Springfield M1A M14 Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14x50 LR/T M1

[Sandy50]

Greetings,

I'm thinking very seriously about placing a bid for this rifle. It has been my good fortune to have fired the sniper version of this rifle and I have always wanted to have one in my civilian life. My experience with this rifle has been reliability, accuracy, and serviceability.

I would appreciate feedback from others that own, have owned, or have experience with this classic rifle before I consider risk a significant investment.

Thanks very much!

 

[essayons21]

If the "sniper version" you fired was the M21, I wouldn't expect the same accuracy. You would have to spring for a Springfield National Match or go with a custom built M14 to match that.

However, the Springfield M1A is a quality gun, with good accuracy, and the Leupold is a quality scope. Really depends on whether the price is right.

 

[Double Vision]

I can't help you with the scope but the M1A is a great rifle, even with iron sights.

 

[LemmyCaution]

Can you give details on:

Which Springfield model it is?

What year Springfield produced it?

Which scope mount it is using?

What rings it has?

What accuracy mods it has had done to it?

These data will affect the value.

 

[longdayjake]

That scope is one of the best and it would be limited by putting it on a mediocre setup. I second the statement that the accuracy of a standard m1a is only fair. You will need a little nicer barrel to get more out of it.

 

[Sandy50]

Here's the scoop: Springfield M1A, Harris bipod, Sadlak lower rail, Smith Enterprises scope rings, Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14x50 LR/T M1 scope, standard walnut stock, Turner sling, standard front flash hider with NM sight, Trijicon sight installed, Fulton Armory M14 DMR steel three-point scope mount (very solid), Sadlak NM sping guide, Advanced Armament flash hider for suppressor attachment, and TNVC cheek riser with mag pouch.

 

[skipbo32]

i have a leupold mark 4 on a standard M1A. the rifle and the scope deserve each other. i say do it. the standard will only be about 3 MOA out of the box, but you could get it down to 1.5 with some fine tuning and good ammo. the loaded model will always be the most accurate because of the heavy barrel and the .308 really needs that to fill its potential.

i would still opt for the standard though.....reason being: by the time you put a scope and mount on that beast you are going to need wheels to roll that thing around in if it has a heavy barrel along with everything else.

if you want sniper accuracy and dont mind humping a 15lb gun then hold out for the "loaded", but if you want more mobility and lighter weight, then the standard is plenty accurate and chances are you will not be as accurate as your gun.



also....a M14 type will only be so accurate. its a battle rifle! if you want REAL accuracy, get a bolt gun. with a lupy scope on a m1a standard, you should have no problem hitting man sized targets out to 800 yds.

 

[Whiskey11]

@essayons21 It doesn't have to be an M21, depending on the branch it could actually still be a good ole accurized M14. I don't think the USMC ever issued the M21 to any of it's marksmen, but plenty of scoped and accurized M14s.

I have always been a fan of buy what you want. If you want this rifle, BUY IT, you can always make them more accurate when you shoot out the barrel

 

[axeman_g]

@skipbo32.... I dont mean to hijack this thread but i have a question concerning the weights your mentioned. I see that the loaded comes with medium weight carbon steel barrel has a weight of 9.3 pounds, only .5 higher then the standard. Is there something I dont know about on the loaded that jacks the weight up another 3+ pounds. Scope and mount?
I am just about to pull the plug on a loaded and I dont want to get caught out.

 

[longdayjake]

I personally can't tell the difference in weight between a loaded and a standard. The accuracy difference is HUGE in my opinion, but then again the loaded I shoot may have just been a really good one.

 

[lencac]

Also keep in mind too that with the M1A/M14 type rifles mating between the action and the stock is critical. A properly bedded standard will shoot like a loaded model. A loaded model that is properly bedded will shoot like a national match rifle. Whatever you end up with I would recommend you have the rifle bedded by a professional and you will be amazed how much difference it will make. Remember too that every time the action is separated from the stock the fit gets a little bit looser and as a result lose of tiny bit of accuracy.
Springfield armory took my M1A from a standard to a national match some 15 years ago and after thousands of rounds it will still repetitively hit the gong at 600 yrds. Gong is top 18" of an acetylene tank hung by chain.

 

[skipbo32]

axeman:

dont quote me on the numbers. im just guesstamating. i know that a M1A is roughly about 10lbs. and when i have a loaded mag, basset mount, leupold mark 4 scope with solid steel mark 4 rings and bipod.....it feels like a 15lb gun.......

now..........
i am very familiar what a "standard" feels like with nothing on it and one day i went to a gun shop and handled their "loaded". to me i instantly noticed the difference in weight. it almost felt like i was holding my standard with all the crap on it........so im not speaking from facts as much as my own personal feel and experience. i could have sworn the loaded was at least a full pound more, ......but maybe i was holding a gun with a heavier barrel??

my advise is find a shop where you can hold them both and compare. reading numbers on a screen and trying to fantasize what it would feel like, wont cut it.

i will say this..... 1/2 a pound may not seem like much until the gun has 20 rounds of .308 in it, along with a scope and mount.....then try hicking with it all day and see if you dont notice that extra .5 lb

 

[axeman_g]

skip... I get ya. Problem here in southern NJ finding a gun shop that stocks M1a is hard to do. "I can order one in for you" is the common response to an inventory request. I am awaiting the Valley Forge gunshow in April for a real test run.

And I understand ounces when it comes to all day slogs having done enough long range backpacking. I throw out a travel packet of tissues once because I thought it was excess weight I would not need. That is why man invented snot rockets, right?

 

[skipbo32]

axeman:

if you have your heart set on a "loaded" then go for it. IMO, they have the proper barrel thickness for the .308 to be accurate. i guess i just chose the standard because it is a clone of what the M14 had.

if your M1A is just going to be a range gun, then i say go for the loaded all the way.

 

[LemmyCaution]

Here's the scoop: Springfield M1A, Harris bipod, Sadlak lower rail, Smith Enterprises scope rings, Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14x50 LR/T M1 scope, standard walnut stock, Turner sling, standard front flash hider with NM sight, Trijicon sight installed, Fulton Armory M14 DMR steel three-point scope mount (very solid), Sadlak NM sping guide, Advanced Armament flash hider for suppressor attachment, and TNVC cheek riser with mag pouch.

That's a fine list of kit.

Questions one might ask of the seller:

Did the scope mount fit up properly?

In what position is the front iron sight? If far of center, this can indicate a barrel timing issue.

Round count?

Accuracy with Federal Gold Medal Match?

Headspace?

Has the gas cylinder been shimmed or unitized?

At what point does the gas cylinder lock become hand tight and need a wrench to send home (should be 5 o'clock)?

Has the stock been bedded?

Does the scope have illumination?

What reticle does the scope have?

What year did Springfield produce it? (Older rifles have a higher count of mil-spec parts. Some find this desirable)

Trijicon doesn't make sights for the M1a. Does the seller mean XS sights?

The seller seems to have built up a high quality rifle.

Were I buying, I'd bid about $2500, maybe up to $2800, were that a configuration I really wanted. If you don't want all the kit, you'll have no trouble selling any of it. It's all good stuff.