Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

[jwoolf]

I've got a great old rifle I used to shoot the match course with a long time ago and, I'm wanting up update it with new furniture, a bipod and scope.

Nobody uses .30 caliber rifles for the match course anymore and, even if I did start shooting service rifle again, I'd have a purpose built AR done for the job so.... I'm wanting to set this rifle up with the best possible chassis for mounting a scope and bipod.

I'd been looking at the JAE 100 for it but, currently, there's a 5 month wait ( after you pay them in full ) and to order a custom one, it's a 10month wait.

Any other ideas for something similar that works as well?

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

Actually, I just found an available JAE 100 G2 on gunbroker and bought it.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

Just got the basset scope mount and... we're off to the races.

Damn thing was sub moa in the wooden stock when the bedding was good ( even with line issued M852 ).... I can't wait for this chassis to arrive.

 

[pawprint]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

Do the JAE's handle the SuperMatch receivers? If so, how has it worked out?

 

[M21guy]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

A properly bedded rifle in a solid stock suck as a McMillan has the best chance of being at it's most accurate.

 

[Grump]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jwoolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">[snip]
Damn thing was sub moa in the wooden stock when the bedding was good ( even with line issued M852 ).... I can't wait for this chassis to arrive. </div></div>
You must be some young punk, unless you're not bothering to say how it did with line-issued M118.

M852 was the truly good stuff. It was the model for FGMM in 168.

 

[Different]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

Another modern day stock alternative is the Sage International, Ltd. M14 stock. Sage has a model now that fits heavy barrel M14/M1A rifles <span style="font-style: italic">as long as the receiver does not have a rear lug</span> (model M14ALCS/PMRI-H).

The JAE-100 stock will fit a rear lugged receiver and size barrel contour.

 

[aquinas]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: paw print</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do the JAE's handle the SuperMatch receivers? If so, how has it worked out? </div></div>

Bought a gen 2 a few years ago. Love it. Shot a 1.25 inch group once last year at 300 yards. Best at 600 yards has been a 5 inch group (5-shot).

With a McMillan or any othe glass bedded stock, the bedding wears out-sometimes as fast as 1,000 shots.

The JAE not only handles the rear lug, it is purpose built for it. You can tap the rear lug and the JAE has two bolt holes to bolt the rear lug down into the action.

Talk to JAE about it.

Top notch customer service, too. Broke a part doing something I probably should not have been doing-added a handstop to the rail and slung up tight. Didn't have the hand stop quite making 100% contact and it tore the metal. I inquired about the best way to add a handstop and upon finding out the metal tore, JAE sent me a new part free of charge. I told them they didn't have to do that.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Grump</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jwoolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">[snip]
Damn thing was sub moa in the wooden stock when the bedding was good ( even with line issued M852 ).... I can't wait for this chassis to arrive. </div></div>
You must be some young punk, unless you're not bothering to say how it did with line-issued M118.

M852 was the truly good stuff. It was the model for FGMM in 168. </div></div>

You are soooo correct, Grump!

The M118 doesn't shoot as well as the M852, no doubt... ( M118 bullets suck but, they would make the 1000yd line )

I used to shoot the match course as a Jr shooter... first year at Camp Perry was 1978 and I was 14yrs old as a member of the 2 man Louisiana State Team. Back then, DCM would issue the state jr. team with ammo for practice for next years matches at Perry. At first, we'd be issued M118 and some M72 30-06 for the garands. Even in the early 80s, they were still doing it.... by then, we were seeing M852 being issued to us by DCM.... BUT, we were seeing mostly M72 30-06 and less 7.62 for the M1As. We brought back forklift pallets of the stuff and shot most of it but, I still have 12+ cans of that DCM issued stuff... mostly M72 but, I still have a couple cans of M118 and a little more than that of M852 in unopened cans.

Guess I should sell some of the M72... I'll never shoot it all. I'm keeping the 7.62 and sitting on it. I load my own mostly but, I may shoot it some day.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Different</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Another modern day stock alternative is the Sage International, Ltd. M14 stock. Sage has a model now that fits heavy barrel M14/M1A rifles <span style="font-style: italic">as long as the receiver does not have a rear lug</span> (model M14ALCS/PMRI-H).

The JAE-100 stock will fit a rear lugged receiver and size barrel contour. </div></div>

I thought long and hard about the SAGE stock and, I almost bought one but, my own SuperMatch rifle was built around 1980 or so and, back then, the op rod guide was fitted to the barrel with a dove tail in the barrel ( it was just a ring to hold the op rod with a dove tail cut into the bottom of the barrel ) and fitted to the op rod then welded in place so, the SAGE stock can not be done unless I re-barrel my rifle and, honestly, I went years without shooting my rifle so, I only have maybe 1000rds through this barrel so, I'm not going to rebarrel it yet.

I used the Louisiana State Shooters Assn. NM M14 rifles for the matches since I was primarily a small bore shooter and got my rifle not too long before I started chasing girls a little too much and, of course, I went to college after that and lost interest for a while.

So now, I have this great rifle that I'd like to scope and put a stock on that will do this old rifle some justice... also a stock that will never need bedding again and can get that last bit of accuracy this old rifle can get.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: M21guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A properly bedded rifle in a solid stock suck as a McMillan has the best chance of being at it's most accurate. </div></div>

I love McMillan stocks but, this is a pretty unique chassis. The reciever lugs are met by titanium fittings that bolt them into the stock and, they can not come loose or shoot loose. It's probably... ( I believe ), the best solution for an M1A/M14 for accuracy. It may not be the perfect solution for everything but, for accuracy for a M14 or M1A, I do belive it to be the best one.... it's not a cheap one, that's for sure.

Also, M1As or M14s don't have the most bedding surface in the first place... this chassis solves that issue, IMHO.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: paw print</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do the JAE's handle the SuperMatch receivers? If so, how has it worked out? </div></div>

Yep, either two or four lug receivers and, there's a heavy barrel hand guard option for the SuperMatch. There's even a barrel tensioner to fine tune for best accuracy with your loads.

The titanium slides to bolt the rifle into the chassis actually fit into the notches in your receiver lugs to pull them into the chassis and bolt down there into the aluminium chassis.

 

[DeSnifter]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

As long as you don't plan on walking around with it, JAE all the way. For a precision platform it is absolutely amazing, but my beast weights around 18lb. They just came out with their GEN3 which has some very nice features, and their customer support is fantastic.

 

[aquinas]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

And the G3 is supposed to be lighter.

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

Yeah, I found a chassis on gunbroker. It is a G2 with the titanium lug slide upgrade and it was pretty much loaded in the colors I wanted. I snapped it up and, it arrived on Friday.

The guy that I bought it from waited for it for 10mos and sold his rifle before it came in so, this was new in box with all the parts still in unopened plastic.

Wow, it's beautiful. It's a completely different rifle now. I didn't get the chance to shoot it over the weekend. I'm waiting for my basset scope mount to arrive for it.

I have high hopes for the accuracy of this rifle with it sitting in this chassis.

I may need to call to learn more about how and when/how to adjust the barrel tensioner. Other than that, it was pretty cool bolting the receiver lugs into the chassis.

You could tell the receiver was becoming part of the chassis when it was all done. Hell, even without the lug slides, this chassis felt as tight as a bedded walnut stock did before.

Mostly, I bought this chassis for two reasons, the first is that I'll never need bedding again and, that's enough reason alone but, shooting the rifle scoped, to get a good stock weld, you need that cheek piece to move up high enough.

I haven't shot it yet but, I know this did fix both issues but, it wasn't cheap but, I'm happy with it.

These M1A rifles are gerat but, I figure they're like Jaguairs... they ain't cheap, they cost more to maintain but, if you've got a good one then, you really do have something special.

If I were trying to build a 7.62x51 semi-auto from scratch, I'd probably go with the AR10 platform for cost purposes but, at this point, I'm really happy with my match rifle upgraded to this chassis.

For what I have just in this rifle or, what it would cost to replace, I could build a ground up bolt gun with optics on it when you figure that a M1A supermatch is about 3k with another 1.4k in the chassis... then the scope mount, rings and optics, you've got quite an investment there. I would not trade this rifle for the replacement costs, however.

I still love the platform... an AR will never be as reliable and certainly never as clean as a M1A. On the other hand, my M1A will most likely spend more time at my gunsmith. LOL ( probably not now since I won't need bedding anymore ) They're both great platforms but, I could buy a lot of fancy AR10 stuff for what I've got in my ol' M1A.

Honestly, I thought.... I could buy an LR 308 for what I'm dropping into this chassis alone but, I'd still want the chassis. LOL So, I just bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on this thing. Can't wait to go shoot it.

You certainly don't see many M1A/M14s set up this way when you're out at the range. LOL

 

[NoExpert]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

I had an LR-308, sold it to do other things. However, the LRB M25 isn't going anywhere. It cost entirely too much to put together, but there's something special about it. I'm changing my setup a bit, moved it from a JAE G2 to a Sage Mod 1. Also getting a new scope put together for it that's a little more compact and lighter. I'd like to have it together by the end of June but I don't see that happening.

On the tensioner, adjust it so it just barely contacts the front band. Make very small adjustments, 1/10 turn is good. Watch your groups for improvement worsening. Also, don't bother adjusting it till you have about 50 rounds through it to settle the action in the stock.

 

[NoExpert]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jwoolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You certainly don't see many M1A/M14s set up this way when you're out at the range. LOL </div></div>

True, the most I've seen is 8 in a row and I knew all the guys who owned them.

My first setup with the JAE:

Second:

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoExpert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had an LR-308, sold it to do other things. However, the LRB M25 isn't going anywhere. It cost entirely too much to put together, but there's something special about it. I'm changing my setup a bit, moved it from a JAE G2 to a Sage Mod 1. Also getting a new scope put together for it that's a little more compact and lighter. I'd like to have it together by the end of June but I don't see that happening.

On the tensioner, adjust it so it just barely contacts the front band. Make very small adjustments, 1/10 turn is good. Watch your groups for improvement worsening. Also, don't bother adjusting it till you have about 50 rounds through it to settle the action in the stock. </div></div>

Thanks for the info on the tensioner.

I really do like that Sage chassis. Mine will be used as a 300-1000yd scoped steel plinker mostly so, I'm not planning on dragging it through the woods a whole bunch. I'll set it up on the bipod somewhere and shoot it from there. I think the JAE chassis might be the right one for that reason for me but, it doesn't stop me from admiring that rifle!!!!

I haven't decided on the final optics I want on this thing and, I have an old scope I'm putting on it for now but, wow, I love the US Optics scope.... is that the 3-17x? I have a friend with one of those and, I drool when I see him with it!!!

 

[NoExpert]

Re: Need a good chassis for my SuperMatch M1A

The JAE is great for off the bipod stuff. The weight helps cut the felt recoil and speed up follow up shots. My brother's little 90 pound, 15 year old asian niece had no problem tearing up stuff when I had the 18.5" barrel in the JAE. Of course the rifle weighed like 21 pounds. After switching stocks and with the new scope it should be around 16 pounds.

The scope in the pics is a USO SN-3 1.8-10X44. The new one will be a USO SN-3 1.8-10X37. I only shoot out to 800 yards at most so I put maneuverability and transportation higher up on my priority list. A little smaller/lighter scope just made sense.

I'm sure you'll love the JAE once you have it setup for you. I loved mine except for on hikes.