[scottybaccus]

Howdy y'all!
I detailed the installation of my latest acquisition over on the M14 forum, but thought you might dig some pics.

Springfield Armory M1a (1963 TRW M14 demilitarized circa 1995) cal. 7.62x51/.308, w 22" TRW barrel and SEI Coast Guard brake in a 1st run Blackfeather Rifle Stock from M14.ca, dressed in Magpul furniture (ACS-L on a VLTOR tube, MOE-K grip & AFG-2 fore-grip), topped with a Bassett Machine mount supporting a Leupold VX-R Patrol 1.25-4x 30mm scope in Warne rings

 

[Holmes375]

Congratulations! That is one fine lookin' rifle. Gotta be proud of that one.

 

[scottybaccus]

Thanks! I made it out to the range today and found my personal best was cut in half, now 1.5 MOA. I wasn't on my game, so I can see better things to come. I'll hand it to a Marine this weekend and see what he can do with it.

 

[swansonk]

It's threads like this that make me regret selling my M1A when I took a job in Korea. Meanwhile, I want to work with my RRA LAR-8 to see if I want to go shopping for an M1A.

 

[scottybaccus]

I have a whole list of rifles that I pine for, so I've been making comparisons in my head. You know how it goes. I'm a fan of the mini-14, also (naturally), so I've already visited the AR vs Mini question, and now it's the M1a/M14 vs AR10/LAR-8/HK/Cetme/etc...

With this chassis system installed, I have come to the coclusion that the M1a/M14 (and the mini-14 to some extent) win the debate on reliability, infrequent need for cleaning, lower complexity and now matching ergonomics. The only point that remains for me is the magazine change. The AR type rifles provide a push button, drop free, mag release. These guns that use the tab on the op-rod spring guide as the forward latch for the magazine will always require that you give it a tug while depressing the mag release.

That's my last gripe. I have everything else. I am also now a firm believer that the 7.62/.308 only loses to the 5.56/.223 when you MUST carry hundreds of rounds on your back. For all other missions, I'll take the 30 Cal.