Hello everyone, this is my first post here.
Long time shooter, reloader, hunter, semi-famous in my own mind used to be ninja wannabe. I've spent a lot of money over the years going with the fad of the day and have since gotten to a point where I'm past that.
Now, I'm a lot more discriminating in how I spend my few available $$$ on toy stuff. I sold off over 95% of the (bad or impulse decision) stuff I bought or traded into over the years and have been concentrating on buying/building only the items I really have an appreciation/desire for. I'm down to a couple of shotguns for trap and hunting, a CCW piece and a decent bolt gun for hunting.
I realize I need a convenient .30 caliber semi. In the past, I've been through the FAL's, 91's and others. Nice guns for fun, but all lacked the appeal of a US made platform with some history behind it. I've owned an M1A SuperMatch in the past, didn't shoot it enough to warrant the price tag, and really never warmed up to the weight of it or hoopla of the SM koolaid.
Great forum, excellent resource and this place seems to have a pretty good vibe, so I thought I would jump in and ask a couple of questions.
I like the idea of a 16-18" barrel for the weight savings, I like the benefit of a .30 cal over .223 or x39. I'm never going to like paying .300 Mag prices for ammo or components. I've been reading a bit about the Socom/II and Scout platforms from Springfield. They all seem like they could fit my general needs.
Being bang for the buck conscious, I'm looking for some input on the wisest way to end up with a M1 in a 16 or 18" with a folder or collapsible stock. I would really like optics mount/platform that allows a co-witness with irons. Undecided on a scout mount or conventional.
Initial use will be range time, working up loads to find what shoots best, target shooting and maybe some hunting <400 yds or so. Long term, I can see this being pressed into other roles. Should a zombie invasion occur (doubtful), this would also be pressed into a SD/security role in part until help arrives or order is restored.
I do not have any fantasies about TSHTF scenarios, getting invaded or other disaster occurrences but, should something unforseen happen, I'd like the .30 cal platform I end up with to be as versatile as is practical.
Are there any advantages to going with the Socom or Socom II vs a Scout platform ? What about replacement/repair parts availability ? Any longevity concerns about any of the three ?
I see some mention of issues with some of the early Socom's. These appear to have been somewhat random, and (I'm hoping) these have been worked out by Springfield with current production guns.
With other platforms, use an AR as an example, there are almost limitless bling/accoutrements that can be added. In hindsight, many are either impractical or downright useless in real world use. With an AR M4gery, the majority of shooters looking for a good base option could skip all the custom builds, mix and match from cool vendor du jour and just go with a Colt 6920 and be ahead of the game in both quality and savings.
That's kind of what I'm looking to do with a M1A solution. I hope to skip the hype, I'm not really interested in a lot of bling, but useful accessories are most welcome. I consider useful accessories to be a light, a decent optics setup and anything that makes the gun more reliable and/or convenient. I'm not looking to start with an 8lb gun and end up with something weighing 15lbs that looks like a carnival ride.
Here is one example of what I think is a nice, compact base platform :
Not sure about the optics solution in the vid, as I'm a big fan of a Reflex/heads up style sight for close range use, and a NF 5.5x22 (+/-) for longer range or bench use.
I'm open to any optics solution that is convenient to mount/change without losing zero.
I won't say money is no object, but cost is a secondary concern. This will be the only/last .30 cal platform I own. I don't want to spend one cent more than necessary to get what I need, but do realize, good gear, solutions and guns aren't cheap.
I don't plan on making this a one hole at 100 yd gun, simply something battle accurate, easy to handle that isn't fragile or a POS in general.
So, if any of you might be so kind as to get me pointed in the right direction, it would be a tremendous help.
ETA: I know newbie questions are somewhat a PITA. Please excuse my newness here, I promise not to be a pest with a mountain of stupid questions. I am well aware of the search function and have used it in depth, but I simply don't have the level of knowledge about what is currently available to ask a pertinent question, more than the above (yet).
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