M1A socom 16.

roccoracer

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I am lusting for an M1A socom 16. I may be sold on just the looks alone and worry that it will not live up to my expectations.
I am a huge fan of a scout rifle and own a couple already. I have a Ruger Gunsite scout in .308 and a Mossberg MVP Predator in 5.56. They are excellent rifles and the Ruger in particular has made me fall in love with the scout rifle concept.

Is the M1A Socom 16 or scout a good option? Is it worth the $1700 sticker price?
 
I've got a M1A Scout and like it a lot.
More than a carbine, but not quite a sniper rifle.
M1A Scout.JPG

I've also got a Savage Model 10 FMCL (left handed scout rifle).
Savage_Scout_Rifle.JPG
I don't shoot them as much as I'd like (or should), but each fills a niche.
 
I've got a M1A Scout and like it a lot.
More than a carbine, but not quite a sniper rifle.
View attachment 257099

I've also got a Savage Model 10 FMCL (left handed scout rifle).
View attachment 257100
I don't shoot them as much as I'd like (or should), but each fills a niche.

What do you have on the M1A for a cheek riser? I like the chicken wire Camo pattern.
 
I am lusting for an M1A socom 16. I may be sold on just the looks alone and worry that it will not live up to my expectations.
I am a huge fan of a scout rifle and own a couple already. I have a Ruger Gunsite scout in .308 and a Mossberg MVP Predator in 5.56. They are excellent rifles and the Ruger in particular has made me fall in love with the scout rifle concept.

Is the M1A Socom 16 or scout a good option? Is it worth the $1700 sticker price?

Its very heavy and that does not fit the scout design. Seriously, based on the guns you have get a Steyr Scout, Jeff Cooper knows!
 
i went the scout route and never looked back. As much as I like the looks of the socom 16 I didn’t like the added weight of the cluster rail. I wasn’t looking at hanging anything off of it so the rail would go unused. On a side note, in the EE section of that black rifle forum there seems to always be take-off socom rails available.
 
Its very heavy and that does not fit the scout design. Seriously, based on the guns you have get a Steyr Scout, Jeff Cooper knows!
I already have 2 "proper" scout rifles and dont need a third bolt gun. Jeff Cooper was ahead of his time for sure. The scout concept is an excellent idea and again I am sold on it. I now want a semi auto scout.
 
my springfield armory M1A scout squad has been 100% reliable with steel cased wolf for well over 2k rounds. fun rifle. i considered the socom but the scout uses typical gas system, barely any longer, better sight radius and I think the scout runs a bit cheaper. if you're looking for a precision rifle to put a scope and shoot tight groups, look elsewhere. if you're looking for an old school iron-sighted Boba Fett-style blaster then it's the right choice.

advantages:
-old school feeling
-fun to shoot
-phenomenal iron sights
-100% reliable

drawbacks:
-optics mounting is a nightmare
-NOT a precision rifle
-maintenance requires special tools to access the gas system
-can be magazine-picky; el cheapo magazines are a waste
-mags are heavy and corners can rip up clothing
-can't clean from the breech
-compared to an LR-308, the M14 has more of a twisting recoil which I am told is due to the mass of the op rod along the R side of rifle

at first I used a QD mount along with the leupold FX-II 2.5x LER scope. if looking to run a scout optic setup this is a good choice. however in my case I found the irons more enjoyable to shoot so I removed the scout rail and replaced the factory cut-out handguard with a standard fiberglass handguard to cover up the hole where the rail used to life.

when I really feel like running optics I use a Bassett aluminum picatinny mount coupled to a SWFA straight 10x42 along with a Bradley cheek rest. the Bradley is stupid overpriced although quality is top notch and they seem to stand behind their product 100%.

while I like the springfield armory M1A's, there are other nice M14 models out there. if I were looking to build a scoped M14 I would get a Bula Defense XM21 that has machined steel rails into the forged receiver. Bula also sells barreled receivers to build up.

XM21 Ultra Precision 22″ Bull Barrel Muzzle Suppressor Ready

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvZEVZRuZoA&t=249s



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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOdjYjOUFd8
 
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If i where to spend the money on a 16" M1a I would have to go with one that has the scope mount built into the reciever. Although sort of ruins the concept of the "scout" set up.
Im tempted to do a scout set up with a old rem 7400
 
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