Springfield M1A SOCOM 16
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 413 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.04 kg
- Introduced
- 2004
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 is the most compact rifle in the M1A series, a civilian semi-automatic M14-pattern battle rifle in 7.62x51mm NATO built by Springfield Armory, Inc. of Geneseo, Illinois. Its 16.25-inch barrel is mated to the gas system and capped with a proprietary muzzle brake that tames the recoil of the shortened, full-power platform. A forward scout-style Picatinny rail and XS tritium front sight support intermediate-eye-relief optics or fast iron-sight target acquisition. Despite its short length, it retains the M1A's White-system short-stroke gas piston, rotating bolt, match-tuned two-stage trigger, and USGI magazine compatibility, making it a maneuverable, hard-hitting truck or brush gun.
Despite the 'SOCOM' name evoking US special-operations hardware, the SOCOM 16 was never a military-issue rifle - Springfield Armory coined the name to market a compact, hard-recoiling civilian M14 carbine that distills the full-power battle rifle into a 16-inch package.
The 16.25-inch barrel sacrifices roughly 150 fps of muzzle velocity versus a standard 22-inch M1A. The proprietary muzzle brake is essential to managing the increased blast and recoil of the short barrel. Sold with both synthetic and walnut stock options, and in a CQB chassis variant.
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
- 2004
- Variant of
- Compact 16 25in
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 413 mm
- Overall length
- 946 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.04 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 762 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2758 J
- Effective range
- 400 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
Proprietary muzzle brake
Forward scout picatinny rail
Xs tritium front sight
Match grade two stage trigger
Usgi m14 magazine compatible
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 | 4.04 kg | 4.30 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 946 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 413 mm | 458 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 10 | 20 | Among the smallest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16
How much does the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 weigh?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 weighs 4.04 kg (8.90 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 hold?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 is 946 mm (37.2 in) long overall, with a 413 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 is made by Springfield Armory, Inc. (United States).
When was the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 introduced?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 was introduced in 2004.
How does the Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 operate?
The Springfield M1A SOCOM 16 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
- 2004
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
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-socom-16' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "springfield-m1a-socom-16", "name": "Springfield M1A SOCOM 16", "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": 2004, "barrel_length_mm": 413, "weight_empty_g": 4037, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}