REVIEWS
Short...With An Attitude
Springfield's stubby M1A SOCOM 16 provides .308 punch from a time-proven platform.
|
|
Punch cigar hung from the corner of Joaquin Jackson's mouth as he carefully scrutinized the short little synthetic-stocked Springfield. The retired Texas Ranger and I had spent a good amount of time discussing the merits of a good car gun for law enforcement, and my receipt of the M1A SOCOM 16 prompted me to take it up to Joaquin's place right away to get his take on it.
Joaquin's long-time advocacy of a short, powerful rifle that's handy to pack in a vehicle pretty much parallels my own opinion on law enforcement long guns. We both feel that a short .308 autoloader is ideal for policework—particularly in rural areas. As a Texas Ranger, Joaquin had carried a Winchester Model 1894 in .30-30 for years, but he concedes that a self-loading .308 is even better.
"They've got this thing just right," Joaquin said, spitting a bit of tobacco from his cigar as he handled the SOCOM 16. He quickly shouldered it to sight at a distant target. "Like them sights, too," he said with a smile.
My old partner and longtime law officer, Kemp Johnson, is a specialist when it comes to such rifles, and his opinion of the SOCOM 16 pretty much corresponds with Joaquin's and mine. In fact, it was Kemp who initially tipped me to the imminent introduction of the SOCOM 16. I promptly contacted Dennis Reese at Springfield and advised him that several old law dogs in West Texas and I needed one to experiment with. And as soon as the rifle became available, one was rushed to me.
I'm no stranger to the standard Springfield M1A. My friend West Texas rancher Penn Baggett has been shooting a spruced-up M1A match rifle for several years, and he's let me shoot it some.
Penn's MIA has been customized a bit; it shoots half-minute groups consistently and is one of the most accurate .308 autoloaders I've ever fired. After shooting Penn's rifle, I did have doubts that the short SOCOM could equal the phenomenal accuracy of the full-size number, but I was eager to find out. I've also had experience with one of Springfield's Scout Squad rifles, an 18-inch-barreled M1A with a traditional walnut stock.
Upon receipt of the SOCOM 16, I was immediately fascinated with it. The rifle, with its 16-inch barrel and black synthetic stock, was easy to handle, quick to shoulder and just all-around practical. The stock felt more comfortable in my hands than the thicker wood furniture on the Scout Squad. It's clearly personal preference, but a thinner pistol grip just feels better in my hands. Though it would seem that the synthetic-stocked SOCOM 16 would be significantly lighter than the Scout Squad, they're pretty similar in weight. The SOCOM weighs about 8.9 pounds, the Scout Squad about 9.3 pounds. Like the Scout Squad, the SOCOM 16 features a short, Picatinny-type rail mounted three inches forward of the closed bolt. This super-low mount accommodates virtually any sighting system you'd care to use.
A small scout scope or a Trijicon sighting system would be ideal for either rifle, although I preferred to evaluate my SOCOM 16 with the factory sights, which included an enlarged military-style rear aperture (which could be a bit larger still) with side-mounted MOA click adjustments for windage and elevation--simple to use and effective. The SOCOM 16's front sight is a bit different than those offered on other Springfields. It's XS Sight Systems' tactical front sight, featuring a white post with a tritium insert that's extremely effective in low low light or at night. It's thicker and heavier, providing more durability than the older style. As impressed with it as I was, I believe it would be even more effective if the white insert went all the way to the top of the sight instead of ending a few thousandths short.
