|
[FROM RIFLESHOOTER]
LOADING UP THE M1ALong revered by Vietnam era riflemen, Springfield Armory offers civilians street legal versions of the Uncle Sam's last big bore battle rifle.By David W. Arnold
 (left) Like the M14, the M1A has its gas regulator positioned behind the muzzle. It also has a spindle valve (arrow) that controls gas for grenade or semi-automatic fire. (right) The rifle has military aperture sights. The rear sight assembly is click-adjustable for windage and elevation.
The Springfield Armory M1A semi-automatic .308 rifle is a civilian version of the U.S. Army's M14 7.62mm rifle that was issued to our military forces during the post Korean war years. The M14 is the last American military long gun that retains a classic rifle-like appearance. In contrast to many modern military small arms, it has mainly wood instead of synthetic furniture and its main components are machined forgings instead of stamped and pressed metal parts. The M14 was born out of a need not only to replace the aging M1 Garand, but to develop a rifle that chambered the new 7.62mm NATO cartridge common to the North Atlantic Treaty countries in the 1950s. At the time, a number of NATO forces had already adopted the Belgian-made FN FAL, but the U.S. decided to design its own rifle. The M14 is a gas operated, selective fire rifle that is evolved from the M1 Garand. There are some significant changes, most of which were intended to correct some of the Garand's defects. These include a 20-round box magazine that greatly improves firepower and reloading over the eight-round en-bloc clip method of the M1. The gas cylinder was moved back eight inches from the muzzle to improve accuracy.
The most significant change is the M14's selective fire capability that enables it to fire full auto. That is controlled by a lever on the right side of the receiver. Unlike similar weapons, this lever is not a safety. The latter is located in the front of the trigger guard as is the Garand's.
On the range, the M1A delivered excellent accuracy both from a bench rest (left) at 100 yards and when shot offhand from a standing position at 50 yards (right).
The M14 was manufactured by the original Springfield Armory as well as Harrington & Richardson, Winchester and Thompson Products. Some 1,500,000 rifles were made before the M14 was replaced by the M16. Even though the M14 compared favorably with other NATO rifles in terms of accuracy and serviceability, it became the subject of some controversy. A major criticism was directed at the rifle's poor full automatic fire capability. This had some validity. When on full auto, the first shot would usually be placed on the point of aim with the rest going high because of recoil. In fairness, it should be mentioned that this criticism applied to most of the other 7.62mm NATO battle rifles as well. Another problem was the rifle's unloaded weight of eight pounds nine ounces that, in the tropical conditions of Southeast Asia, was a decided disadvantage to both the troop's comfort and and ability to carry spare ammunition. The smaller caliber and lighter M16 was clearly superior in both these areas.
Springfield Armory's MIA1 is a civilian replica of the U.S. military M14 battle rifle of the 1950-60 era, but without a full auto capability and a five- or 10-shot magazine.
There were no complaints about the rifle's accuracy or the 7.62's effectiveness. In fact, the efficacy of the M 16's .223 bullet over the M14's larger and heavier .30 caliber projectile was and, still is, the subject of much debate. Most of the troops who trained with the M14 that I have interviewed liked it and preferred it to the M16. The new Springfield Armory makes a number of models of the M1A that include the top-of the line Super National Match model, a National Match model and several standard models. The latter models include a rifle with fiberglass stock as well as a stainless steel version. This rifle is a Standard Loaded model that has a National Match barrel and a tuned trigger chambered for the original 7.62mm NATO (.308) cartridge. I found it a faithful replica of the M14 in respect to its action and most major features. The gas operating mechanism is the same as is the bolt and receiver. The former has a spindle valve that is adjustable for controlling gases for normal firing and grenade launching. The rifle has a 10-round detachable box magazine instead of the 20-round version of the M14 and no selective fire lever. The cocking handle, gas regulator, magazine catch and safety are in the same locations as an M14's. Other features include a pivoting butt plate to prevent the stock from slipping off the shoulder during firing and a ported muzzle brake to reduce muzzle flip.
The rifle has a pivoting butt plate to securely hold the rifle in the shooter's shoulder. It's not really necessary without the selective fire option.
The sights are of the military aperture type and the rear is click adjustable for windage and elevation. The stock is oil finished walnut while the hand guard is made of a brown synthetic material. The entire rifle displays a fit and finish of high quality. All visible metal parts have a matte black oxide finish. The trigger was typical military, with some take up and a crisp pull of 5 1/2 pounds. To load the M1A, remove the magazine and pull back the cocking handle on the right side of the receiver. The action is now cocked and the safety can be applied. Inserted a loaded magazine and work the action to chamber a round. The rifle is now ready to shoot once the safety has been disengaged. It is also possible to charge the magazine by means of stripper clips much like loading a M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle. Previous to my receiving this M1A, I had the opportunity to fire one quite extensively at a Springfield seminar held at Jon Shaw's MISS training/shooting facility in Lake Cormorant, Miss. There, I engaged various steel plates at ranges in excess of 100 yards obtaining hits with relative ease. I was impressed with the rifle's mild recoil. This was an asset when shooting fast follow up shots and two-shot strings. I took the M1A out to the Petersen Ranch with a selection of .308 ammunition from PMC, Remington and Winchester. Weather conditions were cool and clear. 100-yard groups averaged 4 3/4 inches for five-shots. The rifle shot all of the ammunition without a single stoppage, though I experienced one problem.
From the bench towards the end of the session, the rifle developed a disturbing tendency to fire two and three shot bursts. After the third time, I shipped the rifle back to the factory. Subsequently, one of the engineers told me that if the rifle is fired off a bench and the stock is not pulled firmly into the shooter's shoulder, it is possible to fire multiple shots. The explanation is that a loose hold can cause the rifle to bounce forward off the shoulder. The effect of the bounce causes the trigger to slap the trigger finger resulting in one or more fast follow-up shots giving the impression of full auto fire. Thinking back on my experience, I know that at the time I was concentrating on a very precise trigger squeeze and I was pretty relaxed at the time because of the rifle's mild recoil. This may well have lulled me into taking a less firm hold that I would normally have taken. The engineer further said that this only happens when shooting off a bench and that one's elbows being on a hard surface tended to aggravate the movement of the rifle. The M1A was duly returned to me and I shot it extensively from as many positions as possible, including off the bench. Throughout the day I had no further incidents of full auto fire. I enjoyed shooting Springfield's M1A. While my previous experience with the M14 was some years ago, this rifle closely replicates its performance, function and appearance. It is well worth considering by those wanting a rifle from an important era of military arms development or an accurate, fun rifle to shoot. Certainly, the M1A National Match , or model like this one, would be an excellent choice for military high power target competition. |
Springfield Armory Links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
