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Damn! Bought an M1A.....
- Thread starter pmclaine
- Start date
The Chicom M1A receivers are actually supposed to be pretty nice. Forged when others were casting.
It's was the peripheral parts that made them sketchy but putting in GI parts created great rifles.
Thanks for putting those rifles to good use.
Speaking of M1A accuracy, I had a double lug that was bolted into a pillar bedded McMillan with the heaviest Kreiger you could squeeze in, unitized and tuned gas system, and a worked NM trigger group that when I had a scope on it would hold right at 3/4 MOA with 168 SMK & IMR 4064. It was a sweetheart but honestly a porker. It was a great rifle...
Took a closer look at the photo....No hinge on the floor plate and it looks like it has locking screws on the action screw. Something European before they became part of the caliphate.
Didn't realize interior design was a skill of yours!
M14forum is a great resource.
Unsure of where it originated from. Bought second hand.
All three are built by Derrick Martin with is no weld front lug. IMO, was the best option over welding a front lug and finding a smith who knew how to do it.
M1A's/M14's are nice and all, especially if you can get all or mostly all GI parts, and if ya got the $$$ go all out with a civilian forged receiver(ie: LRB, Bula, etc.. the new Bula flat-top integral railed receiver is sweet).
If I was looking for a nice accurate wood & steel big bore gas gun, I'd go with a Don McCoy match conditioned .308 M1 Garand. Honestly don't get much nicer than those IMO...
https://www.gunsamerica.com/952268579/don-mccoy-match-condition-m1-garand-rifle-308.htm
Sadly Mr McCoy is no longer with us, but Dean Dillabaugh @ Dean's Gun Restorations builds some real nice ones.. some of the most beautiful stocks I've seen! DGR only does JCG legal Garand builds tho, ie USGI contour barrel, must be .30-06, USGI weight/profile stock, no glass bedding, etc. AFAIK the only upgrades allowed in JCG matches are NM trigger, NM gas cylinder, and NM non-hooded aperture(I could be wrong there)... would need @kraigWY to confirm. Nonetheless his builds are as good as it gets within JCG match parameters and hover around 1-1.5 MOA depending on ammo obviously..
I do believe the CMP actually will build you a "Unlimited" class Garand tho.
@pmclaine are you familiar, or have experience with CMP's gunsmithing work? Quality level?
If I was looking for a nice accurate wood & steel big bore gas gun, I'd go with a Don McCoy match conditioned .308 M1 Garand. Honestly don't get much nicer than those IMO...
https://www.gunsamerica.com/952268579/don-mccoy-match-condition-m1-garand-rifle-308.htm
Sadly Mr McCoy is no longer with us, but Dean Dillabaugh @ Dean's Gun Restorations builds some real nice ones.. some of the most beautiful stocks I've seen! DGR only does JCG legal Garand builds tho, ie USGI contour barrel, must be .30-06, USGI weight/profile stock, no glass bedding, etc. AFAIK the only upgrades allowed in JCG matches are NM trigger, NM gas cylinder, and NM non-hooded aperture(I could be wrong there)... would need @kraigWY to confirm. Nonetheless his builds are as good as it gets within JCG match parameters and hover around 1-1.5 MOA depending on ammo obviously..
I do believe the CMP actually will build you a "Unlimited" class Garand tho.
@pmclaine are you familiar, or have experience with CMP's gunsmithing work? Quality level?
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Right? Posting a trio of M1As on a comforter is reason for a man-card revocation.
Good god.
Sirhr
In seriousness, beautiful rifles!!!
I am a member of that forum. A two minute call to Springfield Armory Inc will tell you when it was made (month and year) and what configuration it was in. My guess based on the barrel is that it was a Standard Grade rifle. The late 1980s to early 1990s SAI rifles are considered desirable due to USGI parts used and overall quality of the rifle. I have some SAIs in the 67-69k range.
Nice find, looks like a quality M1A with a lot of USGI parts. including a nice USGI walnut stock. The one thing I might suggest to complete the 'aesthetics’ of the rifle, assuming its legal in your state, is to install a fake/faux M14 selector lock switch. It is a little bit of work to do this the first time, but I use them on my M1As. Here's the source if interested: http://sparrowhawkkits.com/index.html
It fills that hole in the stock, and makes it look much more like the original rifle. My 2cts if you don't mind doing one modification.
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Looks great with the kit filling the hole and the recess under the op rod handle.
Ill try calling SA Inc tomorrow.
Here are my three
-1943 Springfield Armory M1 Garand
-Springfield Armory inc. M1A Supermatch built by Glen Nelson
Fulton Armory scout frankenbuild with SAI barrel, LRB bolt, chinese gas system, etc
I have an unfinished big red birch stock for the Scout. I need a butt plate for it and I need to coat it with linseed or other oil finish.
-1943 Springfield Armory M1 Garand
-Springfield Armory inc. M1A Supermatch built by Glen Nelson
Fulton Armory scout frankenbuild with SAI barrel, LRB bolt, chinese gas system, etc
I have an unfinished big red birch stock for the Scout. I need a butt plate for it and I need to coat it with linseed or other oil finish.
Lately I've been using replica M14 sniper rifles at the Quantico precision rifle matches,
just for the fun of it. I'm the only guy using a semi-auto at these events.
M21 replica at 300 yards (2018)
XM25 replica at 300 yards (2019)
...still have another one to bed this year.
just for the fun of it. I'm the only guy using a semi-auto at these events.
M21 replica at 300 yards (2018)
XM25 replica at 300 yards (2019)
...still have another one to bed this year.
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Dont let me get dug in a hole with this one you will have a hard time flushing me out. She weighs 18 pounds and is a sub moa gun.
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Not as good quite frankly, but I kind-of expect that. The XM25 shot a 146-5x that day at 300 yards (150 is max score), and the x-ring is a 1 MOA target (x = 3" diameter), so I'm happy to have 1/3 of my rounds land in the X-ring at 300 yards with an M1A, but the good M401/A3/A5 guys can often clean the target at 300 yards, or maybe drop 1 point. Again, I'm okay with this, and it was only the 2nd time I used my new XM25 replica.
Initial testing of the XM25 in its first range trip suggested around 1.1 to 1.25 MOA capability for 8 out of 10-shot groups, but I need to experiment more with various handloads to see what it likes. I hope 1-MOA with preferred ammo is doable. The M21 is more like a 1.5 MOA rifle with ammo it likes, but I recently changed the barrel to a medium weight USGI NM barrel, so the jury is still out...
Its an old Leatherwood ART II (3-9x) military scope with the integrated M14/M21 mount, and was used on the M21s beginning in 1982 and until they were retired from service in the early to mid-1990s. The mount is hand-stamped with serial # of scope and M21 rifle it was once mounted on. Here's the same rifle at the 600 yard berm. The scope is pretty primitive compared to today's optics, but building an accurate replica of an M21 was my goal, so I bought this old-school ART II scope on eBay:
If curious, here's three replicas in chronological order of the 'original M14 sniper rifles' from 1967 to the early/mid-1990s:
Top: "late" M21 with ART II 3-9x scope, circa 1982 to early/mid-1990s.
Middle: XM21/ "early" M21 with Vietnam era AR TEL scope, circa 1969 to 1981/82.
Bottom: "Pre-XM21" or improvised Vietnam era M14 sniper rifle w/ M84 (2.2x) scope, circa spring 1967 to end of hostilities (early 1970s).
Very nice, I'd like to have NV set-up. Thanks for sharing that pic.
Since Iraq is in the news these days, here's a unique picture from the USA Today newspaper, dated Feb 27, 1991, showing
some Navy NSW guys with a big M88 sniper rifle (left) and to the right is a Navy's M14 Physical Security Sniper Rifle (PSSR)
that is complete with B&L 10X Tactical scope and what appears to be a SIMRAD mount....
...I show that picture, as I had a replica built of that somewhat obscure Navy M14 sniper rifle. As shown below, it weighs a solid 16.2 pounds with a sling, bipod, and an empty magazine, as seen here with various accessories circa Operation Desert Storm era...
...anyhow, I don't want to distract from the original poster's nice new M1A, but since others showed their Various M1As, here's a few more.
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I found an almost new 1983 dated General Dynamics medium weight barrel. Hopefully it shoots well...
Recently by chance I was offered a 1969 dated M14 barrel, which turned out to be a basically new SACO-LOWELL National Match barrel, so that will be my new XM21 barrel at some point.
Recently by chance I was offered a 1969 dated M14 barrel, which turned out to be a basically new SACO-LOWELL National Match barrel, so that will be my new XM21 barrel at some point.
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Interesting, thought General Dynamics only made stuff for .50's and auto cannons and what not...
Hello @Random Guy good to see you.
Guys, I know none of you know me But I can tell you Random knows his shit. He even had good info for me on the new .277 Sig Fury round.
The Big Red stocks are made to house heavy barrels.
Two simple improvements are the Sadlak spring guide and a Tubbs recoil spring. The spring is usually upgraded when the original wears out. The guide will smooth out the pulse in the action. Keeps spring from binding up. Another good upgrade is the unitized gas cylinder. Many prefer the welded version over the Army's screwed and glued. Welded is done by Marines and the Navy. Marines use 12 & 6 oclock points while the navy uses 3 points. Tony Ben on youtube has excellent vids.
I currently have a M1A "beater" Scout. I also am collecting parts for two builds currently. one is a 19.25 barreled version and the other a 16'' barred toy. Both on GWLA receivers.
BTW the Socom can be made to shoot very well. Guy in FL gets them to 1.5 moa @200 yrds. The last bit is off the top of my head. Its all about making tha contact between the comp and muzzel tight. There is normally a gap there from the factory.
Random may have contact info for him? I think he played with one too if I recall correctly.
To the OP.......WARNING: M1As ars extremely addictive. And it's to late. your snow ball is already rolling down the hill.
ENJOY
Guys, I know none of you know me But I can tell you Random knows his shit. He even had good info for me on the new .277 Sig Fury round.
The Big Red stocks are made to house heavy barrels.
Two simple improvements are the Sadlak spring guide and a Tubbs recoil spring. The spring is usually upgraded when the original wears out. The guide will smooth out the pulse in the action. Keeps spring from binding up. Another good upgrade is the unitized gas cylinder. Many prefer the welded version over the Army's screwed and glued. Welded is done by Marines and the Navy. Marines use 12 & 6 oclock points while the navy uses 3 points. Tony Ben on youtube has excellent vids.
I currently have a M1A "beater" Scout. I also am collecting parts for two builds currently. one is a 19.25 barreled version and the other a 16'' barred toy. Both on GWLA receivers.
BTW the Socom can be made to shoot very well. Guy in FL gets them to 1.5 moa @200 yrds. The last bit is off the top of my head. Its all about making tha contact between the comp and muzzel tight. There is normally a gap there from the factory.
Random may have contact info for him? I think he played with one too if I recall correctly.
To the OP.......WARNING: M1As ars extremely addictive. And it's to late. your snow ball is already rolling down the hill.
ENJOY
Whats the good info on the .277 Fury? @THEIS said the internal clip wreaks havoc on powder burn and hence the steel base case version at least likely won't be so great for precision..
I was interested in their precision bolt rifle weighing in at aprox. 6 1/2 pounds. Also available in 6.5.creedmore and .308. Random Guy enlightened me some with some knowledge he knew of or found. The Fury was developed for the Army's 6.8 requirements in their belt fed. Cartridge is hitting 80,000psi. Barrel eater if not chrome lined.
Your welcome anytime you are in the area.....
Probably my nicest shooting day last year was early March, Devens at the 900 M range.
There was some recent snow, temps in 20s, very light wind that was just pushing the dead dry grass right to left on the most distant targets. Bright sky and the Ivans were new and sporting their new diversity coloring.....
I was wearing plenty of Filson wool, a great shell, brought the insulating shooting mat I was perfectly toasty but the air being as dry as it was and the sun starting to hit the northeast with more direct rays it was perfect...
Club is hoping to shoot in February if weather allows and March is usually the first date on the calendar again "if weather allows".
Id actually like to shoot in some shitty weather but the club seniors, despite their backgrounds, are kind of weather averse. They value the hot cup of coffee at the diner after shooting as much as the trigger time. Between Filson sales, shit Ive picked up on the PX here and finds at the local surplus store when Im geared up for it cold is a non factor.
Intending to pick my rifle up tomorrow.....should I put your name on one of the Colt Cobras?
Probably my nicest shooting day last year was early March, Devens at the 900 M range.
There was some recent snow, temps in 20s, very light wind that was just pushing the dead dry grass right to left on the most distant targets. Bright sky and the Ivans were new and sporting their new diversity coloring.....
I was wearing plenty of Filson wool, a great shell, brought the insulating shooting mat I was perfectly toasty but the air being as dry as it was and the sun starting to hit the northeast with more direct rays it was perfect...
Club is hoping to shoot in February if weather allows and March is usually the first date on the calendar again "if weather allows".
Id actually like to shoot in some shitty weather but the club seniors, despite their backgrounds, are kind of weather averse. They value the hot cup of coffee at the diner after shooting as much as the trigger time. Between Filson sales, shit Ive picked up on the PX here and finds at the local surplus store when Im geared up for it cold is a non factor.
Intending to pick my rifle up tomorrow.....should I put your name on one of the Colt Cobras?
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Nice range! I haven't been able to shoot at those distances yet. In fact, I've never shot precision qualifications. That's what led me to this sight. I've never yet shot glass, and have a ton to learn. I've only shoy irons at 250-300yrds. As I mentioned I love the M1A platform. Your thread I can easily relate to.
So you pick up your new beloved tomorrow. Christmas came early this year. I'm stoked for ya!
So you pick up your new beloved tomorrow. Christmas came early this year. I'm stoked for ya!
There is a gentleman, and he would not describe himself as one, at the club that brings his M1A to every range session.
Its a bedded match rifle built by someone that new what they were doing.
He has plugged the 900 m Ivans with iron sights.
Its a tough task but doable, our eyes and abilities are the weakness.
There are some excellent M1A smiths out there. As the platform grows on you, (remember the snowball) you may change your mind and join M14 forum. 
Oh...something you may be into..... I'm not sure if you are into the alum chassis for the bolt guns but if you are there are a few for M1As.
The lightest and most popular is the Blackfeather made in Canada. I choose that one for my 19.25'' barrel build. Still trying to come up with a name for that one. I named the 16 "shorte." Spelled purposely wrong.
Oh...something you may be into..... I'm not sure if you are into the alum chassis for the bolt guns but if you are there are a few for M1As.
The lightest and most popular is the Blackfeather made in Canada. I choose that one for my 19.25'' barrel build. Still trying to come up with a name for that one. I named the 16 "shorte." Spelled purposely wrong.
My passion is bolt rifles.
The gun in that video above is the most accurate I own. It maximizes my weak abilities. It really is a crutch.
Im stupid for buying the new M1A because I am currently collecting parts for another expensive bolt build.
The gun above was my interpretation of what I think the M40A1 should have been if the parts were available.
My next rifle is going to be my interpretation of what I think the M40 should have been if the parts were available.
For a long time I have been telling myself if I see the right early SAI M1A built mainly of GI parts I would buy it.
Ive seen some Norincos, Polys, and SAI pass through the shop and not grab my eye....
This one got me.
It will stay in wood, as is, with my only demand on it being to hold black on an appropriately sized SR1 or MR1 at whatever range I happen to be shooting at.
Battle Rifle not a Precision Rifle.
The gun in that video above is the most accurate I own. It maximizes my weak abilities. It really is a crutch.
Im stupid for buying the new M1A because I am currently collecting parts for another expensive bolt build.
The gun above was my interpretation of what I think the M40A1 should have been if the parts were available.
My next rifle is going to be my interpretation of what I think the M40 should have been if the parts were available.
For a long time I have been telling myself if I see the right early SAI M1A built mainly of GI parts I would buy it.
Ive seen some Norincos, Polys, and SAI pass through the shop and not grab my eye....
This one got me.
It will stay in wood, as is, with my only demand on it being to hold black on an appropriately sized SR1 or MR1 at whatever range I happen to be shooting at.
Battle Rifle not a Precision Rifle.
There is a whole sub forum devoted to the M40 clones. Those guys love their bolt guns too.
You may find some interest in the M14E2 DMR. It is a rare bird.
I look forward to your M40 build as well.
New build details are in the gunsmithing section in a question I posted concerning DBM installing it and using it.
Almost all parts in hand. Waiting 6 months now for Bartlein and response from LRI that they will do the build.
Expect it will be a year or longer before I ever hold it.
If nothing else this hobby has taught me patience.
Here's mine in case anyone is interested in how the Blackfeather looks:
And my other more vanilla set up that I've since sold:
I've got two M1A's I bought new in the mid 90's: A Scout model and a Supermatch with McMillan camo stock. The Supermatch is very accurate with FGMM. Recently installed Sadlak steel scope mounts on both. Now just need money to put glass on them.
Question for you guys: can I attach a bipod like my Atlas to these rifles and if so how? I'd rather not modify the stock if that can be avoided.
Question for you guys: can I attach a bipod like my Atlas to these rifles and if so how? I'd rather not modify the stock if that can be avoided.
If your SAI rifle(s) have the stock that SAI put on them (ie not-modified), they used to offer a service where they would
remove the front sling swivel and replace it with a plate and a Harris bipod stud. The plate is then bedded from the inside
of the barrel channel. It does not modify the stock, but the inlet inlet in the wood or fiberglass stock is a rectangle and
while the standard Harris bipod works, I can not speak to the Atlas and whatever adopter plate might be needed.
Here's another view:
I had SAI do this for my M21 Long Range Match back in 2010, so its a clean-looking
option if they still offer it. I think cost was about $50 back then, plus shipping.
The only other thing I could suggest, besides Random Guy's post is picking up a USGI fiberglass stock. They are repetitively inexpensive and easily modified. Drill out the front sling mount and install a rail type with sling attachment. You can paint camo on the stock and easy to do. I only recommend this for the Scout. The match should be bedded already and you wouldn't want to disturb. Stocks are easy to swap back and forth for whatever the occasion. Like dressing up for a dinner date or ruffing around with the GI FB stock. These can be had at Treeline along with the rail. Hope this is of some use.
Sadlak makes a rail that goes over the original sling plate. The rivets will need to be drilled out to allow the rail to bolt through the rivet holes and into a backplate.
appears to be a Parker Hale, maybe an M82? Judging from the flared out forestock and the handstop and the metal piece with the holes in it mounted into the bottom of the forestock.
BINGO ...... yes, Sadlak. Although it may be easier (faster), to obtain through Treeline. They sell the Sadlak.
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