Is there any way to find more details about my M1A?

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SFilpansick

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Flint MI
Hey everybody... I have a Springfield M1A, and I'm trying to figure out exactly what it is.
When it was a "shooter" for me I didn't really care about the details, as it shoots really nice... but with the current economic situation, I may need to sell it, and I'd like to know what it is to get a good idea of value.

When I bought it used (8-ish years ago) from a local gun store they said "It's kind of in between a National Match and a Super Match".

It has NM sights, and a glass bedded walnut stock. The stock was shiny (but beat up) when I got it, so I stripped it and oiled it; It looks much more like an M1A should now.

The trigger group isn't marked NM (I don't know if it would be), but it's the crisp two stage trigger you'd expect on a match rifle. The number on the left side of the trigger block is 7267030-?(last thing is an unknown character)

It has the flash hider and bayonet lug, but I can't find any marks on the barrel, except right where it goes into the receiver it's stamped "5 7 9".

The bolt is stamped:
7790186
66118-DD

The receiver is #013579, which according to Springfield was sold as a "receiver only" on 5/23/1980.

It is a very "tight" rifle, as in there is NO slop ANYWHERE. It's actually fairly difficult to strip for cleaning because everything fits together so perfectly.


Anybody have any helpful info?

I have the rifle, 4 or 5 GI 20rd mags, and about 600rds of military ball. Any idea as to a fair asking price?


Thanks in advance!
Steve
 
Around here those 20 round metal mags are selling for $30 a piece and the ammo is selling for 60 cents a round. I paid $2,000 for a brand new National Match M1A around April of this year.

Note: 60 cents per round is for Brown Bear or military surplus 7.62. I noticed brands like PMC cost considerably more.

I must say I am surprised you'd want to get rid of a National Match M1A; I love mine to death. I'd look for the markings you refer to later, but I'm sure someone else will post them first in the course of today.
 
If SA. Inc said the receiver left the factory as a receiver-only, the rifle was most likely assembled from parts. Unless there's any provenance with the gun, it's anyone's guess as to who assembled it or the quality of the work.

Trigger groups are not normally marked as "NM". However, it sounds as if it had NM trigger work done on it. Sounds like the trigger group is a SA, Inc part.

The gas cylinder on the NM/SM is unitized by either welding or screw & glue method.

The bolt sounds to be a USGI M14 bolt made by Winchester (66118 is the CAGE code for OM/Winchester)

USGI NM sights will have a hooded rear aperture with a base marked as NM or NM/2A. The windage knob should be marked NM as well. Front sight should be marked as NM 062 as is much thinner than a standard front sight.

Without any history on the rifle, or any idea of round count, barrel condition, etc., a ballpark guess of perhaps $1400 for the rifle, $350 for the ammo?
 
Trust me, I don't WANT to get rid of it, it just might come the the point that I HAVE to get rid of it; I love mine to death too!

The barrel is in excellent condition, I'd be willing to wager that I've put more rounds through it than the original owner/builder, and I've fired less than 1K with it.

Whoever built it did a pretty impressive job... two of my friends have rifles that left SA as NM, and mine seems to be of a higher precision work than either of theirs.


Thanks for the info so far though guys!
Steve
 
On a sidenote, glad you got the metal 20 round mags and not the cheap plastic kind. I wasted $15 or 20 on two plastic M1A mags only to find out they're actually worth however much plastic they're made of at the recycling plant. Both mags, first time taking them to the range, did this. I locked and loaded, fired off the first round, then got a click on the 2nd trigger pull. The dang plastic mag didn't stay locked into the magazine well under the recoil of a 7.62x51. I put the mag back in, hit the bottom of it, and tugged on it to make sure it was locked in. Fired again, same result: click on the 2nd trigger pull.
 
Actually a buddy gave me a couple of those, as he was having the same problem... after messing around a little, I figured out that they weren't locking in 100% of the way. I took my dremel and ground about .050 or so off of the bottom of the locking lug, and it did the trick. I still wouldn't trust them for SHTF use, but for plinking they seem ok.
 
Who did you buy the gun from? Maybe you can follow the trail back and find out who built it. It sounds well made and it might be worth a bit more if it can be proven to be a custom gun from a reputable gunsmith.

I hate to hear about someone having to sell a nice gun like this. :(
 
One other thing. NM flash hiders don't have a bayonet lug and have a larger opening allowing more clearance for the bullet to pass through.
 
NM flash hiders don't have a bayonet lug

Not true. Any flash hider can be reamed out to NM specs. Having a bayonet lug has nothing to do with it.

All USGI M14 flash hiders will have the lug (unless it's been ground off). The only reason you see the lug removed on some flash hiders is for compliance with those states that have laws regulating the presence of bayonet lugs on semiauto rifles.
 
I don't WANT to get rid of it, it just might come the the point that I HAVE to get rid of it

Well there are more important things in life than guns... even a Garand. I can't think of any at the moment, but I know there are.
 
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