So why are the new  SA M1As considered inferior to the older models and not reccomended for purchase?

I have heard the use of investment casting is the primary reason?

TIA

Bingo.  Some people have had problems with the cast parts, most notably the extractor and reciever.

Isn't there a company out there making forged M1A receivers?

Quoted: Isn't there a company out there making forged M1A receivers?

LRB and (I think) Fulton Armory have begun to make their own cast recievers.

Quoted: Springfield Armory Inc. M1A receivers have ALWAYS been investment cast; only military M14s and Chinese M14S receivers are made from forgings. SA used to use surplus USGI M14 parts when building M1As, but those parts have largely run out, and SA has been replacing those quality forged parts with not-so-well-made cast parts, and these parts frequently break.  Extractors have been a big problem, but there are lots of cast parts in the new M1As that I would not trust. -Troy

Oops.  I knew they were always cast but I should have specified that the problems I have read about the recievers is that they have been out-of-spec in that aftermarket scope mounts would not fit correctly or at all.  

Lrb arms is actually making forged receivers - and plan to make forged parts by the end of the year (oprod, gas tube). Fulton uses cast receivers, and is said to be from Armscorp - very high quality.
Hope this helps!

Quoted: Isn't there a company out there making forged M1A receivers?

Armscorp made a small run of forged receivers, about 10 years ago. I think they charge something like $600ea.

Quoted: Isn't there a company out there making forged M1A receivers?

LRB and Entreprise?
M

Quoted: Quoted: Isn't there a company out there making forged M1A receivers? LRB and Entreprise? M

Entreprise receivers are milled from a raw solid steel block, and not first pressed into shape from a billet formed block.

The differences between just milling a block and forged is that in forging, a raw block of steel is pressed into the basic shape of the receiver before milling to grain flow strengthen the metal. The pressure and heat generated during the pressing is what causes the strengthen grain flow/alignment of the steel.


In casting, the steel is molded into shape, and then milled.  The downfall to this is that the in the process of casting, the mold (cooling effect) can cause irregularities in the steel structure.  The ideal way to create the receiver is to start with a billet block, stamp it into the basic shape, and then final mill it.

Since all the receivers are heat treated, the outer skin of the steel is going to be brittle on all of the receivers, it's the inner metal that will be either structural grain strengthened or not.  Considering that the M-14 bolt makes contact with the back of the receiver during each fire round, voids in the inner steel may cause the receiver to crack, or allow it to stretch at a faster rate than if forged strengthened.  

What all this boils down to is how long the receiver is going to last, and a point that may be mute on a shooter who may only fire 10,000 rounds threw the rifle in his/her life.  On the other hand, if your going for Plus 60,000 rounds, the receive should be forged type.

Note: Springfield has a lifetime warranty, so if the cast receiver does go south, they will replace it for free (original owner). The down fall is that they are using other cast parts besides the receiver in the rifle, so you may be using the warranty a lot since these parts tend to break before even getting the chance to wear out.

Good info dano, thanks.