M1A NM upgrade

[Flyin6]

Time to upgrade the ageing Springfield which I have owned since the dawn of time.
Purchased it at Jim's Pawn shop (Really a big gun store) outside Ft. Bragg, NC in 1984, it has been an accurate and dependable shooter for many years (Decades??...ouch)
Shot it iron sights for some time then maybe 1985, strapped on a 4 X 12 X 57 and started benching the gun at 800 meters. Nothing official, just shooting known distance at a friends farm in Tennessee across the Cumberland river at things like Clorox jugs. That gun could always connect with that clorox bottle as long as it wasn't moving. I was amazed at that...and so far away.

Anyway became a closet queen, then a gun-safe hideaway. Wife gave me a Sig M4, 7.62 gun which is also a good shooter, but with an 18" barrel, probably lacks some accuracy at distance

With nothing to do a few mornings ago and a wallet full-o-cash, I decided to upgrade the weapon. Arch-angle furniture, always needed a bipod, new picatinny scope mount, and a new 30mm scope.

Brownells confirms delivery tomorrow:


DONALD HARWARD


   
ECONOMY   
03/22/2021   




Note: Tracking information may not be immediately available.
 
The following merchandise is being shipped
SKU Number   Product Name      Unit Price   Qty   Total
687-000-092   ARCHANGEL M1A ADJ PRECISION STOCK, BLK
   $265.19   1   $265.19
100-002-072   YHM638 BIPOD ADAPTER
   $18.04   1   $18.04
100-029-333   BIPOD FOR ARMS 17S STYLE BLK
   $99.74   1   $99.74
100-005-275   M14/M1A SCOPE MOUNT-PARKERIZED
   $234.99   1   $234.99

[BobbyB]

With nothing to do a few mornings ago and a wallet full-o-cash, I decided to upgrade the weapon. Arch-angle furniture, always needed a bipod, new picatinny scope mount, and a new 30mm scope.

You put that stock on there and I don't think we can be friends anymore. I can support the other additions however not the stock.

[stlaser]

 


Anyone want to take bets on how this turns out? I’m thinking Big D relents and agrees with Bobby......

[Nate]

 

[Flyin6]

With nothing to do a few mornings ago and a wallet full-o-cash, I decided to upgrade the weapon. Arch-angle furniture, always needed a bipod, new picatinny scope mount, and a new 30mm scope.

You put that stock on there and I don't think we can be friends anymore. I can support the other additions however not the stock.

Well, Bobby, been nice knowing ya!

OK, seriously, why not? What's wrong with it?

The M1A stock is meant to shoot iron sights. I need to add this ugly leather (Retains moisture) cheek riser just to get a decent cheek weld to shoot the gun scoped. This Arch-angel has adjustable check piece and length of pull.

I like the GI stock for nostalgia, but I am not displaying the thing but redeveloping it for a medium range gun.

[TexasRedNeck]

For what you want to do that stock looks like a great option.  Not a run-and-gun style stock but should be nice on the bench. But I think youd have more credibility prone on the deck. ;-)


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[BobbyB]

Well, Bobby, been nice knowing ya!

OK, seriously, why not? What's wrong with it?

The M1A stock is meant to shoot iron sights. I need to add this ugly leather (Retains moisture) cheek riser just to get a decent cheek weld to shoot the gun scoped. This Arch-angel has adjustable check piece and length of pull.

I like the GI stock for nostalgia, but I am not displaying the thing but redeveloping it for a medium range gun.

If you want to do anything with the M1A other than keep it OG, I'd recommend getting a fiberglass stock that matches the original lines... like

Stock:
https://mcmillanusa.com/stock/m1a/

Cheekrest:
https://www.fulton-armory.com/cheek-rest-adjustbale-kydex-m14-m1a-fa-by-tacpro.aspx


Then getting the the action glass bedded by a reputable good gunsmith, preferably someone who has knowledge of the M1A, or even better M14 series rifles. If you want to be even specialer than upgrade the barrel to a Kreiger or Criterion barrel, and upgrade the gas system. Basically turn the match M1A into an M21, albeit it with modern components.

The M14/M1A is going to be a 1.5 MOA(ish)shooter no matter what you really do to it. I'd recommend keep it as it is and do SOME upgrades to it, but in its original form it is more than capable of being a medium range weapon. The scope mounting is where the design sucks, but companies have developed some better mounts that fix that issue. I haven't messed with one since I was a SDM back in the day, and before the Scout PL took it away, but the one I had assigned to me was a wood stock and it was bedded, don't remember the scope that was on it but I only had it for a couple weeks at most.

[Flyin6]

Bobby,
I have a lot of time and history with the M1A/M14.
Been down the McMillian stocks which are super expensive (Like $900 ish I think
I've played with the bubbas cheek pieces thing-ah-ma-bobs
And I've learned that you give the old guy the M1A and set him up on the ridge, while you and the whipper-snappers charge the saloon.
The rifle already has the factory NM barrel so that's staying, and is accurate beyond my present shooting abilities.
For runnin'-N-gunnin' I have that trimmer Sig.

[oklawall]

I have one of the M1A and several years ago I was able to hit 12" steel at 483 yards repeatedly. That range is no closed so can't see if I can do that. Love the rifle

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[BobbyB]

Bobby,
I have a lot of time and history with the M1A/M14.
Been down the McMillian stocks which are super expensive (Like $900 ish I think
I've played with the bubbas cheek pieces thing-ah-ma-bobs
And I've learned that you give the old guy the M1A and set him up on the ridge, while you and the whipper-snappers charge the saloon.
The rifle already has the factory NM barrel so that's staying, and is accurate beyond my present shooting abilities.
For runnin'-N-gunnin' I have that trimmer Sig.

You have time and history with them sure, I'm talking about finding a gunsmith who has time and history working on them. Your rifle as it sits is a capable and effective medium range rifle, especially in the terrain that is around your farm.

[Flyin6]

Bobby makes good points.
But I'm pig headed and I went ahead and assembled the arch-angel, which I will show in the next few posts.

I can say it was not just a toss together proposition, not at all.

The stock had to be filed to fit. It uses an interference fit to hold the action securely in the chassis, but comes with unfinished trigger pads which needed quite a bit of fitting. I did not like doing that, and the trigger group does not come out as easily as it once did.

Anyway, with this build here are the major parts which are going to make up this new gun:

[Flyin6]

With the Springfield stock pulled down, the barreled action is pushed into the arch-Angel stock system

[Flyin6]

Here is the area of much fitting and cursing. Two raised pads must be slowly filed down until when locking the trigger group into the chassis it pulls things together very snugly

[Flyin6]

It took well over an hour to get to this point, probably closer to two hours, as I move slowly with something as precision as this weapon. But here the initial fit is "OK"

[Flyin6]

Next I fitted a lightweight bipod to the chassis, something this gun has been screaming for for a long time

There is a picatinny rail cast into the bottom of the stock

[Flyin6]

In the first pic, is the new Fulton Armory scope mount that replaces the Springfield ART IV base I had on there for decades. Now that it is on, I feel installing it was a mistake. It is not nearly as utility minded as the Army stuff is. The Fulton armory mount more or less mounts permanently, whereas the Springfield unit would unscrew easily if you wanted to go it with iron sights.
The really bad part of the Fulton armory piece is that the upper hand guard part is not removable. You have to unscrew the scope mount just to get the hand guard off, which I think is necessary to get a proper cleaning.
I went with the Fulton Armory piece because it was full on Picatinny and I wanted to use a quick disconnect scope mount which would not work on the Springfield base.
I may very well undo all that and go back to the 1980's (better) stuff

[Flyin6]

Here is where it all sits now, with the 30mm 3X12 scope mounted. Not sure if it is going to stay this way, so I think I'll sleep on it for now

I'm about a "5" on the 1-10 scale with this mod so far.

Now it does fit well to me. I do have a great cheek weld thet is right in line with the center of the scope, like immediately. The bipod is really nice and the way your hand wraps around the stock and into the trigger is amazing. Some good, some not so good at this point

[TexasRedNeck]

Only downside is you lose that skull crushing steel butt plate....


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[Flyin6]

Only downside is you lose that skull crushing steel butt plate....


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Yep, that's gone, along with the extra pound of weight.