Posted: 2/28/2008 4:28:50 PM EDT
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For those who have been around Highpower for a while: I'm interested in hearing about what life is like with a National Match M1 or M14 type rifle. I am interested in opinions of those who have used these rifles in competition--how long do barrels last, bedding, and other maintenance that you typically don't see with the M16 series of rifles? What do you like/dislike about them?  |
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ampn; Barrel life? About the same as AR's. Bedding? Things can go south after shooting in the rain with the wood stock, even if it is bedded and taking the barrelled action of any bedded stock isn't a good thing to do for maintenance/cleaning as it causes wear to the bedding. Surface bedding is sometimes needed between barrel changes. Too much maintenance/tweaking needing performed periodically. You have an armorer close by all the time to keep the rifle running to keep up with the hard dogs. Parts in short supply and very expensive to civilians. Lugged in the front and rear receiver is good. A rear lug isn't worth too much without a front lug. No lugs on the receiver, well the armorer that bedded the rifle, will have had to do an exceptionally good job to get the rifle to perform. Both rifles have too many moving parts. The gas systems, especially the M1 are very finicky. Cost of feeding them is about double in cost over the AR. Recoil/recovery time in rapids is more than double that of an AR. Shooting in the rain, the rain drops collect on top of the bolt. When you fire the rifle, these drops turn into a tidal wave hitting your eyes or glasses! I could probably go on and on. Thanks to the black gun, the sport of high power continues. IMHO, the sport would have died without the innovations and after market parts available for the AR-15 class rifle. Went black after Perry "94 and never looked back. I once heard a Marine Team shooter asked why the team went to the black rife for competition. His reply said it all and it still holds true today. "Either use one or get beat by one"!  Dave McGrath |
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+1 on Dave's statements. I do still like the M1 and M1A/M14 though. I watched the USMC in 03 go back to the M14 for the 1000 yds shooting and they smoked the AMU, but shortly after they had a rifle receiver blow up. Back to the M16. By the way they still had shooters with both types at 1000. Across the course the M16 just does so well and is the energizer bunny. 
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| I have been shooting the AR since the late 80s an, Before that it was with an M-14 . Barrel life was about 3500 to 4000 rounds ,bedding LOL you had to lug the rifle an have it skim bedded every time you change barrels . The sight for lack of a better word SUCK , . an if the rifle got wet in a match you lost your zeros. The M-14 an M-1 were night mares to keep together an hold a good zero .Bruce Kraft |
I plan on goofing around on the reduced course this year with an M1A just for the hell of it. I've shot it a little from prone at 100 yards, and it is a much harder rifle to shoot well than the AR15. I thought I was doing okay until I slung up behind my M1A.  The longer sight radius of the M1/M1A is nice though, it's a big difference even to my 26 year old eyes. |
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All good points. I shoot the AR a lot better than the wood rifles, but I enjoy shooting the wood rifles more. Maybe because we shot the M1 when I went to boot camp. Our club shoots the HP match and then has a Garand match right after. Maybe 15 to 20% of us shoot both. AR for the score and M1 for the grin. |