Springfield M1A 50th Anniversary

Gavin8008

New member
Guys,

With Springfield celebrating half a century of the M1A, I've been staring at the specs and photos of the 50th Anniversary Edition .308. To be honest, I'm completely torn on it, and I wanted to see where you all stand.

On one hand, the presentation is incredible. They went all-out with the nostalgia:

spring.jpg

It seems to have a hand-selected walnut stock with a custom 50th-anniversary medallion, plus a flash suppressor featuring an actual bayonet lug. The operating rod is laser-engraved "1 of 1974", and it ships inside a heavy, custom Eastern white pine display crate. I notice it includes a reproduction M14 Army Technical Manual, a canvas OD green sling, and a commemorative coin.

Underneath the beautiful wood, it’s packing a 22-inch National Match medium-weight barrel and a tuned two-stage NM trigger breaking at around 4.5 to 5 lbs.

At a $2,499 MSRP, I see it like an $800 premium over a standard wood-stocked M1A.

So here is my question for you all: If you bought one, would you actually take it to the range and drop brass, or does a rifle like this immediately get locked away as a safe queen?

Does the "1 of 1974" engraving make it too historic to shoot, or is it a waste of a good National Match barrel to just let it sit in a wooden crate?

 
At my age, if I bought it, I'd shoot it, but to each his own. Heck, I don't even buy green bananas an more.
Have to admit, it is a pretty rifle, but I have been known to chop the stocks, add forend stops worn out barrels on two Winchester pre-64 Mod 70 National Match and Target rifles, then re-barreled and shot them some more.
Sure, unfired, they would be worth a lot of money today, but they were made to be on the range, not in a safe.
 
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