[RadioActiV]

Originally Posted by Dcomf

First of all use the GI cleaning kit for show only. Get a good one piece rod to use in the barrel, preferably a good carbon fiber one. Why would you want to run a multi-piece rod through a barrel like that and risk damage? The grease you hear about most is Tetra gun grease for M1/M1A's. Good stuff but you don't need anything special. Here is a link with good pictures of all the lube points.

http://www.m14.ca/maintenance/M14_Lubrication_Tutorial_with_Pictures_1_.pdf

+1 great instructional pics! I love it.

[NitroxAZ]

Very nice.

[NPD5946TSW]

Hats off, Gentlemen...... 'Tis a beautiful moment when a worthy M1 finds its way home...... Now light up a celebratory Stogie!!!!!!

[Dr. Marneaus]

Originally Posted by NPD5946TSW

Hats off, Gentlemen...... 'Tis a beautiful moment when a worthy M1 finds its way home...... Now light up a celebratory Stogie!!!!!!

I already did!!! Lit up a 12 year old Partagas.. as I walked out from the ceremony! (A portion of the rifle was a graduation gift from my family, so its very very near and dear to my heart, something I plan to keep forever)

[Txhillbilly]

Very nice rifle Doc,I know you will enjoy it.They are fun rifles to shoot and very accurate.

[Silvertip 44]

Doc, the M1A/M14 is a purely fantastic rifle. I have loved it from the first time I was handed one in the middle 60's that belonged to "Uncle", always wanted one of my own and now have three of them.
To really get to know the M14 and its clones and how to care for them, jump over to the M14 Firing Line Public Forum.
Get to know your rifle from one end to the other and shoot it a lot. Do use good quality ammo. You will probably discover that it loves a 168 grain match bullet.
Somewhere down the road, you may want to complete it with a full accurizing job by a competent M14 armorer. My three, two loaded and one standard have all had the complete job and they are jewels.
One M1A needs the company of another so start saving for the next one. If you don't already have one, you might as well plan to bring its daddy into the arsenal---an M1 Garand.
Have fun and enjoy it cause you now have a full blown case of the "itis."

[M14sRock]

She looks great Doc!!!

44Mag.com is the place to get your mags. Stock up on CMI's and don't bother with the rest. CMI is the current USGI supplier and makes the mags for SAI.

Get a set of the Tubbs/Superior Shooting Systems chrome silicon springs. Brownells and Midway have them.

Get a Sadlak or Badger Ord NM spring guide. They will make your cycling very smooth.

Maddog Labs XF7 Grease (Brownells) is awesome, but spendy. Castrol/Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease is awesome, but stains. And it is cheap at any auto parts store.

Get a couple of spare USGI or Beretta (M1 Garand) extractors, springs and plungers. The SAI commercial extractors can be problematic.

Get a spare USGI hammer. M1 Garand works fine. Yours will probably last a lifetime, but if it is SAI commercial.....Better safe than sorry.

Smith Enterprise has a set of hardened pins. Good to have spares.

M14's are social creatures and do best in pairs. When will you be getting #2?

In factory ammo all of my rifles have had their best groups with Black Hills Match 168. If you step out past 600, try the 175's.

Commercial .308Win is fine but stay under 180 gr bullets and do not use any "light magnum" loads. 7.62x51 surplus is GTG. AimSurplus has some good stuff right now.

And please post a range report with pics.

[Dr. Marneaus]

Originally Posted by M14sRock

She looks great Doc!!!

44Mag.com is the place to get your mags. Stock up on CMI's and don't bother with the rest. CMI is the current USGI supplier and makes the mags for SAI.

Get a set of the Tubbs/Superior Shooting Systems chrome silicon springs. Brownells and Midway have them.

Get a Sadlak or Badger Ord NM spring guide. They will make your cycling very smooth.

Maddog Labs XF7 Grease (Brownells) is awesome, but spendy. Castrol/Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease is awesome, but stains. And it is cheap at any auto parts store.

Get a couple of spare USGI or Beretta (M1 Garand) extractors, springs and plungers. The SAI commercial extractors can be problematic.

Get a spare USGI hammer. M1 Garand works fine. Yours will probably last a lifetime, but if it is SAI commercial.....Better safe than sorry.

Smith Enterprise has a set of hardened pins. Good to have spares.

M14's are social creatures and do best in pairs. When will you be getting #2?

In factory ammo all of my rifles have had their best groups with Black Hills Match 168. If you step out past 600, try the 175's.

Commercial .308Win is fine but stay under 180 gr bullets and do not use any "light magnum" loads. 7.62x51 surplus is GTG. AimSurplus has some good stuff right now.

And please post a range report with pics.

Thank you sir! I'll look into everything!

I just ordered 2 20 round mags from 44mag. Awesome price!! There will definitely be more to come in the future when funds allow.

I've purchased and am running some 147 gr. german surplus from AIM, and again, I plan to stock up once funds allow for a little more wiggle room.

Thanks everyone for the info. I only took her out to the desert for a quick shoot this past weekend but will be stopping off at the shooting park this weekend perhaps!

[M14sRock]

Originally Posted by Dr. Marneaus

Thank you sir! I'll look into everything!

I just ordered 2 20 round mags from 44mag. Awesome price!! There will definitely be more to come in the future when funds allow.

I've purchased and am running some 147 gr. german surplus from AIM, and again, I plan to stock up once funds allow for a little more wiggle room.

Thanks everyone for the info. I only took her out to the desert for a quick shoot this past weekend but will be stopping off at the shooting park this weekend perhaps!

The DAG and MEN ammo from Germany is excellent stuff. I have a friend in Germany who is an SF Trooper and he says the DAG shoots better than any other ammo in his NM M1A. I would shoot tons of it, but it is magnetic so can not be fired at ranges in CA due to concerns about sparks/fire.

[Dr. Marneaus]

Originally Posted by M14sRock

The DAG and MEN ammo from Germany is excellent stuff. I have a friend in Germany who is an SF Trooper and he says the DAG shoots better than any other ammo in his NM M1A. I would shoot tons of it, but it is magnetic so can not be fired at ranges in CA due to concerns about sparks/fire.

Ah, I saw stuff being labeled as magnetic/non and was wondering what the issue was with that. good to know.

Its weird, seems like these rifles are a world of their own, and I feel like I need to re-learn everything!

Gotta get some grease and good cleaning products, as I said, I plan to keep this rifle forever.