The trow about the M1A

Ricky · 09-08-2004, 05:12 AM

Are these M1A really bad as I read on the forum? are danger to shoot with it ? Unfortunatly I just purchased one, brand new, i tried about 50 shoot at the range, 150 grains FMJ no one problem, very accurate, I only change the rear sight with a milled one becouse the original was a little loose, why SA still selling this rifle if they have bad problems as I learn ? Ciao Ric

PAPA G · 09-08-2004, 09:30 AM

CHIAO RICKY!!!!!!!!!!!

welcome to M1a ownership, as long as you use the proper ammo you will be fine. who made your rifle??? their all good, as long as you stay with in the bullet weight and operating pressures it was designed for.

Ricky · 09-08-2004, 09:43 AM

Ciao Papa ! come stai ?( how are you )

It is made from Springfield Armory Genesco, but I'm really worry seam that these rifle are not good !
Papa do you have any reload suggestion with a 168 grains bullet on IMR 4895 powder , shooting under 200 yds ,

Thks Ciao Ricky

PAPA G · 09-08-2004, 10:14 AM

thats a good bullet and powder combination, unfortunatly i cannot recall the powder weght from years ago when handloading was the only choice in ammo for me, and i had a reloader friend who had all the stuff for me to use. with all the mil/spec ammo available i don't reload any more. mine is a Springfield too, bought it almost 30 years ago, never failed to function.

keep reading G&G i know the reloaders will give you all the data you need.

Indy · 09-09-2004, 10:06 PM

My M1As have never malfunctioned. I have shot over the counter 308 cartridges in both. Also, I have shot military 7.62 British without a problem. Reloading will give better results as long as you follow the rules. IMR4895 is the standard and has been for years, but 4064, Varget, and some of the WC pull down powder from GI Brass is great too. I believe IMR 4064 in the Sierra manual gives the most accurate reloads. Remember in a gas gun military brass is safer due to it's strength. You need to full length size because gas guns beat up the brass pretty bad.
Indy

Gyrene · 09-10-2004, 01:01 AM

Ricky - You may have read some of the input that I have made regarding the M1A. I do not own one, but as soon as I figure that I can shoot better than my Chinese M14, I will become the owner of one. Using my Chinese M14, a high expert shooter fired 459 out of 500 recently, so the rifle can shoot pretty good!

Having said that, I have not seen one that has come to our range that has not had a problem somewhere between 50 and 500 rounds fired. Mostly it is bolt problems, or lube problems, and those are relatively easy to fix, if you can get a USGI bolt and bolt parts (of course you need to have the headspace checked and made correct if it doesn't check out right). Some will drop the magazine every time they fire, and of course do not feed the next round. About eleven of them, at last count, would drop the trigger group every time they fired

The owners manual tells the owner not to disassemble the rifle, as it will affect the zero. Well, I agree that it can affect the zero, I have news for them, THAT IS THE STUPIDIST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD, because you have to disassemble the rifle, to clean and lube it; IF YOU DON'T CLEAN AND LUBE THE RIFLE, IT WON'T SHOOT AT ALL! The owners' Manual also tells the owner not to fire reloads, because it will void the warranty. If you want to win in competition, or be able to shoot inexpensively, you will have to reload.

The last 20 M1A's that came to our range, were so dry they would not cycle, on firing. There was a very light amount of some sort of grease on the receiver where the Bolt locking lugs ride, but the locking lugs were dry, even after cycling the bolt by hand, and there was a slight amount of the same grease on the inside top of the rear of the receiver, where the bolt rides back after firing, but the top of the bolt was dry.

Two of the owners allowed the disassembly, and lubing, because their rifles would shoot single load, and wouldn't cycle; they wanted their rifles to work right then. Both of those rifles looked as if the insides had been cleaned with "GM Upper Engine Cleaner" (which is an outstanding rifle cleaner), and, except as noted, had absolutely no lube of any kind on them. I gave them some gun grease that was USGI Issue, and showed them where to put it, and especially on the operating rod spring, and operating rod. I had them lube the receiver where the operating rod lug slides back and forth, and the lugs of the bolt. Springfield Armory now has two customers that are happy with their rifles, but question the warning about disassembling the rifle, and firing reloads.

A few other M1A owners have come in and asked how and where to lube their M1A's, and some have asked for coaching on how to disassemble their M1A's. One came back in yesterday, and was happy with his M1A, now since it shoots as it should have when he received it.

When you fire new brass, it seems to work, when the rifle is properly lubed and clean, but if you shoot reloads, many of the recent M1A's seem to have "Tight Chambers", and you need to use "Small Base Dies", to get the rifle to cycle properly. They are chambered for .308, and not for 7.62 x 51mm. That argument has been held here off and on, and all I will say is that there is a difference (reloading manuals should show the dimensions).

`

Ricky · 09-10-2004, 02:11 AM

Hi , thank you very much to all of you for the replyes, as always this forum give me new imputs, Gyrene you explain me very well what and where the problems could be. today i will go to the shooting range with my M1A , I will post to the forum my experience with the rifle ( hope positive ). Tks again ciao Ricky

Ricky · 09-15-2004, 02:36 AM

Hi , Saturaday I went to the shooting club with the new M1A, I have shoot 50 rounds to 100 yds targets, 150 grs FMJ reload with 42 grs of IMR 4895, the accurate was very good exept for some shoots that went few inches low for shure my mistake, no mechanical problems , and the brass after shooting was in perfect conditions, Till now i'm happy. BR ricky

PAPA G · 09-15-2004, 07:52 AM

woooohoooo!!!

sounds like you had a good time, but beware the M1a is habit forming

09-08-2004, 05:12 AM	#1
Ricky Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 24	The trow about the M1A Are these M1A really bad as I read on the forum? are danger to shoot with it ? Unfortunatly I just purchased one, brand new, i tried about 50 shoot at the range, 150 grains FMJ no one problem, very accurate, I only change the rear sight with a milled one becouse the original was a little loose, why SA still selling this rifle if they have bad problems as I learn ? Ciao Ric

09-08-2004, 09:30 AM	#2
PAPA G Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somerset, kentucky Posts: 12	CHIAO RICKY!!!!!!!!!!! welcome to M1a ownership, as long as you use the proper ammo you will be fine. who made your rifle??? their all good, as long as you stay with in the bullet weight and operating pressures it was designed for.

09-08-2004, 09:43 AM	#3
Ricky Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 24	Ciao Papa ! come stai ?( how are you ) It is made from Springfield Armory Genesco, but I'm really worry seam that these rifle are not good ! Papa do you have any reload suggestion with a 168 grains bullet on IMR 4895 powder , shooting under 200 yds , Thks Ciao Ricky

09-08-2004, 10:14 AM	#4
PAPA G Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somerset, kentucky Posts: 12	thats a good bullet and powder combination, unfortunatly i cannot recall the powder weght from years ago when handloading was the only choice in ammo for me, and i had a reloader friend who had all the stuff for me to use. with all the mil/spec ammo available i don't reload any more. mine is a Springfield too, bought it almost 30 years ago, never failed to function. keep reading G&G i know the reloaders will give you all the data you need.

09-09-2004, 10:06 PM	#5
Indy Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 331	My M1As have never malfunctioned. I have shot over the counter 308 cartridges in both. Also, I have shot military 7.62 British without a problem. Reloading will give better results as long as you follow the rules. IMR4895 is the standard and has been for years, but 4064, Varget, and some of the WC pull down powder from GI Brass is great too. I believe IMR 4064 in the Sierra manual gives the most accurate reloads. Remember in a gas gun military brass is safer due to it's strength. You need to full length size because gas guns beat up the brass pretty bad. Indy

09-10-2004, 01:01 AM	#6
Gyrene Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: CA Posts: 886	Ricky - You may have read some of the input that I have made regarding the M1A. I do not own one, but as soon as I figure that I can shoot better than my Chinese M14, I will become the owner of one. Using my Chinese M14, a high expert shooter fired 459 out of 500 recently, so the rifle can shoot pretty good! Having said that, I have not seen one that has come to our range that has not had a problem somewhere between 50 and 500 rounds fired. Mostly it is bolt problems, or lube problems, and those are relatively easy to fix, if you can get a USGI bolt and bolt parts (of course you need to have the headspace checked and made correct if it doesn't check out right). Some will drop the magazine every time they fire, and of course do not feed the next round. About eleven of them, at last count, would drop the trigger group every time they fired The owners manual tells the owner not to disassemble the rifle, as it will affect the zero. Well, I agree that it can affect the zero, I have news for them, THAT IS THE STUPIDIST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD, because you have to disassemble the rifle, to clean and lube it; IF YOU DON'T CLEAN AND LUBE THE RIFLE, IT WON'T SHOOT AT ALL! The owners' Manual also tells the owner not to fire reloads, because it will void the warranty. If you want to win in competition, or be able to shoot inexpensively, you will have to reload. The last 20 M1A's that came to our range, were so dry they would not cycle, on firing. There was a very light amount of some sort of grease on the receiver where the Bolt locking lugs ride, but the locking lugs were dry, even after cycling the bolt by hand, and there was a slight amount of the same grease on the inside top of the rear of the receiver, where the bolt rides back after firing, but the top of the bolt was dry. Two of the owners allowed the disassembly, and lubing, because their rifles would shoot single load, and wouldn't cycle; they wanted their rifles to work right then. Both of those rifles looked as if the insides had been cleaned with "GM Upper Engine Cleaner" (which is an outstanding rifle cleaner), and, except as noted, had absolutely no lube of any kind on them. I gave them some gun grease that was USGI Issue, and showed them where to put it, and especially on the operating rod spring, and operating rod. I had them lube the receiver where the operating rod lug slides back and forth, and the lugs of the bolt. Springfield Armory now has two customers that are happy with their rifles, but question the warning about disassembling the rifle, and firing reloads. A few other M1A owners have come in and asked how and where to lube their M1A's, and some have asked for coaching on how to disassemble their M1A's. One came back in yesterday, and was happy with his M1A, now since it shoots as it should have when he received it. When you fire new brass, it seems to work, when the rifle is properly lubed and clean, but if you shoot reloads, many of the recent M1A's seem to have "Tight Chambers", and you need to use "Small Base Dies", to get the rifle to cycle properly. They are chambered for .308, and not for 7.62 x 51mm. That argument has been held here off and on, and all I will say is that there is a difference (reloading manuals should show the dimensions). `

09-10-2004, 02:11 AM	#7
Ricky Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 24	Hi , thank you very much to all of you for the replyes, as always this forum give me new imputs, Gyrene you explain me very well what and where the problems could be. today i will go to the shooting range with my M1A , I will post to the forum my experience with the rifle ( hope positive ). Tks again ciao Ricky

09-15-2004, 02:36 AM	#8
Ricky Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 24	Hi , Saturaday I went to the shooting club with the new M1A, I have shoot 50 rounds to 100 yds targets, 150 grs FMJ reload with 42 grs of IMR 4895, the accurate was very good exept for some shoots that went few inches low for shure my mistake, no mechanical problems , and the brass after shooting was in perfect conditions, Till now i'm happy. BR ricky

09-15-2004, 07:52 AM	#9
PAPA G Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: somerset, kentucky Posts: 12	woooohoooo!!! sounds like you had a good time, but beware the M1a is habit forming