M1A: Synthetic, Walnut or Both (poll)

M1A: Walnut Stock, Synthetic Stock, Both, None or ?

  • Buy the rifle with the synthetic stock and buy a used walnut stock

    Votes: 46 40.7%

  • Hold out for a rifle with a walnut stock and don't buy a synthetic stock

    Votes: 31 27.4%

  • Buy the rifle with a synthetic stock and skip the walnut stock

    Votes: 31 27.4%

  • Stay away from M1A rifles completely

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 5 4.4%
  • Total voters
    113
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J

JNewell

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If you had a chance to buy a pre-owned, unfired M1A at an attractive price, and it had a synthetic stock, what would you do?

My vote is buy the rifle then buy a decent walnut stock from Fred's...I am interested in your opinions, especially if you disagree (please give reasons) - thanks.
 
Buy the rifle, without hesitation. As you may have read, SAI will normally honor the lifetime warranty for any owner of the rifle, not just the first owner.

I have a pre-owned M1A that came with a black fiberglass stock (I believe a repainted GI stock, but I'm not certain). I find the stock just fine for all purposes except appearance, and adequate for that. Buy the rifle, try it with the synthetic stock, then decide later if you want a walnut stock instead. Boyd's sells finished walnut M1A stocks for a little over $100 I believe.

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/M1A-STYLE-1-STOCK-WALNUT-FINISHED-p/200-929.htm
 
+1

Plus, every now and then I see nice stocks run through the auction sites.
 
Price sounds OK. Depends mostly on the quality of the scope, and whether the SAI scope mount fits well - that mount isn't considered one of the best scope mounts for the M1A, despite what you would think.

You can get a NIB standard M1A for about $1300 or so before FFL fees and shipping, FYI.
 
I would stay with synthetic. It is lighter, more durable, and in my opinion looks better on a fighting rifle.

I recently had a $2500 LRB M14 built and had it put together with a springfield synthetic stock, which many would probably consider sacrilege. There are some things I don't like about the Springfield version of the M14 but the stocks are not one of them.
 
I must be a purest, albeit young. I prefer the wood on those, bolts, and almost everything aside from "black rifles."
 
a combat rifle wont help you in synthetic stock. I carried one almost 40 years ago and when it comes down to it, when the order "fix bayonets" comes down, a synthetic stock wont stand up to slamning it up against your enemies head, only shatter, if the walnut stock shattered, pull out your .45 sidearm. so many years ago, but I still dream about it every night. only a wood stock for me!!!
 
"...on a fighting rifle..." An M1A isn't a battle rifle. Neither is a a $2500 LRB.
Have the synthetic on my real, semi'd M14. Great, if you're just lugging it around. Not so great for shooting. Especially, off hand. The lighter weight causes excessive muzzle jump. Doesn't change the felt recoil at all though.
"...when the order "fix bayonets" comes down..." Somebody hasn't done their job properly. That's worse than having to defend yourself with a handgun.
 
we did our job, I am 57 and I know, that was the last order you wanted to hear..unless you were there you would know, 4th Combat Control Group we did our job properly, were you in the neighborhood??
 
sunray said:
"...on a fighting rifle..." An M1A isn't a battle rifle. Neither is a a $2500 LRB.
Have the synthetic on my real, semi'd M14. Great, if you're just lugging it around. Not so great for shooting. Especially, off hand. The lighter weight causes excessive muzzle jump. Doesn't change the felt recoil at all though.
Click to expand...

Please explain to me how an M1A or M14 cannot be considered a fighting rifle or battle rifle. I'm calling Bullsh*t on that one.
 
The M1A is an excellent rifle so I am glad nobody has voted against it.

I would get the rifle with the synthetic, then get a quality wood stock elsewhere. That way you could bed the wood stock when you want a little more for accuracy, or rock the synthetic when you want something a little lighter, or for the dirty jobs you don't want to ding up your nice wood with.
 
Please explain to me how an M1A or M14 cannot be considered a fighting rifle or battle rifle.
Click to expand...

Just guessing, but sunray specifically said M1A, and some people (especially on da internets) view SAI as having insufficient quality control to make anything up to a reliable specification, therefore they view the SAI M1A's as being solely civilian sporting rifles and not suitable for military type use.

Of course, sunray should clarify what he meant, but that's my guess. Nor am I saying I agree with it.

I have a SAI M1A and like it a great deal. I won't be selling it, and I would recommend them to people who think they might like them. I'm not a soldier so I'm not too concerned if it isn't 100% mil spec. At some point that gets silly anyway - is a perfectly mil-spec SKS superior to a civilian spec M1A or FAL? AR? What exactly is the dividing line?
 
Just guessing, but sunray specifically said M1A, and some people (especially on da internets) view SAI as having insufficient quality control to make anything up to a reliable specification, therefore they view the SAI M1A's as being solely civilian sporting rifles and not suitable for military type use.
Click to expand...

Oh I'm sure it was just some overt snobbery meant to reflect the opinion that if it wasn't built by winchester, trw, h&R, or the original springfield, it can't be a called a "battle rifle". It's still BS. This is the same sort of person who blows a valve when someone calls a 1911 that wasn't made by Colt a "combat pistol". I also disagree in saying that the synthetic creates excessive muzzle jump. Proper use of a sling will combat this. The weight savings are worth it. If you don't want any recoil, go shoot an AR or just put the rifle in an EBR or bedded mcmillan stock and get some accuracy in return for that weight.
 
And when my brother was on his first tour with the 101st 2/327th, his company was issued several Springfield M1A rifles with Leupold 1.5-5 MR/T optics for DMRs. So actually, the M1A has been issued to front line combat troops.

And as a matter of personal preference, I was issued M16A2 and A4 rifles made by Colt and FN, and milspec or not, I'll take the quality of my SA M1A against that of any rifle I was ever issued.

The technical definition for a battle rifle requires only that the rifle fire a full power round. This could be a bolt action SMLE, a semi-auto M1A, or a select-fire G3. Either way, any rifle designed or of the type designed for combat that fires a full power rifle cartridge could be considered a battle rifle, correctly.
 
the GI walnut stocks were supposedly made in a special way in a vat with linseed oil or something like this (sorry memory is not as good as once it was) so that they would not warp. I'd get one of those.
 
And when my brother was on his first tour with the 101st 2/327th, his company was issued several Springfield M1A rifles with Leupold 1.5-5 MR/T optics for DMRs. So actually, the M1A has been issued to front line combat troops.
Click to expand...

I'm betting that the rifle he was describing was a REAL Springfield Armory M14 with the selector lock in place, not the commercial Springfield Armory, Inc. - who simply bought the name. As far as I know, SAI has never supplied any rifles to our country's military.

Oh, and before anybody jumps down my throat, I am an M1A lover. My Springfield commercial rifle has been great to me, and I would trust it to defend my life. They just aren't the same exact thing as a real deal USGI M14.

the GI walnut stocks were supposedly made in a special way in a vat with linseed oil or something like this (sorry memory is not as good as once it was) so that they would not warp. I'd get one of those.
Click to expand...

I believe the stocks you are referencing are the M21 sniper rifle stocks, which were oil impregnated inside a pressurized tank. Most regular GI walnut stocks will have only been dunked or with hand-rubbed Tung or Boiled Linseed Oil.
 
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They are still used widely on ships and in the corp; longest serving battle rifle around! Buy it and be happy it will outlast you.
 
I just purchased a used Springfield M1A from a local dealer who specializes in Police Trade-ins. It came with the black fiberglass stock, but has been beat up somewhat riding in the back of a Police Cruiser. I bought a wooden stock from Fred's for $35 and am in the process of refinishing it (it's in surprisingly good shape). I plan on sending the fiberglass stock off to be camo'd.
Oh yes, one other thing, mine does have ALL USGI parts except for the receiver and soon the stock will be also.
 
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