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• Springfield Armory M1A - Wikipedia
• Springfield M1a Serial Number Dates

Make: Springfield
Model: M1A (M21)
Serial Number: 046453 (this rifle is from the Golden Age of M1A’s)
Year of Manufacture: 1980’s
Caliber: .308 Winchester
Action Type: Semi-Auto, Removable Magazine
Markings: The bolt is marked “7790186 / TRW ZJ”, the trigger housing is marked “7267030-1”. The receiver is marked 0468 . We did NOT remove the stock from the action or barrel because it is bedded. The metal adjustable cheek piece arm (inside under the extension) is marked “1733” on the left side. The receiver is marked “U.S. Rifle / 7.62-mm M1A / Springfield / Armory / 046453”.
Barrel Length: Approx. 24 ½” to the end of the California legal muzzle break.
Sights / Optics: This rifle is mounted with National Match sights, the front sight is marked “NM 062”, and the rear sight has the NM hooded aperture and is marked “HRA-W”.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are the special wide M-21 configuration with smooth oiled wood. The cheekpiece is adjustable with a screw on the right side of the buttstock. There are just a few compression marks and minor surface scratches. These marks are found at the pistol grip and near the front sling swivel. The stock is fully bedded. The LOP measures approx. 13” from the trigger to the back of the Pachmayr rubber buttpad. The rubber is pliable.. The stocks rate in about Excellent overall condition.
Type of Finish: Military Matte
Finish Originality: All Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp and deep. There is no erosion.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows minor wear in and around the bolt area. There is a minor rub / handling mark on the operating rod. this is a rearely used and sharp rifle. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. The trigger is smooth and drops sharply after about a 1/8” take-up (the way competitors like them).
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Sling swivels are provided.
Our Assessment: This is a rare and special M1a. This is an early Springfield built by Glen Nelson of Nelson Custom for Springfield with an M-21 stkc and all National Match quality parts. A recent phone coversation with Springifeld about this rifle has confirmed this.

I got mine in 1977, Serial # 0068XX. Mine was converted to a super match by Gene Barnett (Barnett Barrels) when he was an Armor for the All Guard team and I was shooting for the AK NG. I really don't care what its worth, I'm not selling it. The year of manufacture for serial number 71566 is 1960 - 1961 By chance was the person that passed away a Peace Officer in the early 1970s??? The Springfield Armory M1A is a civilian version of the M14 rifle designed and manufactured by Springfield Armory, Inc., beginning in 1974.

From M14 Rifle History and Development Second Edition (04/16/06 draft):

“Springfield Armory, Inc. and Glenn Nelson

Glenn Nelson joined the U. S. Army in 1954 and became a member of its shooting team in 1961. He earned Distinguished Rifleman status in 1962 as well. He remained on the Army shooting team until late 1965 when he accepted an offer to become a match armorer. He completed the U. S. Army match armorer school at Rock Island Arsenal then began building M14 rifles for competition as part of the USAMTU at Fort Benning. Mr. Nelson went on to serve in Viet Nam. He retired from the U. S. Army in 1975. Bob Reese hired Glenn Nelson to establish a shop that could build competition grade M1A rifles for Springfield Armory, Inc.

Mr. Nelson began building Ultra Match M1 Garand and National Match and Super Match M1A rifles from his home. However, by 1987 the business had grown such that the custom rifle shop occupied 5,000 square feet of building space. Over the years he put together a first rate staff of former AMTU match armorers and former Army team shooters. Mr. Nelson and his staff kept up with and implemented the latest accurizing techniques used by the AMTU as time went on. Mr. Nelson no longer builds competition rifles for Springfield Armory, Inc but did so until at least 1993.

The custom Super Match M1A rifles were fitted with either Douglas or Hart heavyweight barrels. These heavyweight barrels were available in 1:10, 1:11, or 1:12 twist rates. Mr. Nelson required the air-gauged and stress-relieved barrel blanks supplied to him have a bore diameter between 0.2999 ” and 0.3004 ” and a groove diameter between 0.3079 ” and 0.3084 ”. The heavyweight barrel blanks were supplied with rifling obviously, but the rest of the machining was done by Mr. Nelson or his employees. National Match medium weight barrels were supplied by Springfield Armory, Inc. to Mr. Nelson already for installation by other suppliers. The operating rod guides were soldered on to the barrels. For individual customers, Mr. Nelson machined hand picked medium weight and heavyweight Douglas Premium barrel blanks and installed them in rifle builds unless the customer specified otherwise.

To give the reader an idea of what is possible with the M14 rifle and a talented armorer, the following will illustrate the point. In April 1986, Glenn Nelson built a Super Match M1A rifle from stripped receiver serial number 033187. The build included all TRW parts and a National Match rear sight. After final assembly, this rifle was tested on amachine rest. It grouped fourteen shots under the size of a nickel at 200 yards with 168 grain Sierra bullets. The test target was presented to the buyer, a member of the Second Army Shooting Team.

Mr. Nelson and his staff used the same Springfield Armory, Inc. M1A receivers used on standard models to create state-of-the-art competition rifles. They performed the match conditioning work and 90 % of the assembly on the receivers sent to the Nelson shop in Columbus, GA by Springfield Armory, Inc. Mr. Nelson purchased TRW bolts for building all the National Match and Super Match M1A rifles in his shop. Headspace on these rifles was kept between 1.631 ” and 1.632 ”. The M1A rifles dressed in wood stocks were coated several times with raw linseed oil. The almost-complete rifles were shipped back to Springfield Armory, Inc. for final assembly, test firing,packaging and shipping. Final assembly in Geneseo, IL included installation of the front and rear sights, operating rods, hand guards and slings.”

Sold For: $3,025

Serial Numbers

Lee Emerson has made the following M1A Serial Number Comments :

• 000001 to 003700 Texas era receivers tend to exhibit one or more dimensional flaws as identified by retired M14 gunsmith Art Luppino. Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas assembled about 2000 complete rifles using USGI parts before it was sold to Bob Reese (Geneseo, IL). An additional 120 rifles were built for Elmer Ballance by Glenn Nelson and Wayne Young before June 1974 using stripped or barreled receivers supplied by Elmer.

• 000001 to 063XXX Receivers machined by Valley Ordnance Co. were given a lot of hand grinding and polishing by Melvin Smith. Specifically, these areas were: 1) the exterior heel corners on the sides 2) the flat surface aft of the operating rod channel 3) the top surface of the left receiver wall from the cartridge clip guide to the barrel ring 4) the vertical surface on the right side behind the cartridge clip guide all the way back including the windage knob ear 5) the left side of the barrel ring forward of the horizontal scope mount groove 6) the magazine well aft of the feed lips and 7) the top surface of the barrel ring after all machining operations that located off the barrel ring had been done. This cosmetic detailing is evident as late as M1A serial number 062857 but was no longer being done by serial number 064922. Note that the hand polishing served to enhance the aesthetic appearance but did not add to the functional ability of the M1A receiver. As Melvin Smith moved to semi-retirement the receiver surfaces noted above were finished by machine. For example, the magazine well on M1A receivers was cut and broached by machine tool after Mr. Smith purchased Hillside Manufacturing.

• 000011 Receiver left side connector lock hole is present.

• 000049 Receiver left side connector lock hole is missing. Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is ¼ “.

• 000377 Highest observed serial number with 7.62-MM marking on the receiver heel.

• 000440 Lowest observed serial number with 7.62-mm marking on the receiver heel.

• 000567 to 000708 Within this serial number range, Valley Ordnance Co. changed the receiver design. The rear end of the M1A receiver bolt right lug slot, located under the rear sight base cover, was extended 0.080 ' to the rear to prevent possible damage to the bolt roller.

• 001XXX to 002XXX Gray-Syracuse, Inc. becomes the casting supplier of M1A receivers.

• 002010 Receiver left side connector lock hole is still missing.

• 002068 Receiver left side connector lock hole reappears for good.

• 002709 Lowest known serial number (stripped receiver) sold by SA, Inc. located in Geneseo, IL.

• 002877 Highest documented serial number (complete rifle) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas.

• 002884 Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is 5/16 “. Serial numbers after this have noticeably less steel cut away in the bolt raceways after of the cartridge clip guide.

• 002884 to 010048 At some point in this serial number range, the receiver design was changed to incorporate a hemispherical cut in the windage knob ear outboard side (commercial NM rear sight).

SKS

• 002903 Lowest documented serial number (complete rifle) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Illinois.

• 003306 Highest documented serial number (stripped receiver) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas.

• 003700 Highest documented serial number for receiver production while Springfield Armory, Inc. was located in Texas. Valley Ordnance Co. resumed receiver production on September 21, 1974 at serial number 003701. Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas was sold around November 01, 1974 to Bob Reese in Illinois. During July and August 1974, Valley Ordnance was completing 75 receivers per week. Based on this output, the highest receiver serial number while Springfield Armory, Inc. was located in Texas is estimated at about 004075.

• 004357 to 004379 January 01, 1976: In this serial number range, a factory one year limited warranty is in force after the initial purchase of a rifle.

• 007XXX to 020XXX SOME receivers made from AISI 4140 alloy steel. The elevation serrations wear prematurely but can be repaired using an elevation disk. These receivers are serviceable, no other issues reported.

• 007XXX to 037XXX Springfield Armory, Inc. does not have USGI chromium plated barrels for assembly of complete rifles. Factory installed barrels in this serial number range will be commercial manufacture but machined by Hillside Manufacturing (Dallas, PA) using Wilson Arms blanks.

• 007041 A commercial unlined standard profile barrel and a commercial operating rod used to build standard model M1A.

• 0093XX A commercial unlined standard profile barrel, a commercial bolt and a commercial operating rod are used in the assembly of this standard model M1A. Hillside Manufacturing machined reproduction operating rods, trigger housings, flash suppressors, bolts, operating rod spring guides and barrels. No gas cylinders were made by Hillside Manufacturing or Valley Ordnance. It has not been confirmed but most likely the trigger housing and flash suppressor castings for M1A parts were also produced by Gray-Syracuse, Inc. since Mr. Smith was loyal to his suppliers. Valley Ordnance did the finish machining on cast semi-finished cartridge clip guides supplied to the firm. The reproduction bolts, operating rods and trigger housings were stamped at Valley Ordnance. The operating rod spring guides were made from plate steel using a punch press with progressive dies. The operating rods were supplied to Hillside Manufacturing already welded together. Hillside Manufacturing machined the operating rods to final dimension.

• 017XXX to 020XXX The 18 “ barreled M1A models first appear.

• 030061 Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is 3/8 “.

• 0343XX Highest observed serial number with receiver bottom side right hand ridge.

• 038XXX About this time, large quantities of USGI M14 parts are imported into the United States and become available on the surplus market. Springfield Armory, Inc. and other firearms related businesses buy large quantities of these USGI parts.

• 038770 Highest observed factory built select fire model

• 040XXX Receiver was redesigned to move the barrel chamber slightly forward to increase bolt lock up time.

• 042201 Lowest observed serial number without the receiver bottom side right hand ridge. The bottom side ridge was removed from the design as part of the changes made for economic reasons. It meant two less machining cuts but it also had the benefit of a better fit with various makes of stocks.

• 042201 to 063000 This is the serial number range that I refer to as the Golden Age of the M1A. The receiver design had fully matured by this time. The receivers were hand finished by the original designer and master craftsman, Melvin Smith. Springfield Armory, Inc. was awash in USGI parts during this period. Thus, factory built standard model M1A rifles in this serial number range were built with a very high USGI parts count.

• 0630XX 7.62mm caliber marking is on the receiver heel.

• 063112 7.62mm caliber marking no longer appears on the receiver heel.

• 064872 Rear lugged receivers are now available from the factory.

• 070005 to 072074 January 01, 1993: In this serial number range, a lifetime limited warranty is now in effect for the original buyer of a factory built rifle.

• 07157X to 075XXX Factory shipping boxes change from green and white to blue and white.

• 072XXX to 073XXX By this serial number range, the operating rod rail dimensions have been narrowed for a tighter fit with the operating rod tab.

Springfield Armory M1A - Wikipedia

• 0748XX Late version SA, Inc. commercial manufacture operating rod now used to assemble complete rifles.

Springfield M1a Serial Number Dates

• 081004 Built at the factory with the following USGI parts: TRW trigger housing, HR-N hammer, TRW bolt, Winchester barrel, and WCE USGI rear sight elevation and windage knobs.

• 084000 Generally accepted highest “safe” serial number for pre-’94 AW ban rifles. Since about this serial number, no M1A rifles have been factory built with lugged flash suppressors.

• 097726 The last completed receiver from Valley Ordnance Co. is shipped to Geneseo, IL.

• 098XXX The loaded standard model is debuted.

• 100042 Highest observed serial number with Gray-Syracuse, Inc. pour lot marking

• 102570 Change in pour lot markings indicates the change in casting supplier for receivers.

• 124XXX The factory is installing commercial manufacture forged bolts (F prefix series) in rifles.

• 136XXX to 165XXX Some receivers in this range have scope mount grooves too narrow for side three point scope mounts offered by other companies, e.g., Sadlak Industries, Smith Enterprise, etc.

• 139XXX Use of USGI parts in factory built rifles begins to noticeably drop.

• 161920 With rare exception after this serial number, commercial unlined barrels are installed on standard model M1A rifles. SA, Inc. machines the barrels from Wilson Arms supplied blanks.

• 162708 Lowest observed serial number for the M1A SOCOM series.

• 165XXX About 300 receivers in this serial number range have heels stamped AROMRY instead of ARMORY.

• 166761 Highest known serial number for a complete rifle built during the ten year federal Assault Weapons ban.

• 192260 Factory built standard model with all commercial parts except USGI fiberglass (with black crinkle) stock, operating rod spring guide, trigger housing and hammer.

• 218XXX About this serial number, M1A rifles may be assembled with new manufacture polymer stocks as the inventory of USGI fiberglass stocks (with black crinkle) have been used up.

• 241552 Most recent manufacture date (November 2009). By January 2010, 22' standard profile barrels, muzzle brakes and lugless flash suppressors are manufactured by Dasan Machineries, Ltd. (Jeollabuk, Korea).