M1A / M-14 manipulations

[JWNathan]

Heres a question a friend and I were talkin about just today.

When you swap out your empty mag with a fresh one while still scanning down range for targets, do you let go with your strong hand to grip the mag and depress the release with your thumb, then rock out the mag. This is while supporting the rifle with your weak hand with the rifle still pulled in to your shoulder? Or, do you try to support the rifle with the strong and do the mag change with the weak?

Sorry if this is confusing sounding, Im just trying to get an idea about the manipulation of the rifle and its controls. Thanks for the help so far.
-Jesse

[Iraqgunz]

I pretty much do my changes the same way when possible. Strong hand maintains control of the weapon and off hand peforms the mag change. I hit the extended mag release (M1A/M14) and if it doesn't fall free then I give it a tug and then reload.

Heres a question a friend and I were talkin about just today.

When you swap out your empty mag with a fresh one while still scanning down range for targets, do you let go with your strong hand to grip the mag and depress the release with your thumb, then rock out the mag. This is while supporting the rifle with your weak hand with the rifle still pulled in to your shoulder? Or, do you try to support the rifle with the strong and do the mag change with the weak?

Sorry if this is confusing sounding, Im just trying to get an idea about the manipulation of the rifle and its controls. Thanks for the help so far.
-Jesse

[Vom Kriege]

IMHO the Smith extended bolt release is mandatory. It makes mag changes more like the AR (rock the mag back in (which is not like the AR) but then you slap the side of the receiver with your weak hand to close the bolt rather than having to switch hands and pull the op rod back)

You don't have to change hands to work the op rod. Seat the mag with your support hand and then reach under the rifle with your support hand release the op rod with your support hand thumb or slightly rotate the rifle to the center of the body and come over the top with the support hand hand catching the op rod with the palm heel of the support hand.

This video will give you an idea of how to do the first option (even though it is with an AK):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz5LPaMhlOc

[Spooky130]

I pretty much do my changes the same way when possible. Strong hand maintains control of the weapon and off hand peforms the mag change. I hit the extended mag release (M1A/M14) and if it doesn't fall free then I give it a tug and then reload.

What/which extended mag release are you using? Just wondering how well they really work.

Spooky

[JWNathan]

I dont know if doin the mag change like on that AK is possible with the M1a, the mag release isnt that far below the line of the trigger guard. Ill have to see how much longer the extended mag release is, it might just be enough to get it done. Thanks guys.
-Jesse

[Iraqgunz]

Spooky,

Ask and ye shall receive. Here it is from Sadlak.

http://www.sadlak.com/pdf/Tactical_M..._2008_0801.pdf

What/which extended mag release are you using? Just wondering how well they really work.

Spooky

[Vom Kriege]

I dont know if doin the mag change like on that AK is possible with the M1a, the mag release isnt that far below the line of the trigger guard. Ill have to see how much longer the extended mag release is, it might just be enough to get it done. Thanks guys.
-Jesse

My point in posting the video was how the op handle could be manipulated without changing hands.

[Spooky130]

Spooky,

Ask and ye shall receive. Here it is from Sadlak.

http://www.sadlak.com/pdf/Tactical_M..._2008_0801.pdf

Thanks! That's what I figured.

Any thoughts on it? Well executed? Does it help with reloads?

I've got a stock M1A and I love it the way it is. I have thought about the extended mag release and also the Smith bolt release as mods but minor overall changes...

Spooky

[macman37]

All manipulations are done with weak hand... I've installed Smith extended bolt releases on my M1as so they work exactly like the bolt releases on ARs.

I need to work on my mag changes though, because there is a wasted motion and it bugs me... Taking the weak hand off the forend, engage mag release and rock empty mag out, then grab new mag and rock it in. That extra motion in engaging the mag release is irksome but not too bad.

I love the M1a platform.

[blindluck]

Sorry for the late post. At FrontSight, they taught to keep the rifle shouldered with weak hand, change mags with strong hand. I found that it's much easier for me to use the weak side hand for reloads in conjunction with the Smith Enterprise Extended Bolt Stop/Release. I found this much easier than reaching around with the weak hand to release the bolt or using the strong hand because there's less leverage to rock in mags.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...%20BOLT%20STOP
With that part, the bolt can be easily and quickly released with the weak hand similar to ARs. One trick they taught for an emergency reload was to take a loaded mag and with the side of it, engage it on the mag release lever and fling the empty mag out in one motion, and then insert the loaded mag into the empty magwell. This can be done fairly quickly but requires a bit of practice.