Reloading is highly recommended.got one , brand new, built back in the mid seventies, 100% GI parts except of course the receiver, really nice GI walnut stock , and national match bedded ., shoots like a match rifle, If you get a good one it is a joy to shoot, but can get expensive now a days when loading and shooting six to ten 20 round mags worth.
Sounds to me like you just made a strong case for NOT buying one.I've had an interest in these lately, but know almost nothing about them. I'm not a warrior, don't want one for defense or an end of the world situation and don't suffer from paranoia. I don't want a "truck" gun; not exactly sure what that is and I'm not going to buy a truck. I enjoy shooting at paper targets. I'm not much for gadgetry or aftermarket stuff and these rifles look horrible with a scope or other optics, like most military-type rifles do. What are your thoughts on out-of-the-box accuracy, handloading, favorite bullets, powders, etc?
I was issued a couple of different Army National Match M-14 rifles and a bunch of supporting equipment to go with them years ago when I shot with the MO Army National Guard High Power Rifle Team. Had them signed out for a couple of years on a Hand Receipt for me to keep at home between matches. Was also issued lots of Lake City Match 7.62 white box ammo to practice with on my own time, and shoot in matches.I've had an interest in these lately, but know almost nothing about them. I'm not a warrior, don't want one for defense or an end of the world situation and don't suffer from paranoia. I don't want a "truck" gun; not exactly sure what that is and I'm not going to buy a truck. I enjoy shooting at paper targets. I'm not much for gadgetry or aftermarket stuff and these rifles look horrible with a scope or other optics, like most military-type rifles do. What are your thoughts on out-of-the-box accuracy, handloading, favorite bullets, powders, etc?
A lot more fun, lighter, handier, and you can reload your fired brass using carbide dies (No case lubing/de-lubing). . . . .
I had a couple of M1 carbines years back. I had wanted one since I first became interested in guns in the early '60s. I enjoyed shooting the carbines with my handloads for about ten years. Always thought they were quite practical, looked far better than an AR, and I preferred shooting them over an AR. Like many other (not all) gun interests in the last sixty years, enthusiasm wanes and I move on to something else.Sounds to me like you just made a strong case for NOT buying one.
Get an M-1 Carbine and some 5 and 15 round magazines instead. A lot more fun, lighter, handier, and you can reload your fired brass using carbide dies (No case lubing/de-lubing)
A 110 grain FMJ or JSP at around 1,950 FPS is nothing to sneeze at.
The .30 Carbine round is a surprisingly hot little cartridge.
My RCBS carbide die works just fine with no lube.That's not what I've experienced . . . .
I bought a Lee carbide die for the cartridge, thinking I wouldn't need to lube cases . . .
WRONG! . . .
Cases bound-up in the die.
Read the instructions that came with the die, and Lee stated that cases STILL needed to be lubed!
So . . . No benefit to using the carbide die! (Bummer!)
I first shot the M14 during basic training in 1965, and immediately fell in love with it. I qualified as M14 Expert out of basic. After AIT I ended up in Viet Nam (no surprise there) and since I had qualified as Expert was issued a M14 to be used for airfield defense during mortar or ground attacks, which were frequent. The M14 was a perfect firearm for this purpose. The AK47 had a similar effective range of 600 yards so when engaging the enemy we were on an even keel with the rifles. Then towards the end of my first tour, the Army in it's infinite wisdom took away our M14s and issued the new M16s. This immediately put us at a disadvantage since the effective range of the M16 was 200 yards less than the AK47. This disadvantage continued into my second tour. I spent 30 years in the Army, for 25 of those years I was a marksmanship instructor/RSO. I also was a member of several unit and installation rifle teams. We shot across the National Match Course using match grade M14s out to 600 yards and M16s out to 400. The M14 was steadfastly accurate from the first time I shot one until the last. The M16 improved over the years from the junk that we were issued in Viet Nam to a somewhat reliable and accurate rifle after many improvements and modifications. It remained disadvantaged in the max effective range department outgunned by those still using the AK47. I for one am glad to see that the military finally returned to a more effective cartridge, the 6.8 X 51. For those who bemoan the fact that the rifles are heavier, the ammo heavier so that the soldier could not carry as much will find out that they don't really know what they were talking about. Soldiers who fought with the M1 Garand and M14 hauled along 12+ pounds of rifle when loaded, and in my case 5 ammo pouches, 2 magazines of 20 in each for 200 rounds, which was twice the basic load usually carried. Most of the men I served with carried way more than 100 rounds, and some more than my 200. Soldiers for the most part are not weak individuals and are able to carry a lot, especially when it comes to things that can save our lives. From what I have seen on the subject so far all the complaints about the new rifles come from the back seat drivers in the offices behind the lines (so to speak) not from the GI out on the perimeters and with boots on the ground. As far as reliability goes, if you don't take care of your weapon, it won't take care of you.When I arrived at my unit in VN 5/66 they handed me a box with a brand new H&R M14 with the switch, I qualified expert with the M14 in basic and had been a shooter of military rifles as a civilian. The M14 fit like a glove, One magazine with the switch on satisfies your curiosity and you'll never use it that way again. They are beautiful rifles and have an added bonus of being able to beat a man to death in no time.
They are very accurate and function clean or dirty without fail. I'd give my eyeteeth for that weapon now.
Good post. With the Internet, we have more backseat drivers than ever before.I first shot the M14 during basic training in 1965, and immediately fell in love with it. I qualified as M14 Expert out of basic. After AIT I ended up in Viet Nam (no surprise there) and since I had qualified as Expert was issued a M14 to be used for airfield defense during mortar or ground attacks, which were frequent. The M14 was a perfect firearm for this purpose. The AK47 had a similar effective range of 600 yards so when engaging the enemy we were on an even keel with the rifles. Then towards the end of my first tour, the Army in it's infinite wisdom took away our M14s and issued the new M16s. This immediately put us at a disadvantage since the effective range of the M16 was 200 yards less than the AK47. This disadvantage continued into my second tour. I spent 30 years in the Army, for 25 of those years I was a marksmanship instructor/RSO. I also was a member of several unit and installation rifle teams. We shot across the National Match Course using match grade M14s out to 600 yards and M16s out to 400. The M14 was steadfastly accurate from the first time I shot one until the last. The M16 improved over the years from the junk that we were issued in Viet Nam to a somewhat reliable and accurate rifle after many improvements and modifications. It remained disadvantaged in the max effective range department outgunned by those still using the AK47. I for one am glad to see that the military finally returned to a more effective cartridge, the 6.8 X 51. For those who bemoan the fact that the rifles are heavier, the ammo heavier so that the soldier could not carry as much will find out that they don't really know what they were talking about. Soldiers who fought with the M1 Garand and M14 hauled along 12+ pounds of rifle when loaded, and in my case 5 ammo pouches, 2 magazines of 20 in each for 200 rounds, which was twice the basic load usually carried. Most of the men I served with carried way more than 100 rounds, and some more than my 200. Soldiers for the most part are not weak individuals and are able to carry a lot, especially when it comes to things that can save our lives. From what I have seen on the subject so far all the complaints about the new rifles come from the back seat drivers in the offices behind the lines (so to speak) not from the GI out on the perimeters and with boots on the ground. As far as reliability goes, if you don't take care of your weapon, it won't take care of you.
Unlike others, I don't drive from the back seat nor give advice on something that I know nothing about. That would be like talking through your butt, and we all know what comes out of the butt and it doesn't smell all that good.Good post. With the Internet, we have more backseat drivers than ever before.
That's a good and most descriptive way of putting it.Unlike others, I don't drive from the back seat nor give advice on something that I know nothing about. That would be like talking through your butt, and we all know what comes out of the butt and it doesn't smell all that good.![]()
The AK 47 was never a 600yd rifle... The sights and trigger were not ever going to make hits at 600. and it was never designed for long range. it was an Assault rifle with a 300 meter battle zero designed to shot if full automatic (why the first position on the selector level after safe was full)I first shot the M14 during basic training in 1965, and immediately fell in love with it. I qualified as M14 Expert out of basic. After AIT I ended up in Viet Nam (no surprise there) and since I had qualified as Expert was issued a M14 to be used for airfield defense during mortar or ground attacks, which were frequent. The M14 was a perfect firearm for this purpose. The AK47 had a similar effective range of 600 yards so when engaging the enemy we were on an even keel with the rifles. Then towards the end of my first tour, the Army in it's infinite wisdom took away our M14s and issued the new M16s. This immediately put us at a disadvantage since the effective range of the M16 was 200 yards less than the AK47. This disadvantage continued into my second tour. I spent 30 years in the Army, for 25 of those years I was a marksmanship instructor/RSO. I also was a member of several unit and installation rifle teams. We shot across the National Match Course using match grade M14s out to 600 yards and M16s out to 400. The M14 was steadfastly accurate from the first time I shot one until the last. The M16 improved over the years from the junk that we were issued in Viet Nam to a somewhat reliable and accurate rifle after many improvements and modifications. It remained disadvantaged in the max effective range department outgunned by those still using the AK47. I for one am glad to see that the military finally returned to a more effective cartridge, the 6.8 X 51. For those who bemoan the fact that the rifles are heavier, the ammo heavier so that the soldier could not carry as much will find out that they don't really know what they were talking about. Soldiers who fought with the M1 Garand and M14 hauled along 12+ pounds of rifle when loaded, and in my case 5 ammo pouches, 2 magazines of 20 in each for 200 rounds, which was twice the basic load usually carried. Most of the men I served with carried way more than 100 rounds, and some more than my 200. Soldiers for the most part are not weak individuals and are able to carry a lot, especially when it comes to things that can save our lives. From what I have seen on the subject so far all the complaints about the new rifles come from the back seat drivers in the offices behind the lines (so to speak) not from the GI out on the perimeters and with boots on the ground. As far as reliability goes, if you don't take care of your weapon, it won't take care of you.
Believe what you want, by whomever was writing that bullshit, probably to make you feel better about having your M16 capable of 400 yards vs only 300 for the AK. Just like they say a M14 is incapable of engaging a target at 800 yards/meters. It was done quite often with much success. At 1000 yards many of the 7.62 NATO bullets would be tumbling, and not as accurate as you might like, but would stay in the scoring rings of a NRA 1000 yard target. The diameter of the 7 ring is 60 inches, which gives one a good chance of having the bullet wiz on by, but if it connected while tumbling it would be do some serious damage. The moral of this story, is don't believe everything you read.The AK 47 was never a 600yd rifle... The sights and trigger were not ever going to make hits at 600. and it was never designed for long range. it was an Assault rifle with a 300 meter battle zero designed to shot if full automatic (why the first position on the selector level after safe was full)
Believe what you want, by whomever was writing that bullshit, probably to make you feel better about having your M16 capable of 400 yards vs only 300 for the AK. Just like they say a M14 is incapable of engaging a target at 800 yards/meters. It was done quite often with much success. At 1000 yards many of the 7.62 NATO bullets would be tumbling, and not as accurate as you might like, but would stay in the scoring rings of a NRA 1000 yard target. The diameter of the 7 ring is 60 inches, which gives one a good chance of having the bullet wiz on by, but if it connected while tumbling it would be do some serious damage. The moral of this story, is don't believe everything you read.
If you had studied your Hunter Safety manual as a kid, providing you ever took hunter safety, the danger distance for a 308 is 3 or more miles (15,840 feet) and in some cases a 30-06 would wander out there to some 5 miles. (26,400 feet) Some people target shoot at 1 mile (1750 yards) or more.
Thank you- that's where my interest lies.
Receiver is Springfield and bolt is marked "TRW" on the top. Never loaded it, fired it or even removed the trigger tag which is still attached. Will just continue to keep it in the box for now!
Lee Emerson published an article about rifles in the serial number range of the one I have:
"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."
How you scope it would depend on what you intend to do with it.I own 2 M1A's a standard model with wood stock and just acquired a loaded precision. Have not shot the newest one yet. My question is what is a good scope for the loaded? On the standard I installed a Hi-Lux Leatherwood, I have a ATN day/night X-Sight 4k Pro scope. Just curious, as side note I sold a Scout Squad tp get a Ruger Red Label, kind wish I held on to it.
I've had an interest in these lately, but know almost nothing about them. I'm not a warrior, don't want one for defense or an end of the world situation and don't suffer from paranoia. I don't want a "truck" gun; not exactly sure what that is and I'm not going to buy a truck. I enjoy shooting at paper targets. I'm not much for gadgetry or aftermarket stuff and these rifles look horrible with a scope or other optics, like most military-type rifles do. What are your thoughts on out-of-the-box accuracy, handloading, favorite bullets, powders, etc?
They are very decent rifles. You'll find that the M14 crowd is a very dedicated and sometimes gung-ho bunch. Many who own them shoot a lot of matches with other guys shooting the same rifle and it is very competitive. I think it's the best looking of all the battle rifles and I think its popularity is partially linked to that.I was inquiring about Springfield M1A's. Are these not considered decent rifles?
Some are shooting 30-30s out to 600, accurately. Take you prize AK out to the range and give it a shot at 600, it probably will surprise you providing you know anything about longer (not long) range shooting with iron sights.The AK 47 was never a 600yd rifle... The sights and trigger were not ever going to make hits at 600. and it was never designed for long range. it was an Assault rifle with a 300 meter battle zero designed to shot if full automatic (why the first position on the selector level after safe was full)
Recutting the muzzle crown on the Socom owned gave an immediate and noticeable accuracy improvement. Standard steel cutter didn't work on the very hard barrel steel. Next big improvement came from installing standard peep and front post, depending on your use preference.I have an M1a from the mid 70s, it has all standard GI parts but a commercial SA reciever - it is not a NM but it is a tack driver.
It shoots so good I don't post the results (with handloads) because people would think I'm "stretching the long bow"!
I also have a SOCOM 16 - not because I wanted one particularly, I would have rather had a Squad Scout - but one came up cheap and so I bought it right before the AWB (I doubt it was covered in the AWB but all semi auto were going up fast).
Yes it is loud but I can stand it inside a live-fire indoor shoothouse when I'm wearing hearing protection - I keep a set of electronic ears by my bed - and will use them IF i have time.
The SOCOM was not nearly as accurate as the oringinal M1A but it does OK giving 1.5 MOA with US ball using iron sights.
I also was the Armorer/Instructor for our SO for 30 years - we got in 4 M14s and I found a switch in the parts drawer and put it on the one I was assigned - I did not not because I'm a great fan of full auto but to show the deputies it is practically useless in Civilan law enforcment. That said, I could keep a magazine full with all hit landing the A-zone of an USPSA Silhoutte target at 10 yards and under - something I cannot do with a Ruger AC-556 or M-16 - both of those fire too fast.
I zeroed all four of our M-14s with WRA-68 ball - every one came within 1.5 MOA and a couple some better.
Just Ramblin
Riposte