November 25th, 2021
7minute read
The Springfield Armory name carries with it a long and storied history.
Over the arsenals long life, it has been involved in the production of several legendary American rifles.
Starting Back
I started with a reproduction 1873 Trapdoor in .45/70.
This rifle is about as close to a musket as it gets while still making use of smokeless cartridges.
I began with a preliminary zero on a small paper IPSC target at 100 yards.
I used only the folded down v-notch rear sight to make a torso hit.
I then flipped up the adjustable sight to make the transition out to 200 yards.
Black Hills flat-point lead rounds we were launching absolutely rocked the steel target at that distance.
Now it was time to adjust the sight upwards.
Making a precise adjustment on the 1873s sights was somewhat difficult.
Several shots at 500 yards came very close to the target but didnt hit.
This gun surprised me.
Picking it up I immediately noticed its interesting rear sight.
I found that the adjustable notch sight offered good target visibility, even at great range.
After firing it, I can only describe it as surgical precision.
Shots from 200 all the way out to 1,040 yards were made easy by the fantastic sight system.
Delivering my first iron sight hit at 1,040 yards is a feeling I will never forget.
An Icon
Now it was time to fire theM1 Garand.
I was not sure what to expect when I sat down at the bench with my M1.
I had only ever fired it standing and at targets within 100 yards.
Frank filled me in on the genius of the Garands rear sight.
Its eight-round capacity also meant I could continue to shoot and adjust for longer durations without having to reset.
A Continuing Tradition
Lastly, I shot theSpringfield Armory M1A.
The rifle I had out on the line was the Loaded Precision model.
Another factor that sets the M1A apart from the Garand in long-range shooting is its .308 chambering.
The rifles 22, air-gauged, medium-weight national match barrel proved extremely accurate.
The sights operate very much the same as the Garands and offered equally stellar accuracy.
TheLoaded Precisionhas a stock thats adjustable for both comb and length of pull.
The M1A performed great on the range.
I was able to hit immediately with it starting out at 200 yards.
Go to forum thread
M1ATMLoaded Precision
