Should you clean the rifle first?
What about testing reliability with your preferred ammunition?
Heres a look at his insights about what you should do when you first get your new M1A.
For first time rifle owners, the M1A may be a touch intimidating when you buy it. However, the platform is easy to learn and will offer a lifetime of excellent service.
You know, Im not really doing anything significant.
The two guns I shoot for competition are Super Match rifles.
Cleaning the Rifle
The first step I do is clean the rifle.
The bore of the M1A can be cleaned from the muzzle and without removing the action from the stock. Complete disassembly and cleaning may be needed with heavy use.
Theres a misconception going around that guns that come from the factory arent clean.
They really are clean, but theyve been test fired.
I want a fresh start before heading out to the range.
With a quality scope securely mounted, the M1A is capable of excellent accuracy at long ranges.
[Be sure to read our guideHow to Disassemble and Clean Your M1A.]
One of the things Springfield does is test fire them up to 10 times per gun.
That varies depending on which gun it is.
Reading the instructions seems like a oversimplification of what you should do after purchasing an M1A rifle. However, nearly everything you might ask will be answered there.
For cleaning, Im a big fan of Bore Snakes.
Ill put a little CLP on a Bore Snake and run it through a couple times.
I double-check the breach on the bolt face is cleaned.
That goes for every time I bring the gun in from practice.
I get to know the gun.
Theyre much like the Garand rifles.
There are two dials on the back to adjust the sight.
The owners manual is a great place to start when familiarizing yourself with your M1A.
After I understand what Im in for, I take it to the range for sighting in.
Yes, it is zeroed from the factory, but I want to verify.
Plus, not everyone likes their guns sighted in at that distance.
My suggestion would be to dial the sights in for the distance that you will most often shoot.
That is pretty much it.
Theres not much to get to know and adjust your M1A.
Take the M1A CQB, for example.
When I first purchased the gun I already knew I wouldnt put an optical sight on it.
One thing I have noticed about the variants of the M1A platform is peoples desire to scope the M1A.
If youre going to scope the M1A, you might as well go with a full-size gun.
Springfield offers scope mounts that allow shooters to scope their M1A.
But, again there folks that rush into putting on the optic.
We all know how that ends.
They dont put it on right and can throw off the windage by several feet at a hundred yards.
[Dont miss ourM1A Scope Mounting Guide.]
Its typically the guys that put the mounts on incorrectly because, hey who needs instructions?
Even though Ive mounted hundreds of optics on the M1A platform, I still read instructions.
Read the darn instructions.
The M1A will take a lot of abuse.
It was designed as a military gun.
Springfield sells after-market tools to clean the M1A and make your life easier.
If that person had just cleaned the gun, it would be running great.
These are easy steps, I know, but dont underestimate the little things.
If ignored, the little things could turn into big problems.
They always run great with a little grit in them, right?
Take my semi-auto shotgun, for example.
Ive owned that gun for the better part of six years.
Its starting to run sluggish, and I dont think Ive ever cleaned it.
I re-familiarized myself with the gun and owners manual.
I then took it out after a thorough cleaning, and it is running like a champ now.
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