Springfield Armory gen3 M1A scope mount

ronl · February 21, 2013, 02:45 PM

Years ago when I bought my M1A I got the scope mount too, which I ended up not using because it shot loose. I never really looked at it seriously, just put it on and took it off after it began to wiggle, so it sat in the closet for many years. A few months ago I picked up a Horus Talon 1-4x24 and the urge to try it on my M1A hit me. You know how those crazy little ideas kinda' get into your head and you can't really get rid of them, no matter how silly they are. I don't have the money right now to invest in a Sadlak or other mount so I pulled the old mount out of the closet and took a close look at it. First thing I noticed was that the mount when locked was off centerline. Secondly, the mount didn't fit very well into the horizontal groove in the receiver. Third, there was slight play in the vertical groove. Out came the files, screwdrivers, etc. I filed on the horizontal spline on the mount until it fit nicely into the groove, easily doubling the surface area that made contact. This had the added bonus of bringing the mount back to centerline of bore. I also had to adjust the rear screw, which is pretty easy. I then added a slight amount of bedding compound to the vertical spline and took out all play in that slot. Going to add just a tiny bit of threadlock to the screws and see how it works out. At least I now have a mount that is centered over the bore. I always did like the idea of the SA mount because it allows access to those great irons on the rifle. Also, there is now more surface area on the horizontal spline to help hold it in place. I'll let you all know if it makes any difference.

Ridge_Runner_5 · February 21, 2013, 09:20 PM

I bought one a while back for my M1A. The instructions say you need to set it in place on the grooves, put the nut in about hand tight, and then hit the ends back and forth with a rubber mallet so that the aluminum mount forms to the receiver and matches with it, creating a solid mount.

I didn't like the big gap in the middle, though. So I tossed mine out (not good for resale by itself after it's been fitted) and went with an aluminum Sadlak instead.

February 21, 2013, 02:45 PM	#1
ronl Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Posts: 1,100	Springfield Armory gen3 M1A scope mount Years ago when I bought my M1A I got the scope mount too, which I ended up not using because it shot loose. I never really looked at it seriously, just put it on and took it off after it began to wiggle, so it sat in the closet for many years. A few months ago I picked up a Horus Talon 1-4x24 and the urge to try it on my M1A hit me. You know how those crazy little ideas kinda' get into your head and you can't really get rid of them, no matter how silly they are. I don't have the money right now to invest in a Sadlak or other mount so I pulled the old mount out of the closet and took a close look at it. First thing I noticed was that the mount when locked was off centerline. Secondly, the mount didn't fit very well into the horizontal groove in the receiver. Third, there was slight play in the vertical groove. Out came the files, screwdrivers, etc. I filed on the horizontal spline on the mount until it fit nicely into the groove, easily doubling the surface area that made contact. This had the added bonus of bringing the mount back to centerline of bore. I also had to adjust the rear screw, which is pretty easy. I then added a slight amount of bedding compound to the vertical spline and took out all play in that slot. Going to add just a tiny bit of threadlock to the screws and see how it works out. At least I now have a mount that is centered over the bore. I always did like the idea of the SA mount because it allows access to those great irons on the rifle. Also, there is now more surface area on the horizontal spline to help hold it in place. I'll let you all know if it makes any difference.

February 21, 2013, 09:20 PM	#2
Ridge_Runner_5 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,925	I bought one a while back for my M1A. The instructions say you need to set it in place on the grooves, put the nut in about hand tight, and then hit the ends back and forth with a rubber mallet so that the aluminum mount forms to the receiver and matches with it, creating a solid mount. I didn't like the big gap in the middle, though. So I tossed mine out (not good for resale by itself after it's been fitted) and went with an aluminum Sadlak instead.