Springfield M1A synthetic Defective?

[The Dutchman]

I went by my local gun store the other day and was interested in the Springfield m1A standard rifle with a synthetic stock. When I was holding it I started getting black stuff on my hands. I asked the person who was working there what was the deal and he told me that all synthetics do that and it is normal. I have a remington .22 synthetic and it does nothing like that. I then asked one of my gun buddies if he has heard anything like that and he said that the synthetic stock on the springfield is very cheaply made and the fiberglass chips off. He also told me that the stock is basically wood with fiberglass laminated over it. I wanted to know if anyone out there has heard any similar complaints about it and if there are any redeaming values to the synthetic stock on the springfield.

 

[mondocomputerman]

I would like to know too.

 

[Lee Woiteshek]

I've got the 1st Gen Socom and mine doesn't do that. I've heard ( but can't verify) that the stocks Springfield uses are the old unissued miltary ones that were made in the '60's and that they are painted. It might be a bad paint job coming off on your hands.

 

[NMshooter]

That krinkle finish paint over the fiberglass stock can chip off, but should not come off just by handling it.

Assuming it is a factory stock with a factory finish...

 

[The Dutchman]

Lee Woiteshek, does your finish on your SOCOM chip off, or is it pretty rugged? I was very interested in the M1A sythetic, but that experience kinda smashed that.....it could of just been a bad one. Would anyone recommend it?

 

[stealthmode]

i have two synthetic stocks and they are just fine no black coming off and they are not wood covered with fiberglass.

 

[AK103K]

Its obvious that my SOCOM's stock is a done over GI stock. You can see where they filled the selector notch and the paint is chipping where the brass is hitting it on ejection and the original GI color is showing through. They also sanded down the molded in checkering at the grip and forearm. This made the grip a little to narrow for my liking and I added some skateboard tape to where the checkering used to be in both places. I dont get any color transfer from the paint though. I've seen pics of other Springfield synthetic stocks that really had some chipping problems and it was very obvious that they were GI stocks.

 

[SamlautRanger]

We had a couple of M1As with the black krinkle coated stocks that we used in Iraq. No problem at all. At is gets pretty hot there!!

 

[Steve Smith]

Dutchman, there have been quite a few threads over the years regarding the same thing. If I were you I'd buy one with wood and if you want synthetic, just get one from Fred's. Then the same stock that Springfield uses (sans flaky black paint) will cost you $4. That's four dollars...not a typo.

 

[Bwana John]

I got a like new synthetic stock from Freds, and I really like it. It is rather slim compaired to a big match stock.

 

[AK103K]

Then the same stock that Springfield uses (sans flaky black paint) will cost you $4. That's four dollars...not a typo.

A decent one, in excellent condition will be more like $40. I just got one from him. Came with a new handguard too. It was in real good shape with only a couple of dings on it.

 

[Onmilo]

The Springfield synthetic stocks are not black painted USGI, they are made for Springfield by a commercial outsource manufacturer.

If the paint is coming off it isn't a Springfield stock because the color is moulded in during construction.

 

[AK103K]

My rifle is a brand new, right out of the box SOCOM, and its stock is definitely painted. If you go to their web page, its plain to see the synthetic stocked guns in the pics are just painted GI stocks with the rear selector notch filled. The forward notch for the linkage is still there(its also still on my SOCOM). If you look at the "made for Springfield" wood stocks, neither notch exists. The synthetic stocks in their pics still have the molded in checkering too. The checkering on my stock has been sanded off and a good bit of material has been removed as the grip is quite a bit narrower. If they were making new ones just for Springfield, why wouldnt they fill both notches and make the grip the proper dimension? I wouldnt put much faith in what Springfield's customer service says either. I called them when they first came out with the synthetic stocked Scouts because I didnt like the recoil pad they had on them and wanted to know if the standard butt plate would fit. I said the stock looked like a GI stock and they swore they werent. After getting to see them up close, it was obvious they were GI stocks painted over. Soon after, pics and complaints started showing up on the different gun boards about the paint flaking or chipping off and low and behold, they were GI stocks underneath. They have gone to a "finer" finish from that of the earlier stocks, but its still paint.

 

[BerettaNut92]

Had a Scout with very flaky paint. Springfield says it was normal. I sent them a picture. They said, 'whoa...that's not normal'. Got another stock.