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?
I had a scout 16 and in a stupid moment sold it, now I am replacing it with the scout squad. I enjoyed the review. Nice work
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.
It’s a battle rifle and an expensive one at that. I have this gun “stock” and love it. It needs nothing. No scope, no add on’s. Why do people insist on ruining perfectly wonderful guns. It’s more gun than anyone human needs as is.
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.
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?
Nevermind referring to a Norton as a “heavyweight”. haha
We used to call the Norton ‘No tone’.
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.
Ditto the unanswered question:
Does anyone know whrere one might obtain a Winter Trigger Guead?
Since the auther mentioned it, IF hew did get one, where did he get one?
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.
Whoa, This sounds like my kinda gal, .45s and M1As!
You’re right though, that “Scout size” really does make this rifle alot easier to handle and carry in the field. I had to sell mine a few months ago for some cash, but I miss it every weekend on the range.
Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to convince my soon-to-be sixteen year old daughter that she’d really like an M1A scout for her “zombie” rifle, and i’ll probably point to youre post as a good example of a woman shooter who favors the Scout size…zombie rifle or not. Although, all this sudden popularity of zombies and vampire girlfriends and whatever else is out there baffles me, but my girl is really into that stuff and guys on these boards talk about their zombie-bugout-SHTF guns.
I suppose this would be as good of a Zombie rifle as any!
Sure wish I’d had an M1A scout type rifle instead of the M-16A2s out in the sandbox, before it was the sandbox, back in ’91. I know more than a few other Marines would have too.
Anyways, thanks for the woman’s perspective Becky, I’ll be passing that on to my girl since her moms not around anymore; but honey, you really should try to cut back on that three pack a day chain-smoking habit before it gets worse. Just sayin.
Well I have certainly learned my own lesson by dealing with Springfield Armory. After buying/collecting over 15 SA .45’s of various types, and 4 m1A’s I had the audacity to call them and ask if they could supply me with a metal buttplate for my Scout. You see our local dealer orders them with the synthetic stock and big rubber butt to save a few bucks figuring the buyers will customize anyway. Springfield’s response? We FIRST use the metal buttplates we have to make NEW rifles and if we have any left over, we MIGHT offer them for sale, so you are SOL, customer. When I complained via email, the company didn’t even bother to reply. Needless to say, that was my LAST Springfield product, ever, and consequently, my dealer has a rack full of M1A’s not selling.
My next will be M14’s from LRB, Smith and Fulton. Longer wait, higher, forged quality/attention to detail, and a real investment BACKED with respect for the customer. Don’t expect ANYTHING anymore from Springfield Armory. They apparently are TOO BUSY to take care of their paying customers.
I have an M1A Scout Squad, which I purchased new in 2009. I have called SA Customer service no less than 5 times over the years (including recently during the middle of a retirement party they were having for one of their old-timers) and they have always been courteous, helpful, and, well… just very very nice! Combine this with the fact that they are a company full of heritage and pride, who make a GREAT product. I’m sorry this fella got his panties in a bunch, but seriously, Springfield Armory M1A’s and .45s were good enough for him to buy nearly TWENTY over the years, but they don’t send him a metal butt-plate and so he’s going to LRB? Sounds like someone has an anger issue;) Back to the review though, I absolutely LOVE this rifle and would never sell it (although many have asked).I have an M1A Scout Squad, which I purchased new in 2009. I have called SA Customer service no less than 5 times over the years (including recently during the middle of a retirement party they were having for one of their old-timers) and they have always been courteous, helpful, and, well… just very very nice! Combine this with the fact that they are a company full of heritage and pride, who make a GREAT product. I’m sorry this fella got his panties in a bunch, but seriously, Springfield Armory M1A’s and .45s were good enough for him to buy nearly TWENTY over the years, but they don’t send him a metal butt-plate and so he’s going to LRB? Sounds like someone has an anger issue;) Back to the review though, I absolutely LOVE this rifle and would never sell it (although many have asked).
As for your dealer having a rack full of M1A’s not selling.. you are clearly showing the true purpose of your “review” with that statement. M1A’s are one of the most popular and respected battle rifles in history. There are multiple forums, groups, etc built around this rifle and to imply that suddenly (presumably because they didn’t send someone a metal butt-plate) no one wants them anymore.. is beyond absurd. Its a bad economy, but if I wanted to sell my 2 year old Scout tomorrow I could have 1300.00 for it within 3 days. Guaranteed.
“M1A’s are one of the most popular and respected battle rifles in history.”
The U.S. military mothballed them after only 5 years. And they saw only a relatively small amount of actual combat. So how can they be “one of the most popular and respected battle rifles in history”? I think they are popular and respected by civilian shooters because they are well-suited to the type of shooting that civilians do: Camp Perry-style long-range shooting at stationary paper targets that don’t shoot back
However, they are way to long and too heavy to be useful as an infantry weapon in anything other than open terrain.
Joe,
Were you Infantry? I was for five years and carried an M14 everyday during one of my tours in Iraq. The soldiers I trained are carrying them right now in Afghanistan. You should carry a M240b for a year if you think the M14 is heavy…Cheers
“M1A’s are one of the most popular and respected battle rifles in history.”
The U.S. military mothballed them after only 5 years. And they saw only a relatively small amount of actual combat. So how can they be “one of the most popular and respected battle rifles in history”?
They are one of the most respected in history because for all practical purposes, the M14 is an M1 Garand with a detachable magazine. The M1 Garand was used in WWII to great affect and was probably the best battle rifle of the war, It was also used to devastating affect in the Korean war.
Vietnam saw M1 Garands and M14s before the M16 came out, both used quite effectively. The M14 was dropped because the “Whiz Kids” wanted the M16. And due to the smaller stature of our South Vietnamese allies.
Wrong
I wouldn’t hold that against Sringfield. That’s what Fred’s is for: http://www.fredsm14stocks.com/catalog/parts.asp
But yeah, if you have the $$$, go Fulton or LRB.
So they’re jerks because they didn’t want to sell you a buttplate for $20 which would have prevented them from selling a new rifle for $1,400? Gotcha. Check.
Steel buttplates for m14 type rifles are all over the net. I get mine from a funshow dealer that sells alot of “John Masen” products for around $15. Just remember that for the synthetics you need the short top screw with the square nut. I wouldnt hold it against springfield, they have limited USGI parts left and they stretch em as long as they can to help save a buck.
One lousy experience over a butt plate and it makes you switch loyalties? You’re either a spoiled millennial or a certified A-hole.
I have about 25 guns of all types, and I can honestly say that my Scout, with composite stock, is the best gun I own. Of all my guns, it is also the most fun to shoot. The accuracy of this gun, with open sights only, is amazing. If I could only own one rifle, this would be it.
In regards to the higher scope mount, people (generally) get better accuracy out of a rifle with a higher mounted scope.
When your head is tilted, your brain thinks there is a imbalance, and your accuracy & precision subconsciously suffers.
By holding your head as vertical as comfortably possible, and pressing your jaw bone into the side of the buttstock will make longer distance accuracy easier. However, if a shooter has spent their entire life turning their head to unnecessary angles, the transition will tough, as well as positioning of the rifle if the scope is very low profile.
I personally like a medium height on my scout rifles, but with the M1A, low rings do the trick.
I like a Leatherwood LER2732. It’s a solid scope, and the variable 2x to 7x option makes it more versatile.
For those who don’t like long eye relief scopes, the Leatherwood A.R.T. was used in combination with the M14 by snipers in Viet Nam with excellent results. 800+ yard first shot kills. And quickly. Reduces amount of math needed for shots of that distance.
@ Josh — I was a 13B for over 4 years, wile in Afghanistan in 09′ i got to leave the M777’s and M109’s and hump my gun bunny a** all over the Wardak province. I saw MANY M14/M21 (for you noob civi’s an M21 is an M14 modded to be a sniper rifle) and as i recall the US Navy and Coast Gaurd issue them all the time. I would have traded my M-4/203 in a HEART BEAT for an M14. So we are in total agreement. (and i doubt if old Joe could even put a 240B to his shoulder)… Further more, the M1-Garand is by far the most respected battle rifle in history (Next to the AK-47), and i must point out that the M14 is a perfected M1-Garand…
@John – Thanks for the Leatherwood scout scope recommendation. I’ve been studying those and will probably go with. I’ve just ordered my first M1A and can’t wait for it to arrive.
Dont have an M1A anymore as I had to sell it and twenty magazines to leave Wyoming- it had to be sent back once for faulty bolt / oprod,Springfield was very quick to fix and also gave me a new SAK barrel and TRW bolt and oprod along with a no charge repair.I have my M1 HRA 1954 and it is my go to now. I had lots of M14’s on the USS Flint and they worked well to say the least. Would rather have a real M14 scout from a real M14 builder but there is no need for carpenters anymore so I will keep my Garand, as money aint happenin right now or even in the future for me. Just my 2 cents worth.
“The U.S. military mothballed them after only 5 years. ”
Yes, but they have been back in sevice for three. The military has finally realized their mistake to change battle rifles in the middle of a war. I like the M-4, too. But, the original M-16 and ammo? You could not give them to me.
The m14 has the distinction of being the shortest lived main battle rifle of the United States Military forces and the longest continuous service record of any rifle in the United States Military. Funny huh?
Hey, if any of you that aren’t happy with your scout are interested in traing let me know. I have a like new condition Sako AIII finnbear delux .338 win mag that’s about 40 years old with 15 rounds through it I’ll trade ya.
I qualified with a M-14 in 1967 and spent 2 years living with “Mattel” Toys-R Us for the rest of my short career in the Marine Corps.
After a long hiatus from combat related arms,a friend asked me about the “scout squad”.
I laughed at the name,then looked into the concept and now own one. I’ve put 160 rounds through it with no heat problems. (barrel warp). It still holds a 5 round group at 200 yds you can lay your hand over. At 400 yds milk jugs are dead meat.
After punishing this rifle beyond the limits? Scoot over AK. The only thing I haven’t done is to go out on the receiving end and hear it’s “bark”.
I own three. The 22″, the 18″ and the 16″…..the 18″ Scout is the most accurate.
Maybe I got lucky, but all three of mine shoot MOA or better with iron sights out to 300 yards. Sub-MOA at 100 yards. And that is with various M80 ball mil-surp ammo.
I haven’t scoped any of them but I am considering mounting a Mark 4 on the 22″ and an Eotech on the 16″…..I’m happy with the irons on the 18″ 🙂
the idea of putting a scope on a fighting rifle is retarded. First, with no illuminated system you can’t use this rifle at night. Secondly, without adjustable knobs, you have to site in at a fixed distance, say at 100 yards, which limits you to hit at 300 yards, and with a600 yard 308 cartridge? HUH? So half your potential hits are gone. I know LOTS of people who have scout rifles, and the first thing they do is dump the scope for a nice red dot Aimpoint or ACOG. Otherwise this is a turd design as is the Scout concept anyway. I told this to Jeff Cooper years ago, and of course he wasn’t pleased but I am right and he was wrong. Nuff said!
Nice try Troll.
I have the precursor to the Scout Squad, the “Bush” model. Love it and use the Bassett Machine scope mount so I can still use irons. Mounted a 1-4X scope and now I can shoot out to my ability with 2 options.
chad haire the reason Jeff Cooper wasn’t pleased is because it was a moronic comment, and he wasn’t used to replying to moronic comments. Having a low power, high quality scope, such as a Leupold scout scope not only does not hinder your aiming out to 600 yards, but makes it easier and faster to aim than iron sites. It also allows you to see quite well in dim light conditions.
The sniper with the highest kill ratio in vietnam was an Army sniper using an M21 which is nothing more than an accurized M14 with a 10 power scope.
Two Points.
First: I went to basic training at Fort Knox in 1973. ALL my drill instructors had at least one tour of combat in ‘Nam and loved the M14. Most had multiple tours. I don’t want to say they all hated the M16A1 but they all had these terrific battle rifles taken out of their hands and replaced by the ’16s. In those days I believe the toy manufacturer “Matel” made them. My DI’s would have gone back to the ’14s in a moment.
Second: As a National Guardsmen in NJ, I was on the State high power rifle team and competed with a State-issued M14. I eventually was able to scratch together the cash for my own super-match M1A. I would say I shot very actively for about a decade (the ’80s). The only reason this isn’t my go to gun is it’s packed up for its own protection. If you need to butt-stroke someone, the M1A is your boy! Secondly, I never had an equipment failure with the M1A… ever. Its accuracy for long range shots is undisputed.
Summary. My eyes are too old for iron sights. I am presently putting together a functional spec for an M1A Scout Squad rifle. My thoughts at this point are as follows:
1. Scout Squad M1A from Springfield.
2. Trijicon TA648RMR-308 ACOG/RMR sight combo.
3. SEI rails for mounting the ACOG.
4. SEI Flash Suppressor/Muzzle Brake.
My feeling is something like this with a Spike’s Tactical chest rig for magazines would be a perfect go-to gun for SHTF situations. Fast, light, operable.
at beginning when i want to went to hunter, i was not had required luggage then i found an online site for bow and arrow my luggage and finally I get it and then I found an online site about hunting this site is very cheap i used it since 2 year
I went to Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky in 1967. I was issued an M14, I can say it was a great rifle. Accuracy at 300 yards was right on. Firing it in full auto was a little iffy, hard to keep on target, but it was a lot of fun. After basic I went to AIT in recon, I was issued a M16, it sure was different than the M14. The weight was really lighter. Firing the M16 on full auto was a breeze, no problem. I bought a Springfield M1A about 2 years ago and I’m sorry to say I have yet to fire it, I plan to this summer.
Good review. In todays world of impersonal, all Picatinny-rail covered, AR-based clones, this gun is a true beauty. What sling is that? Eagle Mini-14 Tactical?
– Josey
I trained with the M16A2 in the Marines in the early ’90’s, have played with many of the M-4geries over the years. Picked up an M1A squad scout a few years ago and will never go back! Powerful, accurate, and reliable, plus the very satisfying sound of hitting steel at two hundred yards. But I am not a purest! I took what was already wonderful rifle changed it up.
I put it in a S.R.S.S. “Buldog” bull pup stock, which shortened the whole rifle by 12″, while allowing me to keep an 18″ barrel, and moved the balance point over the pistol grip. Added an SEI castle nut adapter to allow me to mount a Battle Comp compensator. Mounted flip up iron sights and an EOtech XPS with a flip to side 3x magnifier, and a grip pod fore grip.
Now I have the power, reliability, and accuracy of an M1A and the functionality of a CQB rifle ( actually quite a bit shorter than a standard M4 ). Just recently graduated a FrontSight 4 day practical rifle course with it. Performed like a dream. I know there are a lot of purists out there, but this mod takes the M1A to a whole new level! Oh, and the conversion took about 40 min. In my living room.
Wouldn’t the round be better with a longer barrel? I’m just thinking that a short barrel with a lot of powder behind a powerful bullet, 18 inches might not be enough to push that round to it’s potential.
I gotta say. I really want one of these. I’d probably skip the scout scope and just put real glass on a decent scope mount.
This is a beautiful rifle. When I bought mine about a year ago it was still legal in California. Kind of blew my mind that CA liberal idiots scream about ARs but never utter a peep about this much more powerful monster. Twenty-round magazines were legal to purchase for about five days here in California so I stocked up in that window. The .308 round (7.62×51) is a legit big boy round. I took it deer hunting in August. People whine about how heavy it is but the difference between that and my 30.06 or the .270 is negligible – a man carries a rifle to the field, not a toy gun. And rifles have heft. Your backpack is hefty. The deer you drag out is hefty (well, not so much the black tail.) It is not an activity for weenies or whiners. If you want a rifle rich with heritage and history, solid in construction, has proven accuracy and is just dang fun to shoot, the M1A should be on your list. I have many rifles including an AK47 and if I had to grab one rifle in a SHTF scenario, the M1A is the one.
Can anybody tell me how far out a scout squad is accurate?
M1A’s are used to shoot at targets at 600 meters – using open sights.
I have fired 2 rounds out of my m1a and love it already. First shot i jerked trigger and was low and left 3, next shot was relaxed and dead on bull. I love it, wish we could have had these in Corps instead of the m16a2 garbage we had. If you have the money buy this rifle, it is fun to shoot and will be great hand me down to grandsons. Just make sure instructions are left how to care for it, kids these days, hope my grandson enjoys it as much as i do one day.
Where is the rifle made?
I know my gun cabinet would rebel if I try to stack a foreign made (Czech) rifle in it.
I limit my gun collection and car buying to made in USA only. I want to support our nations gun makers. I’d hate to see any more of our great manufactures go out of business or be sold to foreign corporations.