Author Topic: Springfield Armory M1A  (Read 20805 times)

tombogan03884

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #40 on: May 29, 2009, 09:09:25 PM »
I could be wrong, but it sounds like he is warning about otherwise dry carbon mixing with the lube to form goo that COULD lock things up.
 I never touched gas tube on my AK's or SKS's, I just cleaned the piston and left the tube alone so I don't know from experience.

billt

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #41 on: May 29, 2009, 09:32:53 PM »
I've oiled the piston on my wife's Beretta A-390 Trap Gun since it was new. I found it cleans up a lot easier, especially after a 400 target tournament with a couple of practice rounds thrown in. I realize a shotgun operates at a much lower pressure than a .308, but it's never been an issue. Without oiling it really was a pain to get clean. I think it's like sex, drugs, or alcohol. Just because a little is good, it doesn't mean more is better, and too much is just enough.  ;D   Bill T.

long762range

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #42 on: May 29, 2009, 10:33:27 PM »
From the manuel, page 23

Tilting
the rifle muzzle down, remove the gas piston (27), clean with
bore solvent and wipe dry. Clean the inside of the gas cylinder
and wipe dry. Use a #15 aircraft length drill bit and a letter ā€œPā€
standard drill bit to remove carbon from inside the piston and
plug. Use 3M Scotch Brite (green scuff pad) to remove buildup
on the outside of the piston. Insert the piston into the gas
cylinder with the flat side up toward barrel. Make sure the
piston is completely below the threads in the gas cylinder
before replacing plug. Re-assemble dry - apply a SMALL dab
of grease to the threads on the plug.

CAUTION: The gas piston was designed to operate dry.

I think you are endangering yourself by oiling the piston.  I would remove the gas piston, rub it dry with a lint free cloth and reassemble it so that you do not damage that beautiful rifle.

You can find the manuel here if you do not have one.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?clicktype=rifles
"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous.  If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for."

billt

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #43 on: May 30, 2009, 07:46:14 AM »
http://www.snipercountry.com/HotTips/RifleM1A_Cleaning.htm

"Old time shooters warned me of never putting any cleaning solvent or oil in the gas cylinder. Something about gumming everything up. Hmmm. This I just had to see. So I proceeded to clean the cylinder with solvent and lightly lube it and the piston with gun oil. Never found any gum and the rifle always functioned normally."

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-77623.html

"Don't remember much, 'sept for lithium grease on the bolt guides, and thin oil on the gas piston."

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-136485.html

"Gas system needs to be kept dry (you can run a single drop of light oil/solvent, but if you're having troubles, keep it dry)."

I think this is one of those things that is up to the shooter. It would appear there are as many people who say not to do it, as there are people who do. Nowhere did I see, (including the Springfield Armory Manual), that you were putting yourself or the rifle in danger by doing it. Personally I think if you clean your weapon often it will help, if you are the type who goes for long amounts of time and ammunition between cleanings, it might not be beneficial. I don't think it's anything to worry about either way from a safety standpoint.  Bill T.

JdePietro

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #44 on: June 15, 2009, 01:38:22 PM »
Sorry for the late reply, I honestly forgot about this thread.  :o

As was pointed out per the SAI manual, it was meant to be a dry system, period.
So much of the magic that the rifle has to offer comes specifically from the piston.

You cannot attain consistancy when lubing your piston, at the very least you are effect repeatable accuracy. At the very worst you can clog the bleed off holes from carbon and lube build up, when you finally do this the extra gas is going to find one way or another to escape. I would think a ceased nut would be a good indicator of this.

If you are looking for a way to make piston cleaning easier try a dry lube such as Eezox or other. Make sure it is completely dry and only use a very small amount. This will aid in cleaning and will not gum it up or effect accuracy.
This is what has been said and tried about pistons, the results speak for themselves.

http://m14tfl.com/upload/showthread.php?t=70869

http://m14tfl.com/upload/showthread.php?t=65394&highlight=Gas+Piston+testing

If your piston nut is on so tight that you have given up on trying to remove it there is very much a problem and I would cease fire and have the rifle checked by a gun smith pronto! Your piston should be cleaned every 300 rounds with a "O" and "P" sized drill bit, some also use a crocus cloth to help polish the piston. Not doing this is also going to cause excess pressure to build. If anything I would dare say your rifle is a testiment as is to how well the system is built and how much abuse it can take, but now I think she deserves some RR.

How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
-Henry David Thoreau

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #45 on: Today at 04:22:54 AM »

2HOW

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #45 on: June 15, 2009, 01:41:55 PM »
The SOCOM II is my current 'slobber gun'.......every time I see a picture, I slobber all over it....I really want one.

SLOBBER ,SLOBBER  me 3
AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY

billt

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #46 on: June 27, 2009, 08:56:07 AM »
I had my Springfield SOCOM 16 out at the range yesterday afternoon, just to run a few rounds through it and check functioning, sights, etc. I didn't run any handloads through it, just factory Winchester White Box and some Mag-Tech .308 ball I bought the other day. The gun ran flawlessly. Not one single FTF or FTE in the 10 round magazine the gun came with, or both my 20 round factory Springfield mags. I even tried the 10 round mag my Camp Perry Edition M-1A came with. Zero issues. As far as accuracy with the stock sights the only thing I didn't care for was the rear aperture on the SOCOM 16. It is a bit too large for me. I realize this is primarily a CQB rifle, but with such a large rear aperture you have to really take time to center everything properly if you're shooting at 100 yards or more. With that said I could maintain around a 4" group at that distance off a rest. Shooting conditions were ideal except for the heat which was around 103 yesterday late in the day.

Recoil was not an issue as the factory brake works very well. Muzzle blast was high naturally with such a short barrel. I wasn't deterred by any noticeable flash, but that was no doubt because of the bright sunlight. Shooting at night would of course be a whole different story. The gun will require optics to do any real accuracy testing, and that is something I haven't decided on yet, and most likely won't until Fall when things cool down a bit. Here in Phoenix Summertime shooting is difficult with the ultra high temperatures we have. Once you heat up a barrel, it simply takes forever for it to cool down. I used up a full can of that "canned air" trying to keep the barrel of the SOCOM cool enough to touch.

For Pluses I would rate the gun as follows. Extremely well balanced and easy to shoulder and get fast sight acquisition. It was very easy to perform fast, accurate double taps with this rife with just a bit of practice at the closer ranges. For a gas operated semi automatic the gun is easy to operate and magazine changes can be accomplished quite effortlessly once you have worked with the gun for a while. The sights are good and easy to adjust and very fast to align because of the large rear aperture. I found it to be quite easy to ring 12" steel gongs offhand at my clubs 200 yard range. Recoil is not bad and the stock configuration works well to absorb it. Even my wife found the gun not at all uncomfortable to shoot.

For the minus column there really aren't too many marks I can place against this rifle. Cost is of course quite high and it's price tag keeps it out of the hands of many shooters, but at the same time it reflects the quality the Springfield M-1A weapons have become associated with. Also I agree with the assessment of this gun not being good for social work at all. Shooting this weapon in the confines of a modern track built house would result with a serious over penetration issue, not to mention substantial hearing loss! With FMJ Mil-Spec ammunition this rifle could easily penetrate a home from one end to the other. The legal ramifications of that could be devastating. There are simply far better choices for home protection.

When all is said and done this is a very high quality "fun gun". It is a gun I will be bringing to the range often. With good optics and the right loads I have zero doubt the accuracy will be good if I want to explore that relm. Most likely I'll keep this weapon box stock. It is a fantastic rifle for putting a lot of lead down range in a really fun way. I think in it's factory stock configuration the gun would make an excellent woods, brush hunting rifle for deer, elk, or other similar size game. For Javelina I can't think of a better weapon. Of course if you were to employ the gun for that purpose it would require the use of a 5 round magazine to comply with local hunting regulations. All in all I'm very satisfied with the overall performance of this gun, and I'm glad I made the purchase. About all I need to do now is handload in a large volume so I'll be ready for shooting it when the weather cools down in the Fall.  Bill T.

PegLeg45

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #47 on: June 27, 2009, 11:10:22 AM »
Outstanding info, Bill, thanks for the excellent report.
Glad you are enjoying your rifle.
Now that makes me want one even more since I like seriously fun guns.   ;)
"I expect perdition, I always have. I keep this building at my back, and several guns handy, in case perdition arrives in a form that's susceptible to bullets. I expect it will come in the disease form, though. I'm susceptible to diseases, and you can't shoot a damned disease." ~ Judge Roy Bean, Streets of Laredo

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billt

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #48 on: June 27, 2009, 01:25:42 PM »
Now that makes me want one even more since I like seriously fun guns.   ;)

You know what, you make a very good point about the "fun gun" part of this whole sport. As I get older I keep over complicating my reasoning for purchasing a given firearm. In the last few months I've more or less cut loose from that philosophy and selected some firearms that I just "wanted". The Springfield SOCOM being among them. I must honestly admit I'm the happier man because of it. I can't take all the credit. Melanie has told me, "If you want it, just GET IT!" It has worked out for the best. She loves shooting the SOCOM! Something about ringing 12" steel offhand at 200 yards that to me has become just as satisfying as a one hole group off a bench rest. Sometimes more so. I'm going to reconsider buying some of the guns in the past that I've rejected because of some reason or another of, "just not needing it". One I have on the list right now that really looks like fun is this new Colt M-4 .22 LR. For $500.00 and change it looks like a good way for the wife and I to kill a Saturday afternoon along with a few bricks of rimfire!   Bill T.

shooter32

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Re: Springfield Armory M1A
« Reply #49 on: June 29, 2009, 09:09:02 AM »

One I have on the list right now that really looks like fun is this new Colt M-4 .22 LR. For $500.00 and change it looks like a good way for the wife and I to kill a Saturday afternoon along with a few bricks of rimfire!   Bill T.



New gun,the wife and a few bricks of rimfire ;D Sounds like a blast to me.
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. ~ Gerald Ford - August 12, 1974

 

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