Is the Springfield M1A Loaded a good rifle? I’ve always wanted a Springfield M1A but don’t know the first thing about them.

I had one that was reliable and very accurate. Factory mags and checkmate mags worked perfectly for me.

I while back I was in the market for such a rifle, ended up with the ‘Scout-Squad’ version.

To us it’s been a solid rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
Factory mags and checkmate mags worked perfectly for me.

SAI factory mags are Checkmate mags. They just charge an extra $10 or so for the SAI crossed cannon logo on the floorplate instead of the Checkmate chess knight logo.

I have a Loaded. It's a nice rifle. It's not my favorite .308 by any stretch, but I still enjoy it. The iron sights on it are really really good imo. I enjoy it for the historic perspective as it's as close to an M1 as I'm going to get.

It’s a good starter rifle for someone getting into M14’s.

Tony.

I've heard that since the supply of surplus military parts dried up a few years ago (fire control groups, bolts & op-rods) the quality has diminished greatly ... but the one I had was 20-30 years old so I don't have any first hand information.

This could be just Internet garbage too ...

quote:

Originally posted by kimberkid:
I've heard that since the supply of surplus military parts dried up a few years ago (fire control groups, bolts & op-rods) the quality has diminished greatly ... but the one I had was 20-30 years old so I don't have any first hand information.

This could be just Internet garbage too ...

personally, I think it is,


there was a time frame when QC was spotty, and SA did have a recall on a run of bolts (Marked RRR IIRC)

however for the avg user, a Loaded M1A, cleaned and lubed correctly, with good ammo, will run like a top and give good accuracy all day long,

The Springfield M1As are good rifles, though not all are created equal. Springfield has used a mix of military surplus and new parts over the years. Save yourself the risk of a failure, and learn what the bolt codes are, then pick one off a shelf that has a military bolt installed. That's the most important thing for me. My old Super Match came with a TRW bolt, my newer standard model came with a Springfield, Inc. bolt, but a TRW barrel. I rebuilt, swapped, and headspaced the newer rifle with an H&R bolt. The one part aftermarket just can't match in quality is bolts. There are some other great upgrades out there, too, but I tend to build national match-type rifles, so mine do look more like the originals in the end, but will perform a bit better. I love shooting M1As, and have learned to really love them since learning to build them right.

Around 2000, they ran out of USGI parts and they had to source commercial parts. Receiver castings also changed suppliers over the years as well.

Current 400k series rifles have much nicer receivers than 100k through 300k serial numbers. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

The cost is cut by them using cast parts. For the most part, the cast parts are just fine. A custom build on all forged parts will cost 30% to 50% more.

Tony.

I recall hearing they had depleted their surplus at some point. I don't recall what year my newer M1A is, but I always look at bolts and barrels when I pick a Springfield up in the used rack at a shop. I don't build many, but I enjoy working on them.

I picked one of these up - .308, Walnut - a while back, but haven't taken it out yet.

If I could tangentify the thread a bit, two of the reasons for that delay were due to notes in the owner's manual that I wasn't sure I got the details of.

1) clean it upside down (trigger up, sights down)
I understand what they are saying, and I have a bench-vise setup that I could put the rifle in to do this, but I don't get the reasoning. For a rifle design that had some variants out in the field, this seems a little unusual.

2) avoid slam fires
This is less than specific. What specifically are they suggesting a M1A owner either do or not do?

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
I picked one of these up - .308, Walnut - a while back, but haven't taken it out yet.

If I could tangentify the thread a bit, two of the reasons for that delay were due to notes in the owner's manual that I wasn't sure I got the details of.

1) clean it upside down (trigger up, sights down)
I understand what they are saying, and I have a bench-vise setup that I could put the rifle in to do this, but I don't get the reasoning. For a rifle design that had some variants out in the field, this seems a little unusual.

2) avoid slam fires
This is less than specific. What specifically are they suggesting a M1A owner either do or not do?

#1 is a Service Rifle shooters trick

to keep the oils and cleaning fluids out of the action and bedding material,

oils etc will break down the action bedding if the rifle has been glass bedded,


#2, since it does not have a spring loaded firing pin, it is possble that the pin can stick and cause a slam fire if not handled properly,

I have a couple M1A's and a double handful of Garands (Same style basically) and have never had a slam fire,
both clip or magazine fed, or single load by hand,

I shot Garand Matches for years, and a few matches when I shot Service Rifle with the M1A, using both ball, and reloads, w/o issues

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
2) avoid slam fires
This is less than specific. What specifically are they suggesting a M1A owner either do or not do?

If you reload make sure you full length size, use a case gauge to ensure proper shoulder setback, and make sure your primers are seated below flush. Consider using military grade primers.

And as noted, never drop a round into the chamber and let the bolt slam closed on it.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
1) clean it upside down (trigger up, sights down)
I understand what they are saying, and I have a bench-vise setup that I could put the rifle in to do this, but I don't get the reasoning. For a rifle design that had some variants out in the field, this seems a little unusual.

You don't want solvents or oils collecting in the gas cylinder on a M1 or M14/M1A. The gas port is a small hole on the bottom of the barrel. Cleaning it upside down prevents any fluids from leaking down through the gas port into the cylinder.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
Around 2000, they ran out of USGI parts and they had to source commercial parts. Receiver castings also changed suppliers over the years as well.

Current 400k series rifles have much nicer receivers than 100k through 300k serial numbers. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

The cost is cut by them using cast parts. For the most part, the cast parts are just fine. A custom build on all forged parts will cost 30% to 50% more.

Tony.

If you really want a sweet M1A/M14, have Tony build you one...

Thank you for the responses.

RE: upside down, now I get it.

RE: slam fires. I think I get part of it. It sounds like this is a 2 part:

1) some primers are risky. I don't reload/use reloads, so it sounds like I am already 'avoiding slam fires' here.

2) sounds like the firing pin can get stuck in the extended (fire) position (!?!) In that case, how do you prevent slam fires when the bolt closes on a live round; whether fed from the magazine or hand-loaded, wouldn't a firing pin jutting out be equally concerning? I am missing something here.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
Thank you for the responses.

RE: upside down, now I get it.

RE: slam fires. I think I get part of it. It sounds like this is a 2 part:

1) some primers are risky. I don't reload/use reloads, so it sounds like I am already 'avoiding slam fires' here.

2) sounds like the firing pin can get stuck in the extended (fire) position (!?!) In that case, how do you prevent slam fires when the bolt closes on a live round; whether fed from the magazine or hand-loaded, wouldn't a firing pin jutting out be equally concerning? I am missing something here.

The M1 Garand, M14 and the M16 family of rifles all have free-floating firing pins. Since there's no spring to keep the pin retracted, when the bolt slams forward, there can sometimes be an amount of inertia that may set the next round off if the bolt slams home too quickly.

If you place a round in the chamber by hand and let the bolt fly home, it can set the round off. It's rare but it can happen and it depends on if the safety bridge is shaped correctly. If there's debris or something gumming up the firing pin channel, it can stick in the forward position. The M14 and M1 Garand have a camming slot that keeps the firing pin from remaining extended if the bolt is unlocked, or not fully engaged.

If this bridge is mis-shaped or if the window is too wide, the firing pin can remain forward if the bolt is unlocked.

See this video and start at timestamp 11:05...


A slam-fire is basically when the bolt closes and the rifle fires immediately upon closing the bolt. Here's the perfect illustration of a slam-fire on a SKS...


Tony.

Thanks for the video links (and it looks like maybe you're the author/producer? If so, great work! )

Those explained the issue pretty well. Now, it's the avoidance I need to focus on. The 'always/never do' list.

To boil the second video down in this context, the problem there was a firing pin rusted into a fixed forward firing position. I don't see this likely on a new weapon or something that would develop in the course of a range session. The takeaway from this video in this context seems to be clean the beastie as I use it, and check firing pin behavior during the cleaning.

It's this part that I need to understand better: what precisely does one do to prevent the below?

quote:

Since there's no spring to keep the pin retracted, when the bolt slams forward, there can sometimes be an amount of inertia that may set the next round off if the bolt slams home too quickly.

Here's where I'm missing something. Are we supposed to control how much force the bolt slams forward with, and if so how is that done?

And a follow on question, why is this only a 'slam fire' issue? Why wouldn't this happen when the bolt closes after firing followon shots?

I produced the first video, but not the second. Thank you for the compliment.

If you watch my M14 lubrication video, I state to leave the firing pin channel dry. I only lube the ejector and spring and the extractor spring. Putting grease or oil on the firing pin can attract and retain debris.

The second thing to avoid slam-fires is always to feed ammo from the magazines. Never put a round in the chamber by hand and let the bolt fly home at full-speed.

When the bolt strips a round from the magazine, it slows down the speed of the bolt and the chance of a slam-fire is greatly reduced.

The shape of the safety bridge is critical and if it isn't shaped properly, it may not prevent a slam-fire.

Slam-fires can also be attributed to high primers. I made a reloading video that covers checking primer seating depth to prevent this scenario.

Don't over-think it. Use a good rifle from SAI or from a reputable builder and you'll have a safe rifle. Use factory ammo or make sure you're on your game when reloading and you'll be just fine.

By the way, cleaning the rifle upside down (magazine well to the sky) is to prevent cleaning solvent from entering the gas system. The gas port and gas piston are on the bottom of the rifle. Gravity will allow cleaning solvents to enter the gas system.

The gas cylinder and piston are self-cleaning and work best when dry. The grooves around the diameter of the piston should remain crisp and sharp. If you polish it and round the edges, you take away the cleaning properties of the piston as it was designed. The crisp edges scrape carbon from the cylinder walls and it's expelled through the gas port on the bottom of the gas cylinder.

solvents and lube create a carbon mud in the piston and can cause short-stroking. On an AR-style rifle, the gas port and tube is on the top, so inverting the rifle is not necessary. Gravity keeps solvents out of the gas system.

Tony.