Springfield M1A, new in box........

[Knarley]

Just brought home a brand new M1A from Springfield yesterday. Standard model,.308, wood stock.
This is the first time I have EVER took a brand new gun home, took it apart and started sanding on the stock. I swear the village idiot did the stock on this gun. Wood working 101, one should sand WITH the grain. What ever they put on this stock was, I don't know. I'm thinking a stain/oil mixture of some sort. After clogging up two whole sheets of 100 grit sand paper, another whole sheet of 150 and a sheet of 220, numerous wipe downs with turpentine for cleaning and whiskering, the first coat of Tru Oil was applied. (I have never seen wood clog up sand paper like this before, almost like it is still wet) The wood in this stock is gorgeous!! I'm a wood guy.:wink:
While waiting for the stock to dry, decided to run a patch thru the bore with some Hoppe's # 9. Came out a real nice green color. I know the test fire the guns, but I am getting chunks of brass out of it. Once clean, would it be wise to lap the barrel? If so what would be good to use?
I'm waiting for components and loading dies, so getting the barrel slicked up will give me some "play" time with the new shooter.
I did get an aluminum scope mount, but that will come into play down the road a bit.
I'm looking to do some "Long range" work with it, but right now 200 yards is as "long" as I can get. Am looking at some 168 or 175 gr. Matchkings as a projectile. As of now have not fired this gun so not sure. Have done some research, and that is what I've found. Claim 1/2 to 3/4 " groups @ 100 yrds respectively. Baloney??
I have Starline brass on the way, it will all be trimmed and beburred before loading.
The gun also came with a warning about slam fires with handloads. So I figure on using hard primers, But I can't remember which one they are. I do a bunch of loading for cowboy action and should know, but I don't recall.
Any way, thanks for your help,
see you at the range

Knarley

[osteodoc08]

Congrats on the new rifle. I've been eyeing these for a long time but have been satisfied enough with my Sig 716 to not drop the coin on one.

Yes, when worked over they are a sub MOA rifle with the right hand loads. In your stock form, I'd be happy with sub 2 MOA, personally speaking.

I wouldnt worry too too much about what you wiped out of the bore. I've seen other production rifles with much worse. I'd be disappointed had this been a dedicated target rifle. Others may disagree with this. For me, it's a battle rifle, range gun, SHTF gun that can be turned into a target rifle.

CCI #34 are the primers you seek.

Good luck and post some photos!

[Bzcraig]

yes, photos are necessary!!

[Hickok]

Here is an excellent scope mount. http://bassettmachine.com/ I can vouch that it works great, as I have one on my M1a NM.

Also, don't get too upset about the stock, as they are finished about like "mil-spec" rifle stocks. A little handling, shooting, carrying, hard use, etc, and it will look like other G.I. rifles.

MY Springfield National Match is very accurate, MOA or less scoped, but I can't say what the standard model will do.

[lefty o]

if a standard model, your probably going to get 1.5-2.5" groups.

[KA0811]

If your worries about primers use CCI military rifle primers, price is the same from what i remember. That's what I shoot in my garands.

[Knarley]

The stain came off the stock just fine, Thank goodness. The wood lightened up to about 1/2 the darkness of the hand guard, but then darkened up a bit with the oil. The stain pretty much covered up all the grain in the wood to the color of light chocolate. Now the grain in the wood is clearly visable and now looks like a piece of hand rubbed walnut like it should. It now looks like what the price tag demanded for a wood stock. It just irks me that they charge a premium for a wood stock and do such a **** job on it. My SKS has a better looking wood stock than this thing did.
Got the brass out of the barrel, that took a while. I sure hope it does better than 2 1/2" groups, we'll see
Starline brass on order,Sierra Matchking 168 HPBT 168 gr. on order, CCI Milspec primers on order,RCBS Dies in the basement as is the IMR 4895 Powder.

I'm new to these smokeless,brass wrapped bullets. I shoot mostly lead alloy & B.P.
We give the "Smokeless" shooters a hard time about never cleaning their guns, but after all the stuff and chunks of brass I pulled out of this one, what's the deal on cleaning?
I was told I need to break in the barrel by shoot two and clean, shoot two and clean. Then shoot four and clean and so on. Wouldn't just lapping the bore be quicker?
My uncle told me to "Just shoot 'em".........He didn't like cleaning guns, neither did my Dad. After he died, I got his guns.......and good lord the wire brushes and patches I went thru to get those clean.
Like I said, I shoot a lot of BP so, I'm kind of a gun cleaning fool..........any advise would be good on this subject.
I'll get some flicks posted as soon as I get some good ones, in the house with a flash was a disapointment.

Later guys, and thanks

Knarley

[Mk42gunner]

No experience with M1A's, but I have a lot of experience with M-14's.

With a rack grade rifle and M80 ball, you will be doing good to get better than 2 MOA groups. With better bullets?????

I am firmly in the "Just shoot 'em" group. I also do not shoot benchrest rifles; but for your standard grade, I don't think you will hurt anything by starting with a clean barrel and firing a couple of hundred rounds.

Robert

[Hardcast416taylor]

I had a National Match grade M1A that I mounted the last series of Springfield side scope mount and a Leupold 3x9 scope. I had several thousand of G.I. ammo in cans so that was all I shot thru it. I did the `shoot and clean` procedure you describe when I first got the rifle. The bore on mine was also filthy when I first cleaned it, at least I knew they had test fired it! I put a synethic stock on it as I wasn`t crazy over the wood that came on it, a wise move I later realized. It is an accurate rifle, I regularly got under 2" at 200 yd. range off a rest. This was G.I. ball ammo remember. As far as lapping the barrel I have heard of shooting ammo with polishing compound on the bullet to hone the bore, I didn`t do this with mine - I just shot it a bunch of times. Glad you found a decent piece of wood under their G.I. finishing job. One day a friend that had bugged me to sell it to him showed up with a handful of $100 bills and it went home with him.Robert

[lefty o]

barrel break in is up to you. as far as lapping, i wouldnt so much as get within 10' of it with an abrasive.

[B. Lumpkin]

Everybody on the internet shoots sub half MOA groups out of every rifle they own. I take stuff like that with a grain of salt.

I wouldn't lap the barrel, but if you must, give the Tubbs final finish a try.

Break in might be necessary and won't hurt anything. You will more than likely see the barrel "shoot in" within the first 50-150 rounds fired. If you get it shooting .75-1.5 MOA with match ammo, then consider it all good and have fun!

[osteodoc08]

Not sure how you've been cleaning it but if going from the bore, please please use a bore guide. More harm done from cleaning from the bore end than from shooting.

[Mk42gunner]

Um doc, the only way to use a cleaning rod on an M-14/ M1A is from the muzzle. I guess you could use a pull through from the chamber, I never tried.

Robert

[country gent]

Some quick tips from an old High power shooter. A 12 gauge hull with the primer pushed out makes a fair muzzle protector when cleaning. Clean the rifle upside down in a cradle. This keeps solvents and crude from running into the bedding areas and trigger group. BBarrel twist will determine alot on the bullets most M1As are 1-10 or 1-12 twist rifling so depending on twist rate I would try 155-175 grn matchkings to start,. Also dont over look the 168 grn Hornady match ( I shoot alot of cleans at 600 with it). The old standby powder for High power was IMR 4895. I believe it was around 41.5 grns of IMR 4895 under a 168 grn match bullet loaded to mag length with a good primer ( alot used federals the cci milataries werent available back then) I had good results with rem 9 1/2s. Make sure primers are seated below case. Once you have fired cases just bump the shoulder back .002-.003 from fired. A good bedding job can make a big diffrence as can a rework of the trigger, youll be surprised what a 4 1/2lb trigger can feel like when done correctly. Use drill bits to clean carbon from inside of gas piston. There are 2 sizes they are used like a scrapper by hand to remove the carbon build up inside the holes in the gas piston. When removing from the stock sliding the gas system forward allows the action to come straight up and out not rocking out this is much easier on the bedding.

[osteodoc08]

Um doc, the only way to use a cleaning rod on an M-14/ M1A is from the muzzle. I guess you could use a pull through from the chamber, I never tried.

Robert

There is the Otis pull through and a few others that wouldn't require going through the muzzle. I didn't know how the OP was cleaning it and was just strongly suggesting to use a bore guide. Especially if they were wanting to preserve accuracy.

[Gtek]

IIRC. The first SA Inc. were built with M-14 parts kits (chromed bore), since they have been CM or stainless. Bore guide highly recommended and they make a nice one that slides into flash suppressor protecting crown and bore. Weapon upside down muzzle downhill keeping "stuff" out of gas system, foam bore cleaner can be your friend. Let sit and then push to clean and then put slotted on and all the way through into open action. Install patch and pull just into chamber, twirl clean and back out into action and remove then pull rod back out. Some swear by the Bore snake, never been a fan.

[Adam Helmer]

Knarley,

Why did you buy a NEW M1A rifle with a lousy stock? Why did you not check a few other stocked rifles that met your expectations?

Adam

[marlin39a]

A lot of m1a rifles won't function with civilian factory ammo. I use once fired Lake City brass, Winchester large rifle primers, Hodgdon H4895. I use 149-150 fmj projectiles. Make sure the finished round drops in a gauge.

[RPRNY]

Love the looks of those. Congratulations. On lapping, I don't think you will need to fire lap, but any new barrel I get is treated to multiple applications of JB Compound over several days. I suggest that before anything more radical.

Enjoy!

[nicholst55]

A lot of guys use 125-130 grain bullets at 200 yards. They shoot just as well as the 168-175s do, are cheaper, and recoil less. Check to see if you have a milsurp M14 barrel. If you do, it's chrome lined and you don't want to lap it! There is some excellent info on reloading for the M14-type rifle at the link: http://www.zediker.com/downloads/m14.html

Be certain to lube your rifle with grease before taking it to the range. Look for tonyben's videos on Youtube; he has put out several good ones on all aspects of shooting, reloading, and maintaining the M1A/M14 rifle.

[Knarley]

Knarley,

Why did you buy a NEW M1A rifle with a lousy stock? Why did you not check a few other stocked rifles that met your expectations?

Adam

That sir, is a good question. I'll see if I can answer it.
Been looking at the M1A's for a couple years now. Been thinking hard on a .308 for longer.
The gun isn't going to be for hunting, nor is it for shooting matches. It won't be for re-enacting, nor zombies. It's going to be there, just in case.
I finally decided on the M1A, and it was going to be one of those tan plastic jobs. Green was a close second, and the other colors I wasn't interested in, black is not a choice. Stopped at a buddy's gun shop, and was told that the wood was a lot "better" gun, tho it was more expensive. On the way home, stopped at a different shop, where they had a wood gun on display, about $100.00 more than at my bud's shop. So I did a U-turn and ordered one from my friend. I knew it was going to be dark, I knew it was going to be "Military" when I ordered it. When it arrived, it was what I expected, dark & "Military", but I could also see some real nice walnut under the "Military".
I am no stranger to walnut and sand paper, and half way thru this project I remembered a story my uncle told me from WW2. He hadn't liked the finish on his Garand, so he scraped it off and rubbed it with boiled lind seed oil. During an inspection, the Officer inspecting, saw his rifle and told him he had the best looking rifle in the army. So, I guess it's kind of a tradition.
But in working the wood, I made that gun truly mine. Some of my heart and soul worked it's way into the grain of the stock, it's hard to explain. I guess I saw the potential, and just brought it to the surface, and I'm really glad I did.

I don't know if this explains why, but that's how it came to be. Shortly we are going to the range and get to know one another a little better.

Knarley

[WILCO]

That sir, is a good question. I'll see if I can answer it.

Makes sense to me. Enjoy it. Just in case rifles tend to be the most cherished.

[WILCO]

http://cdn2.armslist.com/sites/armslist/uploads/posts/2013/02/24/1130444_02_springfield_m1a_socom_16_640.jpg

[Knarley]

Pics176363

Can't get them to post, this one got thru some how

[osteodoc08]

Gorgeous