Springfield M1A Standard Issue: The M14 Still Hits Hard

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

The Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue puts nearly 70 years of M14 heritage behind every trigger pull. We shot this wood-and-steel .308 at 50 and 100 yards to see whether the old battle-rifle formula can still impress.

How the M14 Became a 70-Year American Fighting Rifle

If the M14 rifle had the shortest standard-issue life of any U.S. service rifle, how did it become one of the longest-serving rifles in U.S. military service? The rifle has been in use for nearly 70 years. While the M14 didn’t prove to be an ideal standard-issue rifle, it did perform in specialized roles. Many users of the M14 have a personal connection to the weapon. Some used it during the Vietnam War, some used it more recently in Iraq. Others value the historical significance, while others use it in competition. Your experience with U.S. combat rifles is not complete without getting behind an M14. The Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue is semi-auto only, but it is about as close as you can get to firing an original M14. Personally, I am always in a bit of awe after shooting an M1A. The performance, power, and accuracy, even when using iron sights, never fails to impress.

Why the M14 Failed as a Standard-Issue Rifle

The honest answer for why the M14 failed as a standard-issue rifle is that it was built for a war that never happened, and when the next war did happen, which was in Vietnam, it performed poorly. The M14 was designed in the era of wood and steel just after WWII and the onset of the Cold War. U.S. military strategists were convinced the next world war would be in Europe. And why wouldn’t they? Both World War I and World War II took place in Europe where long rifle shots decided the outcome of a battle. The U.S. Army brass loved the M1 Garand and wanted an updated version of the M1. After all, the M1 Garand performed well in WWII and in the Korean War. It just needed some updates like a detachable box magazine and maybe a less powerful caliber, and make the new rifle lighter, too.

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M1 Garand to M14: The Family Tree Behind the M1

The U.S. military wanted a new version of the M1 Garand, and that is what they received. If you look at an M1 Garand and M14 side-by-side you can see the resemblance. Both the M1 Garand and M14 use a gas piston system with a rotating bolt. The difference is the M1 Garand uses a long stroke piston and the M14 uses a short stroke piston.

The big difference between the two rifles is the M1 Garand is chambered in .30-06 Springfield and the M14 is chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO. The bullet diameter for both is .30 caliber and the velocity and energy is similar between the two calibers when using 150-grain FMJ bullets. The other big difference is the M14 feeds from a detachable box magazine; the M1 Garand uses a fixed magazine loaded via an en bloc clip. The M14 was also equipped with select-fire, offering semi-auto and full-auto fire. More on that later. Other than that, the triggers and sights are nearly identical, and they both field strip in the same way. Remove the trigger group, drop the barreled action out of the stock, done.

The M14 Goes to Vietnam and Gets a Brutal Reality Check

The M14 was adopted in 1959 and deep-sixed in 1964; quickly replaced with the M16. The next war wasn’t in Europe but in a country few Americans knew about or could even pronounce. The place was Vietnam. The M14 proved to be heavy and long for combat in dense jungle vegetation. The wood stock would swell in the humidity, decreasing its effectiveness. In full-auto mode, the rifle was difficult if not impossible, to control. I have pals who participated in the war, and what they did like about the M14 was the power the .308 Win./7.62 NATO cartridge brought to the battle. Wars had changed, and the U.S. standard-issue rifle changed too with the adoption of the M16. You would think the M14 would have been forgotten as fast as a bad dream. But the M14 did not fade away, and during the Vietnam War the M14 was reconfigured to be a sniper rifle called the X21M. The transformation of the M14 to a sniper rifle and later designated marksman rifle blew new life and a new purpose into the M14.

How the M14 Came Back as a Long-Range Fighting Rifle

Since the time the M14 was dumped as the standard-issue rifle, variants were used by branches of the U.S. military as a sniper rifle and as a designated marksman rifle (DMR). What the M14 had over the M16 was distance. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars the M16 was ineffective beyond 300 yards. The M14 stepped in with modifications like a scope, fiberglass stock, and bipod and was accurate and effective at long range engagements.

U.S. special forces like the SEALs use the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle or EBR. In this configuration the M14 is dropped into a chassis stock system and tricked out with a vertical fore grip, Picatinny rails, a flash hider, or a suppressor. Some are equipped with an AN/PVS-4 night vision scope. The most current use of the M14 in combat has been in Ukraine. Since the Ukraine war started, images of the M14 in training and on the battlefield have popped up on social media.

Word is the CMP is going to be selling surplus M14s with the receivers modified so they can’t be made to fire full auto.

Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue Features: Pure M14 DNA

The M1A Standard Issue is as close to the standard-issue M14 as you can get. The M1A is semi-auto only and features the smooth wood stock and polymer handguard. The butt plate is hinged and is a throwback to the full-auto M14. Original M14 butt plates flipped up and provided more leverage to control muzzle climb in full auto. On the M1A, it is a reminder of the heritage of the rifle.

The M1A sports a 22-inch carbon steel barrel and is topped off with the iconic slotted flash suppressor. The open sights consist of a fully adjustable rear aperture sight and a blade front sight protected by two wings on either side. The sights are perhaps some of the best military sights ever designed. The knob on the left side of the rear sight adjusts elevation and there are reference marks on the dial so you can set a 100-yard zero then crank it up for longer shots as long as you know your dope. The knob on the right side is the windage adjustment. Windage adjustment points are found on the base of the sight so you can compensate for wind.

The M14 and M1A were never designed to be equipped with an optic, but a side mount is available from a number of manufacturers, including Springfield Armory. The best side mount I’ve used on an M1A is the ones produced by SADLAK Manufacturing. It takes a bit more effort to mount a scope on an M14 compared to an AR15, but that’s another story.

The two-stage military trigger on the M1A is consistent and crisp. On my sample after a short take up you hit the wall and 6.3 pounds tripped the hammer. The safety is a tab that snaps inside the trigger guard to let the user know the safety is on. Snap it outside the trigger guard with your trigger finger to disengage the safety and fire the rifle. It’s an intuitive design that goes back to the M1 Garand.

The charging handle reciprocates and locks back on the last shot fired. On the left side of the receiver is the bolt release button, or, to release the bolt, just slightly pull it back and let it fly forward.

Inserting the magazine is similar to an AK. It uses a roll and lock method. The magazine release lever is located outside the trigger guard and is pressed forward to release the magazine. On newer guns and magazines, you need to strip the empty magazine from the magazine well. The M1A has a stripper clip guide above the bolt. When the bolt is locked back and the magazine is empty you can load cartridges via a stripper clip.

Springfield M1A Range Test: Iron Sights at 50 and 100 Yards

I chose to shoot iron sights with the M1A and used a rest. A variety of 7.62 NATO was used with different bullet weights and shapes. I stuck with match ammo with BTHP bullets and FMJ training ammo. For training ammo I opted for Winchester white box with a 147-grain FMJ and a 150-grain FMJ from Aguila. Match ammo consisted of Black Hills New Rifle loaded with a 175-grain BTHP bullet and Hornady Match with a 178-grain BTHP.

At 50 yards, I got my dope and found the Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue was shooting tiny groups as long as I paid attention. The sights were easy to see and use, and the trigger was nice for a military-style rifle.

Moving an official military bullseye target to 100 yards is where the rubber meets the road, as they say.

I have to say that I found it easy to keep 5 shots in the black at 100 yards even with open sights, especially with Hornady Match ammo. The M1A on average kept all 5 shots in the 6-3/8-inch bullseye. With Black Hills it took more effort to keep 5 shots in the black, but it was still possible.

Recoil and Offhand Shooting: Heavy, Steady and Addictive

Recoil is manageable with the M1A. The gas system and the weight of the rifle, which is over 9 pounds, helps take the edge off so you can concentrate on consistent shooting. I’m more accustomed to the cycle of an AR10. The M1A feels different when it cycles. I can feel the long operating rod working its magic on the rotating bolt.

I did attach an old Brownells Tactical Plus rifle sling. This sling is patterned after the military 1907 sling and can be a bit of a puzzle to install correctly, but I like wrapping the sling around my arm and shooting the M1A offhand. My groups opened up when shooting offhand but I was still averaging 5 MOA depending on the position.

Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue Specifications

Model	M1A Standard Issue
Caliber	.308 Winchester/7.62 NATO
Action	Semi-auto, short stroke piston, rotating bolt
Barrel Length	22 inches
Overall Length	44.3 inches
Weight	9.1 pounds
Capacity	10- and 20-round detachable magazine
Finish	Matte black Parkerized finish
Stock	Smooth walnut
Sights	Aperture rear/blade front
Trigger Pull	Two-stage, 6.3 pounds tested

M1A Standard Issue Pros and Cons: What Hits and What Hurts

• Pros: Good accuracy, reliable, nice military-style trigger, excellent sights
• Cons: Heavy and long, more complicated to mount a scope

Is the Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue Worth It?

Shooting the Springfield Armory M1A Standard Issue is addictive. I like the classic lines of the rifle with wood and steel. The M1A should definitely be on every rifle shooter’s bucket list. Why wouldn’t you want a go on a rifle that has been serving our country for near 70 years?

Related Reads from GunsAmerica Digest

• First Look: Springfield M1A in 6.5 Creedmoor
• M1 Garand Review: Features, Ammo, Accuracy
• M1A Sniper: Scope Installation and Options

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