Tell Me About the M1A

[MCMXIautomatic]

Lately I've been considering the possibility of getting an M1A in the future, but I don't really know too much about them. What are some things that I should be aware of before purchasing one?

I've never owned a .308 before. Is it expensive to shoot .308 compared to .223? How much do the magazines cost? I'm not really interested in match grade accuracy, but if I can put the shots where I want them to go at 600 yards, that's good enough for me.

Also, what would be some good quality, inexpensive optics for the M1A?

 

[Rshooter]

The M1A is a rifleman's rifle. It does exceptionally well with iron sights but optics can be mounted.

It costs more to shoot .308 than .223 but you can offset this some by purchasing surplus 7.62 ammunition. Magazines run about $40 but can be purchased at (44mag.com) for a reasonable price. Many people find themselves using stripper clips to load an M1A with the stripper clip guide but stripper clips are getting harder to find.

As far as accuracy the M1A will preform out to 500 yards personally, can't say about 600 yards.

 

[No4Mk1*]

Great rifle. The M1/M14 trigger is better than any other military pattern rifle I have fired. Great sights.
Ammo $9.50/20 vs $6 for 223 @ aimsurplus.com
Mags $27 @ 44mag.com (only buy CMI mags)
I'm not aware of "inexpensive" optics when you consider the cost of the mount. Maybe someone else can help here. You do lose the stripper clip guide if you mount a scope unless it is a scout mount.

 

[Murphy4570]

Expect to pay over $1,000 for one.

 

[Justin]

The M1A is a great rifle, especially some of the accurized versions.

However, it's an older design, and as older designs go they all have their particular quirks. Once one of the rifles is built to a high-standard of accuracy, I'm told that they don't always retain it over the long term, so expect to have to take it to a gun smith once in awhile to get the rifle tuned.

As far as optics go, I agree that the M1A is a great iron sights gun, partially because the irons on it are quite good, and partially because the M1A is fairly hard to adapt for optics, unless you go for one of the railed versions offered by Springfield.

As for the cost of ammunition, .308 is significantly more expensive to shoot than .223. This may not be a concern for you if you only shoot occasionally, or have a lot of disposable income and buy in bulk. However, if you intend to shoot with any sort of regularity, or take part in competitive events like High Power or 3 Gun, you should factor in the cost of ammunition, and do a rough calculation to see what it will cost you to become proficient.

Magazine costs tend to be higher than for .223 pattern rifles. If you want to get a .308 with cheap and available magazines, consider looking at an FAL.

As for putting shots on target at 600, that pretty much is the definition of match-grade accuracy. ;-)

 

[Welding Rod]

Mine (a Standard in walnut) will shoot about 1 1/2 MOA, down to a best of about 1 1/8 for 5 shot groups.

To get good accuracy you need to shoot match quality ammo. Reloading may be tedious as the gun can be pretty hard on brass. Mine is pretty brutal about stretching cases even though the chamber does not have excessive head space.

The irons are excellent. IMO the rifle is a very poor candidate for use with optics. The stock is designed for use with irons and the gun is already about as heavy as I want to carry. It also seems a shame to obscure the wonderful open top action with a scope and mounts.

The barrels are not floated so if you sling up tight you will change the bullet POI.

Their 2-stage triggers are among my favorites.

The gun itself is one of my top 3 favorites (M1A, Garand, and AR15 A1/A2).

 

[IROCZ]

I've ownwed mine since 94. It's a NM. Accuracy is less than 1 MOA. With handloads. It is hard on brass, 4 shots and recycle it.

 

[61chalk]

Check out the m14forum they have lots of info I read an learned before buying a Federal Ordanace M14A/M1A with USGI parts....I love this rifle, an I like how the optics fit better than my Garand. Buy GERMAN DAG or MEN ammo. Its so accurate that some guys are saying its as good as their Match ammo. Its 80 to 85.00 for 200 rounds. I'm getting -2.75" groups at 220 yds. an can hit the 10" gong at 540 yds, just not all the time though..lol. An last time out with tracer ammo was coming dang close to the 10" gong at 740 yds an on the second shot my son hit it.

If you go with optics like I did...buy a Bassett Machine mount....so simple, so easy a 5 yr. old could do it. An my Nikon BDC Prostaff 3X9 scope has held up perfectly on this rifle which shows you don't need a expensive scope for it to hold up. The scope has a lifetime warranty an was under 180.00

 

[Double Vision]

Oh yeah, you need an M1A. I love my walnut Scout Squad.

It's a heavy, expensive, reliable and accurate rifle at a devastating caliber.
It would be the #1 rifle I would stake my life on if ever needed.

+1 on the CMI mags from 44Mag.
+1 on the iron sights.

On ammo, I've had great luck with the surplus ammo from http://www.classicfirearms.com/ammunition.htm but sad to say it looks like they sold out of the Radway Green .308. Mine also liked the DAG German surplus ammo if you can find it.

I see Natchez is offering PMC (Korean?) .308 at $12.89/20.
Has anyone tried that in an M1A?

Good luck with your purchase!

 

[boricua9mm]

Springfield M1As are an expensive endeavor, for sure. I shoot mine at a bolt gun's pace. If you don't have that kind of discretion, then expect to fork out a ton of money for ammo or spend a lot of time reloading.

• They are not difficult to scope. You just need to buy a good mount ($$$) and pay attention to the instructions for mounting it. Again, you need to get a good mount. However, if you scope the rifle, you will find yourself needed a cheek rest or a stock system which drops the receiver relative to the buttstock. I like the Blackhawk lace-up cheek rest and the VLTOR Modstock, respectively.
  
• Don't take it out of the stock every time you clean it. There really isn't any reason to do so. You want to retain a nice and tight fit between the receiver and the stock.
  
• Front band tension is very important. Don't screw around with the USGI bipod, and if you have a fiberglass USGI stock, you might want to avoid mounting a picatinny rail at the front and using a bipod there. In my experience this induces flex at the front of the stock which causes inconsistencies in front band tension. The end result is wishy washy accuracy results.
  
• If an M1A can't shoot 168gr Federal Gold Medal Match, then there is something wrong with the rifle.
  
• Don't listen to the experts who tell you that you only need to clean the gas system every 500 rounds. If it takes you a while to get to 500 rounds (shooting bolt gun's pace, for example) you may find some rust waiting for you in the gas cylinder and on the piston. No bueno.
  
• A National Match spring guide is a good way to make the cycling more consistent from shot to shot. This will only help in your quest for accuracy.
  
• A non-grooved National Match piston is another good choice. A better fit between the piston and cylinder is beneficial to your accuracy endeavors.
  
• Shimming the gas system or getting it unitized is another good idea, but one I have not yet tackled.
  
• Stay away from both the heavy and lightweight .308 loads. These rifles were designed for 147gr. NATO bullets. I don't shoot anything heavier than 168gr. in my rifle, but that's my personal choice to stay on the safe side. Replacement operating rods aren't cheap.
  
• Don't expect bolt gun accuracy in a semi-auto format. The legendary 10-shot 1MOA rifle can be achieved, but it takes a lot of money, good components, great ammo and a good amount of understanding of the system to get there. If your goal is a 1.5MOA shooter, then I think you can get there reasonably easy with some time and money invested.
  
• Current USGI mags are Checkmate Industries mags (CMI). They can be had for $25 or so. There is no sense messing with Factory Springfield mags (which are made by CMI) or chasing down anything else.

 

[JustinJ]

They're fun but antiquated. The full auto version, the M14, was just about the shortest serving battle rifle ever. They've seen some recent use in the military but that was primarily because they were desperate to get something with more range and power than the 5.56 due to the type of engagements being had and M14s were the only thing available in quantity. If its just for the range get what you think you will enjoy most but if you're goal is buying the best battle rifle i'd say there are certainly better options.

 

[X-Rap]

If I had to do it again I would look at one of the AR pattern rifles. The ones that will take the MagPul mags. The M1A I have now is the Scout Squad, I like it and it shoots well and is a fine rifle.

 

[GI_Jared]

I love the M1A/M14 rifles, I was assigned as my squad's designated marksman in Afghanistan and was issued an old school Winchester model with a fiberglass stock. Where I really fell in love with the rifle was when I was on my battalion's shooting team. I was able to take part in the 2006 All Army Competition in Ft. Benning, GA and for the long range competition we were issued National Match M14s by the Army Marksmanship Unit. We shot those things open sights at 1000 yards and I bull**** you not each bullet hit within 1 1/2 foot circle. Simply an amazing weapon.

 

[P-32]

The full auto version, the M14, was just about the shortest serving battle rifle ever.

There was NEVER a M-1A used in the armed forces in any numbers if at all. Not pointing at you justinJ.

There was a reason for this and it was not because it was a bad service rifle. Kennedy's think tank thought the Stoner might be worth a try. The South Vietnamese soldiers were getting beat up by the 7.62 Nato and wore out humpin’ the 14. The South Vietnamese soldiers were given some M-16’s and asked how they liked them. Needless to say they loved them. The Air force was the first US armed services to order the M-16.

This dosen't mean the 14 was a bad gun.

I learned how to shoot high power with a Navy M-14. These rifles were well tuned and could out shoot a M-16 at the long line when the Army started shooting them for matches. I have always posted better off hand scores with a 14 over a AR.

 

[henschman]

Things you should know? First off, check out www.m14tfl.com. There is way more M14 knowledge on there than on thehighroad.

Bottom line -- they have a great combination of features that make a rifle great. Sights, trigger, reliability, and accuracy. I have a standard, GI-barreled one and keeping the groups under man-size at 600 yds. is no problem from prone with a sling. Only get good mags... CMI or original GI. Look for a rifle with GI parts... they are higher quality... but if you can't find one, a new one from Springfield Armory is still a great rifle (and has a lifetime warranty). They are a steel receiver and bolt, so you grease them instead of oiling them. There are a lot of different versions of this rifle... mostly in the type of barrel they have. So figure out what kind of barrel you want (weight and length; chrome moly, chrome lined, heavy stainless, etc.). It might help to handle some of them to get a feel for what kind you want. If you're going to scope it, get a quality mount... don't use one of the Springfield mounts. I would recommend an ARMS, Sadlak, or Basset. Or if you want a forward Scout mount, I recommend the Ultimak M8 since it is good quality and is the lowest available.

As for a good, affordable optic: if you go with the scout mount route, lots of people like a co-witnessed red dot sight like an Aimpoint or Aimpoint clone, or a nice scout scope like a Leupold or Burris. Personally I have an ARMS receiver mount, and I just put a Leatherwood CMR 1-4x on it... I haven't been to the range yet with it, but I will let you know. It certainly seems to be a lot of scope for the money. Plenty of people just throw a decent 3-9x scope on them and do just fine. If you get a scope, you want to mount it as low as possible, because you will have to get a cheek rest to get in a proper shooting position... the lower cheek riser you have to use, the better for shooting comfort. And if you can't afford the optics setup right away, don't worry... they have the best iron sights in the world. In fact, if you shoot it a little that way, you might decide you don't even need a scope! Though if you have eye issues I understand.

Anyway, good luck in finding one. In the opinion of me and lots of others, they are still the best battle rifle ever made.

 

[ar10]

I bought mine about a year ago and shoot it all the time. (I reload so bullets are pretty reasonable). Before buying one I suggest doing some reading first. There is a web site, (that I didn't save, maybe someone here knows the website, it's "z" something), I pulled for a couple of reloading documents, but it gives a lot of details on the m1a/m14.

One of the major faults of the m1a was the full auto switch, you can't control it, the gun is too light. I know because I was a bar man and went through the switch back in the 60s. Another problem was the slam fires we got, not many but enough to scare the crap out of you. That's because the the bolt wouldn't lock in all the way. I think it was the cam lock bearing but I'm no expert.