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M1A stocks, mags and upgrades. Please school me!

Epeeist

Epeeist

Elite
Founding Member
So I know a lot about a pretty wide range of modern guns, but I don't know much at all about the minutia of the M1A. I finally picked one up, serial number 226XXX, and I am trying to decide if its for me. It only came with a 10 round mag, so first questions is are Thermold or Promags any good or should I just go with CMI?

Second question is about stocks. It has polymer stock which is nice enough, but I am running it scoped DMR style, and was wondering what a good replacement stock would be. Considering the Archangel light stock, or maybe the full size since this will only be a range toy.

Finally question, what are some "must have" M1A mods for this guy to get the most accuracy out of it? Going to polish the trigger and hammer, would rather buy a new stock than bed the cheapo plastic one, but I figure there are some aficionados of the platform that have some tips for me.

Thanks!
 
Epeeist said:
So I know a lot about a pretty wide range of modern guns, but I don't know much at all about the minutia of the M1A. I finally picked one up, serial number 226XXX, and I am trying to decide if its for me. It only came with a 10 round mag, so first questions is are Thermold or Promags any good or should I just go with CMI?

Second question is about stocks. It has polymer stock which is nice enough, but I am running it scoped DMR style, and was wondering what a good replacement stock would be. Considering the Archangel light stock, or maybe the full size since this will only be a range toy.

Finally question, what are some "must have" M1A mods for this guy to get the most accuracy out of it? Going to polish the trigger and hammer, would rather buy a new stock than bed the cheapo plastic one, but I figure there are some aficionados of the platform that have some tips for me.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Epeeist, great question! I'll step back and let everyone weigh in on this, but we do have some good articles on The Armory Life that discuss the M1A. Thought I'd pass them along in case anyone wants to take a look at them:

www.thearmorylife.com

M1A Origin Story, Gritty Reboot Edition - The Armory Life

The Loaded M1A combines the old with the new in a seamless fashion. Springfield has put together a rifle that has exceptional extra features.
www.thearmorylife.com www.thearmorylife.com

www.thearmorylife.com

Accessorizing Your SOCOM for Defensive Purposes - The Armory Life

This rifle is reliable with whatever I feed it. It is capable of doing what is required and performs well in all areas. Its durability is exceptional.
www.thearmorylife.com www.thearmorylife.com

www.thearmorylife.com

Customize that M1A - The Armory Life

What do you get when you start with a Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad in basic factory trim and send it to ROBAR for the “Full Monty”? Read on, and you’ll find out. It will come as no surprise to regular readers that we consider the Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad to be one of Read More
www.thearmorylife.com www.thearmorylife.com

www.thearmorylife.com

Bought an M1A, Now What? - The Armory Life

A discussion of the necessary steps when you first purchase an M1A. Here’s a look at some insights about what you should do when you first get your new M1A.
www.thearmorylife.com www.thearmorylife.com
 
Epeeist said:
So I know a lot about a pretty wide range of modern guns, but I don't know much at all about the minutia of the M1A. I finally picked one up, serial number 226XXX, and I am trying to decide if its for me. It only came with a 10 round mag, so first questions is are Thermold or Promags any good or should I just go with CMI?

Second question is about stocks. It has polymer stock which is nice enough, but I am running it scoped DMR style, and was wondering what a good replacement stock would be. Considering the Archangel light stock, or maybe the full size since this will only be a range toy.

Finally question, what are some "must have" M1A mods for this guy to get the most accuracy out of it? Going to polish the trigger and hammer, would rather buy a new stock than bed the cheapo plastic one, but I figure there are some aficionados of the platform that have some tips for me.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I just got a loaded model with the walnut stock and got to shoot this past weekend. I picked up a 20rd magazine and going to get another. Because of my age and eye sight I've got a Sadlak scope mount and looking at getting a Votex scope for it.
 
SADLAK TiNi piston & Op rod spring guide, etended mag & bolt release, schuster adjustable gas plug. These will help with manipulation and help to minimize recoil while optimizing reliability.
Everything else is optional.

I had issues with the gas plug being too long. Only one round would cycle. The gas plug allows one to 'delay/soften' the recoil and optimize for suppression.

Rubber Magpuls are great too, steel gets slippery.

This is an interesting stock:
carbonfibergear.com

All Carbon Fiber M-14/M1A Rifle

Ready to move to the next step up from carbon fiber gun grips? Washington-based, McAnn Industries has taken the popular M14/M1-A rifle and converted it into carbon fiber. It's not just a blend of fiberglass and carbon, but solely carbon fiber with resin. There are a lot of benefits to the gun...
carbonfibergear.com carbonfibergear.com

You could throw a pic rail on the back and put a folder on it.
 
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Keep it simple. The M1A isn't like a AR where you really can improve things with swapping out of parts and tricking it out.

If you want to put an optic on it get a Sadlack mount.

Spend your $$ on stocking up on good mags.

My .02
 
I've got an M1A loaded model which I got two weeks ago but before I got it I picked up a Sadlak airborne scope mount and going to put a Vortex scope on it. Having a LGS to install the mount and scope
 
hawkeye52 said:
I've got an M1A loaded model which I got two weeks ago but before I got it I picked up a Sadlak airborne scope mount and going to put a Vortex scope on it. Having a LGS to install the mount and scope
Click to expand...
Those mounts are hard to find, good buy.
 
Magazines: I own some Thermolds, 1 ProMag, 1 KCI and over a dozen CMI mags. Stick with CMI 20 rounders and you can't go wrong. The Thermolds work but just seem flimsy to me and I wouldn't bet my life on 'em. The KCI and ProMag only holds 19 rounds but also work (for me anyway). I personally stay away from any ProMag products because nearly everyone I bought in the past (over 10 years ago) has been junk. The problem for a new M1A owner is finding reasonably priced CMI mags. The vendor I used was 44mag.com who had consistent sales where they went for under $24 but sadly they went out of business. I would look for sales from Brownells, MidwayUSA and even on the CMI website.
 

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Yeah when I got mine about three weeks ago it was out of stock but the other three they offer were still available I even got the part to add a bipod also
 
I eventually got 2 20 rd magazines from Springfield, one I got at a discount of 39.00. Since I got the rifle I've installed a Sadlak NM spring guide and a Wolff recoil spring but haven't shot it yet with these add on's
 
Took my M1A in to the shop I got it at and having a Sadlak Airborne scope mount and a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50 scope put on. Waiting to get it back and hit the range
 
I've stuck with Springfield magazines and they've worked very well. I have the Archangel with the adjustable comb and length of pull. It's great. I found getting a little work done to the trigger helped a lot. Going from two-stage military to a crisper two-stage is a nice upgrade.
 
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