Can the M1a Scout's overall length be shorten a couple of inches by removing the muzzle brake in front of the sight?
The flash hider or muzzle brake on a scout is part of the front sight base, so if you take it off, you also lose your front sight. Also, with that short of a barrel and no muzzle device, you might have some muzzle flash issues.
Delta P Designs sells a replacement front sight base that just has standard 5/8x24 threads on the end, instead of the long flash hider, which lets you put whatever muzzle device you want on it. You could go with a shorter flash hider, or just put a thread cap on it if you don't want a muzzle device.
Or you could go with the GLFS (gas lock front sight) method, which moves your front sight back to where the gas port is on the rifle, and then put on a flash hider that is compatible with the factory threads on the M1A's muzzle, like the Smith Vortex. fragout has a post earlier in this thread that illustrates this setup, and shows how short it is.
botach has victory 20rd M14 mags for $12 ea with free shipping today......
DON'T DO IT!!! I bought some of those mags a couple years ago when they were $10 apiece. They worked OK at first, but after a little bit of use the feed lips became deformed and they turned an utterly reliable rifle into a jam-o-mattic. I unloaded those mags cheap at a gun show, switched to CMI mags, and am back to being utterly reliable.
Just pay a little more and get CMI (checkmate industries) mags and you won't regret it. 44mag.com has them.
