[jwb211]

I purchased this from a family friend years back and stuck it in the safe. He purchased it new and has always told me it was "millitary match" model. I have never found any reference to that name. I emailed Springfield a while back with the serial# and got this reply " The below mentioned serial number left our factory as a standard M1A rifle on 06/28/1979" I think the stock was originaly fiberglass and I do have it.

The hammer is marked SA 5546008 but I could not get a good pic of it.

I am currious if anyone can give me anymore information on the M1A.

Thank you in advance for any information.

PICS:

 

[Buford]

Sir, you have a nice example of an M1A. with USGI parts. Good for you!
The bolt is TRW, op rod is Winchester, trigger group is H&R, barrel is SAK. Enjoy.

 

[Charlene32]

nice dark birch stock too. you got yourself a real collector there. looks bran spankin' new! im almost certain you paid less than what it is worth. you should be proud.

 

[jwb211]

Thank you both for the help so far. Has anyone ever heard of "millitary match" before? Or is it something someone just decided to call it?

 

[Charlene32]

i think the term "millitary match" is synonymous with "national match"....or NM. SAI made NM rifles that had heavy barrels and tuned triggers for accuracy. im sure a more qualified expert will come along and give a better analyzation of what you have and its value. preban M1As hold their value well due to their GI parts, but you have an old style pre ban with the receiver that is stamped "7.62mm" which is no longer stamped on M1As. so i would say that your rifle is a tier up from just a regular late 80's preban. what is the history of the rifle? safe queen? it looks it.

 

[Whatsinaname181]

Perdy!!!

 

[SAPPNASTY]

Love the stock personally. Looks almost like someone blued the flash hider...Nice rifle and great score!

 

[jwb211]

As far as I know from memory and the original owner it has only had one mag through it. He took myself and his son out to shoot it about 20 years ago and let us kids take a few shots and he finished off the mag. He then said he could not handle the recoil like he could when he was in the service and to my knowledge it has not been fired since.

It lived in his safe until several years ago when I acquired it from him and it has lived in the back of my safe since then.

 

[sirtirithon]

Beautiful rifle!

 

[mescalito]

If your friends dad purchased it new and never did anything to it other than 20 rounds, then it is as SAI says, "Standard" with a NM barrel. If the rifle was purchased used it is possible that it has NM modifications.
The more I look at the pictures, the more I think this was purchased used by your friend's dad. I say this because, and I could be wrong, but I doubt SA would sell a Standard with a NM Sak barrel, Win op rod, HR trigger group, SA hammer, and TRW bolt.
Someone more knowledgable will chime in I'm sure.

 

[bd111]

She's a keeper. In 2011 people spend as much as $500 for a NIW Saco-Lowell medium contour NM barrel alone. Might be lightly glass-bedded under the heel and the trigger group's feet. Appears to fit the furniture well. Front end looks good on ferrule-band clearance and barrel draw. You need to trim the handguard a little to get rid of the contact with the stock and receiver. If it's loose a little silicone will set it in at the front and lift it off the barrel at the rear. I probably have a spare stripper clip guide and pin if you need it. Did you have a scope on it?

 

[tnw50cal]

Thank you both for the help so far. Has anyone ever heard of "millitary match" before? Or is it something someone just decided to call it?

It's got a USGI contract SAK National match barrel. SAI long ago quit using those in NM built rifles, but on a rifle built in 1979 SAI had them and could have built a rifle with it.
Since nobody mentioned it yet the windage knob is USGI made by Druge Brothers for TRW.
You got a real nice USGI parts, early SAI rifle. And since you're not suppose to ask about price, I can't tell you that I figure at the very least it's worth about $1600 to $1800 maybe more as it is with that barrel(barrel makes it worth more). But don't sell it, they don't make them like that anymore.

 

[Charlene32]

yeah, i was wondering about if it left the factory as a NM too. dont the match rifles that SAI makes come with a NM rear peep sight?

 

[Reaper6]

If you're looking to sell, let me know...

 

[RAMMAC]

My opinion is that it's been reworked by someone.

A few things that I noticed;

• A standard rifle in 1979 would not have had a NM barrel from the factory. I have a standard from 1980 and my barrel is a standard weight profile.
• There is a good chance that it would have had the M1 Garand bar type windage knob in 1979.
• The blued parts up front were not standard, all of mine are parkerized.
• There are marks on the threaded hole on the left side of the receiver and the cartridge clip guide is missing, signs that someone had a Springfield style scope mount installed at one time.
• The wood under the butt plate is fresh and doesn't show any sign of having been oiled or colored.
• The butt plate is well used, some pretty deep dings as if it were used by military personnel.

This is pretty much like a modern loaded model rifle rather than a standard. I think somebody attempted to make this a match style rifle after buying it as a standard model.

By the way, have you tried shooting it with a full 20 round magazine? I ask because the op rod guide (it's a standard, original shaped guide by the way, not a match style) seems to not project very far in to the mag well. If the guide doesn't project far enough in to the mag well you can have problems with magazine retention, the mags can fall out while firing.

 

[CGGUNNER]

Very nice piece.
I love the stock!!

 

[MemphisMachinists]

Whats with the last 2 digits of the serial number? Nice rifle no doubt. Did you say you have shot it yet or not?

 

[jwb211]

My opinion is that it's been reworked by someone.

A few things that I noticed;

• A standard rifle in 1979 would not have had a NM barrel from the factory. I have a standard from 1980 and my barrel is a standard weight profile.
• There is a good chance that it would have had the M1 Garand bar type windage knob in 1979.
• The blued parts up front were not standard, all of mine are parkerized.
• There are marks on the threaded hole on the left side of the receiver and the cartridge clip guide is missing, signs that someone had a Springfield style scope mount installed at one time.
• The wood under the butt plate is fresh and doesn't show any sign of having been oiled or colored.
• The butt plate is well used, some pretty deep dings as if it were used by military personnel.

This is pretty much like a modern loaded model rifle rather than a standard. I think somebody attempted to make this a match style rifle after buying it as a standard model.

By the way, have you tried shooting it with a full 20 round magazine? I ask because the op rod guide (it's a standard, original shaped guide by the way, not a match style) seems to not project very far in to the mag well. If the guide doesn't project far enough in to the mag well you can have problems with magazine retention, the mags can fall out while firing.

The only thing I could guess is that a company was doing conversions back the and he purchased it form them. He says he has not changed anything but the stock. So I am assuming it was purchased with the fiberglass stock.

The rifle did have an ARMS scope mount when I got it. He said he had planned at some point to scope it but never did. I thought it took away from the rifle so I removed and trashed it.

Is it possible the lady at SAI gave me the wrong information? Are their records known to accurate?

As I said before the only time I know the rifle was fired was about 20 years ago. I don't remember anything about mag problems but I have a hard time remembering what I did yesterday much less that long ago. All I do remember is we had a blast.

Whats with the last 2 digits of the serial number? Nice rifle no doubt. Did you say you have shot it yet or not?

I obscured the last two digits of the SN. Not sure that it really matters but it seems to be a common practice lots of places and it has rubbed off on me.

 

[Al Mack]

You should dig the mount out of the trash. If you don't want it you could sell it, or have it if you change your mind.

 

[jwb211]

You should dig the mount out of the trash. If you don't want it you could sell it, or have it if you change your mind.

It's been gone for years. It was IMHO a horrible fit and finish.