Springfield Armory M1A Loaded
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Introduced
- 1991
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded is the match-grade civilian configuration of the M1A platform, introduced in the early 1990s as Springfield Armory, Inc.'s answer to NRA High Power and CMP competition shooters who wanted a competition-ready M14 derivative without paying the premium of the National Match or Super Match grades. The 'Loaded' designation refers to the rifle being pre-equipped with a National Match medium-weight, air-gauged premium barrel, a tuned two-stage National Match trigger that breaks at approximately 4.5–5 lbs (20–22 N), match-grade aperture iron sights with a 0.062-inch front blade, and a 1:11 right-hand twist optimized for 168–175 grain target bullets. Available in walnut or composite stock variants chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Winchester (and a later 6.5 Creedmoor variant), the M1A Loaded is one of the most popular semi-automatic match rifles in U.S. civilian competition.
The M1A Loaded earned its nickname 'the working man's National Match' because it offered roughly 80% of the accuracy of a Super Match rifle for less than half the price - a positioning Springfield Armory deliberately engineered to capture the high-volume CMP and three-gun-precision crowd in the 1990s.
Walnut stock variant weighs ~4.45 kg (9.8 lb); composite/synthetic stocks ~4.31 kg (9.5 lb). MSRP ranges from approximately USD 1,925 to 2,170 depending on stock and finish. Includes a single 10-round magazine for compliance with state magazine restrictions; standard 20-round M14 magazines are compatible. The Loaded Precision variant uses a chassis stock and adjustable cheekpiece for scoped use.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Springfield Armory, Inc.
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1991
- Variant of
- Match grade civilian
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1126 mm
- Sight radius
- 711 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.76 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Trigger pull
- 22.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Carbon steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 853 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3457 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 3725 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
National match medium weight barrel- Air gauged barrel
National match two stage trigger
Match grade aperture rear sight- National match 062 front blade
Muzzle brake- Semi auto only
- Civilian legal configuration
Garand style operating rod
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 4.31 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1126 mm | 1025 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 559 mm | 458 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 10 | 20 | Among the smallest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded
How much does the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded weigh?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded weighs 4.31 kg (9.50 lb) empty and 4.76 kg (10.49 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded hold?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded is 1126 mm (44.3 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded is made by Springfield Armory, Inc. (United States). It was designed by Springfield Armory, Inc. (engineering team).
When was the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded introduced?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded was introduced in 1991.
How does the Springfield Armory M1A Loaded operate?
The Springfield Armory M1A Loaded uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Sport Shooters
- 1991
- Civilian Marksmanship Program competitors
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/m1a-loaded' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "m1a-loaded", "name": "Springfield Armory M1A Loaded", "manufacturer": { "id": "springfield-armory", "name": "Springfield Armory, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1974, "website": "https://www.springfield-armory.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "25f76dc992edbd0bbf9fcae464532e0cdea93a1bb7636f2858e213931d45a359" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1991, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 4310, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}