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I've been waiting for a thread like this to appear but I guess it ain't gonna write itself... My timing is terrible but I've been looking to pick up an M1A. As you probably know, M1A is just a trademark for the M14 manufactured by Springfield Armory. The M14 is basically an updated/improved M1 Garand chambered in .308 and was briefly issued to American forces before being largely replaced with the M16 though apparently it is still in used in some roles (I never saw them in my time in the USMC). Springfield Armory isn't the only manufacturer of M14s these days though they seem to be the most affordable. If you don't mind spending ~40+% more you can get M14s with forged uppers (instead of Springfield's cast uppers) from LRB Arms or Fulton Armory or probably a couple other places but I don't know because I don't have that kind of money to spend. These are beautiful and highly regarded battle rifles and I can't wait to hear what all you goons have to say about how bad a decision I am making by picking one up. Let's hear your thoughs, see your picks and give me some more info to put in this terrible OP.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 00:39 |
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| # ? May 20, 2013 18:21 |
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I just shot my buddie's Springfield socom m1a with a 16 inch barrel and a red dot. Hands down the finest gun I've ever shot. Everyone at the range wanted to check it out as well. Very small, very controllable absolutely perfect. Recoil was about what you'd expect from a .308. I really can't say anything bad about it except the price. At $1600 before the red dot its too rich for my blood. It seems almost reasonable since some places are asking $2500 now.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 01:47 |
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I managed to snag a CMP Grade A M-14 kit with mostly TRW parts, and a few HRA. I'm waiting to pick up an M1A standard to swap the USGI parts onto. I had thought about a fulton or LRB, but for the same money I can pick up a full gun and have plenty of spare parts plus a factory warranty if I need it. Unfortunately M1As are made of unobtainium right now.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 02:01 |
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TheHistoryChannel posted:I just shot my buddie's Springfield socom m1a with a 16 inch barrel and a red dot. Hands down the finest gun I've ever shot. Everyone at the range wanted to check it out as well. Very small, very controllable absolutely perfect. Recoil was about what you'd expect from a .308. I really can't say anything bad about it except the price. At $1600 before the red dot its too rich for my blood. It seems almost reasonable since some places are asking $2500 now. Socom owner checking in.  I sold my magic cards to fund this rifle. Never looked back. VVV You tango your way and I'll tango my way VVV LingcodKilla fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 02:57 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 02:45 |
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LingcodKilla posted:Socom owner checking in. Love the fez. And the rifle. And the shirt. Flip flops, not so much. OP: picking up an M1A is never a bad idea so long as you're not getting completely taken advantage of by today's panic pricing. Springfield's rifles are just fine. If you want to spend more for a Fulton or similar rifle, ask yourself why. Are their features really worth the vast difference in price? If you're a casual shooter who wants to enjoy the gun at the range the answer may be no. Get a Springfield with a nicer barrel and a walnut stock and have fun. If you're thinking about getting sucked into the idea of making an M1A a long range target gun, there are some things to consider. This platform is difficult to make truly accurate and more importantly, keep accurate. It can be done, but it's expensive and requires a smith who actually knows what he is doing. Itchy_Grundle fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 03:08 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 02:53 |
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I bought an M1A loaded a year or so ago. I love it. Everyone who's ever shot it has commented how nice it shoots.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 03:22 |
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Itchy_Grundle posted:OP: picking up an M1A is never a bad idea so long as you're not getting completely taken advantage of by today's panic pricing. Springfield's rifles are just fine. If you want to spend more for a Fulton or similar rifle, ask yourself why. Are their features really worth the vast difference in price? If you're a casual shooter who wants to enjoy the gun at the range the answer may be no. Get a Springfield with a nicer barrel and a walnut stock and have fun. I'm having a rough time locating one to even allow myself to be taken advantage of  What I want, ideally, is a Loaded M1A with walnut and carbon steel. I think I have a lead on one for $2k which seems to include a ~$300 panic premium. I mainly want it to round out my rifle collection with a larger caliber that I can do some long range (noncompetative) target firing and potentially hunt with (on very rare occasions). Also they are loving beautiful rifles and a as a former infantryman the history of the platform is hard to ignore.
Bolange fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 03:38 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 03:35 |
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  M14 good
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:10 |
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Here are my contributions! A national match I picked up for $1300 and  A loaded model I picked up for $1100 which is long gone. As you say, now is not the best time to buy an M1A for whatever reason. That said, just before the panic I was seeing them for sale all the time and for fair prices. SA makes a fine gun but I wouldn't pay $1500 for it, let alone $2k. If you can wait this out that's what I'd do - if you can't I understand. It's tough to sit on a gun idea for months and months when you have the money.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:21 |
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ZenMastaT posted:Here are my contributions! I need to buy some wood furniture so it matches my M1 and mini-14.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:24 |
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Sixgun Strumpet posted:
Nice. I'd love to get one for my dad one day, he was in the Marines from 65-70. He said he only used a 1911 and an M14, never got a M16 (did get to fire a door gun, but that's a bit different unless a transferable one is sitting around...probably is). He has very fond memories of the gun and its long range qualities and always attests to why its used today.. That and a legit US Property Marked 1911 are the two big ones I want to get for him one day.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:24 |
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Bolange posted:I'm having a rough time locating one to even allow myself to be taken advantage of I spent 2 or 3 years actively trying to find an M1a for not $surprise sex. I've never felt the Springfields were worth the 1400 they charge for them. Every one I pick up gives off a sort of 'we don't have any real competition' vibe. Eventually I happened across mine for $825, a federal ordnance M14 built on a Milsurp parts kit. The military parts are a fair step up from the Springfields (which aren't bad guns by any means, I'm just a sperg about fit and finish).
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:27 |
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Are Scout Squads worth bothering with? I love my M1, but drat is it big.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:27 |
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Sixgun Strumpet posted:
Nice early Fed Ord gun. Winchester bolt, but who made the rest of the internals?
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:28 |
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Dogbrisket posted:Nice early Fed Ord gun. Winchester bolt, but who made the rest of the internals? Uh, I have no idea. My understanding is that its all USGI, if you can direct me to specific points I can try to get pictures for you. I had no idea it was a Winchester bolt, thats really awesome.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:30 |
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 My SOCOMII with wood stock and a long eye relief variable scope from Nikon. I really like this gun as it's California "featureless". I need better scope rings though, these ones suck. I also had it set up with an Aimpoint PRO originally, but the whole SOCOMII front rail stuff is front-heavy and I don't have anything I want to put on it yet. Also there is no such thing as a cheek-weld for the Aimpoint, unless I get a giant pad back there. 
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:32 |
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Sixgun Strumpet posted:Uh, I have no idea. My understanding is that its all USGI, if you can direct me to specific points I can try to get pictures for you. I had no idea it was a Winchester bolt, thats really awesome. Ah, well, the number "66118" Stamped on the bolt is Winchester/Olin Matheson's cage code, IIRC. The manufacturer info for the barrel should be on the right hand side near the chamber. It's visible when you pull the op rod to the rear fully. The Trigger housing is stamped on the left hand side and visible when separated from the action and removed from the stock. The Op rod's identifier is on the bottom, and only visible when the action is removed from the stock. I'm mostly just curious, as I've seen some total mixmaster Fed Ords, including the later all Chinese guns, and some Chinese/USGI mutts. looks like you got one of the good ones. it's nice. bonus pic of my Armscorp USA/ TRW build: 
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:38 |
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My dad has a M1a scout that I am constantly trying to talk him out of. He never even takes it out to shoot, but he did finally take it out of storage when I suggested it would make a fantastic hunting rifle. If he doesn't take it out to shoot soon I may have to steal it for a range trip. When it is finally mine I will buy a synthetic stock and paint it to look like this to match my AR.  Transform it in to something resembling this and use it to slay deerbodies. 
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 04:43 |
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M14s suck get a good fal.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 17:26 |
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I think there's something wrong with my M1A, it doesn't look right and it has funny letters all over it  
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 22:48 |
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It's goddamned obscene how nice those look in the full wood stock.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 23:02 |
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Propagandalf posted:I think there's something wrong with my M1A, it doesn't look right and it has funny letters all over it God drat that's awesome. Dogbrisket fucked around with this message at Jan 10, 2013 around 23:33 |
| # ? Jan 10, 2013 23:30 |
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Propagandalf posted:I think there's something wrong with my M1A, it doesn't look right and it has funny letters all over it Holy gently caress, that rules.
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| # ? Jan 10, 2013 23:41 |
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I want a vepr hunter so bad
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 00:01 |
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Propagandalf posted:I think there's something wrong with my M1A, it doesn't look right and it has funny letters all over it What mags are those?
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 00:19 |
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M14/M1A mags. Springfield and Checkmate.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 00:21 |
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Sixgun Strumpet posted:Eventually I happened across mine for $825, a federal ordnance M14 built on a Milsurp parts kit. Wait, this worked out well? A million years ago when I lurked battlerifles.com (before the briansammo fiasco and resulting sale to YourAmericanBackyard or something like that), FedOrd receivers had a universally horrible reputation - like, not malfunction-bad but lovely heat treat will blow up in your face bad. Or were there two distinct Federal Ordinance operations and only one of them was bad? Or maybe I'm misremembering. There were a number of shops that put out lovely reweld M1 and M14 receivers as I recall.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 04:53 |
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Otto Skorzeny posted:Wait, this worked out well? A million years ago when I lurked battlerifles.com (before the briansammo fiasco and resulting sale to YourAmericanBackyard or something like that), FedOrd receivers had a universally horrible reputation - like, not malfunction-bad but lovely heat treat will blow up in your face bad. Or were there two distinct Federal Ordinance operations and only one of them was bad? Or maybe I'm misremembering. There were a number of shops that put out lovely reweld M1 and M14 receivers as I recall. From what I was able to find in my digging the very first Federal Ordnance guns were good, but later they went to poo poo. I forget what the S/N range was but the trick is apparently to get one under a certain number. From what I have seen of this particular gun it's golden, all around high quality gun, including the receiver. Shoots great, no signs of imminent failure. It's better then pretty much every springfield I have held in fact.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 04:57 |
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Let's get some accessory recommendations! Once I (hopefully soon) acquire my Precious, what do you guys suggest to kit it out? Suggestion for the following appreciated: 1) sling 2) optic rail (which does not block iron sights nor venture too far into tacticool) 3) any mags that aren't factory springfields 4) other Primary purpose is a range gun (prob no more than 500yards) with the very occasional call to service to harvest some innocent woodland creatures.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:15 |
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Unless you are getting one of the guns with the fancy build-in optics rail, attaching optics to an m14 is quite an undertaking, at the very least. The entire platform is pretty much the epitome of "best enjoyed with irons."
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:18 |
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I definitely plan to do a lot of iron sight shooting but I've seen stuff like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/21066465?...wl5=pla&veh=sem (obviously not a quality example) so I wonder what's good and what's junk.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:20 |
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Cyrano4747 posted:Unless you are getting one of the guns with the fancy build-in optics rail, attaching optics to an m14 is quite an undertaking, at the very least. Really? The one I bought came with a scope and a little rail that just screws into the side of the receiver. Looks like this:  I haven't used it yet though, I enjoy the irons way too much, but it seems pretty solid. Is there some sort of frustrating issue I will have with it if I ever try to use it?
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:22 |
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Anecdotal as all hell, but I've just heard a lot about those no-gunsmith mounts having zeros that wander all over the loving place. .308 is a powerful round, garand-type actions have a lot of mass slapping back and forth, and the m14 receiver flexes a surprising amount given how solid it looks. Oh, and people bitch that ejecting brass beats up the scope. edit: similar problems on the Garand, fwiw, only over there you have the additional problem of loading the gun to contend with.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:28 |
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Cyrano4747 posted:Anecdotal as all hell, but I've just heard a lot about those no-gunsmith mounts having zeros that wander all over the loving place. .308 is a powerful round, garand-type actions have a lot of mass slapping back and forth, and the m14 receiver flexes a surprising amount given how solid it looks. Given the piece of poo poo scope that is on this mount I fully expect the zero would wander all over the place. I don't wonder if those stories aren't more about the scopes people put on them and less about the mount. Looking at the design I really don't see how the zero could wander around due to the base. Unless maybe it unscrews itself somehow.
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| # ? Jan 11, 2013 16:30 |
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Propagandalf posted:M14/M1A mags. Springfield and Checkmate. Just so I am not confused here.. those are the mags it was designed to take??
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| # ? Jan 13, 2013 01:58 |
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Is it worth paying extra for the match barrel? I want a brown one and to put a 4-12x scope on one.
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| # ? Jan 13, 2013 02:03 |
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B4Ctom1 posted:Just so I am not confused here.. those are the mags it was designed to take?? Nope. Krebs cut the receiver so it would take $20 M1A mags and not $50 Vepr mags.
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| # ? Jan 13, 2013 23:40 |
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2004 M1A Loaded I picked up Dec. 2011 for $800 
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| # ? Jan 14, 2013 00:13 |
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Cyrano4747 posted:Anecdotal as all hell, but I've just heard a lot about those no-gunsmith mounts having zeros that wander all over the loving place. .308 is a powerful round, garand-type actions have a lot of mass slapping back and forth, and the m14 receiver flexes a surprising amount given how solid it looks. Oh, and people bitch that ejecting brass beats up the scope. Yeah, I have one and it's pretty crappy. As in "I'm wasting ammo wondering where the hell my shots are going" crappy. I like the irons myself. It's worth getting a NM set with the hooded rear aperture.
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| # ? Jan 14, 2013 01:09 |
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| # ? May 20, 2013 18:21 |
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Propagandalf posted:Nope. Krebs cut the receiver so it would take $20 M1A mags and not $50 Vepr mags. Just for reference, was $20 about the pre-panic going rate for M1A mags?
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| # ? Jan 14, 2013 01:46 |
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