How consistent is QC for the most recent Springfield M1As ?

[Ignition Override]

What is your general impression?
I could have the money for a first M1A in a few months, but will take a while to make a decision.

My targets are seldom beyond 50 yards, and don't often use 100 yard berms. I've neither owned nor needed (yet) / wanted a scope, and Really like both the excellent aperture sights and trigger.

Had a second chance today with a friend's late 2021 (then nib) S.A. Standard model, and really enjoyed it. His rifle has only used about 100-150 rds.

 

[robert4301]

I have a Standard FDE synthetic and a Scout black synthetic bought new in '21 and '22. Both are really good. !00% reliable cycling and 1 to 1.75 moa with a variety of ammo. Nice smooth rifling on both. Barrels are indexed perfectly. Windage is within 2 clicks of centered on the rear sight on the standard, 1 click on the Scout. Op rods well centered with the gas piston on both. Draw pressures are good. There's a lot of things about the bolt, receiver and op rod relationships that needs to be correct for functional reliability. Both of mine are good there.

The only negatives are minor. The safety was stiff on the Standard, but has smoothed out with use. The hand guards on both rifles were touching the stock a little, easily fixed with some minor sanding on the hand guards. I'm really impressed with the quality on my recently made M1a rifles.

 

[JDeere]

I don't know about current production SAs but check out Bula or JRA M14s if your shopping for a nice M14. Well worth the coin...

 

[Ignition Override]

One "struggle" is being retired, and living just 12 easy min. from the huge private gun club in Lakeland TN. Do you guys realize the temptation?

The decision is whether simply to buy more "reserve" ammo for my new FAL (also have a PTR-91 "Classic GI"), or add the very cool M1A in a few months.

Have Lots of ammo for "simple enjoyment plinking", using the VZ-58, so adding an M1A would be interesting.
My friend, who owns the Standard M1A I just tried, can't meet me very often . He owns six horses and keeps quite busy - not retired for a while longer.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I think my M1A tanker is from roughly the same vintage. I haven't taken it to the range yet, but I did a detail strip and the finish quality is good where it doesn't show -- that's usually a good sign. The stock on mine is a pretty good hunk of walnut. Mine also has a very stiff safety compared to my well-used M1 Garand.

 

[Ignition Override]

Dave DeLaurant.

A stiff safety isn’t bad. Might be similar to a Garand’s. My thumb helped.

 

[bfoosh006]

Just a suggestion, but register over at www.m14forum.com and ask over there as well.

This specific sub-forum.... https://www.m14forum.com/forums/the-m14.21

And I don't know if you know... but Checkmate Inds. supplies SAI with magazines.
And the Checkmate mags are cheaper then the same SAI marked mags.

My M21 is a '96 vintage, so I can't answer about the current SAI ones.

All that said... don't forget about the various Large Frame ( 308 / 6.5CM ) AR's as well... while they lack the charm of a wood and steel rifle, they can be quite accurate, and easily up graded ( barrels, triggers, easily scoped )

 

[Charlie98]

Springfields have a lifetime warranty… if something is wrong, they’ll fix it. Get what you want…

 

[JeffG]

Bought a Springfield Scout in 2021. Seriously top shelf. It digests two brands of M80 ball, and it's accurate. I shot a lot of M-14 in the Marines, and it was like old home week. Based on the one I bought, I would say buy with confidence. I sold my last AR 15, based on the wood/steel love with this rifle.

 

[Ignition Override]

Ordered the lowest-cost "Buy Now" Standard several hours ago; walnut with 22" barrel etc. The gun store in Abilene should still have a pair of them available.

---bfoosh006: Thanks, and I'll look into the Checkmate magazines. Registered on "M14 forums" two days ago, right after the love for my friend's M1A infected me. I'm still getting used to the FAL (my first) which arrived about two months ago.

----JeffG: Mike, a former coworker had retired from NAVRES on the Navy Rifle Team; and had been in some matches with the M-14. . A real shame that the loss of our crew base, due to the merger, prompted so many guys (+ my Gun Guru) to move away.

Mike texted me about the general M-14 category: "One of my favorite rifles." Maybe the Navy Team used some of the Marine rifles out of Crane? And I've heard about some of their buildings with "other, unknown stuff".

 

[Megawatt maker]

I bought a match M1A in late 2018, it's fine. No problems other than the trigger pull being a hell of a lot more than 4 1/2 pounds..but I also had an adjustable trigger group laying around..so I never complained to SA about it.

That's it.

 

[JDeere]

Springfields have a lifetime warranty… if something is wrong, they’ll fix it.

Bula does as well...

 

[MachIVshooter]

M1As are fun. But they're kinda crappy suppressor hosts, which knocks them down a few notches for me. Even with creating a 3rd custom gas selector position to where it just barely cycles, the port noise is significant, and the blast in the face out of the ejection port is horrendous.

Mine is a synthetic stocked scout. I do like it but if I had to whittle down semi auto .308s, it'd be the first to go. I like my two .308 ARs, the FAL Para carbine and the RFB better. I'd still choose the M1A over a G3 pattern rifle or SCAR, though.

 

[Ignition Override]

Picked up the nib Springfield Standard today. Immed. re-watched the Youtube dis- & reassembly video by Brownells. I Lubed and added some Ballistol, somehow got the Tight trigger group in.... went right to the club.

Rock solid gun, although it needed a bit of windage Knob correction to the left after my shots from 50 yards were about 3'-4" right of the bullseye. The elevation needs to be about 6-7 clicks from the bottom setting for 50 yards iirc.
Only shot about 25 rounds: a mix of Armscor .308 and new-prod. Lithuanian 7,62 "NATO". - from SGAmmo.

So far very reliable (my Primary Objective for any gun), and the trigger's 2nd stage is a little heavier than my friend's Standard from early 2021.

But compared to my stock PTR-91 (2021 vintage) or FAL (Imbel, circa 1993) "SAR-4800", both of which-- to me --aren't bad, the Springfield has a good trigger.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

One minor criticism of my 'new' M1A Tanker: the tritium front sight would not properly tighten! I noticed it was loose last week and no amount of torqueing short of stripping the Allen screw's socket would keep it in place. I could easily be wrong, but my guess is the sight had been over-hardened.

I considered holding it in place with some Loctite adhesive or just sending it back to SA, but I instead replaced it with a Tech Sights AR-type post that was a tighter fit and snugged up like it was supposed to.

https://www.tech-sights.com/product/adjustable-front-sight-tower-for-m14m1a/

 

[Charlie98]

One minor criticism of my 'new' M1A Tanker: the tritium front sight would not properly tighten!

Just FYI... the Tritium FSP's on the M1a's are made by XS Sights, at least the one on my Socom is, and is marked as such. It is a proprietary sized dovetail, however, and takes a specific gas lock assembly. It sounds like they installed the standard gas lock, vs the one required for the XS sight.

That is one of the downsides to the Socom... the front sight. Yes, the fat Tritium sight is great for snap shooting and such, but it plain sucks for target work... and there is no replacement other than, believe it or not, the M79 (40mm) front sight. Go figure.

ETA: I've had my factory Socom XS front sight break in half at the dovetail. XS replaced it free under warranty. Be aware, also... there are 2 different XS front sights for the Socom variants... a .750" and a .800". The first one they sent me was the short one, and I was having fits trying to get it sighted in. A quick post on the M14 forum, and I realized there were 2 versions. Another quick call to XS got the correct one delivered.

ETA #2: It looks like the Tanker is just the Socom with wood and no optic rail. It takes the same proprietary gas lock as all the other Socoms...

 

[Ignition Override]

Wow:::::

Am lucky that I did Not damage the windage knob!

Almost impossible to turn, after shots were about 4-5” right at 50 yards.

One Time Only,,,I gently rotated it with Pliars—

——Wont do this again-/-,,,after reading that it can break…..Nope…not again.

Luckily the elevation knob is pretty easy to turn.

Otherwise seems to be an excellent gun.

 

[Charlie98]

You want the trigger group to be a little difficult going back in... that tension is what holds it in the stock.

Glad you like your rifle!

If you want to explore accurizing your rifle, there are plenty of books on simple things you can do... and some not so simple. I'd shoot it a bit, first, however, to see how it shakes out...

 

[Ignition Override]

Charlie98: Roger that.

There never Was a plan to have a G3 clone, FAL, and then add an M1A.
Only happened one at a time.

Really enjoy all three, and the stock triggers in the first two make the M1A seem pretty light.

 

[Charlie98]

Just FYI... if you really want to test drive your new rifle, get a box of Federal Gold Medal Match (FGMM) ammos... I prefer the 168grn stuff. That is the accuracy standard by which most rifles and ammo is compared against.

My last range session in NV, testing ladder loads in my .308 Savage bolt gun... I'm thinking I'm really getting there with my handloads. Then, my final 3 rounds... 168gr FGMM... showed me I have a bit left to do. Nothing like a dose of Reality...

 

[Ignition Override]

Charlie98: Good idea.

Have never owned a rifle scope (now age 67), and my shooting skills aren't really developed.

 

[Charlie98]

Have never owned a rifle scope

That M1a has a set of very capable peep sights!

 

[Ignition Override]

Charlie98: Yes.

One tiny adjustment, 1 "index", of the nib aperture sight to the left (it --was centered-- when I brung it home) now allows me to mostly shoot into the middle of the 'medium-sized' "Shoot-N-See" target at 50 yards.

Maybe I will, at age 67 (now), learn which very Tiny paint brush (?) would allow me to put a very Tiny white Dot or Square on the tip of the front post. The upper edge of the post is a little bit blurry, but I Don't yet wear any glasses for shooting.
Have never added a dot of paint to any gun sight, ever.

Am happy with the reliability and overall quality of this new rifle.
Unlike many shooters out there (apparently), reliability (= quality) is my highest priority, even though west TN has no invading army or any other insurgency -- not since 1862 at the Battle of Shiloh.