Springfield M1A
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.07 kg
- Introduced
- 1974
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Springfield M1A is the civilian semi-automatic version of the US military M14 battle rifle, manufactured by Springfield Armory, Inc. of Geneseo, Illinois. The company was founded in 1974 specifically to commercialize the M14 design after the historic federal Springfield Armory was closed in 1968 - the two organizations are otherwise unrelated. The M1A is mechanically nearly identical to the M14: same White-system short-stroke gas-piston tappet action, rotating bolt, two-stage trigger, and USGI-compatible magazines, but with a receiver lacking the third pin hole for the selector switch, making it semi-auto only by design. Over 50+ years it has become the dominant civilian battle-rifle alternative to the AR-10 platform, prized for its classic walnut-and-steel aesthetic, mil-spec heritage, and proven 7.62 NATO accuracy.
Springfield Armory Inc was founded in 1974 specifically to commercialize the M14 design after the federal arsenal was shuttered. The 'M1A' designation was coined by Elmer C. Ballance to differentiate the civilian semi-auto from the select-fire military M14 - and the company's receiver tooling deliberately omits the third selector-pin hole, making the rifle semi-auto by hard mechanical design rather than software lockout.
Standard M1A spec; Loaded/National Match/Super Match are accuracy-tuned variants; SOCOM 16 (16.25" barrel) and Scout Squad (18" barrel) are compact variants. SOCOM 16 muzzle velocity drops to ~762 m/s due to short barrel. Originally produced by Elmer Ballance in Devine TX from 1971 before Robert Reese acquired rights and moved production to Geneseo IL in 1974.
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
- 1974
- Variant of
- Civilian semi auto
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1117 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.07 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 838 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3469 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.
White system short stroke gas piston
Rotating bolt
Two stage military trigger
Usgi m14 magazine compatible
Military aperture sights
Investment cast carbon steel receiver
Walnut birch or synthetic stock
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 | 4.07 kg | 4.30 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1117 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 | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Springfield M1A
How much does the Springfield M1A weigh?
The Springfield M1A weighs 4.07 kg (8.97 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Springfield M1A?
The Springfield M1A is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Springfield M1A hold?
The Springfield M1A holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Springfield M1A?
The Springfield M1A is 1117 mm (44.0 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Springfield M1A?
The Springfield M1A is made by Springfield Armory, Inc. (United States).
When was the Springfield M1A introduced?
The Springfield M1A was introduced in 1974.
How does the Springfield M1A operate?
The Springfield M1A 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/competition shooters
- 1974
- Limited US LE designated marksman roles
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
90%
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/springfield-m1a' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "springfield-m1a", "name": "Springfield M1A", "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": 1974, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 4070, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}