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America's Battle Rifle - Springfield Armory M1A Standard; SOCOM II; and SOCOM16

9K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  Infidel 
#1 ·
Thought I would post up some pictures of my Springfield Armory M1A rifle and carbines. The M1A is the semi-automatic civilian version of the U.S. military M14 (which is select fire - or capable of automatic fire). The M14 was the next generation of battle rifle that was designed to replace the venerable M1 Garand 30.06, which was the gun that defeated Germany, Italy, Japan, and their Axis allies in World War II. It was introduced after the Korean War in 1957 and was the battle rifle U.S. troops first carried in Vietnam, until the M-16 began to replace it.

The M1A has a detachable box magazine, and can hold 5, 10, 20 or 25 rounds per magazine, and I have seen 30 round mags, but those are not factory/OEM quality. It fires the powerful and accurate 7.62x51 NATO round (.308 Winchester), and comes in several variants, three of which are presented here.

I prefer the synthetic stocks on my guns, since they hold up better in inclement weather. The stocks are fiberglass-reinforced composite plastic.

The rifle on the left is the M1A Standard variant, with the 22 inch barrel. Next to it is the M1A SOCOM 16, which is the carbine length barrel (16 inch) variant. It has a proprietary compensator to help control muzzle rise. (It is dark and cold outside, so the lighting inside is not ideal - sorry about the shadows - I will shoot better pictures once the weather improves).



This is the M1A SOCOM II, which comes from the factory with the VLTOR quad rail ("cheese grater") for mounting optics and accessories. I have a Military model Grip-Pod on this rifle (serves dual roles as a vertical forward grip and a bipod) with the steel-reinforced legs, since this gun pushes 12 pounds plus loaded. The added weight really helps absorb recoil, however. I also added a Streamlight Scorpion weapon light, in an Israeli Command Arms Accessories flashlight mount.

Both the SOCOM 16 and SOCOM II have tritium night sights on the front sights standard.



Here is a zoomed in shot, showing the 5.11 Tactical Viking Tactics Padded Two Point sling (padded sling on a 12 pound gun really increases operator comfort).



Here is how I run the gun - Grip-Pod, mag, weapon light, iron sights. The M1A has the best iron sights I have ever used on a factory mass-produced rifle/carbine.



Zoom photo of compensator, rail mount sling attachment, and weapon light mount. The gas piston system was also enhanced by Springfield Armory, as I understand it, to ensure proper cycling with the shorter carbine length barrel. Note that the gas piston and operating rod mechanism are below the barrel on these guns, unlike the gas piston designs in the AK-47, SIG 55x series, H&K series, and SCAR piston designs. This means you must clean the gun upside down to keep cleaning solvents and oil/lubes out of the gas tube and gas port.



I will post some better pictures when I can get these battle rifles outside in the sunshine, where they belong. I'll post a range report soon, too. Cold as ice tonight.
 
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#5 ·
Thanks! The ammo used to be less than 50 cents a round, for 147 grain full metal jacket 7.62 x 51 NATO ball ammo (Winchester Q3130). Now, it is double that, but it will come back down.

The rifle is not cheap, but it could save your life one day, or the lives of your loved ones, so for me it was an easy choice.

Plus these hold their value very well. I could sell it for more than I paid for it right now, but I plan to keep mine. Save up your pennies - eventually you will have enough to buy one.
 
#7 ·
No I got it last Friday. I posted a lame phone pic in the thread. I'm at 520 rnds but I need to barter up some goods and get some of the other accessories / tools before firing off some in training. I hope two in the next two weeks while in CA cause I'll want to see how far out I can take it once I get to the ranch in NV.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Those are awesome! I wish I had an M1A!

The closest I have is an FNAR:

Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Vehicle Gas


It is a funny story how we came to possess it. Wife and I were going to the beer store and since our gun shop is right next door, we decided to stop in and say "hi" to the guys first and pick up a spare box of primers. The owner of our gun store, Hoffy mentioned to my wife that some guy had special ordered it and put down a deposit when his wife found out and made him cancel the order. Wife asked how much he needed for it and he said $950. We said we'd think about it and went next door and bought our beer. While standing in line at the checkout, my wife kept badgering me to go on-line and check the MSRP. When we finally found it at Cheaper Than Dirt with a price of $1499, I dropped the wife back off the gun store to wait with it while I drove home and got the cash. By the time I got back to pay for it, wife had talked him down to $900! :p

The next night, we had to have a "date night" to go to Gander Mountain and pick out a scope. And stuff like that is why I married that girl!

::rambo::
 
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#9 · (Edited)
From what I can tell from the photo Verteidiger that stock on your Socom looks to be a one of the usgi fiberglasses SAI had left that they covered in a bedliner type coating after they switched from the krinkle paint they used to use on them. Your 1 up as a the usgi fiberglasses are a more rigid, higher value stock than the new polymer stocks SAI has made and uses now. A very strong stock. I prefer and use yhem myself. It's too hard to tell from the pic in distance what the Standard has, but if it's older than the Socom II than it should be the same, a covered usgi fiberglass. They used them till they ran out same as the usgi parts they had in stock over the years. For a long time when usgi parts were still plentiful, Springfield Armory Inc. used usgi parts for there rifles mixing in over the years with the cast and forged parts they had made from different makers. Do you have a usgi parts on the rifles? What year range are the serial numbers?

You can date them by the serial reference databases Different (Lee Emerson) has compiled in the threads here.

Reference - M14 Forum

Lee's history site for the M14/M1A

Different
 
#10 ·
First thing I noticed is no bayonet lug on the Standard.;-)
I'm kinda funny that way, I was well trained in The Spirit Of The Bayonet with an M-14.:mrgreen:

Just messin' with ya, Verteidiger. those are nice rifles!

Mine is just a plain old wood stocked Standard Model. I prefer that because other than the lack of a selector switch (which the Army rendered inoperative anyway) she's just like the one's I was issued long ago.
When my eyes were 19 years old, using iron sights, I could hit sillouhette targets out to 500 meters. And that is not bragging on my ability, rather the ability of the rifle.
The only accessories I added to mine were a bayonet-lugged flash supressor, an issue M-6 bayonet, and a Vietnam era USGI web sling. When I hold her in my arms, all the aches and pains of old age are gone and once more I'm young and invinceable.:mrgreen:
 
#11 ·
Nice rifles for sure. It'll probably be a couple of years before I buy one, they're a bit too much for my budget. I've got my order in for a Garand now, just waiting for it to ship so the next rifle almost has to be an M1a (although I wouldn't snub an M1 Carbine either). My problem is every time I start saving for the M1a something else pops up with a deal I can't say no to.

-Infidel
 
#12 · (Edited)
I was truly fortunate that during the boom times of the 90's and early-mid 2000's I would get quarterly profit sharing bonuses. I had an understanding with my wife that this was "found money" and did not go into the general fund but was mine to use as I wished.
That is the only reason I have the guns that I do. And now that those bonuses have ended, so has most of my firearm aquisitions. Most, but not all.
My neighbor is an FFL who operates a shop out of his barn (gosh, I love small town America) and dabbles in old stuff. I can still buy on lay-away, and in fact after many weeks of paying on a total of $99, picked up last Saturday my latest - a 1941 H&R Model 120 Gamegun, a 16 gauge bolt action tube magazine fed shotgun. AR's and other plastic fantastic guns are OK, but me? I'm "keepin' it real with wood and steel."
 
#13 · (Edited)
m1a and m14s are nonrestricted up in Canada and usable for hunting, which makes it my #2 buy, after a good shotgun. The socom are too short since barrel length needs to be 18 1/2 inches up here to be non restricted, it is still possible but only at ranges at 18 and 16" barrel lengths as it is restricted at those lengths.

I was leaning toward getting a SKS as they are just so inexpensive, but apparently they arn't usable for hunting, so the m14s has no become my rifle of choice (although my favorite rifle for feel is the .303 british lee



Just feels like a gun.
 
#26 ·
I wish I hadn't sold my Longbranch No IV Mk I*. I paid $125 for that rifle and it shot great but I hadn't shot it in a while and a guy offered me $175 for it so I sold it figuring I wasn't shooting it anyway so I might as well (Yes I know I'm a dumb ass). I've been kicking myself ever since and swore I'd never sell another gun.

-Infidel
 
#17 ·
Thank you, Ronald Reagan (Gun Control Act of 1986)
 
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#15 ·
sks is $75
 
#16 ·
If that's what's most important to you. The SKS is a solid rifle, but it's no M14. It's not magazine fed, in a lessor caliber, with lessor perfomance, commonality and options. I've got a buddy who bought one under that same aspect and wishes now he just spent the money on the piston AR he really wanted. It's all where you put your priorities. He's got a nice new Camaro instead. Though it won't be worth a damn when the world crumbles around him. The SKS is reliable and fairly accurate though with battlesight zero range.
 
#21 · (Edited)
But back then a dollar was worth more. Just since Obama took office in 2008 the dollar has lost almost 20%.
My first M1 Garand was $268, but I think I was only making about $3 an hour back then. Heck, my 1974 Ford F-100 was $3600 brand spankin' new.
 
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