That’s a commercial trigger housing

 

I knew the housing wasn't TRW and it didn't look like the same quality as the other parts but I assumed it was an 80's replacement part or something. It didn't occur to me that it would be commercial. It works fine so I don't see any reason to change it unless the commercial housings are prone to fail or wear out quicker.

 

During the mid 90's, M14 sights weren't always available. SAI used M1 lockbar sights. You can find a NIB example at GB # 1126083729

 

That's pretty much how mine looked when I got it. I switched out the stock, i didn't like the black synthetic one. The sights I traded out with my cousin, the butt plate because I didn't like the rubber one and the flash hider because it had the lug ground off. I may switch out the trigger group seeing as it's commercial. I don't have any TRW ones but I have a Springfield one.

 

What The Shooter and Kurt said. SAI used quite a few lockbar sights in their early rifles, up to about SN 100,000. I’ve got 5-6 pairs from M1A’s.

 

My observation is the use of lockbar sights on standard M1As goes back to at least the early 1980s, in the 15k serial range.

For example, I bought this one in 2022. It was pretty original, including the early 1980s recall bolt that I had SAI swap out. These lockbars went on a refinished M1 Garand. (The clip guide is an SAI commercial part for one of their early scope mounts). The random use of lockbar sights on standard M1As are seen into the late 1990s. The NM and Supermatch rifles of that era always seem got the proper sights with metric pinions.

That 1981 SAI was a donor action that went through a bit of transformation once I acquired it…

 

My observation is the use of lockbar sights on standard M1As goes back to at least the early 1980s, in the 15k serial range.

1978 for this one. 8k serial #.

 

Prior to around 2005, SAI acquired parts and stocks from just about any source available. When building 200 rifles a week, they weren't paying attention to whether the manufacturers were USGI or commercial. They used whatever parts were on hand that fit.

 

I like lock bar sights as the elevation pinion has serrations around the full diameter engaging the receiver. . Later M14 sights have a single serration to engage the receiver. Right or wrong, I think the single point wears the surfaces faster.

 

With the exception of some SA, all USGI M14 parts are commercial. 😉

 

😒 you know what I am trying to say 😑

 

My early 1992 built M1A had an SAI commercial trigger group that would eventually go off safe if the trigger was pulled multiple times with the safety on. I believe the issue was not the housing itself, but the commercial cast hammer, safety, trigger, and other components that were installed in it.

Your housing looks like it is filled with good USGI parts. If that is the case, as long as it passes a safety check and locks up on the stock snugly, you should be just fine.

 

It locks up good and tight, works fine, no issues with the safety or anything. Only issue I've had has been a mag blow out while shooting. Accidently loaded a couple of a friend's flea market reloads in my mag while we were shooting together. Scared the hell out of me and bent the floor plate on a pro mag but no damage to the rifle and about 400 rounds later no issues. It's probably sacrilege around here to say this but his G3 ate those garbage reloads like they were nothing. You could hear some of them were WAY to hot but that HK didn't care.

 

The G3 has numerous peculiarities, but the delayed blowback operation allows it to eat just about any ammunition.

 

The Germans had a DMR version and Light Machine guns based of the G3 action .

 

I did buy a Portuguese clone of a G3 which actually has a lot of HK parts on it a couple of years ago but I haven't shot it much. It corrugate's my brass and I don't like it as much as my M1A. The trigger pull is horrible haha.

 

Some of the rifles have matching SNs on some of the internals like the op rod and bolt. If yours does thats great. Is there a SN on the other (left) side of the magazine well . ? It might be crossed thru.

 

No other numbers on the receiver, mismatched crossed out number on the butt stock metal, no serial number on the bolt that i could find. Bolt, butt stock metal are HK marked and the stock, trigger housing look HK but no markings outside of a serial number that doesn't match anything.