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Practically Shooting

New Springfield M1A vs used


wwillson

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All,

I'm considering buying a new M1A. I don't own a 30 caliber rifle and have always wanted a M1A, so that's my justification to spend $1,500+.. :-)

I'm wondering how the new M1A's compare to a used vintage M1A from years gone by. What's the manufacturing quality difference? What's the chance of getting ripped off buying a used one?

Thanks,

Wayne

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I think it depends on how vintage you mean. As time went on, they used fewer and fewer USGI parts as they ran out, and made (bought?) new parts.

I'm sure someone could look at a serial number and tell you what percentage of USGI parts it has, but not me. I bought mine in December 1987 (though it could have been made well before) and it has all GI parts but a couple. I don't know when that number changed substantially, but I would guess in 1989 when the first big "Assault Weapon" scare hit, they probably used up a bunch of their supply. My best friend got one in 1990 or 1991 when he left the Army and he said it had some new parts, but I don't know how many or how important they were.

I'm talking around 20 years ago there, since I think they started running out of USGI parts around then, but I don't know how many. For all I know, it could have been another 15 years before they really started using a large percentage of new parts. I know the CMP still had quite a few M1 and M14 parts five years ago, then they were down to just a few soon after. Maybe SA ran out about the same time. Maybe not.

Point being- I would think if you are talking 2011 vintage vs 2009, it wouldn't matter much. But if you mean 2011 vs 1991 or 1981, then yes, it might make a big difference.

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The opinion of the masses is the opposite. They want as much USGI as possible.

My opinion is that it's hard to judge new parts without more information. They could be anything from far better to far worse than GI. The general feeling, however, is that USGI parts are preferred because they were made in a strictly controlled, heavily inspected environment, where profit was not a concern.

My M1A is around 25 years old, and the only one I have to go on, so I don't know how they are now. My only recent reference is somewhat loosely connected- I got a new-made SA M1 Garand a couple of years ago when they made them again for a brief time. I didn't think it was made nearly as well as my M1A or my GI Garands, and traded it off after about a year (the only Garand I've ever parted with). In addition to the receiver, barrel, and stock, quite a few (roughly half, maybe more) of the small parts were non-original. Some of them had contours that were a little different from GI parts, and while it may seem silly, that always gave me a funny feeling. If they don't look like what you are used to seeing, I guess it's natural to have a dubious feeling. I also suppose it was reinforced by the gas cylinder and gas cylinder plug that didn't match up or screw together well. Being right at the muzzle, and the first thing I saw as it sat in the rack, it was hard to not think about. Others fit or looked "funny" too, but if I had not owned a few GI Garands, I might not have known it was odd.

But unlike the Garand, where they started making them again one day and needed a bunch of parts right then, they have been making M1As without interruption for a long time and could have been easing new parts and components into them gradually. Whether they did or not, I don't know, but the parts quality would have been easier to control than starting Garand production after a 20 year layoff and having to scare up parts.

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The best Springfields were the ones marked Devine, Tx. Elmer Balance is the original maker of the M-14 and Springfield Arms was his company until he got into a probelm with the Gov't who claimed he was selling full automatic upper AR-15's. If you know anything about an AR, you know that's BS. But the Gov't applied enough pressure that he sold the company and it's changed hands a few times before Springfield is the company it is today. Elmer is still alive and well today making match 1911 barrels for competition shooters. He makes the best. He also makes all of the barrels for the High Standard 1911. The new Springfields are a mixed bag. Most are decent shooters but there are some that are crap when they leave the factory. My brothers SOCOM was crap until Elmer worked it over. It's a dandy shooter now. If you need any M-14 stocks, call Elmer, he has about 1700 of them left over in all configurations. He's in the phone book. I've found the biggest issue with any of the Gov't parts guns is that the op rod and the timing is more critical than with a Springfield op rod. That means if you are reloading for it, you pretty much have to use Ball-C2 powder or in the close burn rate or expect issues like the heads of the brass ripped off leaving the shoulder and neck still in the chamber. Chamber pressures need to be real close to 50,000cups- not much more and not much less. The Springers generally don't have the issues and are more forgiving.

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The CMP doesn't sell M1A/M14s; only Garands, M1 Carbines, and older.

About once every year or two, someone starts a campaign to push the gov't into allowing the sale of M14s through the CMP. Orest Michaels, who heads up the CMP says not to bother. It won't happen due to the ATF's "once a machinegun always a machinegun" view, and it sounds like it would be more trouble than the worth for the CMP if it did.

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  • 4 months later...

I'm currently shooting 2 new Springfield M1-A rifles. A NRA Camp Perry Edition National Match, and a SOCOM-16. Both are fantastic shooting rifles. I would recommend purchasing new over used. The reason is with a used gun you don't know what type of ammo it has been fed. These rifles can be damaged by shooting the wrong kind of ammo in them. Hunting ammunition, for example, that has been loaded with slow burning powder can damage the gas system and bend the op rod.

Springfield even publishes a list of what type of ammunition should not be fired in them. If you buy used you have no way of knowing. Besides, the used ones are not that much cheaper. At least not the ones I have seen. That to me would be of more importance than the parts, of which there is no quality issue with in the new models. The guns run fine. Bill T.

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As already mentiond there are NO M1A's through the CMP..

I would highly recomend buying as many US GI parts as possible and having the rifle assembled by a knowledgable smith..

Here's a PIC of mine..

Aside from the SADLAK spring guide all GI for the most part except the receivers (of course), barrels and a few ofmy range mags..

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