m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

[Cjshooter88]

Ive always loved the look And sex appeal of the m1a as well as the history of it. Now that ive gotten married gun purchases have been limited. My concern is all the bad things i hear about the accuracy of these rifles i wand a semi auto rifle that will pull of 1moa or better And hate Ar style rifles dont Ask y long story. Is it worth it to buy a m1a or is there something i havent head of yet

 

[LineofDeparture]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cjshooter88</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ive always loved the look And sex appeal of the m1a as well as the history of it. Now that ive gotten married gun purchases have been limited. My concern is all the bad things i hear about the accuracy of these rifles i wand a semi auto rifle that will pull of 1moa or better And hate Ar style rifles dont Ask y long story. Is it worth it to buy a m1a or is there something i havent head of yet </div></div>

My podna bought an M21 with Krieger barrel. First cold bore shot via open sights was a 12x12 steel at 550 yards... Dinged it and followed up with 9 more right behind it.. after that we started to actually "break in" the barrel.. He paid a nice chunk for it..3500 or so.. but damn its a fine rifle. I own a gap-10 and the M1a doesnt shoot as well as my Gap-10 but its not far behind.. He is averaging about 1moa with 168FGMM in that rifle.. out to 550yards.. We have not taken it out further.. Now he has mounted a compact NF scope on it.. Its an awesome rifle..

Disclaimer: the 1moa is being held with the scope now mounted, not so much the open sights.. However the rifle continues to impress me daily!.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Sounds like you need a Polytech M14.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

An M1A with a GOOD barrel and GOOD scope mounting system will easily shoot sub MOA. I do not care for the big AR platform either. Sold mine and kept the M1A's. PM me if you need suggestions, parts or rifle. I have several good ones.
RTH

 

[splean]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

You can get an M1A to shoot one MOA but it's going to cost you. I have a NM M1A, in a Mc Millen stock, Leupold 3.5-15x and Smith Enterprises mount and rings. I shoot 168gr and 175gr SMK handloads. My "out of the box" Model-1 AR-15 20" outshoots it every time using 52gr and 69gr SMKs. I'm not saying it can't be done, it can, but I'm not the first guy to chase the 1MOA M1A bleeding cash all along the way. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[hlee]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

If you want a M1A, buy a M1A. If you want sub MOA accuracy then you will likely be disappointed. Are you set on a military style rifle, or would you consider a sporting rifle? Browning makes the BAR sporting rifle in a variety of models and calibers. FNH also makes an autoloading rifle based on the Browning BAR. It has a more "tacticool" look to it. Remington makes the autoloading 750. I am sure there are others too. If you really want sub MOA accuracy then you would be better off with a bolt gun...

 

[TGagnon]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

You can get lucky as well with the M1A's. I picked up a used one at a gander mountain while stationed in NY and it shoot inch to inch and half with irons right from the start. It was just a standard model from Springfield. I put a scope on it and it would shoot sub inch repeatedly usually hanging around .7-1 on a bad day which was most in upstate NY. Makes me wonder why the last owner ever sold such a great shooting rifle.
Unfortunately I didn't know how to clean this rifle and when the accuracy degraded I couldn't get it back with cleaning and then shooting it back into groups(believe I damaged the crown). I ordered a 18.5 inch krieger and it is on waiting on a backordered stock I also ordered, for it to be delivered. And since then I have learned quite a bit about how to properly clean my barrel next time. That and the crates of ammo I put through it probably didn't help.
If you asked me what my favorite rifle to shoot is I would have to say that Springfield above all my others. We take it to a trash yard at home and shoot trash bags and other items in the dump. The 308 will make many things jump into the air and do a fun dance for you.

 

[lachoneus]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

My buddy got lucky. Bought a used M1A at a gun show. It had a medium weight NM barrel, and someone had already done a trigger job. This was "back in the day" when most were shooting M1A's at service rifle competitions, and it was recommended to have a second lug welded on the receiver. Buddy got that done, and then had the rifle glass-bedded in an old military fiberglass stock. I have shot that rifle often, in competition and just for fun. Neither my buddy or I have ever shot it with a scope, but even with iron sights, we can both get it to consistently shoot sub-MOA with FGMM.

Having said that, I have also shot a Springfield Supermatch with the heavy NM barrel, which if memory serves, is the most expensive model Springfield makes. It shoots nice MOA groups, but they are not as tight as those shot by the used M1A.

Like others, I love the M1A, but unless you are lucky, you may have to pay a stiff price to get one that consistently shoots to your expectations.

 

[bennybooboo]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

No matter how you break it down a .308 semi auto is going to hurt the wallet.

If considering a M1A be sure to go with a model that is glass bedded and has the Douglas Air Gagued barrel. I have never seen one that wouldn't shoot well under 1 moa <span style="text-decoration: underline">with good shooting technique</span> (and a quality scope that is firmly mounted is a must for this kind of accuracy).

As far as ammo goes; either hand-load or spring for the good stuff (you wouldn't bargain shop while gassing up your ferarri, would you?).

 

[bennybooboo]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Now that I've thought about this for a second...

Have you ever met a machanically sound rifle with a quality optic and barrel that produced sub-standard accuracy when spitting out match ammo while in the hands of a competent marksman (No matter bolt gun or semi-auto)?

 

[Cjshooter88]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Yes i have many quality bolt guns onebeing my barret m99 .50 bmg topped with a leo mk 4 6.5-20 which is an incredibly accurate beast so i know plenty about quality And accuracy i just have 0 experience with the m1a. The m1a is kinda like a hot chick to me, ive heard she can be a b#@ch but i still want to have her. Lol yes its all about military style now i hunt with a bar 270 so its not about that.

 

[Cjshooter88]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Oh by the way i would be planning on doin th sage ebr stock.

 

[Falsecrack]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Cjshooter,

It sounds like you're going to go crazy if you don't buy an M1A.

 

[Cjshooter88]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

Think im gona buy one if it dont please me i have something to Work on in the winter thanks guys ill keep ya posted.

 

[JoshcBoucher]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

My "first" step, into long range, was an M1A, Loaded version.Synthetic stock. Put a Nikon 4-16, on an ARMS base. $23-400 in, and it shoots 2-3" groups, at 100. Don't get me wrong. I love the gun, but I was disappointed, with the "accuracy". I've tried "custom handloads", out the wazoo. Still shoots 2-3. I've "been told", I could spend another grand, and it'll shoot better. NO! I bought a Remmy 700 5R, and love it! Shoots 1/2-3/4 in. at 100, all day long.If ya like history, look at a Garand. The only other gun< I had, in 308, that "shot great", was a Valmet. Walnut stock. Beautiful, heavy, accurate. Based on their "light machine gun", in a semi auto. Sold it, and have "cried", ever since. Saw one on Guns America, at 2300, and almost bought it. Got a TRG, instead.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

From what I have seen you want an older one or LRB with true Mil-surp parts. Either an older NM barrel or a new Krieger or some other great maker. I do not hear good things about the new M1A's.

 

[08Cayenne]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

I have one or four of them. A supermatch will easily shoot < 1 moa out of the box with match ammo. The loaded model shoots a between 1 to 2 moa but is half the price. If you scope it make sure to get a solid mount, can't go wrong with a Sadlak.

 

[LRRPF52]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

The M1A is a spiraling whirlpool of cashflow into the drain in most cases, and when a guy wants to get rid of it, prepare to take a major loss IF you can find a buyer.

I lived with M14's/M21's a good part of my life in several different places, and it truly is an aficianado's rifle. I always thought they were more reliable than an AR15, until I started shooting them, and watching others shoot them.

The Sage EBR is a heavy, bulky beast of a stock that has very little advantages to it. After using it for a while, most guys start missing the GI-type stock.

Out of 10 M21's, we would maybe have 2 that shot around 1 MOA. Another 2 or 3 would shoot 1 MOA, then open up to 2 MOA or worse. The others were lucky to be 2 MOA guns. If you're fortunate enough to land on a hummer, keep it. They are rare, even with NM pipes, trigger work, bedding, gas system work, bolt cam slot polishing, welded scope mounts, spiral, spiral, down, down...down $$$$$$$

 

[JoshcBoucher]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

I have to "chime in", again. The magazine is a pain, to get in. It's not the "push up, and slam", like an AR. It's finicky, on the angle and'push". Needs lots of practice to do it fast.LRRPF52 says it all. I really like mine, and it's a great "piece of history", but it's NOT a "hole driller", for me. It's a nice gun, to have, and fun to shoot. I'm lookin for an AR type, as we speak. Or maybe I'll find my old Valmet. The problem, with the Valmet, is the mags. They're expensive. And the scope mount.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRRPF52</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The M1A is a spiraling whirlpool of cashflow into the drain in most cases, and when a guy wants to get rid of it, prepare to take a major loss IF you can find a buyer.

I lived with M14's/M21's a good part of my life in several different places, and it truly is an aficianado's rifle. I always thought they were more reliable than an AR15, until I started shooting them, and watching others shoot them.

The Sage EBR is a heavy, bulky beast of a stock that has very little advantages to it. After using it for a while, most guys start missing the GI-type stock.

Out of 10 M21's, we would maybe have 2 that shot around 1 MOA. Another 2 or 3 would shoot 1 MOA, then open up to 2 MOA or worse. The others were lucky to be 2 MOA guns. If you're fortunate enough to land on a hummer, keep it. They are rare, even with NM pipes, trigger work, bedding, gas system work, bolt cam slot polishing, welded scope mounts, spiral, spiral, down, down...down $$$$$$$ </div></div>

 

[RHallenbeck]

Re: m1a HELP ME! im goin crazy haha

I had an 80's vintage SuperMatch done up by Nelson. It had the Douglas heavy barrel, NM Trigger, and beeded heavy comp stock.. Rifle was a blast to shoot but was very finicky about everything working "Right" to be accurate.. Each time you cleaned it you had to do a tilt test to be sure the op rod was not dragging in the guide, verify the piston was free and clean and keep a steady eye on the headspace.It also was very reliant on form.. IF you did not hold it up on your should with the same pressure each time it would show on the target. I found it more of a Tinkerers rifle.. It did love FGGM 168g and shot very nice.

Rick