Springfield Armory supplies one 10 round magazine with new guns. The trigger is a 2-stage military set-up, with a trigger break between 5-6 pounds, but it feels lighter than that. It is also capped with a muzzle brake, a very effective one, at keeping the muzzle down for faster follow-up shots. It has a 16-inch barrel, compared to the full-sized M1A that comes with a 21-inch barrel. Over the years, I’ve tried some no-name 30 round mags, and there was a reason the maker didn’t stamp their names on the magazines – they didn’t work!Ī quick rundown on the M1A SOCOM II is in order. A quick trip to US Tactical Supply, and I was in business – they carry the outstanding, and mil-spec Checkmate Industries (“CMI”) brand of M14/M1A magazines – both 20 and 30 rounders – and the Checkmate 30 round mags are the only 30 round mags that I’ve found that will function 100% of the time. I was able to work a deal on a trade to get it – and cost me two M4-style rifles to get it! My sample was probably 98% as-new, too – but with no box, and the fellow who traded the gun, forgot the magazine. They had a couple brand-new ones come in the shop, but I couldn’t afford the price.Ībout a month after testing the US Tactical supplied M1A SOCOM II Juggernaut set-up, my local gun show picked-up a like-new SOCOM II in a trade at a gun show. Prior to testing the Juggernaut set-up, I had actually been searching for a SOCOM II at my local gun shop.
However, for my own personal use, I decided I just wanted a SOCOM II as it came from the factory. I was totally blown away by how compact this set-up was. Well over a year ago, I reviewed a Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM II, that was set-up in a very compact bullpup configuration, that rifle - loaned to me by the good folks at US Tactical Supply - is called the Juggernaut. I’ve owned several over the years, and found them to be outstanding shooters. Almost three decades ago, Springfield Armory came out with their semi-auto (only) version of the M14 and dubbed it the M1A – it was, and still is a big hit for Springfield Armory. Over the years, I’ve owned a few Chinese-made M14 clone rifles, they were okay, some better than others, and they all functioned just fine. I always wanted an M14 of my own, however, they were, and still are a hard-come-by rifle, and are an NFA weapon – and I don’t care to jump through the legal red tape to own a select-fire weapon. I shot in many competitions, and always winning in my classification with that M14. Later on, while working full-time for the Illinois National Guard, I joined the Illinois State Rifle & Pistol Team, and was issued a match-grade M14 (and 1911A1) along with all the ammo I wanted – those were the days. I learned to love it, and I qualified “Expert” with it – loved shooting that rifle. I cut my teeth on the military M14, way back in 1969, during my basic training at (now closed) Fort Ord, California.