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springfield M1A, value for the $$$?

36K views 98 replies 28 participants last post by  badorderbob 
#1 ·
ok, i think i could really like a springfield m1a. i really like the mini 14, and i think it would be a similar gun, but more powerful. i am casually considering starting a fund to save up for one (which will take me months or years). but i would appreciate it if some of the knowledgeable folk here could answer me a few questions.

1) why is the springfield M1A so dang expensive? if the answer is "better quality", please describe. the price has to be one the most undesireable traits of this gun.

2) does anyone other than springfield make new ones?

3) shoots 7.62 & 308 no prob right?

4) for owners, is it worth the $$$? why?

5) problems? concerns? why it may not be for me?

6) is cleaning/matinance difficult or easy? accuracy?

7) anything else?? i am not very knowledgeable about this gun.

thanks for any input.
 
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#2 ·
ok, i think i could really like a springfield m1a. i really like the mini 14, and i think it would be a similar gun, but more powerful. i am casually considering starting a fund to save up for one (which will take me months or years). but i would appreciate it if some of the knowledgeable folk here could answer me a few questions.

1) why is the springfield M1A so dang expensive? if the answer is "better quality", please describe. the price has to be one the most undesireable traits of this gun.
The cheapest M14s are the Chinese Polytech & Norinco brands, or the lesser quality CMP M14s. Then come the SA M14s. And finally the upper end manufacturers are places like Fulton Armory, Smith Ent. and LRB. I'd say the Springfields are middle of the road price wise.
2) does anyone other than springfield make new ones?
Fulton armory, Smith ent. and LRB do.
3) shoots 7.62 & 308 no prob right?
Yes.
4) for owners, is it worth the $$$? why?
Springfields have a life time warranty and SAI has lot of experience building M14/M1As.
5) problems? concerns? why it may not be for me?
Some people criticize the SA receivers for being cast not forged. I believe only LRB makes new forged receivers, all other manufacturers of new receivers are using cast ones. But SA has a life time warranty so this isn't as big a deal as some people make it out to be.
6) is cleaning/matinance difficult or easy? accuracy?
Average maintenance. Accuracy depends on you, the rifle won't let you down for the most part. You can pay more $$$ for more accuracy if you are that good.
7) anything else?? i am not very knowledgeable about this gun.
I love this gun. It is fun and has a lot of history.
thanks for any input.
 
#5 ·
The cheapest M14s are the Chinese Polytech & Norinco brands, or the lesser quality CMP M14s. Then come the SA M14s. And finally the upper end manufacturers are places like Fulton Armory, Smith Ent. and LRB. I'd say the Springfields are middle of the road price wise.Fulton armory, Smith ent. and LRB do.Yes.Springfields have a life time warranty and SAI has lot of experience building M14/M1As.Some people criticize the SA receivers for being cast not forged. I believe only LRB makes new forged receivers, all other manufacturers of new receivers are using cast ones. But SA has a life time warranty so this isn't as big a deal as some people make it out to be.Average maintenance. Accuracy depends on you, the rifle won't let you down for the most part. You can pay more $$$ for more accuracy if you are that good.I love this gun. It is fun and has a lot of history.
what are the downsides to the cheaper models? how much?

how fast can you strip and clean? (compared to say a mini 14)

what capacity mags are out there & what is the cost?

is it overly heavy?

what model do you own & how do you feel about the fit & finish?

any experience with the scout models (this is the one i am most interested in)

thanks so much for your info! i really appreciate it.
 
#3 ·
Brickman covered the facts, so I will give opinion to #4. I've been wanting a m14 style rifle for years. M1A's are a bit pricey, but I can afford it, and it makes me super happy. Period. If you are only casually interested in the rifle, and $1,500ish is a significant amount of money, it's probably not worth it.
 
#4 ·
well, its hard to tell, when you've never really shot one. i am very interested in them, but $1500 is a lot of money to me (double what i have ever spent on a firearm). i was just trying to get a feel for why they cost so much, and in the eyes of their fans, why they are worth it.

i love my mini 14, and they seem to be a better quality, more powerful version. i think i would really love them, but i was just seeking feedback and info.
 
#13 ·
Here is a list of the current M14 type rifle makers out there now.

The companies already mentioned first.

Springfield Armory Inc. : (SAI) Cast rec.
Fulton Armory : Cast rec
Smith enterprises Inc. : (SEI) Looks like they are soon to release their new rec out
LRB Arms : forged rec.

Here are 2 more that haven't been mentioned yet.

7.62MM Firearms : cast and forged rec.
James River Armory : Same as above. I am fairly certain that they are using 762mm receivers and LRB receivers for their builds.

Here are my favorite pair of M14/M1A...


At top is an SAI M1A-A1 Bush rifle built at the factory with USGI parts min us rec,bbl, and front sight post. ( Op-rod, trigger group, and bolt are TRW)

The One below is a custom build M14S Tanker with a Norinco receiver at it,s heart. GI/SEI/OEM parts with 18.5in Criterion chrome lined bbl. ARMS #18 split rail mount to top her off.

Both shoot just fine and with 0 issues so far. My favorite of the 2 rifles above would have to be the M14S, as I use this rifle the most ...to include hunting hogs.
I'm not much into the cast-forged debate. So far....I haven't broke either..:rolleyes:

It's nice that a body can opt for either...or both.

Some close up shots of the Norinco M14S tanker (left) and the SAI M1A-A1 (right)....


SAI on the left with the Norinco on the right...


SAI at top...Norinco at bottom......


SAI on left withthe std castlenut/front sightassembly/flashhider layout....and without the bayonet lug.
The M14S sports an SEI direct connect Vortex flashhider along with their gas lock (hooded) front sight.....


top to bottom....
Norinco M14S Tanker
SAI M1A-A1 Bush rifle
Bayonet replacement device...( SAI XD service)


Note: SAI std weight 18in bbls are not chrome lined and sport a 1/11in twist rate. The Criterion bbl I picked up from LRB Arms is chrome lined, with a 1/12in twist rate. It is also a half inch longer, but shorter in OAL due to the SEI "front end" pictured above.

Note: The difference between a Scout and a Bush model is as follows......
The bush rifle uses a flash hider instead of the SAI muzzle brake, does not have a forward optics mount, and uses a std hand-guard instead of the Scout's "cut out" version because of this reason.

I like all of the bbl lengths (22/18/16)..... but the 18/18.5's are my favorite shooters by a long shot.

Note: SAI M1A's built with GI parts seem to retain their value a tad better than the rifle's built otherwise.

Last but not least......... My advice is that you should take some time and really research as to what you want in the end. If your end cap financially = 1500, then this will eliminate most of the list, and narrow it down to either an M1A, Norinco/Polytech M14S, and push the envelope on a 7.62MM M14S cast receiver build. ( Last I looked, they were using Criterion bbls, and they produce quite a few of their own parts as well.)

Good luck with your decision.
 
#15 ·
held a sweet springfield scout at my GS

man-o-man. i got ahold of a SA scout and i all i can say is....:)

a little heavier than i am used to, but i loved the length, feel, and craftsmanship. also, the "thickness" of the stock was a little big for my small "girly" hands, but not too bad.

if they had let me shoot it, i mighta come home with an m1a and 1,655.00 on my credit card. also, a costumer in there had nothing but good things to say about SA. nice looking/handling rifle....still concerned about the $$$ though.

thanks for all your help and info guys....time to save my pennies!
 
#18 ·
Well I had a wonderful day at the range the M1A shot like a dream and I had 40 rounds left over from a battle pack of surplus ammo. If you'd been there hawkguy it would have been yours to send down range.

Is the M1A a good value for the money?...yeah I'd say so. No doubt about it...they are spendy...but you get a lot of rifle for your money.
 
#19 ·
Is the M1A a good value for the money?...yeah I'd say so. No doubt about it...they are spendy...but you get a lot of rifle for your money.
thanks, this is more or less what i was hoping to hear. well, maybe a year or so from now, i can post a similar thread about my new m1a. :p

and a big thanks for the offer. i had a cousin living in idaho falls, but he moved to kansas recently. the closest i get to idaho these days are the delicious potatoes i picked up from the HEB last week. ;)

thanks for your input, friend. enjoy that rifle! for now...to pass the time, i'll just have to pretend my mini 14 is much bigger and badder than it actually is.
 
#23 ·
sorry you are disappointed in the product. even though it must be no good, i will offer $500 for it......cash money :p

what is it you don't like so much? it looks like a scout model(the barrel looks short). but if you really like AR's, i could see where you may not like it.
 
#28 ·
I'll say this again, if you can find a way to shoot a Fulton back to back with a SA, you'll never look back. And this is from a guy who shelled out for an M21. I didn't know about Fulton until after my purchase regrettably. I haven't shot any of the other premium M14 copies so I can't comment on them however. But a caveat; if you're planning on running optics all the time there are better platforms. A joy to shoot with irons tho. And if you want to shoot service rifle make sure it's legal, my M21 isn't because of the trigger group.
 
#29 ·
I believe that the only downside to a current-production SA M1A is: no chrome-lined bore. In a SHTF situation, that may be important for some folks.
The pre-ban M1A rifles had chrome-lined bores, but it seems SA stopped making them that way.

According to LRB's website, some of the LRB M14 models they offer come with a chrome-lined bore for additional cost.
 
#30 ·
Several yerar's ago I gave my oldest son my M1A1/M14 along with several hundred rounds of N/M ammo. It was a Springfield National Match that I shot in competition for many years and Made High Master with same. I have no idea what it was worth at the time but I do know that the look on his face when I gave it too him was priceless.
Bill
 
#31 ·
I would'nt write off the 'lower end' Chinese M14s quite so quick in favor or spending the money on the SAI - there are allot of good options available to your if you look around.

I have a pre-ban Federal Ordnance M14SA that I recently purchased for $1000 OTD. As mods, I put on a USGI walnut stock for for $80, added the USGI slotted handguard for $30, and the faux select fire switch kit for $65 and now I have a real head turner that shoots as good as it looks and I still have hundreds more dollars left in my pocket to spend on ammo. For my intended purpose of range shooting and plinking, it was a whole lot more reasonable of a cash outlay to get what I wanted.

As another note, when I took my rifle into the gun store and held it side by side to the new standard SAI M1A, it was obvious that the stock fit on the M1A is not true to size to the USGI stocks as there was significant wood exposure on the feral and butt plate on the SAI where mine had none. I also noticed on 3 of the 4 SAI rifles they had in stock, they all needed to be shimmed if you wanted to have a good lockup fit. I wouldn't expect to have to do any of that for a rifle in the SAI price range.

I'm not saying they are not exceptional rifles, I'm just saying price doesn't always guarentee a better product and you should balance the cost you willing to pay for it against the intended usage of the firearm to make sure they are aligned ....

FedOrd M14


 
#33 ·
M1a and $$$?!

Lessee:
M1a (sa) $1600.00
THEN:
-Sadlak scope mount
-Leupold 6.5 14 x50mm ERT front focal M5 optic
-sunshade
-flip up eyepiece and exit lens covers
-rings (La Rue QD/mount)
-Versapod bipod, mount and rail
-Sadlak spring guide
-Vortex flash supppressor
-SEI gas plug
-Kersten adj cheekpiece
-ATACS Duracoat
-maintenance drills/tools set

another $3100.00

More upgrades adjustments to follow and I haven't even gotten to the expense of 7.62 x 51 ammo!

This hobby isn't for the miserly or timid.
Have fun though!
 
#35 ·
Whether you are one who will think the M1a is the cat's meow is your deal. In the mean time, while you are saving your pennies, spend the time studying up on them (there is a ton of info. out there) and find someone willing to share and get to know his rifle.
 
#52 ·
Mini 14?? WTF! everyone is talking about the m1a/m14 rifle.. not some lame ass ruger knock off of the m1 garand .. also its not a "m1a1" for whoever posted that a "m1a1" is a m1 carbine, or a abrams tank. back to the mini 14.. more powerfull? huh? really? sorry to be so aggresive, just frustrating, thats all...:)
 
#46 ·
if you are getting it for a SHTF gun, it is an excellent all around weapon, i've seen people use stock models from Springfield 1100+ yards, it is also very devastating for urban combat, but keep in mind a .22 LR is deadly out to 400 as well, those who will argue with that statement have not tested it.. well placed shots will bring any zombie down! It is honestly a great gun for the price though however the ammo catches up, just pick up something that is for your price range and you can use to the best of your ability, if you are just getting something to shoot, it is always good to stay towards .223/7.62 x39.
 
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