M1A SOCOM 16 or Scout?

[HappyG]

scout all the way. the socom break looks horrendous and in a long range caliber like .308 I will take all the barrel I can get. I would say ditch the red dot that everyone seems to like and go with a handgun or EER type scope so you can get a little more range out of your optic.

Then get a standard M1A and not a short barreled version? I'd say get one of each... socom, scout, standard.

[Gasman]

I'd recommend that you shop around for an older Scout or Bush rifle, one with all USGI parts (except for the barrel, of course). If you can't find one, get a standard 22" model (again, an older one, like the one you used to own) and have an 18" chrome-lined Criterion barrel installed. After you're done spending all this money on the rifle and possibly a mount and an optic, kick yourself with vigor for having sold your M1A in the first place...

[X-NewYawker]

Scout. I now have 22, 28 and 16 inch M1As -- was at family picnic today in Malibu and met two men who gushed about there M1As -- both had more than one.
But for CA use, 18" scout is cool...

[BigDaddyGuns]

Noone on this forum sticking up for the 16"... hmmm Is it cause they have nothing to say?

[sirgiles]

nothing to say just show.

[BigDaddyGuns]

YEAH! That's what I'm talking about. Nice rifle! I'm still torn. 16's look more tactical pratical. 18's look a bit more traditional. Like a midlength AR. sigh. Better check my piggy bank to see if I can get two!

[The DRis]

I've got a Socom II and love everything about it......


Well, except what it makes me do to the wallet!! ;-)

[gunsmoke50]

I've had my scout for years, love it to death. Never fired the 16, but aesthetically the Scout looks better to me. It also balances well, and I really don't miss the extra 4" from the standard size.

For optics, I tried an aimpoint on mine, but It was hell getting a proper zero, since the sightline is so much higher than the barrel of the rifle. I had to max out the adjustments to even get in the ballpark at 100 yards. Currently, I have a Burris 2.75x long eye relief on it, and that's all the scope I really need for my purposes.

I'd be interested in trying the aimpoint micro T-1, since it has an integral mount, and sits low. Can anyone confirm if the Scout's iron sights can be co-witnessed with the T-1?

[ren]

if I had the cash I'd buy a scout.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Scout. A 16" .308 is kind of a waste.

[H2O MAN]

I prefer the 18.0" Bush, Scout & MK14.










That said, SEI starts building my 16.25" M14 today

It will have their new 4 groove M118LR barrel with a 1:10 ROT and deliver very good accuracy beyond 600 yards with a sound suppressor.

[plankowner]

another one for the scout , I have had this one for a couple of years and hands down my favorite rifle

[rips31]

at 400-600yd, i haven't noticed a difference with the extra 2" of barrel, when shooting a scout or socom. i like the way the 16" looks, so i got the socom 16. it's my equivalent of my wife's 14.5" middy...mostly for short-/mid-range and plinking.

that and it's not as tiring when not on a bench.

[Excitable Boy]

I had a SOCOM II and took a pretty good hit selling it to get a Scout. I've never regretted it. I had a Micro T1 on it. Overall, it worked ok, but in the end, I decided that one reason I wanted a .308 was to reach out a little farther with a little extra punch, and the short barrel .308 seemed antithetical to that end. If you want it to be a CQB rifle, the SOCOM 16 with a T1 would work great, but if you want to get an M1A for the extra reach, the short barreled action seems like a poor choice to me. As noted above, the front sight blade is wider than what's on the Scout to allow for the Tritium, at least on the SOCOM II, making it not as well suited to 300+ yards. You also loose a couple hundred FPS.

I'm still trying to decide on glass for my Scout, but as is, it seems to do better with the stock irons at 300 yards than the SOCOM II did with the Aimpoint. The Aimpoint now lives on my AR and seems a better fit there. I could see the front sight through the T, but I don't know I'd go so far as to say you can co-witness the irons with the Aimpoint in place.

A couple technical things to consider: The short barrel really leaves you few choices as far as muzzle brakes/flash hiders go. The factory brake is designed to keep enough back pressure to reliably cycle the action. Also, the short barrel uses a non standard operating rod, whereas the Scout uses a standard length one, so parts should be more readily available.

[H2O MAN]

I could see the front sight through the T, but I don't know I'd go so far as to say you can co-witness the irons with the Aimpoint in place.

Co-witness is not possible with the Springfield forward optic mount because of it height. The M8 from UltiMAK sits much lower and allows for a true co-witness.

Also, the short barrel uses a non standard operating rod, whereas the Scout uses a standard length one, so parts should be more readily available.

Nope. The op rod is the same on the SOCOM, SCOUT, STANDARD etc...



Also, SEI makes a SOCOM muzzle device kit that can use a standard front sight with a thin
national match post, a flash hider or comp and a stubby gas plug that has increased gas volume.