[USMA-82]

First time poster here!

I have been looking for an several months for an M1A that I can shoot Highpower Service Rifle competitions with (in addition to the DCM Bushmaster I own now). I had been leaning towards a Fulton Armory competition model, but saw a rifle in the local gun shop today that made me think twice:

Model: Springfield Armory Supermatch
Ser: 128xxx (mid-2000 manufacture?)

Barrel, stock and all metal surfaces seem pristine. This is a consignment rifle placed by a guy who buys a lot of guns, shoots them very little, gets tired of them, and sells (according to the store clerk).

Price is $1,629.00

Any thoughts?

 

[Mike McNamara]

I would not go out and buy a new Springfiled unless it came with all GI Parts (Not including the receiver).Your best bet is to have one Built for you.I know a few good Armors.If you buy a new Springfied.You would still have to replace a lot of parts and pay for the rifle twice.

Most people I know usually have the Springfield Armory rifles rebuilt.

You could also go out a buy a good used one with GI Parts.I think a few Shooter at my club in Reading MA .May have a older one for sale.Built by Marine or Army Armors.

Good Luck in your hunt for an M1-A.

Regards , Mike McNamara

 

[Spikenfritz]

First time poster here!

Welcome aboard, USMA-82! Grew up in Milford, and graduated from BU...

I'm actually doing the reverse of what you're doing. Bought my M1A SuperMatch below, and waiting on my DCM AR that I'm getting built for me.

I would say $1,600 is pretty cheap for a SuperMatch. I'd say go for it...

Just my .02...

Spike

 

[tatonka]

Welcome aboard, USMA-82
If they let you, field strip the rifle, give it a going over, check for GI parts.
If there is a GI bolt, operating rod, trigger parts, hammer and barrel, also Springfield Armory has a lifetime warranty, you probably won't go wrong. If they don't let you check it out, me I would walk away. Buy the rifle, not the story. :roll:
You would probably spend that much in building a rifle and not have a warranty. Hope this helps you, good luck and keep 'em in the black.

 

[kelvin85712]

I would not go out and buy a new Springfiled unless it came with all GI Parts (Not including the receiver).Your best bet is to have one Built for you.I know a few good Armors.If you buy a new Springfied.You would still have to replace a lot of parts and pay for the rifle twice.

Most people I know usually have the Springfield Armory rifles rebuilt.

You could also go out a buy a good used one with GI Parts.I think a few Shooter at my club in Reading MA .May have a older one for sale.Built by Marine or Army Armors.

Good Luck in your hunt for an M1-A.

Regards , Mike McNamara

I've had my SA National Match for about 6 months and about 1000 rounds later no complaints at all. With solid match ammo it is shooting very well at 600 yards. I've done nothing to it. I have not benched it, but it is shooting about the same size group as my sub 1 moa AR-15. I suspect is may even be shooting better at 300 and 600 yards with wind. I'm getting fewer flyers. I have not put the two rifles next to each other on the same day, so it is just a very unfounded observation. Previous SA products I have bought were fixed at 0 cost except shipping to factory. My thought was buy the rifle, do nothing to it, and any problems let the factory deal with it. It is a life time warrenty.

I suspect that the factory has a good process for building match rifles with the componets they have selected. Would I really expect better reliability and tighter groups if I start swapping parts?

 

[Regulator]

For a SNM in very good condition, that is pretty good price. One weak spot is the extractor, get a USGI one from somewhere like Fulton Armory, otherwise I personally think it will serve you well.

Regulator

 

[CTC01]

Welcome to the forum USMA-82
I currently shoot a SA M1A "Loaded" (1997 production) in competition,which I also bought used. Currently the rifle is much better than the nut behind the trigger but I'm getting better.
IF it is infact a Super Match that seems to be a resonable price. I agree with tatonka on the field strip and look for GI parts.
I believe the only GI on my rifle is the trigger group .
But my rifle has given me ZERO problems

 

[Lionseye]

The Springfield bashing is getting pretty old and pretty pathetic. Most of the people with problems seem to have small ones that Springfield fixes and works very hard to make good or easily fix themselves, or don't even have a Springfield M1A and are going on what someone they don't even know said. If they did have a problem there just be whiney because they got unlucky to get one with a problem in the first place and like to whine any chance they get, when someone is there to listen. I feel sorry for the person listening. All products can have bad runs and problem times, but that doesn't mean that there product is forever junk. You will find many, many Springfield M1A owners that love there rifles, and that's because it's a sweet rifle indeed. In particular alot of bad mouthing comes from the competition, which is pretty much worthless as far as your decision should go and alot of people pass it on as gospel, but it's purely biest and nothing else. I have a M1A standard that came with only a 63 H&R chrome lined and the rest of the parts are SA. I've put about another hundred and change into it having the gas system unitized, trigger tuned to 4.5, put in a Sadlak op rod guide, changed the hammer and recoil springs to chrome silicon Tubb's, reinforced the forend of my USGI fiberglass with epoxy, changed out the flash supressor and have a Sadlak TIN gas piston on the way and it's a fantastic rifle. It's very accurate, smooth in function and highly reliable when it's maintained like it should be and feed good ammo. I highly recommend looking over the Springfield and judge for yourself. If it's your first one, it may just be better to have Springfields fantastic warranty and customer service there if you need it, but you probably won't. You'll always be better off with USGI parts and a hammer forged receiver is better, but that doesn't mean that the cast parts are going to crumble at your feet no matter what someone says. Most of the gun manufacturers today use cast parts and if made well , are very durable. It is still steel and very strong. I myself have been making plans for my next M14 style rifle and have been looking strongly at a new LRB Tanker, but as I do love my M1A some much and am nothing but happy with it, I'm thinking I should save the money and buy a M1A Scout. With the money I saved, I could buy a whole other pistol to boot and be even happier. Judge for yourself, buy a nice rifle, loadup on 7.62 and shoot it till you can't feel your shoulder anymore. Lionseye

 

[Nitro375]

Years ago when I was much younger and didn't know anything about the M1a/M14 I bought one from an older gentleman who had never fired it, he had sustained an injury and was phyically unable to shoot it. I shot the hell out of that rifle with all sorts of mil-surp. ammo. Some of itwas very hot, in fact I had some from Portugal that would pierce primers on a hot Arizona day. In later years I returned to Wa.state [home sweet home] and got into highpower. Again I shot the hell out of that rifle. Now this particular M1A was an early production. It has the orginal USGI NM non lined [of course] standard weight barrel etc. The stock is also original USGI with the cut out for the selector and the circled p on pistol grip as well as the squashed eagle. As I progressed in highpower I made a few friends. one of them turned out to be a pretty good armorer and offered to help me put NM sights on it. Upon inspection we found that the rifle had a cast bolt [bad juju, Springfield recalled and replaced these several years ago] a cast op-rod and a cast flash hider. Well again when i was a kid I shot the hell out of that thing, didn't really know how to care for it properly and it always worked. In fact I have had exactly two malfunctions sine I have owned it, both caused by faulty ammo. I still have it today, its regulated to back up hunting rifle and blaster fun gun. I did replace those cast parts but they never did fail or show any signs of impending problems. It now resides in the safe next to my Super Match and a genuine NM M14. Sorry for the long post but they are a good damn rifle!! If the one you are looking at is in good shape it sounds pretty good to me!

 

[USMA-82]

tatonka: Is there a list of identifying marks or serial numbers to help tell if the rifle consists of USGI parts? What specifically do I look for if I break it down at the gun shop?

Sorry if this question has been asked a million times - couldn't find a complete answer doing a search.

Thanks!

 

[JohnnyReb]

That price is good to great for a Super Match in that serial number range. Also, If you ever want to scope it, that serial number range should take any scope mount you decide to throw at it.

Don't worry about the USGI parts count on a Super Match, it should have a match barrel on it anyway, not a USGI.

I had a Super Match pass through my hands once. It was AWESOME, and way beyond my skills.