Question about m14/M1A posts

[RBruce]

Just wondering if the reason for so few posts about M1As is because they are not Military surplus?

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[browningautorifle]

Comparative rarity I should think.

[Bob Seijas]

Not enough info out there. I've been trying for three years to find somebody to write a detailed article for the GCA Journal on them, no luck. The guy who knows the most won't do it.

[A square 10]

not positive im following your question , but here is what i got for you based on what i think i read ...

NO - the M1A is not military surplus , it started as a commercial version in semi-auto of the M14 military rifle [ they were select fire - illegal machine guns ] originally they used military spec parts salvaged from demilled M14 rifles , now - not so much , so ... they are as close as you will get without the proper licence/tax form to the original thing , there are some real ones in hands of folks with money [the real thing is real expensive] if you look for early M1As you will find rifles with mostly mil-spec bits ,

[jmoore]

I think it's just as well. We do have some forummers with real M14s that do post here, but you may find they're mostly in Italy!
The civilian version, whilst it is a close as most folk need for shooting purposes, doesn't have nearly the ties to military history.
Plus, from what I've read elsewhere on the interwebs, would be more clutter than help here. Not that it isn't a large subject in of itself!

That said, I'm a fan.


Some "modern" M1As


A Sheriff's Dept. Winchester M14 that we modded a bit


Select Fire M1A


Way "old school" M1A, only the receiver itself being commercial manufacture

Etc., etc.

[Bob Seijas]

The "old school" is just like mine. I see the wooden handguard and no-flipper stock. Nice.

[RBruce]

I'm quite familiar with M14s and M1As. My question was why so few posts about either considering that the forum is listed as M1 Garand/M14/M1A. Also, the M1As are hardly rare.

[browningautorifle]

I want one of those M1A trees like Jmoore has. Then I can just grow my own...like I said before, I still think it's comparative rarity. But we seem to have a thread going now...

[RBruce]

The M1A was a semi-auto rifle similar to the USGI M14, and was first produced by Springfield Armory in 1974. Since then, many other manufacturers have produced their version. According to available information, there are around 400,000 semi-auto M14 type rifles in the US. Here is a list of some of the manufacturers:
Armscorp
A.R. Sales Co./(Springfield Armory Inc. Devin/Radium Texas)
Enterprise Arms
Federal Ordinance
Fulton Armory
H&R Gun Co.
L.H. Gun Co.
LRB Arms
Norinco/China North Industries
Poly technologies
Smith Enterprise
Smith Ltd.
Springfield Armory, Inc. (Geneso Illinois)
James River
Rock Island

[A square 10]

well , if all you want is posts - so be it , i think others will be happy to share theres and ill share mine , i have an Sprinfield Armory rifle with both a synthetic to shoot with and an original M14 stock/sling/clean kit for mine , it displays well as well as gets shot in its shooting format , i set it up with an ARMS mount , rings , and leupold scope , it shoots great , i added a harris bi-pod to the synthetic stock , gets shot some every year ,