Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
The M1A I shot in NRA Highpower matches was my most consistently accurate rifle.
I had others that were more accurate till the barrel heated and then the groups opened up.
The M1A just kept shooting into group.
It was another shooter's backup rifle and had some glass bedding and other target mojo done to it.
None of that was changed or repeated when I shot it. It still kept shooting well. I changed from the
fiberglass to a birch stock and back and it kept shooting well.
Had no real problems reloading for it either. Used LC 7.62 by 51 brass and Winchester 147 grain FMJ boattails that were
overrunns from military contracts, I think. Not target bullets but shot like them.
There are other styles and calibers and different stocks available now. The .308 still has the advantage of cheap brass
but the 6.5 Creedmoor does look interesting.
Short stroke self regulating gas system vs long stroke gas system that can be bent with improper ammo selection is key as well.
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Last edited by Duelist; 04-10-2018 at 02:46 PM.
In any free state, a quality AR15 with appropriate ammunition and standard capacity 20-30 rd magazines is an ideal defensive firearm.
If that is not possible, USGI M1 carbines tend to work well with appropriate modern ammunition--stick with the 15 rd mags if possible.
If you are in a state with a 10 rd mag limit, then consider sticking wiht a shotgun or perhaps a lever action carbine, although one could make an AR15 or AR10 with a 10 rd detachable mag work in a pinch.
Bullet button's are a NO-GO on a defensive firearm.
Last edited by DocGKR; 04-10-2018 at 02:55 PM.
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
I've used an M1 and an M1A in competition and used an M14 when in servitude to Uncle Sugar. They're great rifles, I love them and their associated history. That being said: their time in the sun is over and they're best appreciated as the historical artifacts they are. Doc's right on point with the crappy quality of SA Inc.'s current offerings.
If a non-threatening looking rifle is what you're after, a wood stocked Mini-14 with a short magazine might be a better choice. If a friendly looking rifle in a ban state is a requirement don't overlook a lever action.
Last edited by Trooper224; 04-10-2018 at 03:11 PM.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
The M14/M1A is a battle rifle, basically an upside down AK action. The M1A / M14 as a precision weapon is a myth outside he y modified target models.
Rack grade M14's I've shot have been 3 to 6 MOA.
Rack grade SA commercial M1As have been 3-4 MOA
You can make an MIA more accurate but it is a costly and intensive process and the accuracy will degrade every time you take it out of the stock for maintenance. It ain't a bolt gun and there are several reasons serious high power shooters switched to ARs.
There is mo truly good way to mount optics - they just aren't made for it.
If you want one for nostalgia, get a full size or an 18" bush / scout model with the standard gas system. As Doc noted, the so called "SOCOM" models have durability and reliability issues.
I concur with Trooper224 - a wood stock Mini 14/Mini 30 is you best bet for a ban state rifle.
Last edited by HCM; 04-10-2018 at 03:34 PM.
They're beautiful looking but time has run out for them. The long-stroke gas piston system and stock bedding means it has terrible potential for being turned into a precision rifle. We can all thank the U.S. military for perpetuating that myth by wasting enough money on them to make some of them accurate.
If I lived in a ban state, I'd get the Ares SCR instead. Perhaps one day they'll even make a big bore version.