Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

[eclipse57]

I have always wanted a Springfield M1A. I came across a NIB standard model for $ 1300.00. Is this a good price? Looking at gunbroker and buds, they appear to be around $ 1399.00-1450.00 for a standard model.

Are magazines that function 100% available and affordable?

Lastly at 55 I need to put glass on this. Can this rifle be scoped without having to go to a gunsmith to be drilled and tapped.

I'm googling and will be reading for the next couple of hours.

TIA

 

[sdunshee]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

Sounds GTG to me, only mag issues I've had was with a 30rd mag i bought from a gunshow, it was a POS. I dont even know if i still have that thing. I've heard checkmate mags are really good. Scope mounting is pretty straight forward, any good mount should suffice. I've got a sadlak airborne on mine and is really nice. SEI, Bassett and ARMS are all highly praised. There is another mount that totally eliminates the rear sight that is reported as rock solid too...the CASM mount. If it were a dedicated scope rifle that would be the way to go, wouldn't have to worry about certain receiver dimensions messing with the way the other style mounts attach. Check out the m14 firing line forum, there is a wealth of info over there too.

 

[madppcs]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

Like stated above, there are a few companies that offer scope mounts. I have a Springfield Gen4 mount with a nightforce scope. It works great for me. Just make sure you read and follow the directions exactly, or you'll probably be posting questions as to why your rifle doesn't shoot straight anymore,lol.

Try the M14 forum. Its a great place.

 

[Werewolf45auto]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

I've found springfeild armory mags and checkmate mags to be 100%. Gun show knock offs are out there so be careful and if the price is to good to be true, it is.

I'm on my third SA M1A and I have to say the platform is among my favorite guns. Scoping this rifle is the only downside(in my opinion) of this platform due to awkward mounts and the need for a pretty high cheek riser. That being said its still very capable of being scoped and enjoying it. I'm using the Smith Enterprises mount with Ferrell and a Nightforce 5-15 optic.

You won't be unhappy with it! At least not if your sane! lol

 

[excess]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

I think magazines were a sore spot for the M1A for awhile: good quality USGI magazines were becoming hard to find and some of the other stuff out there was junk. With the M14 seeing a bit if a resurgence with the military, a new supply of good quality magazines was needed. Checkmate Industries (CMI) got a contract to supply these, and now they are bountiful and relatively affordable on the civilian market (try 44mag.com).

Take a look at Sadlak for the scope mount.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

A tad off subject but:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> good quality USGI magazines were becoming hard to find and some of the other stuff out there was junk.</div></div>

When I retired from the guard I was running the AK NG Marksmanship program. In autiting the property book to turn it over to my replacement I had a army foot locker full of brand new USGI M14 mags.

My idiot replacement threw them in the dumpster, (along with a lot of other stuff I spent years gathering for our program).

I have more then enough to last me, but if I knew what was going to happen, I could have kept the mags, not to mention, some off the books M84 scopes and mounts for the M1C/Ds, Olympic sights for the Model 52 Win and M-12 H&Rs.

Non of this was on my property books.

 

[DocBach]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

Who in their right mind throws away stuff not on the property books?! That stuff goes straight into your garage

 

[BCP]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DocBach</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Who in their right mind throws away stuff not on the property books?! That stuff goes straight into your garage

</div></div>

Yeah when a friend of mine retired from the police department he outright robbed the place of all the old ammunition meant for 'disposal'.

15k rounds of 38 special, 10k of 9mm, and like 5k 12 gauge shells. Yessir Captain I'll make sure all of this stuff is properly disposed of lol...

edit: to answer the OP

1300 is about the going rate, magazines aren't hard to find but the cost seems to be going up (beware gun show mag specials they are often garbage) and scoping it can be done with a good mount like sadlak but you will need a cheek riser as the scope will sit about 2.5-3" too high.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Who in their right mind throws away stuff not on the property books?! That stuff goes straight into your garage</div></div>

What he didn't toss, he turned in, saying he didn't want to be responsible for that crap.

That's why you don't put non shooters in charge of marksmanship programs.

They just needed a place to hide this idiot.

I did manage to get tons of primers and powder I got when the army ran out of 45 ammo in the 80s. Told him I'd give it to one of APDs EOD guys (me).

 

[kmcintosh78]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

Love my standard. The price is good, the going rate.
Mags are $22 for a 20 round mag.
Scopes and mounts?
Bassett mount. Easy to use and mount, and the high rail gives you the option to use Iron sights without removal. Removal and reinstall is a breeze and holds zero.
Scopes? I say Mid to high end line Vortex. Can't go wrong.

 

[EricCartmann]

Re: Please educate me quick like on a Springfield M1A.

If you plan to scope it, I would bypass the M1A and get an Armalite AR10, will run about the same price, but it comes ready to scope. Any scope-mounting system you put on the M1A will be a Micky Mouse Job unless you want to spend a lot of money.