What are the differneces between these besides the name.  percentage of interchangable components, etc?

Also, I have heard some say all M14s were select fire and other say that some were semi and some select fire.

Thanks

Among other things, the M-14 was produced by a variety of manufacturers especially for the US government.
The M1A is a commercial product, with the name trademarked, produced for retail sale by Springfield Armory.
I'll let the guys who own and shoot them lay out the technical differences for you.

I'm not an expert on this subject, I believe you basically got it right.  The M1A is a trademarked name by the private company Springfield Armory.  The real govt-issued M14 has a forged receiver where as the M1A is an investment casting.  Most of the parts from what I can see are interchangeable.  The DCM/CMP was selling parts from M14s that were ordered destroyed by Bill Clinton.  Check out [url]www.fulton-armoury.com[/url] they have a lot of info on this subject.  And also check out their link to the civilian marksman program.

Most commercial M14 clones(including the Springfield Armory M1A) have receivers that are machined from castings, there are some exceptions. Surprisingly the Chinese receivers by Norinco and Poly Tech are machined from forgings like the U.S.G.I. receivers. Some commercial receivers are machined from billets (blocks of steel). Castings and billets are certainly not to be considered junk based solely on the method they are made. Forgings are generally considered most desirable but then again you can find forged receivers that weren't hardened properly. All U.S.G.I. M-14 receivers were manufactured to be select fire, Some units removed the select fire parts so they could only fire semi auto. I've never met a Vietnam Vet who was issued a semi auto only M-14. The M-14 receiver is as I understand it a very difficult receiver to make. I don't know if there are any commercial exact copies of the military M-14 receiver. Most commercial receivers differ in some way, aside from not having the ability to accept the full auto parts, some receivers differ in the way the op rods lock into the receiver.

Also, I have heard some say all M14s were select fire and other say that some were semi and some select fire.

Thanks



I cannot talk for the differences in the M-14 and the M1A but they look identical to me.  My primary weapon in the Army was an M-14.  I loved it and have been looking at the Springfield all summer.  I purchased an AR-15 (From Tromix) first and debating on whether to get another .223 or the M1A scout they have over at Springfield armory.  




Yes.  The M-14 is select fire and semi.  The one I was issued was a semi.  Pretty much everyone I have ever seen was semi.  That being said the armorer could make them select fire (With a different seer?).  Why you would want to I do not know.  5 of us shot one full auto one day and the rise was a b!tch.  This is no BAR. I prefer semi-auto with most weapons though anyway. Loaded magazines are heavy as well.

Sukebe,

Is the Springfield Armory M1A a good weapon?  Will it be like the one I had in the Army?  I could buttstroke a tree with that baby and the tree would cry.

I am thinking of purchasing the Scout M1A from Springfield and would like to know if it is good.  It is either that or another 15, probably a Bushmaster.

A Springfield Armory is about as good as they come for commercial copies. Keep in mind however that in the past they have used as many U.S.G.I. parts as were available to them(a good thing). Lately however, due to the shortage of G.I parts they have went back to using commercial parts(maybe a bad thing, the jury is still out). If you are buying one, get an older one, not necessarily a pre ban , with G.I. parts.

from what ive been told a FA M14 after about the 3rd round it becomes a anti aircraft gun

Sukebe,

Thanks!  I will keep an eye out for an older one.  I hope I can find a "new" older one.  Who knows?  I am very patient to get what I want.  

I fired an M14 at Knob Creek.

It was great!!!  But I had a heck of a time keeping it down.  Its possible, but I bow down to the shooter that could shoot it in a burst and actually hit anything.

A young guy from Germany shot it and he did great.  He kept it solidly down for 4-5 shot strings.  His accurracy though, was poor.  His shot were impacting in area varying by about 1.5 to 2 feet25 yards.

On the same note, there was a guy I was watching shooting an FAL.  He was shooting at a plate out at about 110 yards.  He was standing and shooting two round bursts and wacking the plate each time.  It was VERY cool.  You would hear the rifle fire two rounds, then the sonic crack and then "PING PING" as the round hit the steel plate.

I own some M1A's. They are great (my favorite semi-auto rifle). With the M1A I can get off 2 round bursts by bump firing it.

My Springfield Armory M1A is one of the finest rifles I've ever fired.
The M1A is basically a semi auto M14...
Like the AR15 is a semi auto M16.

I've gotta go hug my M1A now...
[img]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/027/MS/uZ/wE/v780970.jpg[/img]

All M14 rifles made by the real Springfield Armory, H&R, Winchester and TRW were selective fire.  Most issue rifles had a removeable selector lock in place of the selector switch, making them temporarily a semiautomatic only rifle.

Some selective fire M14s may have been made by Smith Enterprise and Springfield Armory, Inc.  I'm not really certain.  

The main difference between the M14 and M1A is the selector stud, connecting rod and selector parts on the M14.  The op rod on the M14 is also supported by the connector rod and has a mid-receiver dissassembly notch.  The M1A lacks the selector stud and supports the op rod with, for the lack of a better term, a shelf under the op rod.  The op rod dissassembly notch is at the rear.

M-K Specialties is reportedly selling new, forged receiver M14 semi auto rifles.  I haven't seen one, but if you have one of their "remanufactured" M14 receivers and you haven't received a call from the BATF about it, you may hear from them soon.

The M1A pictured above appears to have one of Fred's kinda cheesy looking selector cutout fillers that resembles the selector lock and the end of the connector rod.

I fired my first M1A last weekend, HOLLY SHIT!!!
That bad boy is accurate. (at least the one i shot) I hit an empty bottle of bleach at 500-600 yards, i thought it would be heavy and inaccurate, I am totally a fan. I am now thinking to buy a Beasty M1A.

God Bless American Power!!

[sniper]

Got mine. All the rifle one man can stand! To me, nothing else even comes close (except for maybe a Garand). When at the range, others see the ARs, the FALs, and the HKs, but the M1A is what always draws the most attention; not only is it accurate and reliable, but it also has a look of authority that the others just don't have. BTW, the others belong to someone else; the M1A is my one and only rifle, and if it doesn't accompny me into the ground, I'm gonna haunt the sh*t out of somebody.

Does anyone know of an M1A board similar to this?

The M-K Specialties reweld ATF problem has seemed to be resolved, The problem seemed to be people sending there personal one  saw cut recvr's to MK, Also someone without an FFL bought a Bunch of MK recvr's and built them into rifles and sold them over the int-net " a big no-no !" those who got rifles from this guy had theres confiscated. M-K isn't the only outfit to ever reweld M14 recvr's.

Go here: http://www.gunandknife.com/forums/

aesthetically I find the M1A (M14) to be quite graceful. It's handling characteristics matches its beauty.