Springfield armory Socom II

[Aanayab1]

Considering purchasing one and was looking for some feedback as to weather or not this is a good rifle, from ppl who own them or have shot them. Positive and negative responses are both welcome.

Thanks Antonio

If this is in the wrong place please feel free to move

[nrose8989]

Ive owned a full size 22" Loaded that I eventually changed to a 18" scout / EBR.

In my experience the M1A/M14 really isn't worth it from a value stand point. After you buy the gun ($1500 ish), add a optics mount, get it tuned from accuracy etc. You end up with a gun that is great for what it is, but sub par compared other battle rifle offerings currently available.

The parts generally are not user replaceable and are very expensive for "GI" parts. Springfield is known from making crappy parts.

If you wanted to get nit picky, the ergonomics suck, specifically the fire controls, which have you insert you finger into the trigger guard just to get the weapon off safe.

The Socom is considered the worst and should not be used as a serious use gun. My guess would be the shortened gas system mixed with said Springfield parts.

If you want a good .308 battle rifle, I'd look at a FAL on the low end, but really the best value/performance seems to go to the LMT MWS.

[TOrrock]

Quick search on the site.....

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=56654&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=58703&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=55673&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=48416&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=56145&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=55224&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=43575&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=42489&highlight=socom

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=39108&highlight=socom


And there are more threads, but that should get you started.

[Different]

The SA, Inc. SOCOM II models come from the factory with either the standard length or extended length Vltor cluster rail. Either way, that's a lot of real estate for optics. The lower half of the cluster rail can be easily detached reducing the weight and improving the balance. Depending on what your requirements are, a better arrangement may be a M1A Scout Squad with an Ultimak M8 barrel rail mount.

My next project is to put together a bull pup M14 style carbine. It will have a Chinese 17 5/8 " barrel and gas system mated to a SA, Inc. receiver housed in a SRSS BullDog 762 stock. Overall length will be about 29 " (not California friendly). The BullDog 762 has a M16A2 style pistol grip with a cross pin safety just above the grip. The trigger is connected to the firing mechanism by a stainless steel rod so the trigger pull feels normal instead of mushy. Yes, it's a bull pup so the risk is increased but it will still be acceptable, to me. The bolt will be USGI and nothing but factory ammunition will be shot through it. I'll likely get a set of Troy BUIS and the SRSS ambidextrous operating rod handle too. I'm still considering optics, way too many choices out there.

[Aanayab1]

Thank you for your responses and experiences. I will be reading the links posted, again Thank you

Antonio

[Iceberg]

I picked mine up for a steal slightly used. I removed the VLTOR rail & black glass stock & replaced them w/ a scout rail/handguard & walnut stock. Makes a great looking (very loud) carbine.

With my Standard M1A

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll42/ekbergie/Gun%20Collection/Hunting009.jpg

[Boomer]

I bought my Socom 16 in 2005, they hadn't been out too long at that point. It had some reliability issues like short stroking and some failures to extract. I sent it to Fulton armory and he did the following, replaced the gas cylinder with a G.I. cylinder, replaced the extractor (he said it was a Garand extractor), and polished the chamber if I remember correctly. Since I've had it back it has run 100%, except with a bad magazine, with something like 1500 or 1600 rounds. I've never really tried shooting for groups with it, big front sight post and the G.I. stock I have on it is not the tightest. Its just been a fun gun.

With the .308's that are available now I wouldn't buy another Socom.

[Moose-Knuckle]

As a M1A owner, I'm not trying to hi-jack your thread. But if you want a 16" 7.62x51 carbine, I'd take a hard look at the SCAR-H. You would actually save yourself some money in the long run as you would not have to send a new SOCOM off to get "fixed".

[lockel25]

thinking of trading my benelli m4 for a socom m1a, good idea?

[Suwannee Tim]

I have two M1As, a NM and a SOCOM. The scope mount is heavy, expensive and contrived. I'm going to put my scope mount up for sale. There are much, much better rifles for conventional scope mounting, LMT for example. The SOCOM I is a good rig with the forward mounted scope. The M1A is obsolete though still effective. It is, after all, an updated Garand which is a bolt action configuration with a gas piston grafted on, state of the art in 1933. The nostalgia factor is great and the guns look great. Except the SOCOM II which is one of the most hideous rifles ever built. I saw one in blue digital camo. Enough to make a dog laugh.

[lockel25]

i like the m1a scout in walnut

[Gray Ghost]

I owned a SOCOM 16 for a little while.
Was a pain in the neck scouring photos on auction sites for the right one. I wanted one with the black fiberglass USGI stock, not the "crinkle finish" or current type of black stock they sell that you can literally scratch the paint off with your fingernail.
It was also hard to find a rifle that had nice parkerizing on the receiver. Lots of them I looked at had steel showing between patches on the receiver that weren't parked right. SA quality control seems to have really gone in the shitter. Also comparing parts with a friends SOCOM 16 most of my parts like the trigger group, spring guide etc. were stamped "SA" and his were stamped with a contractors name. These rifles seem to be very mis-matched with lots of different parts of varying quality.
I finally found one I liked but shooting a large .30 caliber rifle isn't very fun unless you're stretching that round's legs out and really shooting at range. And you kind of want glass for that and mounting optics on an M1A kinda doesn't work unless you have the extended top rail from Springfield or you get a new stock like a Troy with a full top rail. But then you're starting to build a really heavy bench rifle and with a 16" barrel I wouldn't bother doing that. Might as well go all the way and get a full-length NM M1A.
Finding GOOD mags for an M1A is kind of a hobby in itself as well. Real-deal USGI M14 mags from the sixities will cost you a pretty penny (around $40-50 a piece) but function flawlessly. It was always fun for me to go to gunshows and look for USGI mags. Sellers try to pass off a lot of Chinese-made mags as "USGI" and sell them at USGI mag prices. You need to learn what to look for like correct trade stamps and number of welds. I kind of miss hunting down real USGI mags but I didn't miss paying for them.
Eventually I sold the M1A for an HK91. German black rifle goodness, a pistol grip and $4 magazines was a big improvement in my eyes.

[trigeek37]

How about this as an alternative

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-rifles-tactical-m3a.php

Is this a nice upgrade of the springfield?

[danbrew]

Well... good question.

I've had a SA Socom II for quite some time and like it because it is a substantial .308 platform. Accurate as all get out using regular iron sights and a lot of fun to shoot. Heavy, though. I'd hate to carry it around.

I just bought a Scout 16 and it came with a few stocks - including a very nice walnut stock. Dang! Looks delicious. Haven't shot it yet, but one can't have too many .308s, right?

I also sort of picked up a Scar 17s recently. Haven't shot it either, but it looks great and I'm looking forward to getting out with it this weekend.

So... do 'ya need one? No. Are they fun? Yep, you betcha. Excellent for what they are and I do like that boom noise.