M1A rifle

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Springfield Armory M1A

Type Sporting and Target Rifle
Place of origin USA
Production history
Manufacturer Springfield Armory, Inc.
Variants Standard, Loaded, National Match, Super Match, M21, M25
Specifications
Weight 9.2 - 11.2 pounds (Empty magazine)
Length 44.33 inches (1126 mm)
Barrel length 22 inches (558.8 mm)
Cartridge .308 Winchester
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire Semi-automatic
Feed system 5-round, 10-round or 20-round double column, detachable box magazine
Sights National Match front blade, Match-Grade Hooded Aperture with One-Half Minute adj. for Windage and Elevation.

The M1A is a civilian version of the U.S. military M14 rifle designed by Springfield Armory, Inc. in 1974. It is designed for semi-automatic fire only and cannot be modified to fully-automatic or selective fire.

Contents

[edit] Springfield Armory, Inc.

The M1A rifle is manufactured by Springfield Armory [1] of Geneseo Illinois. This is not the same U.S. Government owned Springfield Armory, Inc. of Massachusetts, which was closed down in 1968 by the U.S. Department of Defense. The term "M1A" is a proprietary title given by Elmer C. Balance who started the privately owned Springfield Armory, Inc. of Devine, Texas, to his M-14 pattern rifle. The receiver is made from investment cast 8620 alloy steel. Early M1A's were built with surplus G.I. parts until Springfield Armory began manufacturing their own. Elmer sold the "Springfield Armory' to the now current owners.

Today, Springfield Armory offers the widest variety and some of the most accurate and reliable M14 pattern rifles on the market. Their National Match models and above (Super Match, M21 and M25) are guaranteed to shoot sub-MOA with Match grade ammunition right out of the box. This improved accuracy over the military M14's is due to the fact that National Match models and above have glass-bedded receivers and heavy Match grade barrels.

[edit] Differences Between the M1A and M14

Springfield Armory M1A's are for the most part identical to their military M14 counterparts. There are however a few differences:

Springfield Armory M1A Receiver
Springfield Armory M1A Receiver

As previously mentioned, the receivers are manufactured by the precision investment casting method. The military M14 receivers were manufactured using the drop-forge process, which is more complicated and more expensive. The M1A's produced by Springfield Armory do not have the cutout in the rear right of the stock for the selector switch found on the M14. The walnut stock of the M21 has a height-adjustable cheek rest, which is unique to that model. The M25 White Feather is also unique in that it comes with a black McMillan Fiberglass Stock and a built in picatinny optics mount. This because there is no provision for iron sights on the M25. Springfield Armory has also omitted the "7.62-MM" caliber designator on the M1A receiver.

Once the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 was passed, banning (among other features) bayonet lugs, the M1A no longer shipped with a bayonet lug. Although the 1994 law expired in September 2004, making bayonet lugs legal again (in most states), Springfield Armory has not restored that feature.

The California Assault Weapons Ban, which went into effect January 1, 2000, prohibited flash suppressors on all Semi-automatic rifles capable of accepting a detachable magazine. As a result, Springfield Armory designed a muzzle brake, which they installed in place of the standard flash suppressor on all models that were sold to California. The irony is that the muzzle brake reduces the recoil of the rifle and thus makes it more accurate. Apparently (source unverified), the military has ordered the California Legal muzzle brakes from Springfield Armory for their surplus M14's because of the improvement in accuracy.

[edit] M1A/M14 Select Fire Rifles

Select Fire M1A Receiver. Notice the selector switch and the cutouts in the stock for the full-auto parts.
Select Fire M1A Receiver. Notice the selector switch and the cutouts in the stock for the full-auto parts.

Most of the M1A’s that were manufactured since 1971 were for the civilian market and thus were only capable of semi-automatic fire. However, it is estimated that there are between 1,000 and 2,000 select fire M1A’s that were manufactured and registered for civilian ownership prior to the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act on May 19th, 1986. Springfield Armory, Inc. and Smith Enterprise were the two companies that produced fully automatic M1A’s for civilian ownership. Up until May of 1986, Springfield Armory, Inc. had a Full Auto Department at their factory in Illinois. A few M1A’s were later converted to full-auto fire and registered with the ATF by Class II manufacturers like Neal Smith and Rock Island Armory. The receivers of these select fire rifles have the selector lug and operating rod rail cuts for the connector.

Due to their scarcity and the fact that no new select fire M1A/M14’s can be produced for the civilian market, because of the Hughes Amendment in the McClure-Volkmer Act, their value is now well above $10,000.

[edit] Other Manufacturers

Fulton Armory [2] also builds civilian versions of the M-14 from their own receivers, which do not have the lug necessary for the installation of a selective fire switch and USGI (U.S. Government Issue) components and markets them as the FAR M-14, as does Armscorp USA, Inc.,[3] which markets their M14R & M14RNS (regular), M14NMR (National Match) and M21 (Sniper) rifles.

A pre-ban Springfield M1A with bipod and M6 bayonet
A pre-ban Springfield M1A with bipod and M6 bayonet

The 1994 Assault Weapons Ban sunsetted on September 14th, 2004. It is not known as of this writing whether Springfield Armory, Inc., Fulton Armory, or Armscorp USA, Inc. will begin manufacture of their M1A rifles with bayonet lugs. Flash suppressors with bayonet lugs can be found at gun shows or on the internet and are legal to install on post-ban M1A's in most states.

Chinese-manufactured versions were sold under the Norinco [4] and Polytech brand names in the United States and Canada prior to the 1989 importation ban on Semi-automatic rifles issued by President George H. W. Bush. All the Chinese M1A's that were imported after 1989 up until the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban had to have the correct number of U.S. made parts in order to be sold in the U.S. The Chinese made receivers were of a rather soft steel, 5100 steel as opposed to the 8620 steel American receivers, and thus needed a heat treatment to function properly.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

[edit] Picture Credits

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