Springfield M1a first time out

[Nature Boy]

Enjoy that battle rifle. You can be at the firing line with 10 "black rifles" and the minute you uncase that beauty, people will look, usually with envy.

Cooldill knows this, even though he won't admit it in public

 

[Uncle Nubbs]

Enjoy that battle rifle. You can be at the firing line with 10 "black rifles" and the minute you uncase that beauty, people will look, usually with envy.



Cooldill knows this, even though he won't admit it in public

It is a good feeling! Same reaction I get with my Garand. I mentioned the guys to either side were helping me out. One knew a thing or two about M14s and even offered to meet up with me to get me started with reloading! Some nice people you meet on the firing line indeed.

 

[Uncle Nubbs]

Update:

Spoke with SA and explained the problem. The rep put me on hold for a few minutes and when she returned she told me the tech wants to see the rifle. She immediately took my info and emailed me a shipping label. Said it would be 2-4 weeks.

Next, I called the LGS where I purchased it and caught the gunsmith. He told me to bring it to him and he'd have a looksie and could maybe save the trouble of sending it back. He also said that if the rear sight wasn't protruding above the protective ears, it may not be a problem and offered to look at the front sight too. We shall see

 

[Reloadron]

Enjoy that battle rifle. You can be at the firing line with 10 "black rifles" and the minute you uncase that beauty, people will look, usually with envy.

Cooldill knows this, even though he won't admit it in public

OK, off topic but.... About 25 years ago maybe around 1990 or 1991 I was shooting at a local club match. Those matches were fun. I showed up with my then pretty new M1A Match gun. The weather sucked that day, it was cold and wet. All shooting was done at 200 yards, reduced target. The shooters were all M1 Garand and M1A types with the exception of one guy with an AR-15. The Black Rifle was new to these small local matches. I placed second that day even surprising myself. The shooter that waxed me? Yeah, that Black Rifle shooter. Never forgot that day or my first exposure outside of the Marine Corps and Vietnam to Black Magic.

I still enjoy my M1A and my Garands as well as several AR rifles including my AR-10 but I was waxed in a downpour and cold.

Ron

 

[Nature Boy]

Great story Ron.

I love my AR too, but after I got my M1A, the black rifle rarely sees the light of day.

 

[agtman]

Spoke with SA and explained the problem. The rep put me on hold for a few minutes and when she returned she told me the tech wants to see the rifle. She immediately took my info and emailed me a shipping label. Said it would be 2-4 weeks.

Next, I called the LGS where I purchased it and caught the gunsmith. He told me to bring it to him and he'd have a looksie and could maybe save the trouble of sending it back. He also said that if the rear sight wasn't protruding above the protective ears, it may not be a problem and offered to look at the front sight too.

Got in late on this thread, but if it were my M1A, I'd take it back to my LGS's 'smith where it was bought. That should be your first step, assuming the smith is both reasonably competent and has experience (including trigger time) on the M1 Garand/M1A platform. If it's something obvious and simple, your 'smith should be able to identify the problem and fix it there, thus saving you down time shipping it back to S.A.

If he can't figure it out, then proceed with S.A.'s warranty service.

 

[captmoto]

I didn't take any notes but I don't remember having to tweak my sights that much. I have a standard with a green Hogue stock. I have had mine since January. From a rest I have no problem putting 10/10 on an 8" steel plate as quick as the plate settles. I need to see if I can get some groups.
I'm shooting hand loads, 42 gr. IMR4895, Win. 308 case, 155 gr. Hornady Palma bt and Remington primers.

 

[kBob]

Just an FYI.

The 25 meter zero for 250meter battle sight IS NOT A TOP OF THE FRONT SIGHT ZERO. (Yelling intentional)


Zeroing was done on a special target called the "Canadian Bull" the rifle was aimed at a point on this rectangular target and the sights adjusted so the group was centered on an X centered but several inches higher.

Once the rifle was sighted at the aiming point and the hits were clustered about the zero X point (a less than one inch group (cover with a quarter) was required, which would give about the size 100 yard group the OP fired) then the rifle's elevation drum was loosened and set on the triangle/ 250 meter battle sight zero setting and retightened.

For military shooting once a 250m BZ was established all firing on kneeling man targets was done up to 300 meters without elevation adjustment, but by varying the point of aim from low to high center mass depending on the range. Adjustments using the elevation/range drum were made for shots at longer range.

Max effective range on the kneeling man targets ( 50 percent hits by the average shooter) for the M-14 was 460 meters and the Bipod and pistol griped stocked M-14A1 on semi 700 meters. With GI ball ammo the sight adjustments to those ranges worked on those targets. Typically the 600 meter target was two targets over lapped so the heads were touching sides and the 700 meter target was two targets with a shoulder over lapped ( and so a two headed bad guy) to aid the shooter in seeing the targets at those ranges. Full auto fire with the bipod equipped guns was 2 to 3 shot bursts at individual targets to 300 meters.

-kBob