New M1A ..... well new OLD NM 1986 M1A !!!!!!!!

[misterE]

Got another M1A today. This makes my second. I was warned these rifles are addictive! My other one is a loaded, stainless barrel, composite stock.

Well, a guy put one in the paper Sunday and I had to snatch it up.

NM M1A bought new by seller in 1986
Walnut and blued
0389xx serial number!!!
TRW bolt
bayonet lug
13 magazines
bipod
bayonet
paperwork
shepher p3 scope
arms18 scope mount
arms detatchable scope base
extra stock
extra handgard
much much more

paid $1700.00 for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seller says it has less than 200 rounds through it!

[misterE]

Sorry the pics are upside down.

I am freaking hopped up!!!!!!

Cant wait to shoot it. Never shot a National Match M1A. Will give a range report hopefully tommorow night.

[ripnbst]

This rifle is on a short list of rifles I'd like to have.

Really a sweet find.

[misterE]

Thanks Ripnbst, just glad you didn't get your hands on an Arkansas dem gazette Sunday! Was probably abouth the same distance from me as you to the seller, up in NE AR.

[madcratebuilder]

Most excellent score my friend. I would have been all over that deal. Here are some notes I've accumulated over the years on SAI.

007XXX to 020XXX SOME receivers made from AISI 4140 alloy steel. The elevation serrations wear prematurely but can be repaired using an elevation disk. These receivers are serviceable, no other issues reported.

007XXX to 037XXX Springfield Armory, Inc. does not have USGI chromium plated barrels for assembly of complete rifles. Factory installed barrels in this serial number range will be commercial manufacture but machined by Hillside Manufacturing (Dallas, PA) using Wilson Arms blanks.

I have 015XXX, sold as a standard model it has a medium profile Wilson six groove NM barrel, SAI op-rod, bolt with usgi FCG, gas cylinder and flash hider. I bought this used some time ago and after buying it I discovered it had a bolt recall. A phone call to SAI had a prepaid box coming my way to ship the complete rifle back, on their dime. SAI did a NM trigger mod while they had it

007041 A commercial unlined standard profile barrel and a commercial operating rod used to build standard model M1A

042201 to 063000 This is the serial number range that I refer to as the Golden Age of the M1A. The receiver design had fully matured by this time. The receivers were hand finished by the original designer and master craftsman, Melvin Smith. Springfield Armory, Inc. was awash in USGI parts during this period. Thus, factory built standard model M1A rifles in this serial number range were built with a very high USGI parts count.

About 6-7 years ago I bought 050XXX, this has all TRW parts with a HR barrel. Shots smooth as silk.

[Amsdorf]

$1,700 for all that?

Wow, great deal!!!

[misterE]

Armsdorf, glad you don't get an AR paper either. It was up there by mammoth springs.

Madcrate, looks like mine doesn't fit into any of those serial number categories. How do you tell if the barrel is chrome lined? I did see " geneso, il" on the side of the barrel.

[misterE]

Got out and shot it this afternoon! The rifle is very accurate as I expected was shooting Winchester 762 NATO into 1 1/4" groups or less. Shot fgmm into 7/8" groups or less. All groups were 3 shots, all at 100 yards. Best group was 9/16" with fgmm.

Scope worked just fine ( shepherd p3 3-10x40), but was a little "busy" as they say. My only one complaint is that the magazines have significantly more play while in the rifle than on my other m1a. I'm thinking this may have something to do with the magazine latch. I know it should have a nm spring guide in there, but I wonder what brand it is and if the latch is different than e sadlak one I put in my other m1a. I don't really feel like taking the rifle out of the bedded stock to find out as this is a small issue to me.

Got a question: how do you tell if a bipod is usgi? Mine says "bipod rifle m2". Have any of y'all ever used one of these? How did it affect your accuracy?

[ChaseReynolds]

Sweet find. I would love to come across a deal like that. The thing looks brand new.

[madcratebuilder]

Madcrate, looks like mine doesn't fit into any of those serial number categories. How do you tell if the barrel is chrome lined? I did see " geneso, il" on the side of the barrel.

038XXX with a geneso, il marked barrel should be the Wilson six groove. I don't know if the NM rifle from that time period shipped with the med or heavy contour NM barrels. Not chrome lined, 4140 CMV steel I think.

Got a question: how do you tell if a bipod is usgi? Mine says "bipod rifle m2". Have any of y'all ever used one of these? How did it affect your accuracy?

There are some sites that show you the difference from GI to copy. Some copies are damn hard to spot. One way is if it still has the yellow ink/paint acceptance stamp. There's a difference in the way parts are welded together.

Attaching the gi bi-pod to the gas cylinder effects my rifle about 1moa.



usgi pod.

[SR420]

misterE, you done good!

Those are my favorite Springfield receivers

[MJ1]

Sweet! You shopped very well. This rifle still tickles me even after 47 years, well done.



Leave the bi-pod at home it was only good for keeping the rifle out of the mud or as frontal weight for the E2. and then when we got n country everyone acquired the M16 bi-pod for that job.

[misterE]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm still really excited about this one.

All my bipod says is bipod rifle m2. It doesn't have the US above it like that.

[MJ1]

Recycle!



......

[misterE]

Now that looks like a good time had by all!