User Panel
Posted: 12/5/2005 4:30:46 PM EDT
As some of you know my ownage of the SA SOCOM 16 has been a soap opera of back and forth to the repair center and the store.
It started out on 9/11 and I wanted a new rifle why not a SA M-1A type SOCOM 16. The first time It fired it was fine till it started warming up. After about half a magazine it would fail to extract and this was a new mag or old mag, ammo type didn't matter. the gun would cool down and the same thing would happen all over again.....extraction problems. The gun was returned to SA and they replaced the entire bolt. The first time I shot the gun after I got it back it fired but didn't extract, WTF? I looked at the bolt and it had disintegrated? The famous disintegrating SA bolt, great All this from a new gun So I return the gun to the shop and they switch it out with a whole new unit, they are pissed as am I, oh well I'm pretty patient. Today I go shooting and boom, boom, boom no problems. Temps are about the same when the bolt fell apart and everything is going good till my last 2 magazines. Boom, Boom, Boom, "Tink" WTF was that? I look on the ground and the front sight has broken off with the screw still intact and the machined part broken off. FUUUUUCCKing piece of shit. Today it went back and I got another bushy instead. I have had it with SA and their SOCOM 16 and I don't trust their line of M1-A rifles. Everyone says get USGI parts but this is a new fucking rifle and should not be falling apart like this. That is all |
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I've got an M1A Scout that's about 3 years old. No issues whatsoever (other than the factory fiberglass stock scraches if you look at it sideways...)
<knocking on wood> |
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Thanks for this post, It was a toss up between a SA Ma1 or a Ultalite 50 with my
Christmas bonus. Damn now I have to save for a Leupold scope..... |
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sell it and get an AR10 carbine, problem solved
but really its a shame you are having such trouble, should be good to go from the factory, or at the very least be receptive to customer needs |
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lol i was wondering wtf also, foreskin it must be!! |
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Curious too, it looks.......odd. |
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that's the reason i bought a polytech instead. EVERY new SA m1a i have seen at the range for the last 2 years has had similar problems. every damn one of them.
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This cannot be. In every "AR10 is a piece of shit" thread, the M1A is always touted as perfect.
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I like mine because it was only a SA receiver and it was built out from there.
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GI m1a's are |
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For the record, mine is perfect. But I don't the AR10 is a piece of shit...
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jesus......that had me laughin' |
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+1 |
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Okay, 'splain that to me. There was no such thing as a GI M1A, just the M14. The ATF said "once an MG, always an MG", so no de-milled M14s on the market, right? |
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I know that my 4 have been flawless, just had to weed out a couple of bad mags which ArmaLite cheerfully replaced. |
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GI bolt,gi barrell, gi stock, gi sight.... etc etc.... there is a lot more to a gun than a reciever. |
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I know there are a few and I mean a few M14's Transferables on the market. I supposed you could buy a M14 and then covert it to semi auto - that would that make it a M1A or just a semi auto M14. A lot of M14's that were issued were semi autos.
Mine on the other hand is a Springfield Armory factory select fire US Rifle 7.62mm M1A although it really more like a M14 without the designation. |
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Jeez, I just bought a SA M1A last week, however it was used [VERY lightly] and had ALL USGI parts but for the stock and receiver. I hope it lasts a bit longer then yours.
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Don't worry, you should be fine. I have 3 M1As with USGI parts, no problems at all (once I tossed the extractors and replaced them with extractors I knew for a fact were USGI). |
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Wow, glad I read this. I was thinking of getting that exact gun. You saved me a bunch of research and potential head/heartache, thanks.
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I have a Socom II, purchased over the summer.
I have fired 140 rds of South African ammo (battle pack) with no failures. I am totally happy with my Socom. DaddyDett |
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This is why I always advise people to go polytech if they want an M-14 clone.
Forged parts. If you drop $200 into a polytech in good condition you get about as close to the real thing as is possible short of an LRB, for 1/3 the price. And that's only IF it has long headspace and needs a GI bolt. A GI stock and FS, couple other cheap listed USGI parts (I went with trigger group parts just because I had a set laying around) for 922r compliance, and you're good to go. Chicoms got their money on the polys a long time ago, a fellow arfcommer got mine, and I couldn't be happier. |
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So far no failures in full-auto or semi-auto
I get real nice two shot bursts if I want and hold just a touch longer for three-shot bursts |
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twonami: Wow, sorry to hear that you're having problems with yours, that is really unfortunate. Way back in 1989, I had the foresight to get a M1A NM, now I'm really glad I did.
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Thats when mine was built also. November. |
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Im glad i did research on battlerifles.com before buying mine
pretty much avoid anything made after 2000 mine was built in Feb 1996 and is as GI as a springfield gets never had a problem find a older used one with no cast parts |
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I was going to buy a SA rifle and found all the quality problems with them recently. So I found a nice Dane CMP rifle and sent it to DGR to get it redone. Since it was a Dane return it was not a collector piece, the wood didnot match and in fact was of different species of wood. Second, the VAR barrel was brand NEW. I mean New, Dean was really impressed with it. He said it was test fired only. No erosion, nothing.
So for about $800 I have a fantastic rifle that looks better then new. It will shoot 1 MOA with a good shooter, not me! But my GFs father lit up a target with it and it was amazing. The old farts were taught to shoot well in the service. Its got the most beautiful wood. |
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This is bizzarre, I've had an M1A "Loaded" for 5 years, No G.I. parts and still haven't had any reliability problems! I guess everybody can build a lemmon, doesn't mean they are all lemmons.
Declaring a gun a P.O.S. because of a an experience with ONE particualer rifle is a litle extreme! BTW, I have heard horror stories about AR-10's too, like i said every builds a lemmon sooner or later. But i have My M1A and Two different 1911A1's from springfield and never had a problem with either, but did buy a 1911A1 that was once from them but they made it right and sent me whole new gun!! |
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Glad I went with FA, I've put a few hundred rounds through my M-21 JSOW without a single problem. But I also paid about $3,000 for it...
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it was 2 seperate rifles that broke on me. one had a desintergrating bolt the other had the front sight break off without any stress |
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Yeah those cast bolts just ain't holding up are they?
When SA ran out of USGI parts, the party was over. Glad all my M1As are pre89. |
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He did say
He did NOT say all of them are. Had to get that jab in about the AR10, huh. |
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How do the fulton armory M14s compare with the polytechs or the SAs?
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I have a SAI M1A and have round 1500 rounds through it with no problems. All SAI parts except a USGI barrel. Couldn't be any happier with my purchase. I guess I got lucky.
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anyone need mags
ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=92&t=313302 |
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WAAAAAY overpriced. I handled one at Sportsman's Warehouse... $1400 for THAT?? I'd value it at... $500.
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The SOCOM models in particular have had problems from the start (I've posted this a dozen times over the last two years). It is absolutely true: as SA has run out of GI parts and has had to go with cast replacement parts, quality and reliability have dropped like a rock.
Those of you with GI parts, especially bolt groups, will continue to enjoy your rifles for a long time. Oh, and a +1 for an Armalite AR10. I'm still waiting for my first failure. -Troy |
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Well, Troy, if they'd pony up and take some of that MAD profit from what they charge... they should start milling some QUALITY parts!
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I can't believe it took until page 2 to be said |
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A guy I work with has a SOCOM, and after about 100 rds, the front sight mount actually cracked and damn near fell completely off. I've been wanting one to keep my AR-10 company, but I think I'll pass.
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I love my SAIs, but I wonder what their profit margin is. As a previous poster said, I'd like to see them put some money into QC.
Another thing: How hard would it be for them to do some simple accurizing mods so they didn't look/feel/sound like rattletraps (referring to handguard rattling from loose front band)? A set of shims costs under $7, you know SAI could get them for less than that, and they only take 5 mins to put on if you already have the flash suppressor off. |
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As much of a fan as I am of the M1A, there's no way I'd buy a new SA. Too many people are having too many problems with them. Both of mine are circa 1995 and have GI parts, so I've been fortunate.
+1 on the FAL. If a new .308 rifle is what you want, you can't go wrong with a quality FAL. |
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That sucks man. As much as SA charge for the rifle they all should just work.
Haven't had issues with mine since purchased this past Spring and have approx 2,000 rounds of surplus through it so far. Hope it keeps working. |
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