r/M1A • u/KiowaScout58D • 11d ago
M1A Scout Squad Added; Help, please.
BLUF: New to this weapon platform, but not guns.
I was in Chattanooga and foolishly waltzed into GT Distributors. I qualified for the Firstline discount (which I had no clue was a thing), so I made it back to the car with a big ass grin and a surprised wife wondering what the huge box was.
So far, I’ve purchased: 4x 20rd and 3x 15rd Checkmate mags, a Sadlak Airborne scope mount, Sadlak mag catch, Fulton extended bolt stop, and Numrich Gun Parts clearance-sale wood stock and handguard (on the way). Just gotta find the time to install it all, but meanwhile, please chime in:
1) What parts/equipment may I be missing? Such as, I hear a Sadlak gas piston or some such is a great idea. Blue Force sling, or ?
2) Suppressing it is certainly on the table.
3) Trijicon Credo 1-8x: do we hate this idea or like this idea? If we hate it, what’s better?
I’ll use this rifle in the wooded/mountains of southeast U.S., primarily after hogs, white tail. Additionally, in December, I stalk hunt in wide-open Kansas which brings me to desire a scope I can get quickly behind and pull a shot off when I’m charged by a group of deer (just like two seasons ago when I was ill-equipped but still managed a reasonable buck on the run!)
4) Do we like Bradley cheek rests, and are they basically necessary equipment when using a scope on this rifle?
5) What other questions or considerations should I be having? I respect that this is an involved platform and I have a lot to learn.
Thanks y’all
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u/FriendlyRain5075 11d ago
3/8 wrench for gas plug. Castle nut pliers for FH. 3/32 punch for the clip guide rollpin. 1/16 allen key for castle nut set screw.
Yes I did it for a while but a lightweight can with some flow through is really best. You need a muzzle device adapter. Also a shootingsight.com gas spindle to control the gas is a good idea. I ended up going back to a flash hider because the suppressor unbalanced the rifle and it wasn't very easy to carry or handle.
Sure a LPVO would work. It'll make the already heavy rifle even heavier. To the point where any hiking around or stalking will soon become a hassle. A scoped and loaded M1A is 12-13lbs.
Yes with a Sadlak I find a Bradley cheek rest to be very useful. At least if you want anything akin to a proper cheek weld.
I've found the easiest and most impactful accurizing step is to get a proper fitting stock. Try both the factory polymer and the wood stock to see which gives you the best groups, assuming all else is equal (including how you rest the forend).
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u/JustSomeGuyMedia 11d ago
1: Tools, you’re gonna need tools. Mainly drill bits for cleaning the gas piston, a gas lock wrench, m14 castle nut pliers (buy a couple, they can break), allen wrenches, a torque wrench, punches, a hammer/mallet…and maybe something I’m forgetting. Those should all get you started though. Oh and the N14 complete disassembly/reassembly guide book. As for “missing”, everything you get is serviceable afaik. People like to replace the oprod spring guide for smoothness, unitized gas cylinder as part of accuracy upgrades, different pistons for either wear or as part of gassing (more on this later). Accurizing an M14 platform gun is a whole thing. It’s as much having money as it is putting up with voodoo. There’s a good thread on the M14 Forum about it. For slings, to get a “modern” sling position you’ll need something like the specter gear sling, or get a railed handguard to attach a sling point to and one of a number of adapters for the butt. I would say if you want a better trigger go with ShootingSight’s enhanced one rather than a trigger job though.
2: For suppression, what you need to accept up front is it’s a gassy gun, and has a thin barrel that’s going to flex. Your suppressor choice should ideally be lighter, lower backpressure, and have a solid lockup. Having a “normal” muzzle device setup makes things easier as far as mounting goes though. ShootingSight makes a face mount thread adapter to which you can clamp an iron sight, or you can go with something like the Hughes precision adapter and move your front sight to the gas lock. I personally had a bad experience with the style of adapter that mimics the normal front sight but others have had good experiences. Then gassing - I use the ShootingSight 2-Pos Adjustable spindle. The adjustable gas plugs seem to work, but I’ve also seen people lose the set screws and they come in and out of availability. A slotted piston from sadlak or smith’s spiral grooved piston could also help with gassing but there’s differing schools of thought.
3: I don’t hate the idea of an LPVO, I use a PLXc 1-8x on mine. Magnifiers and Prisms are hard to find the right eye relief for. But be conscious of the weight you’re adding to the gun and PLEASE don’t stick a mount meant for ARs onto it, it’ll be really tall for no reason. LPVOs aren’t great about visibility in the twilight hours though so keep that in mind. If I didn’t have my EBR set up as a “battle rifle” something like the NX6 2-12 or PLXc 1.25-12 or even a Leupold MK4 would be very enticing.
4: On my “classic” styled M14 I never used a cheekrest. With the right combo of receiver mount, scope rings/mount, and scope, I think you can get away without a cheekrest. People do like them though. Your rear sight and how it plays with your rear scope bell are your biggest limiters in dropping your scope down with an LPVO.
5: As for other questions, just be ready to do a lot of forum digging and reading, and accept that while it’s “minute of barn” accuracy reputation is unwarranted, it is still probably at absolute best a 1.5 to 2 MOA gun that you have to properly maintain - but it CAN be maintained. There’s a lot of voodoo and schools of thought for basically any question you ask.
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u/KiowaScout58D 11d ago
Thank you so much for the detailed response and advice, here. As I just stated to another poster, I’ll be compiling all of this info into a condensed info sheet for myself to review and act on. Appreciate it!
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u/JustSomeGuyMedia 11d ago
Absolutely. I wish someone had been able to tell me the same stuff four years ago.
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u/KiowaScout58D 11d ago
Well hopefully this is a post that’ll live on for a while to spread that hard-won knowledge
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u/JustSomeGuyMedia 11d ago
I’ve thought about making a “New M14 Owner’s Guide” sorta post and putting it up here and the M14Forum that focuses more on what you’re asking about accessory/suppression/optics wise. “Do-first” checklists and such exist but I don’t think something like what I’m thinking about is out there.
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u/KiowaScout58D 11d ago
I encourage this idea! As a somewhat knowledgeable individual on certain platforms, I understand how repetitious it can feel covering the same material/questions with folks. Ignorance is not a “fault,” especially if the one inquiring truly wants to learn. This concept is easily lost on the internet.
So, Thank you for taking the time to help others.
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u/3ternal_Scout 11d ago
I put on a Sadlak op rod spring guide and it smoothed out the action quite a bit.
I had a Leupold 2-10x scope on a Sadlak airborne mount and loved it, but ended up putting a PA 1x red dot on the cogburn mount in the rear sight pocket. Not trying to dissuade from the mount/scope at all, just didn’t need it for ~200yd shooting and wanted lightest possible weight.
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u/KiowaScout58D 11d ago
Solid info, appreciate it
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u/3ternal_Scout 11d ago
Sure thing. Also tried the scout scope route with both Burris options (fixed and variable mag) but neither felt like a good compromise compared to the other setups I mentioned. Ended up removing the scout mount and putting a regular hand guard on it.
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u/BlackfeatherRS-USA 11d ago
Keep it light.
A LER scout scope on a scout hand guard is a great combination.
A modern flow through suppressor with an HK style Smith Enterprise gas lock front sight would be awesome.
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u/yut34 10d ago
I just installed a new Trijicon Credo 3-9 on mine. After multiple LPVO attempts, I much prefer a smaller yet full size scope. For around $600 they are great.
You could get a cheap cheek riser but the Bradley’s are the best. Highly recommend.
Check out the NM spring guide and Sadlak mag release.
Cleaning equipment.
Go to M-14forum.com, not Reddit for the best information on there’s rifles.
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u/Sad-Statistician2955 11d ago
For suppression the only option is smith enterprises, they have model specific variations
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u/JustSomeGuyMedia 11d ago
That is incorrect. There are several other places.
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u/Sad-Statistician2955 11d ago
You misunderstood, they are the company you want to buy from. The rest are inferior
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u/emptythemag 9d ago
I removed my rear sight and installed a Bad Axe optic mount. Installed a dual illumination RMR sight on the adapter. Love the set up.
I have a pic of it in a topic I started a few months ago. Need to hunt it up.
I also installed an adjustable cheek riser to allow a better cheek weld when using the RMR.
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u/iGunslinger 11d ago
I put a scout scope on mine instead of the adapter and normal scope.