I purchased an M1A from Springfield Armory back around 1984; has a full Kevlar stock and I won 5 state HP championships using it! It cleaned the 200 and 300 yard RF matches on a regular basis! It's got over 10,000 rounds through the same barrel....and it will still clean the 300 yard target!!
M1A accuracy by model
- Thread starter grizzly45mag
- Start date
USMCDOC
Silver $$ Contributor
I have seen a few shoot some great scores in the Farr Trophy, with an M-14/M1A platform!
Now mind you, not all of these scores have been shot with the M-14/M1A, but you know that there are quite a few that have been too..
http://compete.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-073.pdf
You are extremely lucky with your rifle. Even though it is a 2+ moa rifle. Most really go south at 4k rounds. Then keeping it tuned well enough to keep 2moa for that amount of time must have taken a deal with the devil.
They do shoot very nice when you have constant access to a good smith.
hpshooter
Gold $$ Contributor
"They do shoot very nice when you have constant access to a good smith."
An often over looked and under discussed point. The two RTE armorers who built one of my rifles and the Gunny who was in charge of the loading shed all told me it would be very difficult for most civilian M1-A shooters to maintain the level of performance the Marine teams rifles were capable of due to the maintenance required. The guns are hard on themselves especially with the long range loads the Marine team used.
The RTE shop had access to the test shed, pressuring measuring equipment and a machine rest for the 14's to tune and test the rifles on an ongoing basis.
In the time frame I am referring to, (Late 70's to mid 80's), civilian shooters were welcome at Quantico and the guys in the RTE shop were allowed to build rifles on their time for civilians.
An often over looked and under discussed point. The two RTE armorers who built one of my rifles and the Gunny who was in charge of the loading shed all told me it would be very difficult for most civilian M1-A shooters to maintain the level of performance the Marine teams rifles were capable of due to the maintenance required. The guns are hard on themselves especially with the long range loads the Marine team used.
The RTE shop had access to the test shed, pressuring measuring equipment and a machine rest for the 14's to tune and test the rifles on an ongoing basis.
In the time frame I am referring to, (Late 70's to mid 80's), civilian shooters were welcome at Quantico and the guys in the RTE shop were allowed to build rifles on their time for civilians.
Griz.
I don't Doubt a Former AMU shooter can do this what so ever... but please don't expect this to be the norm from a off the shelf M1A. Like anything else that is Mechanical and everyeone on here has Had that "one" factory rifle that just hammers even though there has been no upgrades to it. I believe myself Mr Jim and Mr M14 AMU would agree that a well tuned M1A is certainly capable winning. The question was about your particular upgraded model and I tried to give some insight on some personal experience with that exact same model. It was OK, but in the end I had to do all the normal Match grade upgrades like everyone else seems to find out too.
Just last month we had a 30 Cal OLD War horse XTC Match in place of our monthly slot to get all those wood guns out of the closet. It was a lot of fun. I got my M14 out and shot it. It shoots great, Between a Practice and the Match I managed a Clean 300 Rapid 4X and a 198 at 600 yards in perfect conditions. But then again I have a McMillian Fiber glass stock, Kreiger 1"11 Heavy barrel, NM hooded rear sight that has been fitted to the receiver by hand to reduce slop and run out, Gas Piston fitted perfectly to the housing, Ferral tig welded, Double lugged receiver front and back that has been drilled and tapped for 1/4 20 bolt and pillar bedded and bolted into the stock. With the newer Bedding compounds out there I believe this rifle will last a very long time despite my twice a year use of the old dog. Please don't take this as bragging or some sort, My point is that typically I don't see 1MOA M1A's coming from Springfeild off the shelf. Not that it cant happen as pointed out above... it does but I don't think its the norm.
Kinda wish Griz you would give us a little more to work with on what your intentions are as some how there has been some sort of infighting going on here between old and new.
check this out. http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-056.pdf
This is the Service Rifle National Champion at 1000 yards. The AR10 Came on the seen around 2008 or 2009.
2008's winner shot a AMU built M1a using factory Gold Medal 175gr Federal Ammo that year.
2012 in the middle of the huge push for the AR10.. Cpt. Freeman went into the Armory selected 5 M14;s off the rack that had been built back on the late 80's early 90's and tested them all. Took a different one to Interservice and Perry for 2012 and 2013 and beat the AR 10 guys two years running. So its still viable in that game.
Cpt Freeman also won the last two Championships.. 2015 and 2016 which is not updated yet. Those two where with the AR10 however.
Russel
This is the Service Rifle National Champion at 1000 yards. The AR10 Came on the seen around 2008 or 2009.
2008's winner shot a AMU built M1a using factory Gold Medal 175gr Federal Ammo that year.
2012 in the middle of the huge push for the AR10.. Cpt. Freeman went into the Armory selected 5 M14;s off the rack that had been built back on the late 80's early 90's and tested them all. Took a different one to Interservice and Perry for 2012 and 2013 and beat the AR 10 guys two years running. So its still viable in that game.
Cpt Freeman also won the last two Championships.. 2015 and 2016 which is not updated yet. Those two where with the AR10 however.
Russel
200-20x must be record at 1000yd!
I have had several m14's and used M14's I still have 2 match rifles that both have double lugged receivers one is a Springfield Armory. If you can maintain them you can get .5moa but it takes work and a supply of parts to keep the rifle there. Mine sit on the wall as a display which I never shoot any more. I now only use the AR platform. I can build a true 1 hole rifle that is consistent and all i have to do is clean. The M14 you will always be working on to keep it accurate.
I found one reference that says the 1000 yard V ring was 20 inches which would be 2 MOA. Maybe someone else has a reference on this.
. Mr Jim I want to say I have a lot of Respect for you and what you have done in the shooting circles in the past so please don't take this as an attack or slight. As time goes by I find myself bleeding facts with what I thought happened and Please if you would.... point to some facts about these 100- 20V cleans.
The 200 and 300yd 5V target had a 6" five ring and 4" V ring. Rifle Target 'A" Almost the same as todays 3" X ring and 6" Ten ring.
The "A " 5 V target used until 1966 for XTC and was indeed a 6" V ring and 10" 5 ring. Stock Number L001-8421700. ( this is the 500 and 600yd target not the 1000yd target) This changed in 1967 with the new Decimal Target as they changed the scoring rings to 10 and X with the X ring being 1 MOA Six inches and ten inches and Ten ring 2 MOA Twelve Inches for the 600yd and Twenty Inches for the 1000yd.
Long Range held out a little longer with the 5 V target and did not change until the year 1975. You can see that in the post that USMC DOC posted about the FARR trophy. Which oddly enough has some similarity's to your reference to "had to stop do to light and Safety" comment above as Mr George Farr shot an 03 Springfeild in the Wimbledon in 1921. If anyone is reading this, Hap Rocketto has done some wonderful research on the shooting history if you get a chance to read some of his articles.
I went back and looked at some of the Camp Perry National Trophy scores pre 1967 and did not find a single double clean of 100 -20V on the short line Rapid fire targets. I found that interesting. An occasional 10X clean is awesome... but not the Norm just as it is today. Saw three this year... One from Msgt Mango at Interservice, and he had another at Perry in either the P100 or NTI, and Cpt Freeman shot one. Again not the norm.
Again Mr JIM please don't take this as an attack or a slight. And also note I am NOT the all knowing and make plenty of mistakes myself.
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http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-081.pdf
Here is the 300yd Rapid Trophy, Note it also includes the Math Rifle. Midelton Tompkins told me last year he was the first to shoot the 308 cartridge across the course and was cleaning house.
http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-054.pdf
The above is one of the 200 yard sitting Rapid National Trophy's.
Here is the 300yd Rapid Trophy, Note it also includes the Math Rifle. Midelton Tompkins told me last year he was the first to shoot the 308 cartridge across the course and was cleaning house.
http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-054.pdf
The above is one of the 200 yard sitting Rapid National Trophy's.
"The 200 and 300yd 5V target had a 6" five ring and 4" V ring. Rifle Target 'A" Almost the same as todays 3" X ring and 6" Ten ring."
I'm soon 77 but I can still find the way home. The 200 and 300 yard targets were 12" diameter with 4" V ring! The 1000 yard bull was 36" diameter with a 20" V ring! These were the dimensions until the decimal tgt came into being!
Jim, one thing that we all remember, and is more important than the size of the targets, is what a pleasure it was and is to be on the range with such great shooters, such great people. The arms have changed, the targets have changed but the people are still the greatest. At my age my days remaining to enjoy the sport are growing short which makes each one more special. Take care, Clyde.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
I have a springfield armory M1A with a NM trigger group and barrel. I took it out of the original stock and bedded it into an old take off. I did a few other minor things. Its been a solid moa rifle if not 3/4 moa, irons off a bench. Thats with a handload. I have no idea how common this is, I used it in service rifle for a short time but that type of shooting isnt really my thing.
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