Developed with the M1 Garand as the basis for its design, the M14 and its semiautomatic cousin the M1A served with the US military from 1957 up to and through the Viet Nam era where it was replaced by the M16.
My Springfield Armory M1A National Match is a MA9221 model. It came with a GI wooden stock and has a carbon barrel. The National Match package adds national match target front and rear sights, trigger assembly and flash suppressor.
I have added a Springfield Armory 4-14 x 56mm 1st Generation Government Model 7.62 scope, a Brookfield Precision recoil guide, a SA Third Generation scope mount, and an Armalite “improved” 30mm one piece scope mount.
The M1A fires the 7.62 NATO (.308 Winchester) cartridge. I’m still working on the rifle but it has done many sub one inch five shot groups at one hundred yards using non-match surplus ammo.
I’ve just purchased a trigger group from the CMP for $35. This part, if new, would cost about $130. I’ll send this forged trigger assembly to the Fulton-Armory for a little tuning. Currently it has a bit too much take up and the trigger pull is just over six pounds. I bought a third set of stocks and painted it desert tan which will keep them a bit cooler in the heat of the California desert.
Since this photo was taken I’ve added a leather cheek piece to raise the stock’s comb up to a more comfortable level.
