M1A - National Match or Standard?

[Golden Hound]

If I have $2,000 to spend on an M1A should I go for the whole nine yards and get the National Match version, or should I save some money for ammunition and other accessories and just get the Standard or "Standard Loaded" kind which I see for between 1300 and 1400 dollars?

Also - why do some M1As seem, in pictures online, to have darker colored upper-handguards? Some of them are a light brown color and others are nearly black. Can these be changed out for a different color?

 

[CWL]

What do you plan on using it for? If you only plan on hitting the 100-yard range or for home defense, you probably don't need the NM. Spend your $ on ammo & mags & training.

If you plan on getting into largebore rifle competition, then a NM will make more sense.

 

[Golden Hound]

I would eventually like to build up my skills to the point where I could compete in shooting matches.

 

[10X]

If you want to get into competition, get the Super Match.
The SM is very heavy and therefore is not real suitable for anything other than competition shooting.

Otherwise get the best you can for what you want to pay. In future years the National Match will appreciate more than the Loaded or Standard.

The only down side to the National Match are that it is slightly heavier than the Loaded or Standard and the rear sight aperture is small for anything other than target work. That is easily remedied with an inexpensive GI sight.

The M1A is a joy to shoot and you will find yourself wanting to shoot better and better groups. If it were me I would go with the National Match.

 

[Sunray]

If you're looking at buying new and depending on where you are, 2 grand will be almost enough for a Standard 'Loaded' or a National Match. A SuperMatch starts at around $2100.
Stocks and stock parts are everywhere. You can put on anything you want from very fine walnut to fibreglas. Light weight stocks tend to cause a fair bit of muzzle jump. The felt recoil is diddly.

 

[10X]

The USGI hand guards were a light brown fiberglass.

There are a lot of other options out there, including walnut.

I have also seen dark brown and black fiberglass, but I don't know if they were GI or commercial. Commercial plastic hand guards are also available in dark brown and black.

The hand guard is easily switched by spreading the clip at the rear of the guard and tipping the guard up

 

[For Freedom]

Just get a Standard.

The general rule of thumb is that any measure to improve accuracy negatively affects your rifle's role as a combat rifle.

Besides, an SAI Super Match or National Match aren't ready for competition anyway. Moreover, an AR-15 is far superior for service rifle competition. Everyone uses AR-15s.

 

[SoCalShooter]

I would eventually like to build up my skills to the point where I could compete in shooting matches.

Get an AR15 if you want to shoot HIGH POWER RIFLE.

 

[Golden Hound]

What must be done to the National Match to make it ready for competition?

 

[cracked butt]

What must be done to the National Match to make it ready for competition?

It should be ready for competition right out of the box.

If you want to use the rifle for highpower competition, buy the best, most accurate rifle that you can afford. A rifle that shoots consistantly 1moa will make a big difference over one that will shoot 2moa, even if your hold is is much larger (and it will be).

 

[Kosh75287]

I bought my M1-A National Match 20 years ago, so things may have changed since then. My National Match M1-A seems to make me a better shot than I really am. I can hit things with it that I cannot hit with anything else. A friend who bought one of the "Supermatch" grade M1-As at the same time I bought mine, had similar but better performance. Whether he was a better rifle shot or was using a more precise rifle is unknown to me. I suspect it was both. In any case, the only failures to function that he reported were when he used lighter loads that he knew from the outset would not operate the action.
In terms of function, MY rifle has digested everything I've put in it, everytime, without fail. I don't think I'd shoot as well with a "service grade" M1-A, and in my case I would gain nothing in terms of reliability. That's my 2 cents.

 

[chauncey]

there are two schools of thought I try to balance in these situations:
1. don't chase bad money is good. buy the best quality or standard you can afford. I often ignore this concept, and suffer for it. cmp Garands are a definite exception
2. don't buy something so expensive you can't feed it. a Benz you can't afford to fill the tank on does you no good for transportation

I have a Loaded. It is more accurate than I am. not until I am more accurate than the Loaded, will I upgrade. with 308 prices where they are, I'd suggest buying a 10/22 also, to get you to a certain level of marksmanship inexpensively. 308 prices are downright painful.

as far as pure competition, I hate to admit that AR's are probably more inherently accurate. I shoot my Loaded more, because I like it. A weapon you want to shoot is infinately more useful than one you don't want to shoot.

 

[nbkky71]

If you're serious about shooting the M1A in competition, you might want to think about having a reputable M1A gunsmith build one for you. You can start off with a receiver and build it from the ground up. Some folks start off with a loaded-standard model as a 'base' rifle from which to build upon. Champion's Choice sells Springfield receivers in the $550 range.

While a Supermatch is nice, you'd be hard-pressed to find one NIB for $2100. The cheapest I've ever seen them was $2300 for the walnut stocked model and prices can easily approach the $3,000 mark.

 

[Cannonball888]

The USGI hand guards were a light brown fiberglass

USGI M14 handguards have been varying shades of brown and they were indeed also issued in black. A particularly interesting early issue was a SLOTTED handguard which was phased out because the released heat was claimed to distort the sight picture.

 

[30Cal]

If you're serious about shooting the M1A in competition, you might want to think about having a reputable M1A gunsmith build one for you.

+100. I shoot an M1A in highpower (until I get my last 4 leg points)--my Supermatch is on it's second barrel. If I was buying an M1A for competition purposes, I'd buy either a used match-prepped rifle or get a standard/loaded and have my M1A plumber work his magic. Springfield's match models are less than superb.

 

[GunTech]

The loaded gets you NM sights, trigger and a medium weight barrel for about $200 over the standard. Shoot it a lot, the replace the factory tube with a Krieger when you're ready for serious competition.

 

[30Cal]

The loaded gets you NM sights, trigger and a medium weight barrel for about $200 over the standard. Shoot it a lot, the replace the factory tube with a Krieger when you're ready for serious competition.

Get it bedded. The worlds best barrel in a on-size-fits-all stock isn't going to perform.