Springfield Armory M1A rifle 308 Winchester

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stinger 327

stinger 327

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What is the effective range of this rifle? It comes with open peep sight. At 200 yards how can you see the target clearly to hit it with these iron sights?
Is there a scope available for this rifle and if so what is the typical price of this rifle with a scope?
Any disadvantages of this rifle and what would be the competing rifle for the M1A?
 
I had zero difficulty hitting a toaster at ranges to 300 yards, with my M1A "Loaded" and its Match sights. Regarding optics and mounts, here are the two threads in which I have items from my daughter's "former" M1A that are now listed here. I present them simply to show the options. The photos also show the McMillian stock I had bought. Caution, the whole package, would set-you-back $4,000.00+ as I had her's configured!!!

Example of a Trijicon AccuPoint 1-4X, in a Nighforce Unimount with 20 MOA offset:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=763480

Example of M1A “Loaded” with Vltor full-length rail, and the AccuPoint in a Nightforce Unimount. Also shown, the A.R.M.S. #18 over-receiver-only mount.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=760695

Geno
 
stinger 327 said:
At 200 yards how can you see the target clearly to hit it with these iron sights?
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First of all, you're going to need to be shooting a target you can actually see at 200 yards only using your eyes. If you can see the front sight post clearly on other guns with peep sights, you should be able to hold that M1A front sight post on that target.

If that's not the case, then yeah, your going to want to use some optics. That goes with any gun, though.
 
I used to, and many people still use an M1a in competition. Hitting targets out to 600 yards with iron sights on that rifle isn't out of the question. The rifle is capable of it, is the shooter?
 
Effective on what? The M1A is a battle rifle, so it is fair to assume you're talking about man-sized targets. The rifles are generally capable of grouping man-sized or under out to 1000 yards or so, with good ammo. That is around 2 MOA at that distance. Whether the shooter has the skill to shoot the rifle to its full potential is up to the shooter!

As others have said, it is easily a 600 yard rifle on torso-sized targets in the right hands, and that is with just surplus ammo.

If you want to learn the fundamentals necessary to shoot to this kind of standard with that kind of rifle and iron sights, come to an Appleseed: www.appleseedinfo.org

It's main competitors would include the FN FAL, HK G3/HK91 and variants, and the various .308 ARs.
 
Depending on what you read, as to the effective range:

The M14 had an effective range of 500 yards (460m). The M14 used a standard NATO 7.62mm cartridge in a 20-round magazine.
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Again, it is a matter of how we define effective range. I used the M14 as an example because the M1A is as close as we get to the military flavor.

As to open sights? I qualified with the M14 in 1969 Marine Corps boot camp at the Edson Range Camp Pendleton CA. We shot open sights, prone position at 500 meters (using the loop sling) and had no problems with the stock M14 without National Match sights or other accurizing tricks done to the basic rifles. What I can't recall is what the X ring diameter was? Been awhile on that.

Placing a scope on a M1A can be tricky. I did try a few mounts years ago without much success but hear there are newer better mounts available today. At design time these rifles weren't really designed to be scoped. Never really wanted a scope on my M1A anyway.

Ron
 
Honestly, most all the various .308 battle rifle's are so close in performance/specs, it really comes down to budget and which feels best to a person.
 
I trained with the M-14, the military version of the M1A1 when I was in the Marine Corp. We shot at 200,300 and 500 yds. The 2 and 3 hundred yard targets had a 12" bulls-eye. The 500 yrd target was 20". once you were sighted in the 500 yrd target was not that hard to hit.
 
Shortcoming would be Ruger like level of workmanship and QC.

The platform itself is great.... I just wouldn't buy a SAI gun.

Other shortcoming is it is an awkward platform for an optic. Stellar sights though. Probably have a nice trigger too.
 
Reloadron said:
Depending on what you read, as to the effective range:



Again, it is a matter of how we define effective range. I used the M14 as an example because the M1A is as close as we get to the military flavor.

As to open sights? I qualified with the M14 in 1969 Marine Corps boot camp at the Edson Range Camp Pendleton CA. We shot open sights, prone position at 500 meters (using the loop sling) and had no problems with the stock M14 without National Match sights or other accurizing tricks done to the basic rifles. What I can't recall is what the X ring diameter was? Been awhile on that.

Placing a scope on a M1A can be tricky. I did try a few mounts years ago without much success but hear there are newer better mounts available today. At design time these rifles weren't really designed to be scoped. Never really wanted a scope on my M1A anyway.

Ron
Click to expand...
Having optics on a gun is usually something else to go wrong or get out of adjustment. This gun was originally used without a scope and with open sights?
Is the M-14 the same gun as the M1A?
 
Jackal said:
Honestly, most all the various .308 battle rifle's are so close in performance/specs, it really comes down to budget and which feels best to a person.
Click to expand...
What is the cost of these rifles typically? $1,500 to $2,000?
 
tickfarm said:
I trained with the M-14, the military version of the M1A1 when I was in the Marine Corp. We shot at 200,300 and 500 yds. The 2 and 3 hundred yard targets had a 12" bulls-eye. The 500 yrd target was 20". once you were sighted in the 500 yrd target was not that hard to hit.
Click to expand...
Does this M1A rifle that shoots Winchester 308 have more range and power than a 30.06 rifle?
 
Welding Rod said:
Shortcoming would be Ruger like level of workmanship and QC.

The platform itself is great.... I just wouldn't buy a SAI gun.

Other shortcoming is it is an awkward platform for an optic. Stellar sights though. Probably have a nice trigger too.
Click to expand...
It would seem that optics would be awkward on this rifle and doesn't this rifle already weight about 10 lbs?
 
stinger 327 said:
Having optics on a gun is usually something else to go wrong or get out of adjustment. This gun was originally used without a scope and with open sights?
Is the M-14 the same gun as the M1A?
Click to expand...

Yes, the M1A is a civilian version of the US Rifle M14 (the military rifle). The rifle was originally designed as an open sight rifle. The main M1A / M14 difference is the M14 was designed to fire full automatic and the M1A (and other similar clones of the M14 are semi-automatic rifles.

There are now several scope mounting systems for the rifle. Some say the newer designs work well. I never experimented with the newer designs. Most of the early designs sucked. Then again the rifle's receiver was never designed for a scope mount.

The 7.62 x 51 NATO cartridge and the 308 Winchester cartridge are for all intensive purposes one in the same.

I have a National Match flavor M1A which I have had about 20 years and I very much like the rifle.

Ron
 
Jackal said:
$800-$1000 for VEPR or PTR91's, $1000-$1600 M1A/Fal/good AR10, $2300ish Scar 17.
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Got a link at those prices? Sweet price if you can find one for that price.

Never mind, I see the edit. Originally I saw the $800 to $1,000 and figured it was for the M1A. I would buy another at that price. :)

Ron
 
Reloadron said:
Yes, the M1A is a civilian version of the US Rifle M14 (the military rifle). The rifle was originally designed as an open sight rifle. The main M1A / M14 difference is the M14 was designed to fire full automatic and the M1A (and other similar clones of the M14 are semi-automatic rifles.

There are now several scope mounting systems for the rifle. Some say the newer designs work well. I never experimented with the newer designs. Most of the early designs sucked. Then again the rifle's receiver was never designed for a scope mount.

The 7.62 x 51 NATO cartridge and the 308 Winchester cartridge are for all intensive purposes one in the same.

I have a National Match flavor M1A which I have had about 20 years and I very much like the rifle.

Ron
Click to expand...
So it is sort of like the AR-15 is the civilian version of the M-16 which has the fully auto switch to semi?
 
Jackal said:
Sad thing is, aside from the current availability of 20rd mags (CSSpecs has quality steel mags in the works and M14 mags are an easy mod), the .308 battle rifles currently on the market dont offer much better specs than this ugly, inexpensive, effective bugger: https://www.classicfirearms.com/zastava308calibersemiautorifle10rd I dont own one, but for $500, I just may have to change that....
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I am in California currently so we are limited to 10 rd. magazines. I am not even sure if this rifle is approved for California. I will have to check.
 
Jackal said:
Sad thing is, aside from the current availability of 20rd mags (CSSpecs has quality steel mags in the works and M14 mags are an easy mod), the .308 battle rifles currently on the market dont offer much better specs than this ugly, inexpensive, effective bugger: https://www.classicfirearms.com/zastava308calibersemiautorifle10rd I dont own one, but for $500, I just may have to change that....
Click to expand...
I saw those things. Maybe they appeal to some shooters which is well and fine but if my dogs had faces as ugly as that rifle I would shave their butts and walk them backwards. They remind me of the Norinco NHM90 guns that poured in during the early 90s with the thumbhole stocks. However, the Norinco guns looked good. :)

Ron
 
M1A!!! My favorite gun all my life. I finally saved enough to buy one 25 years ago, before Clinton's assault rifle ban. $1500 for the standard model. Lordy does that rifle shoot. I have no problem hitting at any distance with the stock sights. The M1A sights are truly a marvel. Extremely precision and effective. Very easy to see. I used the rifle for my primary deer gun for years and years. (I now use a single shot 45/70 with peep sights because there are no long shots in the mountains where I live.)

My Springfield has never failed to fire. Or failed to feed or eject. IMO, a Springfield M1A is the best looking small arms weapon ever made, and the most effective. Zero reasons not to have one. When the terrorists come to call, I'm ready with that rifle.

Lots of folks put a scope on them, which means some kind of stock re-configuration to get your head up high enough. I think a scope on an M1A is like wearing a wig that doesn't fit. An abomination. Unless your eyesight is very, very bad, you don't need a scope. This is a rifle made to shoot "as is." I mean if you can hit out to 600 yards with the sights provided, why use a scope? The click adjustments on the Springfield sights are very precise. At the range, find out how many clicks are needed to adjust for different distances. Click it back down for 100 yard shooting with full confidence that the number of clicks you counted earlier for 300 yards or whatever distance will be exactly the correct number.

Recoil is negligible, eaten up by the gas operated system. One shot after another, up to 20, is an awesome amount of firepower in .308.

I settled on Federal match ammo 168 grain for best accuracy. Golf ball size groups are easy at 100 yards with that ammo. Factory ball white box ammo is also amazingly accurate.

I've read that the Springfield rifle parts are interchangeable with the G.I. M14. But after thousands of rounds out of mine, I've never had to change a part or do anything to it except clean it. The Springfield M1A is a lifetime weapon. Get one before the liberals say you can't.
 
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