Best Springfield M1A Upgrades & Accessories

If you want to know what the best Springfield M1A upgrades & accessories your at the right place.

The Springfield M1A and M14 rifles have been around for a while now and are still very popular to this day. I set mine up to be the best Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) it can be. This post will go over the best Springfield M1A upgrades and accessories that you can do to your rifle.

A DMR is different from a precision rifle in the fact that it can engage multiple targets rapidly with a higher volume of fire compared to a bolt action rifle. It still has accuracy but not as good as a precision rifle.

I like the concept of having a DMR and that is why I chose the Springfield M1A as the platform to start with this build/setup. It is an iconic rifle and I have a weird obsession with it.

There are better and more modern rifles on the market that are lighter and more accurate, however, the Springfield M1A gets the job done. I’ve always wanted one of these rifles and I am very happy with how the setup turned out.

These are the best Springfield M1A upgrades and accessories to make it the ultimate DMR.

So what is the M1A?

The Springfield M1A is a series of rifles that is the descendant of the M1 Garand and the M14 series of rifles. It is a semi-automatic DMR that can be chambered in .308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor.

Springfield makes this rifle in 6 different variations and they vary in barrel length for intended use, and also and grade. The different versions are the Scout, SOCOM, Standard, Loaded, Match, and Super Match.

I personally have the Loaded model chambered in .308 Win, but the parts and accessories I go over will work for any of the versions. (When getting a stock make sure it will work on your barrel length)

Click here to check the current prices of Springfield M1A’s

SPRINGFIELD’S CURRENT M1A MODELS IN PRODUCTION

• Click Here to view them on Springfield’s website
• Click Here to download the owner’s manual

Best M1A Stock

There are a ton of options when choosing a shoulder stock or chassis system for the Springfield M1A and I got lucky because mine came with the ProMag Archangel Precision Stock and it is a good option. It is lightweight and has a lot of features and isn’t overpriced.

This stock is well made and has everything you need. It has a fully adjustable length of pull and cheek riser. Also, there is a full Picatinny rail on the under-barrel for easily attaching a bipod.

It comes and black, OD green, and flat dark earth (FDE) as well. The angled pistol grip has a palm swell and is very comfortable when shooting.

Click here to check the current prices of the ProMag Archangel Precision Stock

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Best M1A Trigger

The standard Springfield M1A trigger leaves much to be desired. This also depends on which version of the rifle you have. If you have the standard you will most likely want to upgrade and if you have the loaded you might be able to get by.

Personally, I like the National Match M1A Trigger Group, it is a huge improvement over the standard and feels great. With this one, you also have the option of getting it with the extended magazine release which is a nice feature.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a new trigger you can always take your rifle to a gunsmith that has expert knowledge on this platform and have them do a trigger job.

Click here to check the current prices of the National Match M1A Trigger Group

Best M1A Optics

So being that this a DMR setup you definitely need a nice scope with some magnification. The Vortex Razor HD Gen II 3-18x50mm is the scope that I recommend.

The adjustment turrets are robust and make sighting the scope very easy and it is a first focal plane optic. That means when you adjust the magnification and zoom in, the reticle will zoom in as well.

Its made out of a 34mm single-piece aircraft-grade aluminum tube for rigidity and is ultra-sleek and built like a tank.

This scope comes with the EBR-2C reticle and it is perfect for a DMR setup.

It has the perfect amount of information and isn’t too busy while looking through the glass. Talking about the glass, this scope is extremely clear and will work great in low-light settings.

It also has an illuminated reticle that runs on a single CR2032 battery and they are very common and easy to find. While it is on the heavier side, going on an M1A it won’t matter because the rifle is already heavy and there is really no way around that.

Vortex has outstanding customer service and probably the best out of any company there is. But this scope is extremely durable and rugged. I honestly wish I didn’t wait so long to get one.

When it comes to optics you truly get what you pay for and all I can say is buy once cry once because it is a mid to high-end optic. It is fairly priced for its category but it’s not cheap.

This scope is one of the best Springfield M1A upgrades!

Click here to check the current prices of the Vortex Razor HD Gen II 3-18x50mm

Best M1A Scope Rings

The absolute best M1A scope rings are the Geissele Super Precision Mount and also for any rifle and scope combo. If you have been reading or following the website for a while you already know how much I love Geissele Automatics.

The quality and durability of these mounts are absolutely insane, and to be honest maybe a little over-engineered. You will never have to worry about your scope shifting zero with this mount.

The Super Precision Mount is made in a few different colors but their desert dirt color looks great and I always go for that color on any Geissele products if it is available. Again, my goal was to build the best DMR I could on the Springfield M1A platform and that is why I decided to go with this mount.

Click here to check the current prices of the Geissele Super Precision Mount

Best M1A Scope Mount

There are only a few options when deciding on what scope mount to go with for the Springfield M1A. I ended up going with the SADLAK M1A Scope Mount which is a very solid mount and always holds zero.

I recommend going with the steel black phosphorous one and not the aluminum one. The installation is a little tricky but you come to realize that a lot of things on the Springfield M1A are tricky.

The SADLAK mount uses 3 points of contact and has been used and tested by the US Army Special Forces. This is one of the best M1A scope mounts on the market.

Click here to check the current prices of the SADLAK M1A Scope Mount

Best M1A Bi-Pod

When deciding on what bi-pod to get there were 2 main options, Harris or Atlas. I ended up going with an Atlas PRS Bi-Pod and couldn’t be happier with my decision. This thing is amazing! I know it’s just a bi-pod but they have come a long way.

The Atlas comes with a quick detach lever mount that will work on any Picatinny rail. It has 30 degrees of cant and also 30 degrees of pan. This allows you to transition from target to target without moving the legs of the bi-pod. Perfect for a DMR setup.

There is an adjustment knob on the bottom that allows you to change the tension on the movement as well.

The legs are rock solid and can easily be moved into their locking positions by a press of a button. They have a height range that is approximately 4.75 – 9.0in.

My goal was to put together the best M1A and the Atlas PRS Bi-Pod is a must-have accessory for this rifle and is also one of the best Springfield M1A upgrades.

Click here to check the current prices of the Atlas PRS Bi-Pod

Other M1A Accessories

All of the upgrades & accessories I listed above were the “fun” parts to add to the Springfield M1A. Extra magazines and ammo are a necessity for the rifle.

Extra M1A Magazines

My Springfield M1A came with only one 10 round magazine so I definitely had to get some more. I like having at least 6 magazines for all of my firearms. (except my ARs, need lots and lots of those)

I like to have a few of the 20 Round Magazines and some 10 Round Magazines as well. I personally only have the Springfield brand magazines, however, I have heard that the ProMags work well too.

Click here to check the current prices of the 20 Round Magazines

Click here to check the current prices of the 10 Round Magazines

Ammunition

So as I’m writing this, the ammo shortage is still going on. Unfortunately, ammo is very hard to find and overpriced currently. I like to keep a minimum of 1000 rounds as my stockpile ammo on hand.

This is probably very hard to do right now unless you already have a good amount of ammo. I also like to keep cheaper range ammo for messing around and some better quality ammo that I would have to use in a real-world scenario. (Hopefully, that will never happen)

When times are tough, like they are now, I recommend getting whatever you can get your hands on.

Click here to check the current prices and availability of ammo.

The Ultimate Designated Marksman Rifle

Again, this rifle holds a special place in my heart and I have a nostalgic attachment to it. I absolutely love this gun! The Springfield M1A is my DMR of choice and is on my list of the top 5 guns everyone should own.

Please let me know what upgrades & accessories you want to do, or have done to your M1A  in the comments down below. Thanks for reading and be safe out there.

COMPLETE LIST OF ITEMS MENTIONED

(Click the links for the most up to date prices)

• Springfield M1A
• ProMag Archangel Precision Stock
• National Match M1A Trigger Group
• Vortex Razor HD Gen II 3-18x50mm
• Geissele Super Precision Mount
• SADLAK M1A Scope Mount
• Atlas PRS Bi-Pod
• 20 Round Magazines
• 10 Round Magazines
• Ammuntion

Images provided by @icedfreakintea