Hello I just bought a new Springfield M1a and a AR10A4. I want to buy some bigger mags for them. Will a reg military M-14 20 round fit them? The M1A I bought is all black also I was wondering it is a pain to put wood on it instead of the black? I got a good deal on them from a family member both new and never fired. Is the springfield a good choice of all the makers of M1A's? Thanks Jimmi

Will a reg military M-14 20 round fit them?

In them M1A yes.  

For the AR10, no.  The AR10 magazines are really converted M14 magazines though.

I was wondering it is a pain to put wood on it instead of the black?

Piece of cake, easy as pie.

Clear rifle
Remove trigger assembly
Remove stock
Put on new stock
Reinstall trigger assembly.

Done!

Jimmi

The M1A in black is using a Synthetic stock.  This stock is probably better than a wood stock.  But I understand why you might prefer wood.

For wood stocks you have several choices.  You can buy a USGI M14 stock and your rifle should slip right in.  They come in prices from $10 up to several hundred for a show peice.  Be warned that they have a cutout section for the M14 selector switch which the M1A doesn't have.  It can be filled by isn't perfect.

Freds is the premiere supplier of them.

Or, you could go with a Springfield Armory one without the selector cut out.  They are expensive.

Or, you could go to Sparrowhawks which makes really works of art including a fake selector if you wish to get that original USGI M14 look.  

sparrowhawkm14.bizland.com/

Sorry, I don't have all the urls handy just do a google.

For magazines, the M1A uses USGI 20 round M14 mags.  Do NOT buy any aftermarket mags.   Good USGI mags are very durable and you won't need many.  I recommend going to Coles and buying them for $37 each or $360 for 10.  URL is

www.coledistributing.com/

Your AR10 was manufactured after the ban so there are no specific magazines over 10 rounds available.  However, M14 mags can be modified to work in the AR10 with a kit from Armalite.  The kits cost $30 each from Quantico Arms (I have not done business with them but have heard good things from others)

www.quanticoarms.com/asp/itemDetail.asp?dispItemNum=625&type=M&CMN=ArmaLite&CMNum=19&CMSNum=77&CMSN=AR10%20Parts%20&%20Acc

For the M1A you should visit

www.battlerifles.com

And for your AR10 visit the AR10 forum here.

Best of luck

Here's some background information on the M14 type rifle.  It answers a lot of frequently asked questions.

m14.freeservers.com/about.html

Thanks so much to all! I hope to get some wood on it soon. The black just looks cheap to me.Thanks again Jimmi

A like-new wood M14 stock is about $80 from Freds.  If you think you'd like one by February order it now, Freds is infamous for being slow.  I received a new Winchester M14 stock earlier in the week I ordered at least a month ago.  Nice stock that appears may have been on a rifle, but never put in a rifle rack.

Do not bugger any more M14 magazines to make mags for the AR10!  Buy conversion kits.  A buddy of mine, who tired of the AR10, has a couple of you're interested.  Email me off line (not IM) if you want to contact him.

Because the later M1A rifles use reproduction cast parts you may have to do some fiddling to fit your barrel and trigger groups to a real M14 stock.  Minor stuff and wait until you get a wood stock to see what you have to do.  The synthetic stocks are much more durable but lack the tradidional wood feel.   I had four (4) different M14 rifles issued to me while it was the standard US Rifle (these remained in Europe for NATO ammunition standardization long after the M16 was standard in SE Asia) and none had a fiberglas stock.  The glass stocks, with the right paints, will take custom camouflage colors very nicely.

There are several filler kits available for the selector holes.  The best (Hawks) need to be custom fit, they're not drop in.

-- Chuck

I bought a beautiful walnut stock from Fulton Armory to replace the original black synthetic. No problems. I kept the black handguard on it though. I think it looks great. I stripped the wrinkle finish paint off the synthetic and I'm going to attempt a camo job. It's almost as much fun to tinker as it is to shoot! (Well, almost.)

Just in case you also want a high end option...

Although they are mostly known for their Garand work, DGR also makes a stock for the M1A.  It's not cheap, but it's drop dead gorgeous.

I know that Fred's offers synthetic M14 stocks, but are they black, or that brown color?  thanks!

The GI stocks from Fred's are brown.  Most guys buy several and have some fun painting them.  There are some guys over at www.battlerifles.com and www.m14-forum.com that do some really amazing stock work.

A lot of people just paint them with Krylon spray paint.  You can get the used stocks pretty cheap, so you can have several!

You can buy a box of fibreglas stocks from Freds for the price of a like-new walnut stock.  They're easy to sand, fill, and paint up in camoflage or even candy apple red!

-- Chuck

Wood is good! I sure think that the wood looks good on it. Seen some cheap used walnut stocks but worried that they will fit loose.Should I just buy the new ? Jimmi

 One of the ARFCOM AZ members has an old GI plastic stock that he filled and painted in a seventies, gold fleck brown....it is one gorgeous M1A.

p.s.  personally, I'd sell that AR10 for a profit and pick up some mags and goodies for the M1A...a finicky or troublesome M1A is generally easy to fix or have fixed by a professional.  AR 10's often either work...or don't....and if they don't, sometimes they can't be made to.  However, if it works for you or it has some particular sentimental value....

edited to say that one of my major beefs with Armalite was their butchery of many M14 mags to make twenty round mags for the AR10...

you're blk krinkle finish stk that came from SA inc.is really a USGI  fiberglass stk,SA apples the blk krinkle to used GI stocks

What are the advantages to the fiberglass to the wood I think the walnut looks great to the black. A guy at therange today loved the black says it is so much better than the wood? Can anyone tell me about this? Thanks Jimmi

Fiberglass stock is water proof and won't swell up from humidity like a wood stock will (unless the wood has a waterproof coating). A wood stock left in the sun can become unevenly heated and warp until it cools off. The GI fiberglass stock is thinner than a wood stock, especially at the small of the stock.I've got both and the only advantage of the fiberglass that I've noticed is that a bedding job lasts a bit longer in the fiberglass.

The fiberglas stock is by far the better stock for the M14/M1A.  Birch is better than walnut wood.

That said I've got only good olde American Walnut stocks on mine, I just like the feel.  

You can change the entire character of your rifle with a fiberglas stock with different camouflage patterns.  Current darling pattern is, of course, one of the desert versions so we can all pretend we're sniping or hunting in Iraq.

-- Chuck