MTMilitiaman
Member
This is essentially the rifle our country took into Vietnam. The M1A is a copy of the rifle our country developed as an upgrade to the M1 rifle. In that regard their goals were to
1. Reduce weight
2. Increase firepower to counter the new assault rifles.
3 Maintain or enhance reliability.
4 Maintain the excellent sights and hit probability
5 Maintain the familiar controls/ ergonomics of the M1.
The barrel was shortened and a flash suppressor added. A 20 round detachable magazine was added. The rifle was select fire capable. The gas system was changed so that the op rod and piston became separate.
Once you become accustomed to it, the rifle handles quite well. After all it sports only a light contour 22" barrel and relatively short LOP. It has less recoil than the M1 and faster follow up shots are possible. It is very accurate. The standard 2 stage trigger is outstanding with a clean break.
Optics mounting can be done with several mounts, bassett, a.r.m.s., sadlak. The stock would need a cheek pad for a cheek weld. An optic makes the rifle unwieldy, but gives increased accuracy, and the ability to see targets 30 min earlier and 30 min later in the day.
The rifle offers slightly better reliability, similar accuracy and more terminal performance compared to an AR15. However the AR15 user will enjoy less recoil, lighter weight, as well as more hits on target in a given time. The AR15 is also more wieldy with an optic on board.
In hand to hand combat one would surely desire the extra length and weight of the M1A with bayonet.
Standard M1A rifles with GI contour stocks are as heavy as you want to go in a carrying rifle. Weight will add up quickly if you opt for heavier bedded stocks, or medium/ heavy barrels.
You will be very hard pressed to find an AR10 style rifle with a 22" barrel as light as the standard M1A. Its shortened Garand receiver and bolt are a more weight efficient design than the AR in spite of being all steel. Because of its remote short stroke enclosed piston, steel receiver, 2 lug bolt with massive lugs and no gas rings, and lightweight carrier, the M14 is a greatly superior rifle to almost all AR10s where carrying and open sights shooting are concerned. However a purpose built military grade lightweight AR10 with an 18.5" barrel and magnified combat optic would have some advantages requiring serious consideration.
The M14 is absolutely not more reliable than the AR/M16.
The M14 was tested in 1968 and found to have a Mean Rounds Between Failure of 599 rounds.
https://www.lightfighter.net/topic/m14-rifle-question-1
Even in 1968, against pre-A1 M16s, the M14 wasn't necessarily more reliable.This was tested down in Panama and the military concluded that direct comparison was difficult, but there were conditions under which the M16 proved to be more reliable than the M14, and this was back when they were still trying to work out the propellant issues with the original "Mattel Deathtraps."
The M16 is a pretty tightly closed system that tends to prevent the entrance of mud and debris into the receiver, whereas the M14 is an open system that invites mud and debris into the system. InRange TV on Youtube did mud tests with the M1 and various AR15s, the it wasn't even close. The ARs blew the M1 out of the water:
1960s Colt SP-1 AR-15
More modern AR-15
M1 Garand (SPOILER: it ain't pretty)
French MAS , M1A, and AR in a slightly different style of mud test
Crane tested the M4 with the standard carbine length gas system and with the midlength gas system and found the Mean Rounds Between Failure to be 836 for the carbine length gas system and 1993 for the midlength gas system. My Colt 6960 is a lot better representation to the quality and performance of the military rifles than the Springfield Armory M1A is to the M14. In other words, the M1A is of inferior quality to the military M14s whereas there are many AR15s that are equal to or better than the military rifles in every respect. So the short answer is no, the M1A is not likely to be more reliable than an AR15. Now an AR10, with its lack of standardization, is another issue. But in my experience, that too is likely to not end well for the M1A.
http://soldiersystems.net/2018/05/1...s-system-testing-shows-increased-performance/