Che Guevara wore a Rolex GMT Master. He also drove a Norton motorcycle. He would have loved the Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad rifle. Like the watch and the bike, it’s a high-quality heavyweight; a well-crafted precision instrument whose durability inspires confidence. OK, maybe not so much the Norton. And on second thought, maybe it’s a good thing that the Cuban revolutionary didn’t have 7.62 caliber Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad. Meanwhile, lucky you.
The M1A Scout Squad is a gas-operated, magazine fed rifle built out of nearly 10 pounds of parkerized steel and walnut. With its 18-inch barrel and scout optics mount forward of the action, it’s a slightly handier version of the full size M1A: the darling of competitive shooters for generations.
The M1A’s controls are simple and robust. The charging handle’s located on the right side of the action is easy to reach, especially for left-handed shooters. The magazine release is centrally located at the rear of the magazine well. Mag changes are a simple matter of nose-in-rock-back until you feel the magazine locking into place.
The M1A’s bolt catch/release sits on the left side of the receiver. It’s the rifle’s first major ergonomic faux pas; good luck finding and operating the small release under stress. The rifle’s trigger is a breeze: a classic military two-stage affair. There’s just the right amount of take-up before you slam into a crisp, predictable five-pound break. A rifleman can use the combination to press out a shot with minimal effort.
Problem two: like its predecessor, the legendary M1 Garand, the M1A Scout Squad’s safety positioned in the front of the trigger guard. The shooter’s trigger finger has to be inside the trigger guard and in front of the trigger to take the rifle off of safety. During cold weather or (again) stress, this design requires rigorous trigger discipline. I highly advise M1A owners to install a winter trigger guard.
Our test rifle’s safety lever was also extremely stiff. Manipulating a four-year-old into eating her vegetables would have been easier. I solved the [rifle's] problem by disassembling the M1A’s trigger assembly and lightly polishing the safety’s contact surfaces. That was after a four-day practical rifle class. Without that correction, the gun’s ultra-stiff safety made for an extremely tender trigger finger.
The M1A Scout Squad’s sights rock. A fully adjustable rear military aperture teams up with a crisp front sight post. Acquiring a clear, accurate sight picture is fast and easy. Props to the generous sight radius and the .062” national match front sight post. With a bit of practice, novice shooters can hit 20” steel plates out to 500 yards with ho-hum regularity.
The Scout Squad solidly mounted optics rail sits forward of the action. High tech sight lovers can mount their choice of a Long Eye Relief (LER) or a red dot scope. Saying that, the M1A’s mount sits high. Even on the lowest rings, a red dot optic still requires a cheekpiece to maintain a proper cheek weld. To achieve the lowest possible mounting solution, it’s best to combine the M1A’s factory mount and hand guard with a full length Ultimak rail.
Though a scoped battle rifle will piss-off the purists, the Scout Squad is more accommodating to LER scopes. That’s as long as they’re forward mounted in low profile rings, allowing the scope bell to clear the hand guard. A good quality, compact scout scope on the M1A Scout’s factory mount will provide a clear sight picture—that doesn’t require a chin weld to see the crosshairs.
If you go the scope route, don’t scrimp on your glass. That $50 Leapers pistol scope will not hold its zero. Nor will you realize the M1A Scout’s true potential. A good quality LER scope will enable confident precision and snap shots. Might as well have the best of both worlds.
The Springfield’s 18” barrel is an excellent combination of barrel length and handiness. It’s good to go for both long distance accuracy and quick combat-style deployment. It’s easy to mistake the M1A’s proprietary muzzle brake for a flash suppressor—until you fire the weapon. The brake does little to reduce the flash signature of the .308 round in low light conditions.
It does, however, reduce muzzle jump. If reacquiring your target quickly for follow-up shots is a priority, the M1A’s got you (or someone else) covered. Unfortunately, for shooters either side of you, the muzzle brake also acts as a mild blast-enhancer. It’s not a pleasant experience for compatriots who find themselves in the rifle’s sonic sweet spot. [Ed: unless it is.] For the M1A shooter, the .30 caliber BOOM is immensely satisfying.
Over the course of the class, the M1A Scout Squad digested nearly 600 rounds of military ammo. That included Israeli, British,and Chilean surplus, as well as a couple of boxes of Federal Golden Eagle 150 grain hunting soft points.
The rifle fed and fired all its ammo without complaint. Well, almost. Late on day three, the dirtier Chilean surplus brass began to stick in the chamber. It failed to extract. I broke out the chamber brush and solvent and scrubbed my little heart out. Problem solved.
The M1A’s accuracy was excellent. Shooting under time pressure out to 200 yards, the Scout Squad was quick, precise and powerful. Even at extended distances of 400 yards and more, the rifle was more than capable of easily making the hits.
The Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad gas-operated rifle tames the recoil of the 7.62 cartridge to a positively manageable level. There are no ergonomic after-effects. Just the satisfaction of working with a highly-evolved tool that does its job with deadly accuracy and dependable reliability. The M1A’s a revelation, not a revolution.
Statistics
Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 WIN)
Barrel: 18”, 6-Groove, 1:11 Right Hand Twist, Parkerized
Front Sight: National Match .062” Military Post
Rear Sight: Military Aperture, Adjustable for Windage and Elevation
Trigger: 2 Stage Military Trigger, 5-6 lbs.
Magazines: 1-10 Round, Parkerized
Weight w/Empty Magazine: 9.3 lbs.
Length: 40.3”
Ratings (out of five)
Style * * * * *
With the combination of walnut and steel it has all the classic looks of a “rifleman’s rifle.”
Ergonomics * * * *
It shoulders, points, and handles like a dream. Loved the trigger.
Reliability * * * *
It ate everything it was fed but gets finicky about extraction if the chamber is dirty.
Customize This * * * *
It doesn’t need much, maybe a tritium front sight post and a proper flash suppressor. A good scout scope would be a worthwhile indulgence. But there’s a lot of stuff out there to choose from.
Overall Rating * * * *
Captain John will review the $1800 ArmaLite AR-10 next week. For now, if you’ve got the $1500 to spend on a bad-ass rifle, and can afford to keep her fed and happy, the M1A Scout Squad is a do-it-all kind of gun.
Hi Bryan,
Great review! Do you think Jeff Cooper would have approved of the combination of scout-scope placement and Garand action?
Beautiful gun. I've always been a fan of the M14 and its civilian variants. Thanks for the review.
A couple of comments: if you can operate a roll pin punch and 5 spare minutes, then you can upgrade to the Smith Enterprise bolt stop (35 well-spent dollars from Brownell's).
The forward rail on the Scout squad is noted for not holding a consistent zero over time. That's hardly surprising given its stopgap nature.
Jeff Cooper might have liked the forward mount, but the weight of even an 18"-barreled M1A is well beyond the 3 kg max that Cooper specified for a true scout rifle.
If you're willing to spend some extra money and wait a little longer (I was), you can buy a custom 'M25' from LRB Arms (their name for the M14 variant) with an integral rail mount machined into the receiver. That solves a lot of the weaknesses inherent in the rails and scope mounts available for the M1A/M14 family.
Great review. I hope to see more of your writing style in the future. Also, I would love to take an M1A out and spend some more time behind one.
Have you tried steel cased ammo in it? Just curious how it handles the cheap stuff. Thanks for the review. I would like to get one sometime down the road.
Colby,
I used Federal Premium and some cheap russian steel.
I dropped a little on the accuracy with the steel, but I only had one fail to fire.
Obviously, the cheaper stuff will gunk up the gun, but after cleaning it everything’s just fine.
steel cased popped my extracter…no fun in the field
Good review. Have owned an M1A Scout Squad w/ Aimpoint Comp ML sight since 2000, and given a choice of one weapon to grab if the proverbial "balloon went up." it would be the Scout Squad hands down.
On the left side bolt catch/release issue – I don't really find this much of an issue. A quick (and light) rear-ward tap on the op rod and the bolt slams right home.
Biggest issue with me is the stock. With a good cheek weld when shooting with iron sights, the knuckle on my thumb wrapped around the upper portion of the pistol grip cutout on the stock comes back and hits the my nose. Rather annoying after a long shooting session. Saving up for a Sage EBR stock, at the expense of more weight.
Can you please advise what scout scope you used on your m14. There is a picture of one mounted, but I didn’t see the type. Is it a Leupold?
Great Review.
Thank you!
The scope you see on the rifle is the Leapers Chinese scope referenced in the article. It wouldn’t hold a zero beyond the second day of the rifle class, so I’ve been back to iron sights and saving up for a proper scout scope. I’m very partial to the Burris line of Extended Eye Relief scopes. The Burris Scout Scope with 2.75 power & heavy reticle (#200269) is a great one as are their variable pistol scopes with the ballistic plex reticle (#200299)
Leupold’s Scout Scope is great too. My friend has one on his Steyr Scout. Hope this is helpful.
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I purchased my Scout in 2001 and now have two M14s with 18" barrels. Some things that I have learned over the years: The bolt catch / release issue is solved by installing the SEI M14 Extended Bolt Stop/Release. There is no problem with the safety position… rigorous trigger discipline is a must with all firearms. The Springfield optics rail is too short and sits too high… this problem is solved by installing the M8 optics rail from UltiMAK. The M8 keeps optics low (no cheek riser needed) and it allows you to co-witness the iron sights through low sitting Aimpoint red dot optics. I prefer the M14 Vortex flash hider from SEI that uses the castle nut and the tall front sight that comes on the Scout. If you must use a brake, I suggest the M14 US Coast Guard / Navy Muzzle Brake from SEI. If you happen to own the M14DC sound suppressor you will need to use the DC Vortex and GLFS-D/H-18 from SEI. The SAGE EBR stock (either style) is a real upgrade and I prefer them over traditional stocks.
I hope this information is helpful.
Leupold FX-II 2.5x28mm IER Scout on the M8 optics rail from UltiMAK.
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac160/The_H2O_…
I was considering the FX-II but was worried the 9.3" eye relief would be too short. You've got to have around 12" of eye reliefe on this setup? Hows that working? Are those the Leupold QRW rings? Low Mount? Thanks.
Thanks, H20 Man, for the info and the pic. That's a sweet looking setup. I'm strongly considering going the Ultimak route if I can save up enough for an Aimpoint T-1 Micro. If I decide to stick with an IER scope, I'll likely choose the Burris Scout Scope or one of their pistol scopes with the Ballistic Plex reticle.
The M8/T-1 combo is sweet!
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac160/The_H2O_…
Probably gonna get one soon. I am kinda leaning towards the EO-Tech 1 moa dot, thay also have reticle-dot combo. Comments/thoughts
Why taint a reasonably good gun review by calling up the image of a communist tyrant like Guevara?
Nice review of an old idea, the LER pistol scope, I mean . I own a Polytech M14 type rifle with an 18 inch barrel. I like it a lot because I can carry it in the house without hitting the wife´s nice stuff. Mine weighs about 9 pounds. The barrel is a US army issue installed by Smith Enterprise. I also have the Smith brake on it. It is nice to shoot. I have been loading 100 gr bullets for it recently, and it functions very nicely, no cycling problems yet. The lighter bullets makes this rifle a sweetheart to shoot. I bought an aluminum hand-guard from Leepers to mount a pistol scope on the barrel. The scope makes the rifle more fun, my old eyes don´t see well enough to use the steel ones. If I had to choose only one rifle to carry, it would be a M14 scout type rifle.
Oldy
Anyone know who is selling a winter trigger for the M1A???
I opted for the full size M1A from Springfield, trading a bit of convenience for distance.
Che Guevara wore a Rolex GMT Master? That’s it, I’m selling mine.
AM LOOKING FOR A M1A1 SQUAD SCOUT IN GOOD SHAPE RESONABLY PRICED IF ANY ONE KNOWS OF ANY?
Looks like you had fun at Front Sight. I’m assuming that was the practical rifle course. Nothing like throwing your body into prone at 200 yards. lol. Was wondering if you might do a review of the training facility school and/or if you’ve taken any other classes?
I have a Springfield M1A scout and I love it more than anything. I’m a small framed woman and former Army brat who grew up shooting with my daddy back in the 80′s. Even though my daddy was a big believer in the M14/M1A, as a girl and for the longest time I mostly shot AR15/M16 rifles, because they weighed less and the .223 recoil was less intense, and the full size M1A/M14 type rifles always seemed too long. 22 inches is just too much for me to handle. But that Springfield muzzle brake REALLY makes the .308 enjoyable to shoot, especially with that nice rubber recoil pad on the butt. (but be sure to wear good hearing protection because that thing is LOUD). But yeah, the shorter barrel is handy too. Size wise, 18 inches feels just right for me. Although I did think the wood stock was prettier, and I generally love wood, mine has the synthetic black stock, which is ok. Even though I have a slender/petite build, the weight isnt too bad either, a little on the heavy side, but it balances well and doesnt feel much heavier than my ex-boyfriends M4 clone did with all the stuff he had clamped on it.
And I say that about the M1A scout size being ok, even though Im kinda sensitive to carrying around too much weight because I always get winded very easily and often times find myself wheezing and gasping for breath if I do anything too physically exerting. (like toting around a heavy rifle all day on a deer or hog hunting trip with potential clients) Although I’m almost ashamed to admit it since I’m only in my mid 30s, I already have symptoms of early onset emphysema as a result of almost twenty years of heavy chainsmoking (at least 2 to 3 packs a day since I was in my teens, I know its an awful addiction, I tried to quit but never could). Bad habits notwithstanding, my point was that if a Marlboro cowgirl like me, frail lungs and all, can handle the weight of an M1A scout, then thats a pretty good sign. While its true that Im far more likely on any given day to be wearing high heels than hiking boots, (even though I feel ridiculous constantly having to put band-aids on the blisters on my feet from where my high heels rub against my bare skin since I literally never wear socks or hose, I digress); size and weight matters alot to a girl like me and I can appreciate a rifle that doesnt feel like Im carrying a sack of bricks. As far as scopes are concerned, I have never put any optics or scopes on it, the iron sights have suited me just fine, although one day I might like to try an Aimpoint. But my daddy always said that if I couldn’t hit it with iron sights, I probably didnt need to be shooting at it. He also said that if he could only have one rifle it’d have to be a .30 caliber M1 type rifle, I figured as a Vietnam vet and career Army man of 30 years he probably knew what he was talking about.
Nostalgia aside, the M1A really is dead sexy. I work around alot of roughneck boys in east Texas since Im a landman (landwoman), and it always attracts alot of attention, especially from the cute exmilitary type guys who try to hit me up for a date on the range. Just like a woman who prefers her pistols to be a .45, if a girl is bringing an M1A, you know she means business.