Low prices on the Springfield M1A Loaded Walnut .308WIN start at Champion Firearms-

The Rifle That Makes A Statement. As a direct descendant of the M1 Garand, the Springfield M1A Loaded Walnut is a semi-automatic hybrid extension of the U.S. military's M14 family of rifles. A closer examination of the weapon reveals the earliest prototypes were unveiled by Springfield Armory's chief designer John Garand in the final months of WWII. Designated the T20E2, the mighty M1 underwent fully automatic modifications and its 8- round en bloc clip was replaced with a detachable 20- round Browning BAR box magazine. The Japanese surrendered before the U.S. Army deployed the new light machine gun and the War Department subsequently cancelled the project following the armistice.

In the years that followed, Springfield Armory began re-engineering the project around a new military cartridge initially dubbed the T65. This shorter round had less powder than a .30-06, but still retained the same down range trajectory and ballistic energy thanks to a more efficient propellant recently introduced by Olin Industries/Winchester. The T65 was then adopted into military service as the 7.62X51 NATO cartridge, and Winchester later released a hotter loaded civilian version on the commercial market known as the .308WIN. The simple act of substituting a .30 caliber short action for a long action cartridge saved one pound of rifle weight over its predecessor the M1 Garand, which would be one of the deciding factors in approval of the M14 over foreign competition.

During the next several years, while running on a shoe string budget with minimal funding for research and development, the project would receive input from a variety of design engineers at Springfield Armory. The T20E2 evolved into a promising prototype called the T44. Modifications were subsequently made to shorten and improve the gas system and the M1 Garand's long operating rod was replaced with a self-compensating gas cut-off system. At the same time, the U.S. military also carefully considered the FN-FAL for approval, referred to in field trials as the T48.

Extensive testing conducted in the early '50s revealed the T44 and T48/FAL were comparable in terms of performance, however, subsequent Arctic testing soon revealed that the T48's sluggish gas system was inferior to that of the T44. As a result of this and the fact it was slightly lighter in weight than the T48, the T44 was formally adopted in 1957 as the official primary infantry service rifle, and then re-classified as the U.S. M14.

By 1965, with America's emerging military involvement in Southeast Asia, several glaring problems became apparent with the M14. The Marines loved them because, when set to semi- auto, the rifle accurately punched through jungle flora and enemy combatants equally well. Nevertheless, when the rifle was set to full-auto mode, it became practically impossible to control. In addition, the M14 was deemed too big and bulky for jungle combat. Another complicating factor was the hot and wet tropical climate of Vietnam forced the Army to continually replace warped and swollen wood stocks with synthetic furniture.

These additional costs, when combined with weight considerations plus the rifle's substantial full auto recoil, solidified the decision to phase out the M14 as our "primary infantry weapon" beginning in 1966, relegating it to the status of "limited standard weapon". It was replaced by a little black rifle many soldiers just plain despised and would jokingly refer to as "the little toy gun manufactured by Mattel". Despite its short reign as the U.S. military's official primary service rifle, the M14 was nevertheless a known and proven quantity, where the early M16A1's were hated as having a reputation for being unreliable, inaccurate at longer distances and severely underpowered.

In 1968, the U.S. government closed down the historic arsenal originally founded in 1777 by President George Washington-- the federally owned and operated Springfield Armory. Then in 1974, seizing upon a golden opportunity, a trademark was filed for a private company located in San Antonio, Texas known as Springfield Armory, Inc. The new business acquired surplus M14 parts and began building a semi-automatic version of the rifle. Since American civilians weren't being sent on long range search & destroy missions or engaging in jungle warfare, the platform quickly rose to prominence as a premium match gun and launched Springfield, Inc as a top tier firearms manufacturer.

Shortly thereafter, the company was sold to the Reese family, who had a well established production shop, and then relocated to its present day location in Geneseo, Illinois. At roughly the same time, the U.S. military converted thousands of M14's into M21 sniper rifles. Even today, this lethal weapons system has seen extensive deployment among U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, while holding the dubious distinction of surpassing the M1903 as the nation's longest serving infantry rifle.

At the heart of the Springfield M1A Standard design is an incredibly accurate shooting system. After years of input based on extensive experience from U.S. Army, Marine and Navy armorers, the platform continues to serve as a hard-hitting, go-to-rifle for elite military operators such as the Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Delta Force, 10th Special Forces Group, Special Operations Interdiction, Scout Snipers, Special Security Teams (SRT), Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams (FAST), Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle Units, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard"), as well as law enforcement sharpshooters, civilian competition shooters and hunters around the country.

Every Springfield is solidly built. From the moment the M1A Loaded is unboxed, you know you're holding a real gun. The rifle's 22" National Match premium air gauged chrome-moly barrel is the optimal length for maneuverability in tight confines like a hunting blind, while still capable of delivering terminal ballistics at longer distances down range. When firing in low light conditions such as hog hunting at night, the M1A flash hider reduces the ball of flame exiting your muzzle and thereby increases visibility for rapid fire follow-up shots. Long range shooter's tend to gravitate toward the rifle's 1:11" twist rate, so the M1A Loaded affords the opportunity to stabilize 175-grain match ammo, while still capable of firing standard M80 147-grain military ball ammo exceptionally well. A Parkerized metal finish provides excellent corrosion resistance.

The National Match two- stage trigger breaks cleanly between 4.5-5 pounds. A National Match 0.062" blade front sight has been paired with an non- hooded 0.0520" National Match rear sight that is M.O.A. adjustable for both windage and elevation. What really sets this rifle apart from all other military style sporters is the rifle wears a high grade American walnut stock that combines handsome looks with a incredibly solid shooting platform. The Springfield M1A Loaded is powerfully constructed, weighing in at a beefy 9.8 pounds empty. It includes (1) 10- round magazine from the factory, but quality high capacity 20- round magazines can be purchased separately and function extremely well in this rifle.

As with the operation of any firearm, extreme caution should be observed when disengaging the safety of the M1A Loaded. The M1 Garand style trigger guard safety is one of the fastest and most intuitive designs ever created-- when you're ready to fire, simply insert your finger into the front part of the guard and push the safety catch forward. The rifle is now instantly capable of shooting. One caveat-- since it's now already inside the trigger guard, take care to keep your finger off the trigger until absolutely ready to fire. While chambered to handle the higher pressured .308WIN hunting cartridge, the M1A will also successfully cycle standard 7.62X51 military ball ammo. Every Springfield rifle is backed by the company's excellent reputation for impeccable customer service and a legitimate lifetime warranty. Overall, the M1A Loaded is a time tested, battle proven rifle built for accuracy, durability and reliability.

Established in 1993, Champion Firearms is a retail gun store and indoor range located in College Station, Texas.

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