M1A National Match welded gas cylinder

[rjmt]

anyone else have one of these? just order one for our M1A Loaded
now that I have new eyes, I can shoot our Garands and M1A again

Springfield Armory National Match Gas Cylinder M1A Steel Blue

These steel gas cylinders are constructed to the same demanding standards of all National Match components, and will serve admirably for years while...

www.midwayusa.com

I shimmed the gas cylinder originally, but this is the way the Marines accurized their M14

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[rjmt]

finally got the unitized cylinder installed today
removed the shims
it went on hard due to tight tolerance - I have a medium Match barrel from SA and the gas cylinder came from the same people
had to file the handguard to get it to mount in the front band
the gas lock band didn't tighten to 4 o'clock - went past the hole to 9
but when I tightened up the gas plug, it pulled together nicely
gas piston went in tight, but still passes the shake test, don't think I'll nee a NM gas piston
gas port aligned without shims
put in a Tubb CS flat wire spring and Sadlic spring guide last year - has a ported gas plug for the heavier bullets
the rifle was already shooting 1.5 MOA before this upgrade with Federal Match ammo, don't really expect I can shoot better than that
I now have 500 rnd of LC M118LR 177 gn I want to try in it, but the rains melted my paper targets today
I read SA puts a 1:11 twist in their Match barrels to handle these heavier bullets
but it does tighten up the gas system

I'll post a photo if you want, but really, you can't see it's there

 

[lucusloc]

finally got the unitized cylinder installed today
removed the shims
it went on hard due to tight tolerance - I have a medium Match barrel from SA and the gas cylinder came from the same people
had to file the handguard to get it to mount in the front band
the gas lock band didn't tighten to 4 o'clock - went past the hole to 9
but when I tightened up the gas plug, it pulled together nicely
gas piston went in tight, but still passes the shake test, don't think I'll nee a NM gas piston
gas port aligned without shims
put in a Tubb CS flat wire spring and Sadlic spring guide last year - has a ported gas plug for the heavier bullets
the rifle was already shooting 1.5 MOA before this upgrade with Federal Match ammo, don't really expect I can shoot better than that
I now have 500 rnd of LC M118LR 177 gn I want to try in it, but the rains melted my paper targets today
I read SA puts a 1:11 twist in their Match barrels to handle these heavier bullets
but it does tighten up the gas system

I'll post a photo if you want, but really, you can't see it's there

pics or it didn't happen ;-)

 

[rjmt]

pics or it didn't happen ;-)

you just want some gun porn of a classic American walnut and steel marksman rifle, not that black plastic toy
I found it strange that Washington banned the M1A by name, even though no crime has ever been committed with such a rifle
it's a main battle rifle from the '50s
yet the Olympia Liberals list it as an assault rifle because it has a detachable 20 rnd mag

 

[lucusloc]

What can I say, I like me some good wood ;-)

WA banned everything they could think of by name, then threw in some random feature tests for good measure. Didn't they name something that was a one-off build but had a million views on YT or something like that, or am I thinking of some other dumb law?

 

[rjmt]

even in California you can own an M1A if you change out the flash hider for a muzzle brake and use 10 rnd mgs
so I bought a Smith Enterprise Coast Guard muzzle brake
with it's 22" barrel, the M1A is not a hearing abusive rifle, often shoot it with no ears
but that Coast Guard muzzle brake - will rattle the window in your house even at 50 yrds!!
took it back off and put the original flash hider on

 

[rjmt]

What can I say, I like me some good wood ;-)

WA banned everything they could think of by name, then threw in some random feature tests for good measure. Didn't they name something that was a one-off build but had a million views on YT or something like that, or am I thinking of some other dumb law?

they banned the old Tec 9 that has been out of production since 1994
the present day gang bangers prefer their Glocks with a 33 rnd mag

and that's just an internet file photo, you understand

 

[ron]

The unitized gas cylinder for the M1A is a standard modification for NM rifles back in the day.
Yes I have one on my SA custom built Super Match.

 

[rjmt]

The unitized gas cylinder for the M1A is a standard modification for NM rifles back in the day.
Yes I have one on my SA custom built Super Match.
View attachment 1759470

nice rifle, do you shoot competition?
I bought this one for my son just before the Pandemic - since then we have only shot it on our 100 yrd range
I still have my NM Garand from back in the day, it has a Douglas 6 grove heavy .308 barrel in it
if even at 100 yrds, I want to shoot the 2 side by side with the same ammo now that I have new eyes

 

[ron]

nice rifle, do you shoot competition?
I bought this one for my son just before the Pandemic - since then we have only shot it on our 100 yrd range
I still have my NM Garand from back in the day, it has a Douglas 6 grove heavy .308 barrel in it
if even at 100 yrds, I want to shoot the 2 side by side with the same ammo now that I have new eyes

Yes I have shot Highpower Rifle since the 1980s. I have not gone across the course with
iron sights for a while. Service rifle now can use up to a 4.5 power scope. Estacada,
DRRC, Albany and TCGC conduct Highpower rifle matches. I will be at Estacada next
Saturday and DRRC on Dec. 10. DRRC will sale you Garand ammo for the match, have
Garands, spotting scopes and shooting mats to loan.

https://www.ossa.org/uploads/2/5/3/2/25326702/2023_highpower_schedule_version_3.pdf

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club - Service Rifle Program

 

[rjmt]

Yes I have shot Highpower Rifle since the 1980s. I have not gone across the course with
iron sights for a while. Service rifle now can use up to a 4.5 power scope. Estacada,
DRRC, Albany and TCGC conduct Highpower rifle matches. I will be at Estacada next
Saturday and DRRC on Dec. 10. DRRC will sale you Garand ammo for the match, have
Garands, spotting scopes and shooting mats to loan.

https://www.ossa.org/uploads/2/5/3/2/25326702/2023_highpower_schedule_version_3.pdf

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club - Service Rifle Program

I still have my old mat and spotting scope from the day, used to shoot at Tri County on their High Power team
I also have a Colt AR 15 HBAR I shot in High Power in the mid '90s
then my eyes went South and I gave up competiton shooting
with these new eyes I can see about 200 yrds with iron sights

 

[rjmt]

Yes I have shot Highpower Rifle since the 1980s. I have not gone across the course with
iron sights for a while. Service rifle now can use up to a 4.5 power scope. Estacada,
DRRC, Albany and TCGC conduct Highpower rifle matches. I will be at Estacada next
Saturday and DRRC on Dec. 10. DRRC will sale you Garand ammo for the match, have
Garands, spotting scopes and shooting mats to loan.

https://www.ossa.org/uploads/2/5/3/2/25326702/2023_highpower_schedule_version_3.pdf

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club - Service Rifle Program

OK, if you can run a 4.5 power scope in competition, then one can upgrade an old Colt AR with an A4 upper to hold a scope?

 

[ron]

OK, if you can run a 4.5 power scope in competition, then one can upgrade an old Colt AR with an A4 upper to hold a scope?

Yes an A4 is a legal service rifle. Also a collapsible stocks are permitted and floated front handguard.
Go shoot a match and see what everyone else is running. For shooting prone you need to get the
scope far enough forward. NRA and CMP rules are similar but have some differences.
https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023HighpowerRifleRules.pdf?vers=071523
AR Service Rifle. Load testing 5 shots @ 100 yards. It looks like it likes 52 SMK and 77 SMK

 

[rjmt]

Yes an A4 is a legal service rifle. Also a collapsible stocks are permitted and floated front handguard.
Go shoot a match and see what everyone else is running. For shooting prone you need to get the
scope far enough forward. NRA and CMP rules are similar but have some differences.
https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023HighpowerRifleRules.pdf?vers=071523
AR Service Rifle. Load testing 5 shots @ 100 yards. It looks like it likes 52 SMK and 77 SMK
View attachment 1759891

that's similar to mine, except the scope, but I have a Vortex LPVO that will work
and I have plenty of 77 SMK

now, the USMC M27 is a current issue service rifle accurate out to 600 yrds. Have you ever seen one of these in CMP competiton?

 

[rjmt]

that's similar to mine, except the scope, but I have a Vortex LPVO that will work
and I have plenty of 77 SMK

now, the USMC M27 is a current issue service rifle accurate out to 600 yrds. Have you ever seen one of these in CMP competiton?

View attachment 1759996 View attachment 1759997

sorry wrong AR, that's my 6.5 Grendel
here's my Colt

 

[rjmt]

Yes an A4 is a legal service rifle. Also a collapsible stocks are permitted and floated front handguard.
Go shoot a match and see what everyone else is running. For shooting prone you need to get the
scope far enough forward. NRA and CMP rules are similar but have some differences.
https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023HighpowerRifleRules.pdf?vers=071523
AR Service Rifle. Load testing 5 shots @ 100 yards. It looks like it likes 52 SMK and 77 SMK
View attachment 1759891

I was just going over the CMP rules - they now have a sub category for GRAND SENIORS for shooters over 70
and they have options for disabled shooters. back in the day, they wouldn't let me wear my back brace for offhand after my spine was fused
time have definitely changed - I may just try this with my Colt
thanks for the feedback

 

[rjmt]

Yes I have shot Highpower Rifle since the 1980s. I have not gone across the course with
iron sights for a while. Service rifle now can use up to a 4.5 power scope. Estacada,
DRRC, Albany and TCGC conduct Highpower rifle matches. I will be at Estacada next
Saturday and DRRC on Dec. 10. DRRC will sale you Garand ammo for the match, have
Garands, spotting scopes and shooting mats to loan.

https://www.ossa.org/uploads/2/5/3/2/25326702/2023_highpower_schedule_version_3.pdf

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club - Service Rifle Program

back in 1991, my wife bought me a standard grade SA M1A
I tried to shoot High Power with it and found it had all the shortcommings of the original M14, being built with surplus M14 parts, including a GI barrel
went back to my NM Garand
I disliked it so much I gave it to my best friend as a birthday present - as an Army veteran who trained with the M14 in the late '50s, he loved it
this is why I chose a Loaded M1A this time