Springfield Armory M1A1

[bad_dad_brad]

Opininons on this rifle would be appreciated. Considering buying one. Thanka.

[Josh]

Do you own a AR 15?

If so, do yoursela a big favor and buy a AR10 in .308
Why? Because you are allready familiar with the workings of the AR. Everything is the same. The AR10 is nothing more than a AR15 on steroids. Very accurate rifle out of the box.
Although the M1A is a fantastic rifle it is not without its problems. Don't get me wrong it is as I said a great rifle but IMHO you could not go wrong with the AR. Good luck in your choice and write back and tell us what you bought.
I have both and I prefer the AR10.

[Yellowdog]

Josh: You mentioned that the M1A is not without its problems. I'm not very familiar with that rifle although everyone seems to rave about it. What are some of the common problems with the M1A?

[Erik]

I'd like to know, also. It is on my list and I have only heard good things. Info is always a good thing...

[Alan B]

Josh

What are the problems with the M1A?
Since I opted out of an AR-10 and bought 3 M1As what problems did I buy my self X3?
Should I sell them and Buy an AR-10?

[Robert Foote]

Suggest you go over to CSP (Culver Shooting Pages, www.jouster.com and do some research there. The M1A is a very good rifle, may occasionally need a little tweaking like any mechanical object. I have shot ARs, M14s, and M1s and they are each a compromise of sorts and have pros and cons. I have an M1A that I compete with and field shoot with, and I like it. Like anything else worthwhile you have to make the effort to learn it. Make up your own mind.

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[RikWriter]

I have both the M1A and an AR10 and they both have their strong and weak points. The M1A has excellent sights, balances well when shooting standing, unsupported, is accurate and reliable and a bit lighter than the AR10. Spare parts are easy to come by and mags are cheaper than the AR10.
However it also has more of a pronounced kick and a bit of a twist to it that I have not noticed from other 308s. It also locks its mag in with a "rocking" motion which is slower than a straight in and out type of mag lock-up. I don't like the safety being so close to the trigger (although I admit that is a personal thing). Mounting a scope on an M1A is more involved than mounting one on an AR10 (particularly the flattop) and scope mounts tend to be less stable under field conditions than on an AR10. I also find the M1A more complicated to field strip.
As for the AR10, it is a very accurate rifle, very versatile when it comes to accessorizing...about any mount and accessory that can be used with an AR15 can be used with an AR10. I like the position of its safety, and I like that it field strips like an M16/AR15. I like the modular nature of it...I can change it from a carbine to a 26" target rifle just by switching an upper. I also like the way the mags load and release and the position of the mag release. It is very easy to find a good scope mount for the rifle, especially the flattop.
On the downside, hicap mags are pretty expensive for the AR10...depending on how much you have to pay for the M14 mags you send to Armalite to have converted, 20 round AR10 mags can cost you anywhere between $56-$80 each. It is also a heavy rifle, noticably heavier than the M1A, and it doesn't balance as well standing unsupported (though I find I actually like the way it feels firing from a bench better than the M1A). Spare parts will be expensive and available only through Armalite.
Well, hope all this rambling helps out some.

[Noban]

I own a Springfield M1A and think it is a fine rifle. I've had it customized a bit, but the essential mechanics remain as originally designed and function flawlessly.

The M1A is a heavy, robust rifle, so it could become burdonsome if you have to carry it all day. At the range, no problem. The weight (along with the gas system) helps absorb the recoil. The .308 cartridge is a great long distance round, and is plentiful and at reasonable prices in milsurp. After market accessories are plentiful and relatively inexpensive, and many suppliers stock USGI parts, which I highly recommend.

The magazines are getting expensive ($35 average), but are stout and will last an eternity.

I highly recommend an M1A.

Good luck

[USMCGrunt]

Best rifle on the market IMHO. Rugged, reliable, accurate, parts are everywhere along with a lot of folks that know how to work on them if you want even better performance, excellent battle tested design and a pretty decent price compared to other .308 battle rifles out there (post ban clones of the factory rifles excluded of course). Even with the post ban rifles, you still get a flash suppressor (unless you live the the PRC, Peoples Pepiblik of Kalifornia) instead of having to settle with a muzzle break. If you go someplace, folks are less likely to see you as another McVeigh and more as a high power target shooter if this a concern to you. So far I have two and am in the process of building a third and I have no regrets about it or problems with them.

[catman]

M1A is one hell of a weapon, so nice i bought 2 of them. got rid of all my AR's. this is a 500 yard weapon with very good optics & the .308 cartridge has very little re-coil if any. i hunt western kan. for deer, wild hogs & some antelope with no problems. A+

[RikWriter]

catman, when you bought an M1A you got rid of all your ARs?
So tell me, when you got your first 12 gauge shotgun, did you get rid of all your 22s?

[George Hill]

When I decided I wanted a .308 auto rifle - I let my ARs go! AR to FAL exchange - NO SECOND THOUGHTS SINCE.
Wise move I think.

[RikWriter]

It's never a wise move to sell a gun. When I wanted a 308...I bought it and kept my ARs. That was a wise move.

[Zak Smith]

Like someone else mentioned, the cost of AR-10 magazines is prohibitive, in my opinion.
You have to buy M1A mags at anywhere between $36 - $65 and then spend another $30-$45 to convert
them to work in the AR-10.

The Springfield M1A is an excellent rifle. The "New Loaded" package is a great deal.

All that said, I decided on a FAL. The mags are about $10, the rifle design is
simple and robust, and it's easy to clean.

[RikWriter]

smithz, you have overestimated the cost of AR10 mags a bit. Cole Distributing is selling used USGI M14 mags for $32 each shipped ($31 if you buy 10 or more) and Armalite converts the mags at the factory for $25 each. That puts the price of an AR10 20 rounder at about $57.

[VictorLouis]

An old boss of mine was career Army SF, a trained gunsmith, and AMU match shooter. He stated his overwhelming preference for the M14-M1A system for when TSHTF. The open-top design of the action doesn't allow debris anyplace to lodge. If there is any problem with the cartridge, you can readily access it. Neither of which can be said of our current issue rifle.

[catman]

that's the main reason for my choice of M1A, very simple and very easy to clean. i did dbl.+1/2 my money on my SP1 great weapon, just had $650 in it sold it for $1600, now i have an M1A for $650 new in the box.

[a]

Just about every Vietnam Vet I've spoken to, to a man, has voiced his preference of the M14 over the M16. I think I read somewhere that, at the Chosun Reservoir in Korea, the only rifle that did not fail was the M1 Garand. The M14/M1A is merely an updated version of the M1 Garand. It is an extremely reliable system. I talked to a Vietnam Vet who told me his M16 jammed on him and, when he field stripped it, he could not determine the cause. He put it back together and it jammed again. He field stripped it several times trying to determine the cause. Finally, he found a minute thread way up inside the area of the forcing cone and it was causing the bolt to not slam shut all the way. He told me that, had the gun been an M14, the power of the bolt slamming shut would have forced any ammo into the chamber to fire properly. This same guy was involved in firearms testing for the military, wherein he tested the M16, M14 and M1 Garand on sheep. The M14 and M1, obviously, did very well. He was not impressed at all with the M16. I think the old adage that you should shoot the most powerful round that you can shoot well is true. If you shoot a charging bad guy, who's possibly hopped up on something, with a .308, you know it will stop him. M14 all the way!

[RikWriter]

a, wow, my experience has been almost completely opposite that. I have talked to a lot of Nam vets, including one of my brother in laws, who was a Ranger, and they all seemed to like the M16. Some had a few reliability problems, but those said it was more a function of them not knowing how to properly maintain the rifle at first.

[Joseph]

I'll add that I don't recall talking to any of my Marine Corps friends during Vietnam who would choose the M16 over the M14, and the Corps continued to use it as the weapon of choice when it really mattered.

[jcoyoung]

I have a M1A 'Loaded' and I love it! There are better designs out there in .308, but the M1A/M14 just has something about it that makes me overlook the shortcomings. This is a marksman's rifle, not to be confused with a 'plinker'.

some Pros:
<LI>Accurate out of the box
<LI>Mags are cheaper than the AR10
<LI>Nostalgia!
<LI>Lots of spare parts available

some Cons:
<LI>Must be cleaned from the muzzle
<LI>Somewhat difficult to disassemble.
<LI>Not many accessories available outside of a scope mount.

[El Rojo]

I got an M1A loaded from Springfield A. I couldn't be happier. This is not to say the AR-10 might not be a good gun, I have never had the pleasure of experiencing the AR.

I also live in the PRK and now I have to deal with having an assault weapon. No biggie, I just have to buy the new muzzle break. I am in no big hurry to do that though. If you want to save some money and have a rifle you will not be disappointed with, go with the M1A. You got money, go with the AR-10. I am sure you will be happy either way.

[a]

My dad and I both have M1As. He has the standard; I have the loaded model. Both have functioned flawlessly to date (they each have about a thousand rounds through them). They are very comfortable to shoot, and very accurate. Best of all, out here in California, all I have to do is take off the flash suppressor, put on a compensator, and I'm ready to go.

[CPT R]

Gentlemen...I have and use the AR10A2 carbine. This system will be very familiar to anyone who has fired the M16 or AR15. But the comments from those who quote Vetnam era vets must remember that the M16 they were comparing was not the M16 of present. There were numerous flaws in the original version but none of which were as serious perhaps as was the ammunition itself. So of course anyone who fires a much bigger bullet without experiencing problems is going to sing the praises of the M14. Bottom line, if you want a more accurate .308....get a AR10. Mine is the most accurate "iron sight" weapon I have ever fired....to include the M16A1, M16A2, M16A4 and my M4 carbine that I use in combat here in Afghanistan. Best wishes. CPT R

[SR420]

I like the M14 platform for .308/7.62 x 51 NATO
I like the AR platform for .223/ 5.56 x 45 NATO

Get both



I once owned a Springfield M1A, but I now own nothing but
Chinese M14s and custom M14s built on Chinese receivers.