Springfield M1a, need some advice

[MilsurpShooter]

Slowly but surely I've been attempting to round out my collection and branch out a bit from just Military Surplus rifles. I've got my shotguns, my .22's my military history. Picked up my first intermediate caliber rifle, I've got my extreme long range gun in .338 Lapua.

But I don't have the one rifle that is a go to in any collection. I don't own a .308

I'd thought about buying a R700 for awhile but for some reason I never found a style I really liked, closest was the M40 and M40a1 styling used in Vietnam, I've wanted a Garand forever, but anytime I've found one it would cost more to fix up and put a new barrel in then the rifle itself.

So I came to the conclusion I should buy an M1A from Springfield and kill two birds with one stone. Yes, I have odd logic and reasoning but if it means a shiny new firearm I'm not going to question it.

For the past few days I've been browsing the Springfield Armory web page and reading up on each of the offers. Not a fan of the Short Barrel so that rules out the SOCOM and the scout squad variant.

As much as I REAAAAALLY want that M21 with the Krieger Barrel, I'm a lefty shooter. Number of reviews I've read have mentioned that the built in cheek riser isn't really geared towards a lefty and could be uncomfortable. Don't want to spend that type of money and have a rifle that I'm not 100% happy with.

So that narrows it down to the Standard, Loaded, National Match or the Super Match M1A and I'm really trying to fight off the "Get the bigger and better" urge. So, figured I'd ask you guys here for some help.

For instance, the range I frequent only does 100 and 200 yards. Once a month some friends and I go up to a piece of property he owns where we shoot out to 1,200-1500 yards, but that's not a frequent occurrence.

I reload, but not in quantity. I buy a few factory rounds at a time and reload form those. I got a deal on some German Surplus .308 not too long ago and would most likely be firing that, with reloads being saved for long range or for a group testing at the 100 or 200 yard range. (deal was too good to pass up even though I didn't have a .308 lol)

I'm not the greatest with Iron Sites so I'd probably be throwing optics on it at some point, I don't know if any of the models are slightly different then the others and might be easier or harder to put optics on. (probably need a new stock too for the cheek riser if I were to go that method as well)

I have a feeling I'll end up settling on the Standard or Loaded model. But do you guys think the National or supermatch's might be more beneficial to buy even though they would probably be wasted for what I intend to use it for?

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[highpower]

I would buy the Standard based on what your intended use is. If you want/need more accuracy, have it glass bedded and the gas system unitized. You will get more real benefit out of those upgrades than the Loaded would deliver. I have had both and would save the $ over the loaded and put it elsewhere.

One thing that I would do first is replace the cast factory extractor with a GI version. The ones from a Garand are the same and are available for just a few dollars.

I enjoy shooting with iron sights, the M1 Garand/M14 sights are probably some of the best military iron sights ever produced. With some practice, you will find that they are good out to reasonable distances.

Warning: gratuitous gun pics.

 

[MistWolf]

Unless shooting Service Rifle matches, there is no reason to buy a NM or Super Match M1A. I prefer the lighter profile barrel of the standard as it makes the rifle lighter and handle better.

Installing optics on an M14 is a path that leads to madness, requires a high level of dedication and often the expenditure of large piles of cash. If you must have optics, skip the M1A and either get the M&P-10 or the DPMS Gen II

 

[Welding Rod]

I agree... standard is the ticket (I have owned them all).

I agree again, The M14 is a horrible optics platform, and has outstanding iron sights.

 

[JR47]

Part of the problem stems from the fact that most optics mounts are made for the forged receiver M14 rifle. The cast receiver of the M1A is slightly different, but that difference makes a lot of trouble. If you want optics, LRB, or James River's forged Mil-Spec receivers are going to make mounting a lot easier.

Note that, even today, optics equipped M14 rifles are still in use by our military.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Yeah the optics thing is more of an ease of use. My eyes aren't bad but I just always perform more consistently with optics. That might change with the sight picture on the M1a though. I've never owned a rifle with a peep sight. Always military blade rear sight and post front so I'll see how I do with that first.

To do that though I'd probably need to change the stock too and knowing my luck the one I like will be as much as the rifle lol. Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like Standard is the way to go.

 

[Sunray]

The SOCOM and any other short barreled M1A is a marketing thing. No such thing as an M-14 Carbine.
I'd lean towards the Loaded myself. Match grade barrels and sights. 22" parkerized carbon steel barrel with the walnut stock.
Peep sights are great things. You look through the rear at the front and sit the black on top of the front sight.
SA Inc. voids their warrantee if you shoot reloads. Factory ammo is too expensive to shoot regularly though. 168 grain match bullets with IMR4064. 175 grain match bullets past 600.
"...optics equipped M14 rifles are still in use by our military..." It's not everybody.

 

[Bullseye57]

The M-1A service stocks are universal in that they are shaped the same for both right and left handed shooters, working the op-rod can be a slight challenge for a leftie. These rifle controls are really set up for the right handed shooter, especially when locking back the bolt on an empty, no magazine installed rifle.

R,
Bullseye

 

[Ks5shooter]

PM sent..

 

[bangswitch]

I'm a fairly new M1A owner, had mine (Standard) since February this year. I absolutely love it, I've put over a thousand rounds through it already, and haven't touched my .308 bolt gun but once since I brought the Springfield home.

I was initially concerned with the aperture sights, and whether I could hit anything using them, but I consistently get 2-3 MOA groups at 100 yards using them with my 60-year-old eyes and glasses. As I get the trigger worn in a bit, and practice more, my groups are starting to shrink just a little. The Standard model is upgradable, you can upfit the National Match sights easily, and those give you 1/4 minute elevation adjustment, over the 1/2 minute standard sights. Both sights give 1/4 minute windage adjustment.

Recoil is very manageable, and I forgot how much better it is than a bolt-action until I shot my buddy's new Ruger Gunsite .308. It felt like my old .300 Win Mag by comparison, and my own bolt gun is way harder to tolerate after shooting the M1A. There's also a distinctive sound to the M1A that turns heads at the range, a combination of muzzle blast and action cycling.

The Springfield is hard on brass, if you plan to reload for it, use only high quality factory brass or buy some once-fired milspec stuff like Lake City, and limit yourself to three reloadings, then chuck the brass. I have a small base die for mine, but I've discovered it takes standard full sized brass just fine with no feed or cycling issues.

I don't think the M1A is all that bad an optical sight platform; I just added a Fulton DMR Brookfield steel mount, and a Millet scope, which is a big honkin' thing. It brings the rifle up to almost 11 pounds, so it's not anything you want to go hauling through the woods for long on a deer hunt, but sandbagged on a bench, you can get some amazing groups. I can still shoot with the iron sights, the Brookfield mount has a slot down the middle that keeps the irons functional with the mount in place. It's easy enough to pop the scope off the mount, and the mount hasn't interfered with ejected brass at all.

I shoot right handed, so I can't speak personally about operating it left handed, but I can tell you what my cousin told me. He used an M21 in Vietnam as a sniper (75th Rangers, 1st Cav), and he is a lefty. He said, you can get used to shooting anything when there's somebody shooting back . His biggest gripe was getting hit in the face by an occasional hot brass. He's fired my rifle, and he reaches over the action with his left hand to release the oprod while keeping his right hand on the fore end. Easier than a bolt action, I suppose, since you only need to mess with the bolt every 20 rounds.