as it says above. got a new SAI standard this week and need the word on parts, extras, tools.  got the coupon card to pick up stuff from SAI.  ordering cleaning kit with combo tool, gas cylinder tool, ratchet bore brush, 4th gen alum scope mount.  my M1A came with the comp instead of the flash hider, would I still need the alignment tool? not sure!  
any other hints and tips?

Mags and ammo, lots of it.

+1

An ar10 rifle....

FPNI

SAI's scope mount is pretty much garbage.

Buy Checkmate mags; they're current USGI issue.

The big thing you need to buy is ammo.

Use the coupon to buy a flash hider, you don't need an alignment tool to install it.

GI Cleaning kit and ratchet are neat if you want them for nostalgia not very practical vs commercial cleaning stuff . A good one piece coated cleaning rod and a muzzle guide are usefull.

If you plan to do a lot of shooting the dedicated piston drill bit reamers are handy.

Reciever insert is pretty handy for cleaning without complete tear down. Here is a link to Champions choice with popular M1a cleaning goodies...
Champions Choice

If you are going to install a flash hider in place of the comp I would suggest getting the alignment tool.  Having a round strike the flash hider can ruin your day.  I second replacing the SAI 4th Gen scope mount with another one of better quality if you really want to mount a scope.  Make sure to pick up the wrench and proper size drill bits for cleaning your gas system.  Other than that I would just worry about mags and ammo.  Mags are expensive as hell on SAI's website, and they are made by CMI with the SAI logo stamped on the rear base.  For mags I recommend 44MAG.com...20rd CMI mags for $25 each with free shipping.

Palmetto sate armory has cm I mags for cheaper, and they have the 25 Rd mags in Stock. My m1a loves the 25 Rd mags.

Most of the M1A should be greased, not oiled.

You can find places on the internet to tell you where to grease it.  Deciding what to use will get you a lot of possibilities.  Some use GI issue grease, some use lithium, some use synthetic, etc.  It all works.

Some of it is oiled (sights, trigger housing/assembly, surfaces you don't want to rust (anything without grease on it), butt plate, etc.  It's parkerized, but that doesn't mean it won't rust.  So wipe the surfaces down with an oily cloth, just like you would a blued gun and you'll be alright.  Sweat on it, handle it, shoot it, etc. and don't wipe it down and sooner or later it'll rust on you.  I've seen some rusted M1A's at rifle ranges and just can't figure out why people don't take care of their stuff.

I've used (mostly) my GI cleaning gear for 36 years now.  Wore out some brushes, used lots of patches, solvent, oil and grease and put a few thousand rounds through my M1A and it still works/shoots as good as it did when it was new.  I seldom use the chamber brush.  I clean by pulling the bore brush and patches through the barrel from chamber to muzzle - so the crud I'm removing from the barrel comes out through the flash suppressor vs. being pushed back into the chamber.

I've only cleaned the inside of the gas piston and plug one time in the first 25 years or so I owned it.  I cleaned it daily while shooting corrosive (S&B) ammo but figure nothing much built up in it one day to the next, just didn't want it to rust on my overnight if I didn't get those corrosive salts out of it.

I'd suggest getting a good GI web sling for it.   And a GI synthetic stock, if it didn't come in one.  Wood looks okay, the GI stock doesn't mind getting wet, cold, hot, dry, banged on rocks, trees, etc.  And you can camo paint the GI synthetic stock and not feel bad about it.

I got a bayonet for mine.  Figured what the heck.  Found it at a flea market and the price was right.

Don't shoot hunting .308 ammo in it, at least not a lot of it.  The gas system in the M1A is best used with powders of a certain burn rate - to insure the gas system pressure isn't too high.  Heavy bullets (180 grain) tend to be loaded with slower burning powder that results in high gas system pressures.  The lighter bullets (125 - if you can find them, and 150 grain - most common) should be alright.

If you're going to have several magazines (it is a good idea) then you should have something to carry them in.  I have a GI web belt with two M14 magazine pouches on it (along with my 1911 holster and mag pouch and a big knife) and I also have an Australian bag with two double mag pouches that M14 mags. fit in nicely as well as a center pouch for other stuff.  It only has a shoulder strap but you know how it is.

Lots of folks talk about troubles with M14/M1A scope mounts but I've only used one and had no issues with it - but then again, it never comes off the rifle.  It's been there for almost 35 years.  Don't know the brand, bought it for about $60 back in 1978 or 79 after I got the rifle.

Good luck with yours - and remember, if you want to buy up some spare parts lots of good GI M1 Garand parts fit and work just fine on the M1A.  The whole rear sight assembly, the hammer, trigger, hammer, the extractor (may need a little work if you intend to shoot blanks but seems to work okay with live ammo) and some other small parts.

Ammo and extra mags

Depending on what stock you have already,  order a nice USGI fiberglass or walnut stock.

Cotton USGI sling for it or leather sling

Gas cylinder wrench so you don't scuff the cylinder getting the plug out.

Combination tool tool for the plug.

great replies guys thanks.  Mine came with the green syn stock that has a nice thick pad on it.   and as I said before it has the comp instead of the flash hider. I most likely will stay with the comp.  I did pick up a case of Federal  7.62x51cl ammo and found 2 magpro mags also to get started with it.  

So whats the problems with the 4th gen scope mount?  


I've been reading over the past week about the rifle. and will have some more questions coming as I get this up and running.  my first question that comes from what I have read is about the gas cylinder slimming.  while searching for info I ran into this subject a lot along with other small tweaks that are for helping the rifle.  just trying to find the facts from fiction

there is a cleaning rod on the coupon card. anyone know if it is coated??

But a coated one from Dewey and forget about it. Mine's been going strong for almost 17 years now without problems.



Ammo from Walmart is as cheap as .308's been for years now, and it's good stuff. My SOCOM 16 loves it and it keeps me from depleting my stash of Aussie surplus. CMI mags are the shit, I stick with 20-rounders because they feel best and fit in my mag pouches.

Ammo

Take the time to view Tony Ben's YouTube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/user/tonyben3

Ammo

Check Mate (CMI) mags are what you want.
CMI makes Springfield M1A mags with SAI's logo.

Ammo

Clean & Grease the rifle before you shoot it.

Ammo

Get good with the iron sights BEFORE you do anything else.
Modernization & upgrades are available

http://www.independencearmory.com/downloads/M14_Articles/M14_lubrication_instructions.pdf

Some lubrication instructions.  If you don't live in the desert, don't get all tore up over grease (or oil) holding dust and causing problems.

I don't use as much grease as shown above, but I use grease where he shows it.

Shimming the gas cylinder is one of the first things I did to my standard M1A.  It's very easy to do.  And it definitely shrunk my groups.

You'd need the castle nut pliers to get the flash suppressor off the barrel.

This video does a good job going over gas cylinder shimming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyYx0GpixM

Whole wood crate of them at the show yesterday, $30.00 each. Looked unused but the metal has some flash rust on it from being dry and sitting for a couple decades. They are still out there.

gun show this week here . will see what I can dig there.

+1,  ha ha  I catch crap all the time for using baring grease.  been doing it for 20 years. now I got it on vid.. ha ha..

great vid,  I looked at the front band on mine like he shows but mine is solid. not loose or shaking.   should I still check it when I do the first break down for cleaning

another M1A question.  still fiddling about with this. it just looks awesome. can't wait to get in going. but  I just noticed that my safety is super hard to switch on and off. I would ask if this is normal but theres no way in hell it could be. you about need a brick to hit it with to engage it!  is this something that can be fixed locally or do I have to send it back to springfield?   will it void the warranty if fixed locally?

Grease the cam surfaces on safety, If freshly parked parts it may take it awhile to break in and than it will work smoother.

OK thanks, waiting to get tools in to get it all cleaned up for first outing.  glad I didn't find this on the range!

Springfield Inc scope mount is junk, recoil will peen it until it's floppy.

Get a decent sling, flash suppressor, some CMI mags, and lots of ammo.

save your brass and start handloading.


Years ago "Freds" was a good place to get USGI surplus stocks, but I can't recommend him anymore.

That's normal. Safeties on them are normally pretty stiff. I don't even use or like a safety, so it doesn't bother me.

beautiful!!

Am I the only person that had reduced accuracy when going from USGI wood to USGI synthetic stock?

AFAIK, there are no USGI synthetic stocks out there. The only synthetic stocks are made commercially by SAI, and they're pretty flimsy and junky. Are you positive it wasn't a USGI fiberglass? Those should definitely be more rigid than both wood and commercial synthetic stocks.

That's probably what he meant.  I've yet to shoot mine in a  fiberglass stock.  But I noticed the lock up wasn't as tight as the wood, so I don't have high expectations.  Which kind of sucks.

Is your lock up sloppy too Vortec?

You're right, I guess I meant fiberglass, Fred's calls 'em synthetic - and yeah, mine locks up pretty sloppily.

I guess that's another check on the check list, stock lock up! got it.

Nice rifle.

I wonder if there is a way to tweak that.  It might help with the groups.  Otherwise my wood one is super duper tight.  Well, it sure was when it was new.

None I'm aware of without jumping down the rabbit hole of bedding the stock.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Way-Back-When the M14 was the competition rifle, a loose receiver to stock fit was taken care of at the end of the season with a skim bedding job. On the spot, on the range, a piece(s) of paper match book cover was torn to fit under the trigger group pads where they contact the stock to tighten the draw down of the trigger group. Off the range, pieces of flat plastic were cut to do the same job. Keep adding layers until you have the draw  strength that you want.

Thank you.  I did something similar to my Garand where the bottom plate of the magazine meets the stock.  With some thin cardboard.  Not sure if it did much, but I wasn't quite sure how to do the same thing on the M1A.

another newbie question here.
I had some time on my hands today so I removed the trigger group so I could just sit and watch a movie and work the safety to see if I can loosen it up some on this new rifle. need some advise on this.  when the trigger group is installed,  the safety is very hard to engage on. so hard that you ready need to tap it with a hammer. I can engage it by hand if I put the rifle butt on the floor and press the safety with my thumb and body weight behind it.  there is no click when I do get it to engage. disengaging the safety is a bit more easier.  the entire travel distance is hard to move when trying to engage it..
now when I remove the trigger group from the rifle and work the safety it is 100% easier to engage and has a nice click when it does so. its still stiff, but only at the point of engagement, not the entire travel distance. disengagement is super easy while trigger group not installed.

action fit into the stock is not totally loose but its not ready tight either. I can lift the action out of the stock just by grabbing the rear sight with thumb and pointing finger. very little force needed to remove it. no banging it on the table or anything to get it apart like in the manual.

so what would be the cause of a super tight safety only when its installed in the stock?

Are you charging the rifle before doing this?

NO mag. NO ammo.
Safety OFF
Pull the op rod all the way back.
Release, and let the bolt fly.

Engage the safety.
It should take a little effort with just your trigger finger and it will produce an audible click.

correct, as you listed. no mag or ammo, safety off, cycle op rod and let fly.   I'm currently searching for my mag light to get a good look into the stock to see it there is anything fouling the trigger group as I install it. let you know if I find anything in a moment or two.

ok,  after looking at everything closely I could not see anything out of wack for the past few days.  I come home today and take the TG out again in hopes of finding the problem and the problem presented itself right before my eyes. can't see how I miss it before but as I took the TG out I noticed a good amount of green stock shaving or small bits on the TG mating plate preventing it from seating all the way in. it locks up firmly without having to put my body behind now.   some of these bits had to be forced off firmly. got it cleaned out and reinstalled the TG and BAM I have a working safety now. its still very firm at the contact points but it works with just good finger pressure now......happy

I had a feeling it had something to do with the stock.  Glad you figured it out.  I should've mentioned my thoughts as it might have saved you some time.  I guess I wasn't sure how to explain what might be wrong because I didn't see it.  I know that when I take my trigger guard out of my stock, there's a part on the trigger group that has left like a drag mark in the stock.  Doesn't affect functioning, but them stocks can get kind of tight in there and could cause some issues.

I guess as they are suppose to be a tight fit its just something that I have to get use to checking. make sure everything mates up right!

Yeah, tighter is better for accuracy.