Quick Navigation.The Scout RifleI grew up in the carbine/glock generation. You show me an M1 Garand or a and I will tell you that you have a musket, not a rifle. Sorry, I am just not into those WWI and WWII era rifles. I appreciated them but they are just not my thing.
I grew up shooting bolt action rifles and pump-action shotguns in Texas hill country but I always longed for a with low recoil and a high capacity magazine.Like many people in America, I went through my stages madness.1. Had to have one2.
Radical Firearms.458 SOCOM Big Bore rifle is the perfect solution for needing a lot of stopping power in a small package. This cartridge has become increasingly popular for hunting Deer, Moose, Black Bear and Wild Hogs. With ballistics similar to black powder 45-75 Govt there isn’t much that can’t be stopped in its tracks. PLEASE NOTE: This item requires an extended processing time of 10 days. If your mission requirements call for a compact tactical rifle, but won't let you sacrifice.
Had to rail it out3. Had to attach stuff to it4. Had to strip it back down and get back to basicsSometime in mid-2006, I was in a gun store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Badger Guns) and saw the for the first time. I looked at it with confusion. “What is that thing? It looks like a short M1A.” I remember the employee who helped me explain the rifle, M1A with a 16 inch barrel, top rail forward mounted for a long eye relief scope.
This was right out of vision for a modern scout rifle. Would have preferred the bolt action for a scout rifle but I have a feeling the gas operated SOCOM 16 with the 20 round magazine firing the devastating.308 round down range could have won him over. Do You Have Concealed Carry Weapon Insurance?Self-defense can land you into major legal battles, or even jail. Provides top-class CCW insurance plus training for you and your family at $22/mo with $2,000,000 in coverage.I remember the first time I handled the SOCOM 16; I was in love with the feel. It had all of the characteristics of a rifle that I was use to from my days in West Texas along with some key characteristics of a shorter barrel and high capacity magazines. All of this on a proven war tested platform of the legendary M1A rifle.
I started making trips to different gun stores, holding the SOCOM 16 and admiring its feel and handling, debating with myself whether or not I should buy one.Unbelievably, I did not purchase the Springfield Armory SOCOM 16 back then. There was the cost issue, at $1800 the SOCOM 16 was a little out of my budget. The other issue was that I had committed to the AR-15/5.56mm platform and as a dedicated Survivalist, it didn’t make sense to me to buy a rifle which would require me to stock pile different ammunition. Around the same time I remember seeing the Springfield Armory SOCOM II. I remember handling both rifles and I kept coming back to the SOCOM 16. I kept thinking to myself, this is the new version with all of the fancy rails but it doesn’t feel quite right to me.
I was a SOCOM 16 guy; I liked the clean version of the rifle.I never forgot about the SOCOM 16 but other things came up and it was put on the back burner and I never did acquire one. Back in 2012, I was out shooting with one of my friends, Andy Bell, who owns in Arvada, Colorado. If you ever have a chance to shoot with a person who owns a gun store, I highly recommend it. Andy had a SOCOM 16 in OD Green. Out of all of the rifles and pistols we had to choose from that day, the SOCOM 16 was the one that I wanted to shoot the most. Andy agreed with me, he said it was one of his favorite rifles.
He not only owns the SOCOM 16 but also owns a standard model M1A model as well. My First ThoughtsAs you can imagine, when you try to shorten a.30 caliber rifle to a 16 ¼ inch barrel you are going to have some recoil and issues. Has dealt with this by creating a proprietary muzzle break and gas system that reduces recoil and muzzle rise. When you look at the muzzle break, you will notice 34 holes located on the top portion of the muzzle break with no holes on the bottom.
This design vents gas upwards to reduce the upwards flip of the rifle when fired. I was pretty impressed with how the rifle felt during shooting; we were shooting zombie targets from the standing position at 60 yards with the iron sites and consistently hitting them. The recoil was less than expected and the muzzle rise was manageable. It will take you a quick moment to get back on target after firing which is to be expected when shooting a.308 caliber round.
As you can expect, ear protection is a must with the – this rifle is loud.The rifle handled great. I was shooting American Eagle 168 OTM. The rifle came with a 10 round magazine but Andy had upgraded to the 20 round steel magazines.
After shooting through 15 fully loaded magazines, we had no misfires with the American Eagle 168. We decided to test the SOCOM 16 with some very cheap Wolf ammo. As expected, the Wolf ammo caused several jams in the SOCOM 16 and we quickly switched back to the American Eagle ammo. The one thing that I did notice while shooting the SOCOM 16 was that you need to be aware of your finger placement on the right side of the rifle with your support hand. The operating rod which has the name “SOCOM 16” stenciled on it has the possibility of pinching your fingers during firing. If you or grip below or in front of the operating rod, you will not have any worries.
Jimmy C rocking the M1A Battle Rifle at the rangeThe 20 round magazine shooting a 7.62mm x 51mm bullet are a devastating combination with the SOCOM 16. As you can see from the below, the round fired by the SOCOM 16 (.308) has almost 3 times the knockdown power as the round fired by the AR-15 (.223). The SOCOM 16 provides one shot per customer type of power.Taylor KO Factor Round Type19.6.308 Winchester (7.62mm x 51mm)13.3 7.62 x 39mm (AK-47 Round)1.33.22LR20.8.30-06 Springfield5.78.223 Remington (AR-15/M4 Round)12.3.45 ACP(From Wikipedia) Taylor KO Factor is a formulaic mathematical approach for evaluating the of hunting cartridges. The term “KO” is an acronym for “Knock Out.” The Taylor KO Factor (TKOF) is a derived figure that allows hunters to compare bullets with respect to stopping power. The TKOF was developed by, a famous mid-20th century hunter and poacher of African big game. The Iron SitesI found the iron sites on the SOCOM 16 to be wanting. The were ok out to 100 yards but after that it is anyone’s guess if you are going to hit your target.
I know these are the sites that won some war before I was born but if you want those sites, you should buy legendary M1. If you want a modern battle rifle, you need some updated iron sites.
The front site post comes with a tritium insert for quick target acquisition in low light but even this is a little bit of a letdown as it is not as bright as I would expect. I would think that the smart people back in Geneseo, Illinois where Springfield Armory is located could have come up with an improvement to the iron sites by now. The SOCOM 16 has been available since 2004.
Can you imagine if Ford Motor Company in 2014, was still trying to push the 2004 Ford Explorer with no improvements? This is a good rifle out of the box, but this could be a great rifle out of the box with just a few minor improvements. I would suggest that Springfield Armory call and ask for help with the sights on the SOCOM 16. If their answer to this comment is “We want to use the M1A legacy sites.” Then they are missing the point and the word “legacy” should clue them in.
OpticsThe big thing with putting optics on the SOCOM 16 is cheek weld and eye relief. Since the M-14 was never designed to use glass, it is almost impossible to gain the correct line of sight with most of the off the shelf optics since the top line of the receiver and the are above your line of sight when firing. I would recommend looking into an aftermarket cheek riser, I have not tried one yet but they seem to correct that problem from different forums that I have read. I tried several optics on the SOCOM 16 – Aimpoint M4,. After I removed the riser from of the, this optic and the Leupold 1.5×33 VX-R Scout Scope worked the best me on the SOCOM 16.
With the Leupold, you will need low profile scope mounts. The WeightThe SOCOM 16 weighs 8.8 lbs, unloaded. Fully loaded with a 20 round mag, it weighs over 10 lbs. You could fully load an M-4 style rifle with 30 rounds, optic, sling, and laser and be close to that same weight. That is something to consider when thinking about the SOCOM 16. The tradeoff is the power of the.308 vs.
The.223 and possibly the reliability of the over the. That is an argument that I am not even going to touch. What Would I Change?If I had the chance to work with Springfield Armory on the SOCOM 16, what would I change?
Here is my wish list. Better magazine release – the current one could be improved. More room in butt stock compartment. Upgrade hard sites. Upgrade safety – current one is a little clumsy. More options for mounting suppressors. Make the rifle lighter – the weight is a bit of an issue.
Built in cheek riser. Stainless steel version for maritime opsFinal ThoughtsOverall, I love the SOCOM 16 – Really Mark? After this tough review? Yes, this is a tough love review but I do love the rifle. After shooting it with Andy, I went out and bought my own SOCOM 16.
I went with the black composite version of the rifle over the OD green and enough 20 round steel mags to hold off a small army. For me, the SOCOM 16 is the perfect combination of power and size for an urban bug out/scout rifle. Does the rifle have some shortcomings?
Yes, but in this world of pistol grip carbines with picatinny rails to carry everything, I just want a real rifle. The SOCOM 16 is a real rifle. SpecsFrom Manufacturer:Caliber 7.62X51MM NATO (.308WIN)Length 37.25″Front Sight XS Post w/ Tritium Insert,.125 BladeBarrel 16.25″; Twist 1 In 11″; RH; 6-Groove Carbon SteelWeight (with Empty Magazine) 8.8 lbs.Trigger 5 – 6 lbs. 2-StageRear Sight Enlarged Military Aperture.135 w/ MOA Adjustment For Both Windage and ElevationMagazines 1 – 10 Round, Parkerized SteelStock Black or OD Green Composite. Great review.
It's refreshing to read the author's hesitations and justifications.There is definitely something appealing about the SOCOM 16 that tugs on my practical side. While I love the AR platform, sometimes it can be overwhelming. However,.308 ammo weighs twice as much as.223, and a rifle that weighs nine pounds off the shelf is something that needs some discussion.When pulling ONE gun from my locker in a SHTF pinch, I'd be torn between an aught-six and.223.
Seems the SOCOM is a nice blend between the two. I agree with the author, however, that required upgrades on a $2k rifle seems a stretch. Excellent article, well written. My personal choice is not spending that kind of money on a SOCOM, while, IF, money was no object, would be 'nice', it isn't practical.
I can buy six glock 19s, for that kind of money, or, a couple of very reliable Ruger Scout Rifles in.308, while bolt action, no one is going to say, 'Oh, Gee! He's not shooting at me with a semi-auto Springfield M1A, he's JUST got a bolt action!' Or, I could purchase two or three very nice 12 gauge pumps or semi-autos and a slew of extra ammo.Again, great article, and IF, money was no object, yeah I'd get an M1A Scout set-up, just because, then, there's yet another caliber to stock up on. Though I personally am a big fan of the.308 caliber, I don't think a 16 1/4' barrel-length rifle is a good idea. That shortened barrel means you're going to lose bullet velocity and accuracy and thus impact damage and isn't taking out your target, be it paper or animal, two-legged or four, the whole point! A rifle is best as a long range weapon, a shotgun, given it's versatility, is a great close range weapon, a pistol is a handy back-up.
Also, some states, I don't know how many, require a barrel length of 18' minimum to hunt with legally. How many guns can you really carry, three (pistol, shotgun, and rifle) are my upper limit, and in truth, the shotgun (short of duck hunting) will probably stay at home! I'm not as young (or dumb, hopefully) as I used to be! In a SHTF situation, along with my FAL, I would probably opt for a.22 semi-auto pistol as a side-arm, since with sub-sonic ammo (and maybe a suppressor) I can hunt small game without the high-powered noise signature of a rifle or shotgun, thus keeping me a lot more stealthy than a 'scout' rifle (OPSEC).
My dream SHTF weapon is a bull-pup.308 cal. Semi-auto, mag-fed rifle with a 20' barrel with a underslung pump-action, mag-fed 12 gauge shotgun with separate triggers, with the rifle trigger in the traditional area, and the shotgun trigger at the forward end of the shotgun slide thus allowing you to fire either or both (if the bear is real close) almost instantly! Make and sell this weapon for under 1200 dollars and I guarantee that the manufacturer (hopefully American) won't be able to build them fast enough!
I have suggested this weapon to several American gun manufacturers, but apparently this wouldn't give them the massive profits that they have gotten used to! SO, Good Luck!.
Sir: That is not the case in terms of physics and the permanent cavitation of flesh. Force is always equal to mass times acceleration, in our world anyway. I worked on the Army's Advanced Combat Rifle program at Ft Leavenworth a few years back. Combat with a rifle occurs at less than 500M on the average, from what we were told by people actually engaged in battle.
The bullet leaves the barrel and begins slowing down and dropping to the target. Barrel length is a factor and as such; proper zeroing of the weapon before your planned event, hunting, target shooting, CQB etc. A 16' barrel can be sighted at 800M just like a 28 inch barrel with the same accuracy, I have seen Bob Mundon shoot a target at 375 yards with a snub nose 357. Elevation is key and considerable skill is required however. In summary even though the barrel length is a factor to dispel a rifle as a less than accurate and not viable for CQB is not correct nor is it a plausible thesis. I would agree that hunting with a suppressor and possible a.22 mag would be a good idea. Thank you for your time.
Hmmm, interesting article.I'm not as young as the rest of you kids, so am not interested in all the gadgets to hang on to the rifle. My uncle Sam showed me how to shot the m-14 yrs ago ). Some yrs later, I happened to be in a local gun shop and low and behold,there was a 'rack ' grade m1a ( I forgot how heavy that ' bleeping' thing was ) and after a lot ' thinking ' and whatever, I traded 3 handguns and a p17 'o6 for it and a fair amount of money ( wish I still had that combat commander in a 38 super now ). Recently I mounted a 310p2 shephard scope on it, but haven't tried it out yet due to cataract eye surgery. But I have my hopes to later this summer or early fall ( my oldest son wrote or called home during desert storm wishing he had a m14 ( or m1a )instead of what he did have).
Nice review It's been my experience that the 18' Bush/Scout/MK14 is the best short M14/M1A, but the 16.25' SOCOM length can be made 'better' by changing out a few things. The proprietary comp that comes with the SOCOM is very effective, but it's LOUD. Installing the SOCOM 16 gas lock from Smith Enterprise not only allows you to install either a Vortex flash hider or Good Iron brake, it also lets you use an assortment of front sights. Replacing the standard gas plug with Smith's extra volume SOCOM gas plug helps smooth the operation, and it's essential if you plan to use a sound suppressor. Adding a SADLAK tactical mag release is a great upgrade, and you may want to consider SEI's tactical bolt catch/release. My 2011 CQB-16 type SEI has the upgrades that I mentioned, and it is an excellent reliable & accurate rifle. NOTE: The 16.25' barrel is NOT legal in the Rogue bullpup chassis.
You will need to use either a longer barrel, or add the 14 oz. 2' butt stock extension. Addressing Mark's wish list:. Better magazine release – the current one could be improvedSadlak makes an excellent tactical mag release. More room in butt stock compartment. Upgrade hard sitesInstall a Smith Enterprise GLFS-D-16 and run the front sight you want. Upgrade safety – current one is a little clumsyTraining & practice makes it feel totally natural.
More options for mounting suppressorsThe Smith Enterprise GLFS-D-16 makes adding a suppressor pretty easy. Make the rifle lighter – the weight is a bit of an issueThe steel components weigh over 6 lbs. Without a stock, mag or ammo. Built in cheek riserAvailable with aftermarket stocks – usually adds weight. Stainless steel version for maritime opsM80HT or similar treatment is a better optionBTW, the M14 rifle remains the longest serving rifle used by units of the U.S. Armed forces with the exception of the Springfield M1903 rifle. The 16.25' barrel negates the superior functionality of the 7.62x51mm from the standard 22' barrel of the M14/M1A with the standard M80 ball ammo (and even more with 168gr OTM), losing 350 pfs (or more).
Thus, turning the M14 into an AK-ish rifle, with ballistics and accuracy not much better than the 7.62×39, EXCEPT that it weighs 2 pounds more (ammo weighs more as well) and cost 3x as much $$$$!!! I'm not seeing the superiority of the choice here. If I had 8 items that I though needed to be improved on a weapon to make it right, I wouldn't buy it. The free market WILL fix that. If you parse his 8 item wish list, the AR platform fixes all of those by design. What he wants is an AR-10 (M25/M110)so buy one and don't complain about the offerings of one vendorbuy from someone else, as it makes no sense to buy something you clearly think needs improving for those $$$ and would have to spend another $500 (???) to fix.
FYI, the TKO factor was made for old, archaic, medium velocity, large caliber (.45 cal plus, 200gr plus), non-deforming, solid bullets, on large, dangerous, African game. It has no correlation to modern, high-velocity, high performance ammo. If you use that TKOF formula, the 9mm FMJ outperforms the 5.56x45mm 55gr ball.I don't think so AND that comes from personal experience with almost 4 decades in the military (72-10), special units, government agency contract work, combat engineer, service rifle competition and being shot at on 3 continents (and shooting back). I do appreciate your youthful enthusiasm, but a more in depth investigation of the M1 to M14 history and their functionality would serve you well as you have some serious misconceptions about their efficacy. I am most interested in fast handling so I've found that the 15 round SA mags are a good compromise. Higher capacity yet a good way to slim the overall profile. Here's an advantage of the old fashioned safety lever.
Carbines and shotguns in my opinion should be left magazine loaded/chamber empty (vehicle mode). But with the surety of this design I am confident leaving the Socom 16 with chamber/loaded safety on when not sport shooting. The observation about the Aimpoint and Leupold scopes was exactly my findings as well.
But I like to use extended scope rings on the scout scopes so the ocular lens can be moved forward further away from the ejection port without crowding the adjustment turrets. The iron sights can be brought to dead on at 25 yards by turning the rear sight all the way down then 8-10 clicks up. 2 inches high at 25 yards is just about the same as 400 yards.
Think of it as the AR15 — on at 25 yards and 300 yards simultaneously. Of all the effective weaponry I've tried the Socom 16 is among the most fun to shoot. I liken its effectiveness to a mix of shotgun and rifle. Removing the metal butt plate and adding a rubber recoil pad takes a pound off this rifle. Careful which sling you use. When I scoped it, I looked long and hard and decided on a CASM GEN II.
It adds 0 weight after I remove the irons and stripper clip and gives me a BUS. I find it easy to make hits on a pie plate at 250 with the BUS only but with a Leupold Mark 4, I am good out to 600. To your review question What Would I Change?
I would have added an 'oprod spring guide.' For me, a National Match front sight post, improved magazine release, improved bolt stop. Great article. I always love reading about my favorite rifle. Ditto on the national match front sight. I got rid of the ghost ring rear as well and put a standard rear peep on it. The shorter sight radius makes the front sight look bigger than a national match on a standard length rifle.
So when I look through my sights on the socom 16 I get the same sight picture as on my garand with standard sights. I also got rid of the bendy plastic stock it came with and put it in an excellent condition 1960's military fiberglass stock. My groups shrank from 8 to10 inches at 100 meters down to 1 to 1 and a half inches with these 2 cheap mods. As a former Army Scout (11D MOS), I fell in love with the Springfield M1A 16 as soon as I first lifted it to my shoulder. This is the perfect rifle for me – I always wanted one but only owned handguns since my Army service (currently have a Glock 40 caliber with the longer barrel – serves as a target pistol). This article was very informative and confirms what I have come to believe about the Springfield M1A Scout – it has excellent knock out power and is a good short to medium range combat/hunting weapon.
I also have the black composite stock. I greatly prefer this rifle to the M-16 I was trained to use in the Army – the M-16 is a pitiful excuse and poor substitute for a real rifle. If you want a really excellent combat rifle, buy the Springfield M1A Scout – it is well worth the money and is the only rifle you will need. I enjoyed this article.
I have been wrestling with what to get for a shtf Life & Liberty gun. And while the fever pitch is all about AR's and fully loaded with optics and lights. The good rifle for the money I thought was crazy. $2,000 or more for a high quality, well performing gun.
No!This is as they say a ' man's guy'.I understand your ' deconstruction ' review of this rifle. I believe the philosophy of Springfield was they have a weapon that works, and works well.
And to this point has functioned in wars going back to the 1950's.The gas piston system is brilliant. As is the muzzle break, genius.Given the historic flawless basic operations. And to protect my family this is what I want by my side.I think your article is fantastic since it can show those from your generation that have grown up in and to quote ' Glock and AR' world.
It enlightens those that all that is old in design is not bad. Hell it may just save your life, as it has for many in the trenches.
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