Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles NRA Service Rifle .... Where to find one??

Posted this over in competitive shooting with no traction, so I'll try here ... Maybe there is no answer


Been mulling over trying this shooting discipline. Tried with my well worn M1 earlier this year and it was fun but frustrating .... my beat M1 with Greek ball ammo made 600 yards an exercise in futility. Been contemplating an M1A, Can find them , but $2k its a bit pricey. Been reading about AR's and decided that is the way I will go. Saving pennies (getting there) and looking around. Can't find much used. When you do its damn near new prices. Anything new is 6+++ months away ... that would mean no shooting the rest of this year. Frustrating.

Where would you gents recommend I start searching when the time gets here?? I'm thinking RRA NM or a Armalite NM ... Both have good reviews. Also thought about a RRA Varmint and a WOA upper.

Thanks in advance for your input.

v/r
-g

rost is the man you need to talk to about that. I am sure he will be around shortly. He is a wealth of knowledge in this area for sure.

If you can wait the six or months the White Oak upper is hard to beat. I shot next to John twice at Perry he seemed to be a good guy and a great shooter. Everybody I know likes his work, never any negative comments. Order a Geissele trigger also.

I have always used Colt lowers. Most lowers are fine especially with a good trigger.

If you plan to shoot service rifle make certain all the parts are service rifle legal and not for match rifle competition.

See answers on the same double post under competition....

And PM sent his direction.

WOA was one of the outfits I contacted along with RRA and Armalite, all were more than 6 months.

Parts availability must still suck really bad....

Johns tuned trigger breaks like glass too.

On topic: I'm in the six month cue for a WOA barrel and bolt for similiar build, will see how long it takes.

I've seen LMT, RRA, and Colt rifles coming into all of the LGS in my area, but no NRA match guns on the shelf.

Off topic: Seems to depend on the area, we just had a LGS receive about 50 BCGs from LMT and RRA , all overpriced, but in hand.

I bought three RRA bolt cam pins, they are RRA factory, but the finish on the parts is worst I've seen. They look like a rough casting that were quick finish ground, and put in the bag, and shipped. Functional, but not what we've seen in the past.

We have Pmags on the shelves, but other members are reporting they are still out of stock.

You can compete with the M1 but a tune up and hand loads or match ammo would help. Perhaps not competitive, but you can compete. I have only shot one match and shot an AR in service rifle, a stock 1903a4 in open. I actually shot better with the 1903a3 and was not last. Plenty to be learned shooting what you have, and its cool too.

You can compete, but you'll rarely if ever win with an M1 or even 03 against ARs...

Trust me I have more than a few years involved in service rifle...

An AR is the answer.

He mentioned the $$$ as a limiting factor. I just was trying to encourage him to "shoot what he has". I also did not say he would be competitive.

I have an Armalite NM lower. Mine has a really nice 2 stage trigger. I did not get the NM upper. I opted for a 16" carbine upper. I have not been disapointed. kwg

He tried that he said. And 30 cal components cost is generally at least twice as much as 5.56 stuff. So there is a savings side to the AR.

Nothing negative in my post, just a reply here.

The M1 is FUN to shoot, we have, I think, 5 or 6 in the safe, but they too are not cheap to shoot, take a lot more work to shoot, etc...
I'd almost be tempted to sell an M1 if funds were tight to buy an AR... though I don't like selling any gun once I've paid for it...but certainly if you want to climb the success ladder quicker.

If you just want to shoot for fun at mathces... use the loaner guns!

Jeff, I totally agree. For a newbie, shooting an M1 is an exercise in frustration.

Was at a Leg match the other day and a LR Highmaster decided to shoot with an M1 just as leg meat. This is a guy that normally shoots 194+ @ 1,000 with a Palma gun. He ended up shooting in the 150s @ 600. Nobody can tell me that wouldn't be frustrating for a newbie.

I remember... I wasted 2 years shooting an M1 and various other BS rifles. You see these guys shooting 190s with an AR and your rational mind thinks "They have better equipment and more experience, I will get there" but your subconscious mind is telling you "I must really suck, I can't come close to those scores" and it is very frustrating. For me, I can't deal with anything other than giving 100%. A bad score at 50% effort hurts just as bad as a bad score at 100% effort. But at 100% effort, the score is rarely as bad as 50% effort.

My advice to anybody doing anything is always give 100%. Do it for you.

We started with M1As. The learning curve was much harder than the AR.

I've played with M1s and felt they may even be pickier than the M1As.

Your illustration RE the M1 from a high master, is very clear. And even though a part of that may well be visual from match to post, its another part of the game that makes it hard enough.

150s used to aggravate me and the wife. I agree on that.

Jeff

All you have to do is look at what the guys that are winning are using and that is an AR. They are inherently accurate and easy to shoot.

I still would use my M1 until you could get an AR but I have an affection for the M1.

I bought my first through the DCM for $125.00 and sent it to an old Marine armorer in Arkansas named Roland Beaver who worked it over into a National Match configuration and I just love to shoot it. I can manage expert percentages with it but other than a Garand only match I have never won anything with it.

Whenever June 6th rolls around I feel an extra fondness and admiration for the Garand.

If I want to truly compete in a match I take my AR.

Quickest way to get a new one..... vendor row at Camp Perry during the National Matches. Rifles on the rack ready for purchase.

What sucked for me was having to pay Ohio sales tax on them.

Dunno.... Sandy Hook happened after Perry.....only folks at Perry this year will find out.

Dude just build one!! it ain't that hard. You looking for long rang shooting? Look at a 6.5mm Grendel or 243WSSM.

If you read, it says service rifle.

That means a few specific things, including caliber to be 223 only....

And barrels from what I hear, IE what you'd ideally want in a top line service barrel are not that easy to come, the same as parts.

Unless you have info on where he could get all the parts reasonably priced.

Including a pinned rear sight and a tuned RRA 2 stage trigger set to 4.5 pounds minimum.