Another Springfield M1A Bites The Dust..

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SteyrAUG

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http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=170637&page=1

At our long island winter wonderland shoot yesterday, Green18's Springfield Armory M1A fell apart. He said the trigger had been getting *worse* by the day until yesterday it just broke. It doesn't look catastrophic or anything, but it'd be catastrophic if it happened during a break in or when you really need it.

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SteyrAUG,

Out of curiosity, what model did he buy? Standard, Loaded, NM, Super Match? I've got an SA M1A Loaded that I just picked up, and I haven't been able to fire it yet due to weather here in Maine (Range is under 3 ft of snow). I'd like to know if this is something I can expect, so I can get a few USGI spares laid in before the shooting season starts.

I also enjoyed your Gorilla comment. Quite the striking visual.
 
Not sure which model and always best to ask the source (the poster) directly. The problem seems to stem from SA using cheaper cast parts for some internals in their current M1As.

It can be corrected with USGI parts but like I pointed out a NIB gun shouldn't have to be fixed with used parts and doing so voids the warranty.
 
Although it will void the warrenty you have not got much choice. True Springfield will give you another junk cast part for free but then if you are in the middle of shooting a match it will probabyl just break again.

Your best bet is to get the gun to a man who specializes in rebuilding M1A's and have him replace all of the junk cast parts with original G.I. parts. It will cost you some money but if you want a reliable gun this is the only way out. I have a Springfield armory gun that I replaced all of the junk parts in many years ago (23 years to be exact) and it has given me no problems except for the soft cast frame that wore out the sight detents and also recquired the addition of an oversize bolt to correct the bad headspace (due to reciever stretching) that occured after only 500 rounds of shooting.
 
I was just curious as to the model of M1A that was affected. Reason I asked would be to see if possible SA may be saving their dwindling supply of parts for their upper end models vs. the Standard guns.

I just may say the heck with it anyway and cover my bases by ordering the complete NM trigger group from Fulton Armory. I've already identified about $600 worth of tools, accessories, and other bits I want to order from them for my M1A. Might as well throw a NM trigger group on the list also to keep as a spare.
 
I normally join the chorus against cast parts, but I doubt that the pin is cast, and it may even be GI. Besides, that has been known to happen on GI M1 and M14 rifles, so it's a bit hard to blame Springfield, Inc. I agree that it would be bad if it happened at the wrong time, but there seems to have been plenty of warning that something was wrong.

BTW, anyone who is using an M1A for home defense in a built up area has a few problems in adjustment to reality, like figuring out how many neighboring houses a bullet will go through.

Jim
 
For something that's already overpriced------and now they're using crap parts????? NOT GOOD!!!---- Glad I resisted the urge for one.
 
As a SA National Match owner, I have to say,

SPRINGFIELD, PLEASE START A QA DEPARTMENT!!

My M1A is accurate, but the marrings on it are ugly as sin, and certainly not something I expect from a gun I paid $$$$ for.

When I sent them a pic of it, SA said "send it in, we'll take a look at it..." Err... you should have taken a look at it BEFORE you shipped it out!
 
Jim Keenan, you got a point.

Problem is LOTS of SA M1A problems lately. Didn't seem to even happen 10 years ago.
 
there exist good cast parts.
there exist bad cast parts.

there exist good machined parts.
there exist bad machined parts.

There exists good QA.
There exists bad QA.

And sometimes, even with a GOOD QA system, things will still slip through. It's not like they have the resources to put every rifle through a 1000 round break-in before shipping.. and even if they did, no one would buy 'em then.

I'd chalk this one up to "one that slipped through." Yes, it sucks if you're the one it happens to. But 1/100,000 ain't bad odds. If there's a repeating problem, then we'll hear about it, I'm sure.

Besides, I also kinda doubt that pin would have been cast anyhow.. too cheap and easy to make that kinda thing from roll stock.

(But I'll admit that finish is kinda crappy of Springfields for a 1K+ rifle...)

-K
 
This (USGI vs cast parts) is the main reason it is worth the time and money to find a preban rifle. You can find a clean, will cared for, pre owned M1a that is built with all GI parts for just slightly more than a new standard will cost. Mine set me back $1200 with 2 20rd and 2 10rd mags and the SA 3rd generation scope mount.
 
Re: Cast parts from 23 years ago
To the best of my knowledge, SA has always used cast receivers. Original -14 receivers would make the rifle a machine gun as far as BATF is concerned, so SA has never used them. Don't think many were ever sold off by the gummint anyway. They did used to use a lot more GI parts back then. They were plentiful and cheap.
 
I've got a M1A1 Springfield (1987?) and have shot it thousands of rounds. Never a problem. I'll bet that the pin was flawed.
 
Thanks for posting Clem,

It's my dream rifle, and the only mag fed mil rifle left to us in Kali. But I must admit being scared off by this steady stream of broken M1As.
 
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