Looking to get an M1A to feed my evil rifle habit, and know that SA was making it's own parts as the
GI parts were drying up. QC problems followed thereafter.....

Is there a particular serial # range to look for (Ex. #123456 or below)? There is a big show coming
up in Chantilly in a few weeks, so I wanted to know what to look for.

I saw a few nice looking used ones at the last show, but wasn't sure if they fell in the 'suspect'
range or not.

Quoted:Is there a particular serial # range to look for (Ex. #123456 or below)? There is a big show coming up in Chantilly in a few weeks, so I wanted to know what to look for.

As I understand it stay under #160xxx...Now, that is what a fellow member of Battlerifles.com who has been keeping an eye out for problems came up with...I have a NM M1A #157xxx and have been ok so far...Hope that helps...

My dad had problems with the bolt and original trigger group on his SA M1a built in 1983.  Replaced them with TRW and it ran fine.

One thing I will say about mine is the NM trigger pull is sweet...I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping that my gun will not have problems...

Quoted: Who's to say that the previous owner(s) didn't rplace some or all of the civvie parts with GI? You would be better off inspecting the rifle than relying solely on serial number. IMHO.

I forgot to mention mine was NIB and I did give it the once over...

Clean and lube it well BEFORE that first range visit and be sure the bolt face and chamber are dry.
Feed it some quality 150 fmj's like the Aussie(ADI) surplus.  Good luck with your new m1A.  Bet you can't own just one.

Paladin

Quoted: Clean and lube it well BEFORE that first range visit and be sure the bolt face and chamber are dry. Feed it some quality 150 fmj's like the Aussie(ADI) surplus.  Good luck with your new m1A.  Bet you can't own just one.hr

you mean 144gr right?

The only problem I have ever experienced with my rifle was that every once in a while the last round fired kind of hung out in the breach on lockback, but it was loose, so no real problem.  My rifle was SER#133XXX, but when I went to scope it, found the threaded hole in the receiver was tapped crooked.  Sent it back to SA, they confirmed and gave me a new receiver, the rest of the parts are the same.  Though I have not exactly put the new receiver through a torture test, I have sighted the scope in, and plinked a bit, and had no problems.  The new receiver is SER#162XXX.
-g

Edit: Oh yeah, it's a Springfield Loaded M1A.