Can anyone give me an appraisal or there experience with a Springfield Armory 4-14x56 1st generation riflescope. I'm looking to purchase a tactical bench scope for my Savage 10FLP .308. Don't need a lot of bells and whistles just a good clear set of glass and quality guts.

catusbill
      I have that scope on my custom built Savage tactical. I love that scope. It has never failed me in years of shooting. It is very Robust, once I fell on the rifle and the scope took a pretty good bang, but the zero was never affected. For me I got the best performance out of it with 168gr Federal Gold Medal Match, and 168gr Winchester Ballistic silvertip.

Some people like them and have had good luck but others such as myself have found they make rather expensive paper weights.
Mine spent more time on the UPS truck going back and forth to springfiels than on my rifle.
First time I used it the reticle was turning with the power ring. Sent it in.
Came back and mounted it only to find out I couldn't even bore sight it to the rifle as the windage was maxed out towards the left.
Off it goes again and they replaced it with another first gen scope. Each time they had the scope for about a month and they would not pick up shipping to them, only back to me.
Also consider that springfield doesn't even sell scopes anymore might be some indication about the quality.
Sold the new scope off and bought a Leupold.

I did like some things about it at first but too bad it was unreliable and after using other scopes the glass quality is just so so.

I had a 2nd generation and didn't like it at all.The range finding reticle was way too busy.It is also big and heavy.Many people have had serious issues with the quality of them.I didn't keep mine (200 rds)long enough to have any quality problems.Glass was average and the 56mm objective is too big.You could do a lot better with your money.Do a search here and you'll hear some horror stories.

I think there's a good reason Springfield no longer sells them.

I had a 3rd gen

It was on an M14 which may have had a bipod stud in contact with the gas cylinder so I couldn't tell if the scope wasn't ajusting right or if it was the varrying pressure on the gas cylinder.  

It was an SA supermatch M1A and I'm pretty confident now that I could mod a GI issue M14 rack grade to outshoot the SA supermatch.  <don't buy the SA rifles or pistols [mistake]

Good glass on mine.  The obj is big but with night vision that is what you need.  

If it had been on a bolt gun I could have told you positively wether ajustments tracked or not.  

I'ld say go for it.  I really like the bubble level in the reticle.

Thanks all of you. I did get a chance to handle one at Larry's Pistol & Pawn. Big time volumn gun dealer in Huntsville. I to thought it was heavy and the construstion won't win any beauty pagen. It was a third generation and I could have bought it for $500.00. I didn't yet, still thinking a great deal on a Nikon Tactical 4-16 x 50mm Mil-Dot will come my way. They seem to be the hotest tactical scope for under $1000.00

I have a 1st generation one on my PSS.  I haven't had any problems with it.  I wouldn't buy another one.  I bought this new back in '89, IIRC.  There are way too many better scopes to choose from now.
I'd look at Nightforce, Leupold, IOR or Burris.

eta: found a picture-
This has a sunshade on it, mounted on IOR Rings/base.
I had to send the scope back to SA to have them modify the scope so I could attach the sunshade.  SA did this at no cost.

Nice setup Red !

Here is an earlier topic on the Springfield Scopes:
www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=5&t=191421

My experince has been nothing but positive, others have had problems.

I would not rule out another Springfield Scope, but my latest purchase was a Nikon Tactical.



The .308 on top is the Nikon, the .223 on the bottom is the Springfield.

Best of Luck,
"Capt Richardson"

Captain is the Nikon the one on TOP ?
Thanks for showing me your AR's, bet you got more.
This is the latest purchase that I got to dress up.



Scope is not mine....

The Nikon Scope is the one on top, it is mounted on a DPMS LR .308
It is the 4-16 x 50 with Mildot
It is mounted using a set of Low ARMS Rings, which are on top of a ½” Yankee Hill Riser.
With this setup the rear of the scope is high enough to clear the rear BUIS.

The Springfield Scope is the one on the bottom, it is mounted on a Rock River Lower with a Custom .223 Upper.
It is the 6-20 x 56 3rd Gen with Mildot
It is mounted directly to the rail on the upper using a 1 Piece Armalite Mount.
With this setup the rear of the scope is not high enough to clear the rear BUIS.

In both cases the front objective of the scopes are about as close to the handguards as you want them.

I shoot the .308 off of the Cheekpiece on the PRS. I shoot the .223 nose to charging handle.  

I also used that Springfield Scope on my .308 Remington 700 for about 2 years, prior to moving it over to the .223 AR. So far so good, I plan on shooting with it until it falls apart.

Nice looking upper, good luck finding a scope for it.

Thanks,
“Capt Richardson”

Quoted: Thanks all of you. I did get a chance to handle one at Larry's Pistol & Pawn. Big time volumn gun dealer in Huntsville. I to thought it was heavy and the construstion won't win any beauty pagen. It was a third generation and I could have bought it for $500.00. I didn't yet, still thinking a great deal on a Nikon Tactical 4-16 x 50mm Mil-Dot will come my way. They seem to be the hotest tactical scope for under $1000.00

Actual NXS for a few dollars more, is a much better Optic. IMHO

pcurtis,

If you don't mind sharing, what kind of a price are you calling "a few dollars more"?

I paid $700 for my Nikon, and the best price that I could find on a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 x 50 was around $1200. In that case the Nikon would be almost half the price of the Nightforce. If you have a source that is supplying a Nightforce NXS for below $1200 then please let me know.

I have never owned a Nightforce Scope, but I have shot some of my friends rifles with NXS scopes, and based on that experience I would put the Nikon Tactical that I have in the "same class" as the NXS. Don't get me wrong the Nightforce NXS Scopes are very nice, but I couldn't find enough justification to pay almost double the cost of the Nikon for one.

The review below on the Nikon, which also references the NXS, has been around for a while, but FYI to anyone who is interested:
Nikon Tactical

By all means if you can get a “good deal” on a NXS grab it! However IMHO I am not sure that a NXS is worth paying almost double what the Nikon Costs.

Thanks,
“Capt Richardson”