Description
Walnut looks better and composite works better. That is the short version of why Springfield offers the Standard Issue M1A in both, and why the Springfield M1A Black Composite is the version most owners who actually shoot the rifle hard end up choosing. It is the same twenty two inch, two stage triggered service rifle, but the stock does not swell with humidity, does not need refinishing after a wet season, and shaves most of a pound off the walnut version.
Composite Versus Walnut On A Service Rifle
Wood is beautiful and it is also alive. It absorbs moisture, it swells against the barrel and the operating rod, and on a rifle where bedding and gas system alignment determine accuracy those movements show up on paper. The black composite stock is dimensionally stable across temperature and humidity swings, which means a zero established in a dry October still holds in a humid July. For a rifle that will live in a truck, a boat or a duty rack, that is the deciding factor.
Weight is the second difference. This configuration comes in at eight pounds eight ounces bare against nine pounds three ounces for the walnut version. Eleven ounces does not sound like much until you have carried a rifle all day or shot a full course of fire offhand. The composite also takes knocks without denting, so the rifle looks the same after a decade of use as it did in the first year.
What has not changed is everything that makes an M1A shoot. The gas operated, rotating bolt action is unchanged, the barrel is the same twenty two inch six groove carbon steel tube with a 1:11 twist, and the flash suppressor is the standard military pattern. This is the same rifle underneath, dressed for work rather than for display.
Sights, Trigger And What Ships In The Box
The sighting system is the reason service rifle shooters still take these to matches. A National Match front blade measuring 0.062 inches sits inside a protective hood, and the rear is a military aperture adjustable for windage and elevation in minute of angle clicks. That combination allows precise, repeatable zeroing at any distance without an optic, and the sight radius on a twenty two inch barrel is long enough to make the most of it out past six hundred yards.
The two stage trigger is standard on service rifles because it suits deliberate shooting. The first stage takes up slack while the shooter settles into position and controls breathing, and the second breaks cleanly at a defined wall. It is a very different feel from a single stage trigger and most shooters who spend time with one prefer it for anything other than fast close range work.
Springfield includes a heavy duty padded rifle case with adjustable straps in the box. That is a small thing but a welcome one, because a rifle this long and this heavy needs proper transport and a case bought separately is another hundred dollars. One ten round magazine ships with the rifle, and twenty round magazines are available where the law permits.
Springfield M1A Black Composite Specifications
- Caliber: 308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm NATO
- Model number: MA9106
- UPC: 706397011062
- Barrel: 22 inch six groove carbon steel, 1:11 twist
- Muzzle: flash suppressor
- Front sight: National Match 0.062 inch blade
- Rear sight: military 0.0690 aperture, adjustable for windage and elevation
- Trigger: two stage
- Stock: black composite with matching handguard
- Overall length: 44.33 inches
- Weight: 8 pounds 8 ounces
- Magazine: one 10 round detachable box magazine
- Finish: black parkerized metalwork
- Included: heavy duty padded rifle case with adjustable straps
Two things worth knowing before you buy. Scope mounting on an M1A means a side mount clamped to the receiver, and cheap mounts will not hold zero on this action, so budget properly if an optic is part of the plan. Second, the gas system prefers 147 to 175 grain bullets loaded with medium burn rate powders. Heavy, slow loads batter the operating rod over time, and an adjustable gas plug is a sensible investment for anyone shooting varied ammunition.
Why Buyers Choose The Springfield M1A Black Composite
The first reason is practical durability. Composite stocks do not check, crack at the wrist or need refinishing, and they shrug off the sort of handling that leaves permanent marks on walnut. For a rifle that will be used rather than admired, that is the whole argument, and it explains why most agency and competition examples wear synthetic furniture.
The second reason is that the platform still shoots. A well maintained M1A with match ammunition and irons holds minute of angle in trained hands, which is remarkable for a design that entered service in 1957. Highpower service rifle competitors still campaign these against modern rifles and still win with them.
The third reason is that this is a genuinely long lived rifle. Parts remain available, gunsmiths who know the platform are still working, and the design was engineered for military rebuild cycles rather than for a warranty period. Bought today and maintained, it is the sort of rifle that gets handed down rather than traded in.
Who Should Buy The Springfield M1A Black Composite
This suits the shooter who wants an M1A to use rather than display, the highpower competitor, and anyone who needs a full power semi automatic that tolerates weather and rough handling. It is also a sound hunting rifle in open country for those who do not mind the weight. Choose the walnut version instead if the traditional look matters more than the practical advantages, and look elsewhere entirely if you want light weight or easy optic mounting.
Learn more about this battle rifle from the manufacturer, or see more firearms available at MAG5 Firearms.
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