50 round magtech 308 box thrown in.

Already had a very accurate 223 bolt action, 22 bolt action and an ar carbine.

Only negative so far is the cost of ammo but I knew that but I'm just collecting enough brass from my factory ammo before trying to reload.
 
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