M1A question: post-ban with "pre-ban" stock?

[Monkeyleg]

While wandering the gun show today, I saw two Springfield M1A's. Both were (supposedly) new in box. Both of them had the select-fire lever cutout in the right side of the stock, something I thought only pre-bans had. But neither had a bayo lug. Both were priced at $1095, which is not too bad a price in this area.

But I have to wonder: did the Springfields have a transition period where the cutout was there but no bayo lug, or are these parts guns, with someone swapping a fiberglass stock for an old walnut stock?

 

[BenW]

Maybe just a parts swap. I have a couple of fiberglass stocks that I've painted different camo colors to swap out on mine. They came from Freds and both have the cutout on them. Even the Springfield stocks have the cutout. Springfield fills it in, but you can clearly see the modification (at least on my Springfield stock).

 

[Gewehr98]

Monkeyleg, if you think about it...

The Springfield M1A rifle is for all practical purposes a parts gun. Until such time as Springfield, Inc. starts making all of their M1A parts, they will continue to use USGI surplus M14 parts for assembly. Take a look at the average Springfield, Inc. M1A, and you'll be surprised to see the variety of parts that make up the gun. TRW, HRA, WRA, you name it, the parts came from military contractors who built and assembled M14's. You'll definitely get a Springfield, Inc. receiver, and perhaps a bolt, but the remainder of the gun will probably be military surplus, and there will be no "naughty bits" like the connecting link and selector lever for full-auto.

The USGI fiberglass stocks that have the selector lever cutout are the same ones that are found on the Springfield, Inc. M1A. Sometimes they take the time to fill them in before painting, sometimes they don't. But they do use the surplus pre-ban stocks on post-ban guns, no legal problem there. On their wooden stocks, found on the M1A National Match and M1A Super Match, there's often no selector cutout, because they're new production wood.

You can find wooden stocks with the selector cutout. Fred's M14 Stocks sells them, just check out the Shotgun News.

On my Armscorp/H&R M14NM below, the stock did have the selector lever cutout. It was filled in and smoothed over prior to the paint job. One less place for dirt and crud to enter the receiver area since the selector lever was never gonna be installed.



Hope this helps explain the cutout on a post-ban M1A.

 

[Duke of Lawnchair]

Gewehr98,

Sharp lookin' rifle.

 

[jacks308]

Got one in 97

Had a walnut stock . And fits real nice too , no selector cutout . Was told it is most likely one of the last Fajen stocks that Springfield Inc. used . Just for a beater stock I bought a birch from Fred's and contoured the grip to match it as much as possible , I still need to add about a quarter inch of comb to it so it feels right .

Jack

 

[Badger Arms]

There is no provision in any law I am aware of that prohibits a selector cutout notch in the stock on an M-14 style rifle. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Gewehr98]

Badger Arms is correct.

Selector cutout notch is perfectly legal on a pre-ban or post-ban M1A or commercial M14 semiauto clone. It's just a stock modification, just like an adjustable comb or trapdoor for your lunch...

 

[Monkeyleg]

Thanks for the replies, folks. I'm not worried about whether the cutout is legal;I know there's nothing illegal about a notch in a wooden stock. At least not yet.

My concern is whether the dealers are taking the barrels and actions from one rifle and just dropping them into a different stock, without any concern for fit, and the value of the rifle if/when/I-hope-never resell.

There's a lot of brand new SA M1A's on dealer shelves around here, and none have cut-out stocks. Gun show dealers play all kinds of tricks to make a buck.

 

[Destructo6]

My understanding is that the low-end "standard" M1As arrive with surplus M14 stocks (or an identical replication), selector relief and everything.

 

[vanfunk]

Yep. My "almost" pre-ban Springfield M1A was outfitted from the factory with a GI walnut stock with the cut-out. IMO the selector cut-out does not detract from the rifle's appearance, although I am thinking of installing one of those "dummy" selector kits from www.sparrowhawk.com. I'm also one of the lucky ones, in that my M1A came with all GI parts sans the receiver. I bought mine slightly used (more like "pre-handled") for $950 and think I got a great deal. I like it so much I'm thinking of picking up a Polytech M-14s for a project gun.

vanfunk