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Posted: 5/11/2014 6:39:05 AM EDT
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I'm looking at a 1987 Springfield M1A and need a sanity check on price and value.
Asking price is $1550 Here's the ad: 1987 preban Springfield armory m1a/m14 standard. 2 mags, gen3 Springfield scope mount 6.5-20x50 Simmons bipod not included $1550 firm. The seller also stated the following: "The receiver is Springfield the op rod and trigger group are H&R - serial #040207 & the bolt is TRW and the barrel Is Springfield - marked "Illinois". 
I'm a Garand guy, but have limited knowledge on M1As. Am I looking at a deal here? |
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If he changes his mind, $1550 is a pretty good deal. I would fo. Quoted:
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Never mind - seller decided to keep it. If he changes his mind, $1550 is a pretty good deal. I would fo. Seems like the price peak on these passed a bit. The standards such as this one seem to be coming up fairly often for less. Not a lot less but I've seen some below $1300 as of late. |
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Seems like the price peak on these passed a bit. The standards such as this one seem to be coming up fairly often for less. Not a lot less but I've seen some below $1300 as of late. Quoted:
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Never mind - seller decided to keep it. If he changes his mind, $1550 is a pretty good deal. I would fo. Seems like the price peak on these passed a bit. The standards such as this one seem to be coming up fairly often for less. Not a lot less but I've seen some below $1300 as of late. The fact that it is pre-ban and has USGI parts makes it well worth the extra few hundred dollars. This rifle is NOT the same as the Standards sold today. |
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The fact that it is pre-ban and has USGI parts makes it well worth the extra few hundred dollars. This rifle is NOT the same as the Standards sold today. Quoted:
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Never mind - seller decided to keep it. If he changes his mind, $1550 is a pretty good deal. I would fo. Seems like the price peak on these passed a bit. The standards such as this one seem to be coming up fairly often for less. Not a lot less but I've seen some below $1300 as of late. The fact that it is pre-ban and has USGI parts makes it well worth the extra few hundred dollars. This rifle is NOT the same as the Standards sold today. yes and no. Yes the old ones were made of better parts. I'd rather have an older one myself. and the No- If you shop around you'll find one at the same price as the later models. They're around and seem to be popping up more and more due to the lack of 7.62x51 surplus. Pre-ban status means nothing legal wise in most states now. Even in NY who went to a dateless feature base screw job. ETA- actually could come out in a good position, buy it at $1500, sell the scope and mount. Should be able to recoup $200. I'm not much on Simmons scopes but someone will buy it. I had a gen1 or 2 scope mount (mine as a single screw mount, not attached to the stripper clip dovetail), that I got with mine and it eventually sold. IIRC I got a $100 for it 10 years ago. |
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Good luck with that. I have one made in '90 that is more USGI than this one - everything on the gun is USGI (including the scope mount) - with of course the exception of the receiver. And though it is 24 years old and made with parts that were NOS 30 years old at that time - it looks like it is brand new still today. No way on earth anyone would touch it for $1200-$1500 - would never happen. You can't buy one from Springfield Armory today, even a complete USGI parts kit will run you $1500. And an LRB or equivelent - break out more than $2000. Not saying that they aren't out there for the price of a new standard model from time to time - but you'd have just as much luck finding a 20 dollar gold piece for under $1000 and the seller would be just as much a fool.
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yes and no. Yes the old ones were made of better parts. I'd rather have an older one myself. and the No- If you shop around you'll find one at the same price as the later models. They're around and seem to be popping up more and more due to the lack of 7.62x51 surplus. Pre-ban status means nothing legal wise in most states now. Even in NY who went to a dateless feature base screw job. ETA- actually could come out in a good position, buy it at $1500, sell the scope and mount. Should be able to recoup $200. I'm not much on Simmons scopes but someone will buy it. I had a gen1 or 2 scope mount (mine as a single screw mount, not attached to the stripper clip dovetail), that I got with mine and it eventually sold. IIRC I got a $100 for it 10 years ago. Quoted:
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Never mind - seller decided to keep it. If he changes his mind, $1550 is a pretty good deal. I would fo. Seems like the price peak on these passed a bit. The standards such as this one seem to be coming up fairly often for less. Not a lot less but I've seen some below $1300 as of late. The fact that it is pre-ban and has USGI parts makes it well worth the extra few hundred dollars. This rifle is NOT the same as the Standards sold today. yes and no. Yes the old ones were made of better parts. I'd rather have an older one myself. and the No- If you shop around you'll find one at the same price as the later models. They're around and seem to be popping up more and more due to the lack of 7.62x51 surplus. Pre-ban status means nothing legal wise in most states now. Even in NY who went to a dateless feature base screw job. ETA- actually could come out in a good position, buy it at $1500, sell the scope and mount. Should be able to recoup $200. I'm not much on Simmons scopes but someone will buy it. I had a gen1 or 2 scope mount (mine as a single screw mount, not attached to the stripper clip dovetail), that I got with mine and it eventually sold. IIRC I got a $100 for it 10 years ago. |
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Looks like this deal is going to happen after all.
It's the same details, with the exception of the inclusion of six 20 round mags and a single 5 rounder. The scope is included, but not currently on the rifle. It has a standard sight, but a national match rear sight is included in the deal. Oh yeah, the mags are loaded. :) I agreed to a $50 increase in the price - $1600 total. I'm a happy guy: 
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In the interest of a sanity check, I just checked around for a general idea of what it would cost to build a USGI parts rifle around a Springfield receiver.
I stopped wondering when I discovered that JUST a USGI op rod, trigger group, and bolt would cost nearly $800. I'm pushing ahead with this one - a pre-ban M1A with all USGI parts, less than 500 rounds total down the barrel (and 7 mags w/ nearly 200 rounds of .308) all point to a solid deal IMO. |
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I would agree. I did the same thing a couple of months ago. Mine was made in '90 but is similarly configured. You just can't get anything like them today without spending a good deal more. A complete USGI parts kit runs around $1500 these days.
One might find a pre-ban M1A for $1300 but one might be looking for awhile too. Earl Quoted:
In the interest of a sanity check, I just checked around for a general idea of what it would cost to build a USGI parts rifle around a Springfield receiver. I stopped wondering when I discovered that JUST a USGI op rod, trigger group, and bolt would cost nearly $800. I'm pushing ahead with this one - a pre-ban M1A with all USGI parts, less than 500 rounds total down the barrel (and 7 mags w/ nearly 200 rounds of .308) all point to a solid deal IMO. |
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I think it depends a good deal on the local/regional market.
TX and CA always seem to have higher priced used guns like this in my recollection. I click on an ad, see a price that's more than I expect and look and see the state and say, yup to myself. ETA- rifle alone to me is $1300 match rear sight is $100 scope mount is $50-100 used scope, {I'm not a simmons fan} $75 mags $20-25 ea as long as they're usgi from vintage or the current CMI ones. Any other aftermarket mag is a dubious thing. If they work, then ok then. ammo is worth what $.50 a round now?, some higher, some lower. I'm still shooting my $18 south african battle packs. 
I don't think you got hurt but you didn't get anything extra by any means. The sum of the parts is definitely more than the whole in M14's. Thankfully I built the ones I built a decade or so ago before the resurgence in M14 interest. Op rods were $125ish, bolts were $80-100, complete (standard) rear sights were $50, hell the sa inc receivers were under $400 then. The good thing is now a days you can buy good new production bolts, receivers, and op rods. That's a good thing for the M14 shooters. |
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Took it to the range yesterday to get it zeroed.
Ran irons only - the scope was removed already when I picked it up. Fired a 5 shot group @ 25 meters that could be covered with a quarter - right out of the gate. Same result with steel cased ammo, too. At 100 meters, first 10 shots in the 9 or 10 ring - this rifle is a damn tack driver. 'Twas a good day...... |
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