M1A Intervention Needed

[Tucker 1371]

Yep, you got me, I thought AG accounted for that on their website, my mistake.

As far as accuracy goes I honestly know nothing of the AR10 but I would figure it has most out of the box M14 pattern rifles beat. With a little tweaking, some relatively inexpensive parts, and the right load it's possible to make an M1A a sub-MOA rifle. Yes it's a little extra effort but I don't see it as being much different than guys who carry 1911s instead of double stack plastic fantastics.
Different strokes.

Just to make some sense of my seemingly insane decision making process here's how it played out. I bought my M1A in 2010 when I was 20 straight out of boot camp because I had just always been attracted to them. Then I started hunting with it and realized I needed an optic (the sights are awesome until you try to use them in low light). So that got me started down this road. Then I came back from Afghanistan in 2011 and started wondering how I would want my M1A set up for combat and that's when I got the Blackfeather, then a couple years later the Rogue, and now here I am. The Blackfeather with the scope/RDS combo and the Rogue/ACOG were both attempts to make my M1A a dual purpose DMR/CQB rifle. Then I realized that was impractical and 5.56 is much more ideal at under 100yds, so I built an AR15 and made my M1A a DMR.

[SR420]

And that still doesn't help with the fact that once you add the scope and mount it's going to be nearly as heavy as my 308 AR and won't come close to shooting with it.

Really?

Using a 2 MOA Aimpoint Comp M4 my little M14 shoots sub MOA groups with Portuguese NATO surplus ammunition.
How close will I come to the accuracy of your 308 AR? Should I use match ammo? Should I use a scope?

[Tucker 1371]

Holy smokes SR420... tell me more about your "little M14".

I'm about to fix the ORG in place with red loctite and a center punch, shim the gas cylinder, drop in a Sadlak NM polished piston and NM OR spring guide to see if I can get some tighter groups. But sub MOA with Port surplus sounds pretty incredible. I'd like to know how you achieved that. I'm guessing it's probably not a Springfield.

[SR420]

It's my CQB 16 type SEI, their 16.25" barrel on my Poly Tech receiver with a mixture of SEI, USGI, and Poly Tech parts. I've seen the same accuracy with the same ammo fired from the same rifle in 3 different stocks. Here it is in the Rogue, right before I switched back to the Blackfeather. The last shot went wide because of a light end cap strike. I installed the wrong DC Vortex on the GLFS-D-16, and it was working loose.

[Tucker 1371]

I suppose you put that one together just right.

Do you notice a difference when you adjust the ORG on your Blackfeather equipped rifles? I remember that being the more difficult part of the install process and wondered if it was really worth the trouble.

[SR420]

I had quite a bit of experience installing rifles in the Rogue by then... it was tight.

I have not made any adjustments to the Blackfeather ORG, not yet.

[Tucker 1371]

I'm not sure what part of installing the Rogue that I screwed up but I took a shot on a deer last year that I was pretty confident about, maybe 100 yds, and my zero had shifted two feet low. Hit her in the leg and then tried to chase her down, with no luck. Blew my mind to see a 3 legged deer hop a 4 foot high cattle fence. Still feel pretty guilty about that one.

[mavracer]

Really?

Yes, my 308 AR has a total cost of $1,379.15 before optics and was assembled in about 2 hours with cheap BUIS and would do MOA after mounting the scope on her maiden trip she did a bit over 2" @ 300yards and that's not a get lucky with 3 that was 10 rounds.
It cost 200 less than my SA loaded did that would only do ~2" at 100 on a good day.

[SR420]

The rear bracket would sometimes not fit perfectly in the track on the side of the receiver, or the track on the receiver was not in spec. Either way, it would cause accuracy to be off. We both learned that the bull pup conversion kit was cool, but not all that practical.

For me; the SAGE, the Blackfeather, and tight fitting USGI synthetic stocks have proven to be the best general purpose stocks for my money. I have not tried a carbon fiber stock like yours, but I have read some good feedback on them.

[NoirFan]

So, this is one of the few (maybe the only) M14 aftermarket stocks I actually like, because it actually looks like it was designed this way from the ground up. All the other ones, especially the EBR stocks, look like what they are: crude stop-gaps bolted together to fill a need in the military armory. This one looks like it came this way from the factory and I bet it shoots great.

That said, I would never do this kind of mod to my M1A scout because it seems counterproductive. It seems like spending a ton of effort to take away the M1A's chief advantages (the iron sights, classic looks) and going down an upgrade path that runs into all it's weaknesses (not modular). If I want to play on the tactical side, there's stuff like the RFB or the S&W MP10 - all the rails and black plastic you could want straight from the factory. Not trying to bust your balls cause I do like it, but it's not how I would spend my own time and money.

[SR420]

Not intending to burst your thought bubble, but the bull pup is the oldest design.
The SAGE EBR is as you say, and the Blackfeather is the only modular option out there.

[COSteve]

As Kraigwy said, "I think, being old fashion I'll leave it as is."

[SR420]

For me, leaving it as is would mean leaving it all together.

I'm thankful that I'm not forced to leave it as is.

[agtman]

Actually, this "semi" E2, even with the old-school mil bipod, isn't nearly as heavy as these M1As with overly-weighty railed stocks with heavy optics, flashlights, etc.

[highpower3006]

I'm a wood and steel kind of guy. I have had mine for many, many years and have yet to develop an itch to change it.

[Tucker 1371]

AGTman, like the E2, that is a fine looking rifle. I wish I had the money to buy a plain Jane standard model in a nice walnut stock to just leave as is.

[agtman]

AGTman, like the E2, that is a fine looking rifle. I wish I had the money to buy a plain Jane standard model in a nice walnut stock to just leave as is.

Thanks. Yeah, it's an early 1990-91 S.A. E2. Has a TRW-stamped bolt and other USGI parts. Sadly, those days are long gone ...

Some years ago I added the faux "selector switch" to fill that gaudy opening in the factory stock. Functionally, it serves to keep out dust and bugs, and secondarily to cause fits of jaw-dropping gasping from people who have no clue what they're looking at.

[NWCP]

I intend to leave my M1A Super Match just the way she came. I have my iron sights set up in combat configuration right now, but it's easy enough to reconfigure to match sights as needed.

[kenny53]

I bought one about 4 years ago. Nothing fancy just the M1A STANDARD. The only thing I have changed is the location I shoot it. I like it just the way it is.