Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Break-In & Lube Suggestions For An M1A Please...

fort_knox
I know there are a varied set of opinions regarding breaking in a new rifle, but I'm looking to see where I'm at with the majority of experienced M1A shooters here.

1.) What is the best method for preparing a standard pre-ban M1A (w/a TRW barrel) for shooting (i.e., lubricants, lubrication points/locations...and amounts).

2.) Also, what is the preferred method of breaking in these rifles. Is there a concern with shooting, cleaning...repeat process fifty times, or is this stuff necessary? I have friends who take this stuff to the extreme and it seems a little excessive to me.

It took me several years to find this prize and I want to do everything I can to preserve it's integrity and maximize the accuracy.

Thanks In Advance.
0

Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • king999
    Just shoot it and have fun! Cleaning after a session is fine, but don't overdo it. Remember you are cleaning from the muzzle and the rod could conceivably damage the bore at the muzzle unless you take care to avoid it. After a few hundred rounds, if you are not happy with accuracy, this is the time to tune it by standard methods.
    0
  • imadork
    1. Clean barrel with ordinary bore solvent.
    2. Fire away! No other break-in is needed.

    I clean mine after every shooting session, which is typically 100-150 rounds. I recommend the Otis 7.62mm rifle cleaning kit http://www.otisgun.com. It has a protective coating over the cable and brass fittings that won't damage the rifling. The M14 field manual has additional cleaning tips.

    my site for additional info http://www.geocities.com/awatters2002/m1a
    0
  • fort_knox
    1.) What parts would you (the rifle) benefit most from the application of grease, and how much?

    2.)What parts benefit from lubricating oil as opposed to grease?

    3.) Why is oil applied liberally to the trigger action undesirable (I have read this true in general for most firearms)?

    I am interested in these finer points as much or more than a break-in proceedure.

    I have followed the suggestions for this topic from a manual for one of my "shooter" AR-15 types (XM15-2ES Bushmaster), and ended up with a fouled bolt-carrier because the conditions were dusty, and the dust/powder residue built-up on the bolt carrier assembly from the grease I had applied restricted it's action a great deal. Apparently, my idea of a thin layer of grease was not thin enough!
    0
  • beachmaster73
    If you are a poor marksman then just shoot away and clean it afterwards. The rifle will be no more accurate than you are. If you are seeking subminute of angle or half minute of angle accuracy with a match weapon or even just interested in obtaining the very best accuracy there are a couple of break in procedures that work.
    Now my question to you is that if in fact you have a TRW barrel it probably is not in unfired condition....If it truly is in unfired(say less than 10 rounds through it) then it can benefit from a break in procedure. A break in procedure will only enhance the accuracy of a new barrel....not one that has had several hundred or a couple thousand rounds already through it. This issue has tended to get fairly acrimonious between the believers and nonbelievers here on GB. I'd suggest you go back and read a few break in threads and you can make your own mind up. If you are a competitive marksman and not just a practioner of the "spray and pray" congregation, then go out to your range and see what the guys who are shooting high power master and high master scores do and then take their advice. The bench rest bubbas also tend to emphasize accuracy. I've written my procedure down a couple of times and I learned it from a guy who won the Porter Trophy at Camp Perry. My match service rifles consistently shoot 5 round groupsinto an inch to an inch and half at 200 yards from the bench. My thousand yard rifle shoots just under an inch at 200 yards off the bench. I don't think that kind of accuracy is obtained by just "tuning" the rifle I truly believe that that kind of accuracy comes from properly breaking in the barrel. Beach
    0
  • beachmaster73
    Incidently one of my M1A's serial number 14xx has a NM marked TRW barrel and it is a joy to shoot....It is a normal military barrel and just wonderful for across the course shooting. Check and see if you have an NM marked on your TRW barrel. Beach
    0
  • GPWEAPON
    If you have a litle machinegun grease or equiv. you can work some into the bearing on the bolt by cupping a little in your palm and pressing the roller into it. applie some on the op rod reciever gruve, some where the bolt lugs contact the reciever to lock up and some where the bolt rollerslips down in its trevel just before lockup. the opp rod where it passes thru the bushing on the barrel is best suited with a dry lub like a moly or grafite base aresol. your trigger should not be a problem well oiled when new since it probably breaks at 6# +. the only drawback is it will hold a little more girt over time. the reason some shooters won't oil the trigger often is that a match trigger breaking at 4 1/2#'s will sometimes drop under that when freshly oiled. this makes it inelegible for leg match comps. your AR carrier would benefit from a spray lube like motorcycle chain lube(a light foaming lubricant) as far as breakin the barrel prabobly won't settle in for 150 or so rounds, due to the drill hole from the gas port and other new barrel traits. I wouldn't worry about cleaning till after the first range session of 300 or so rounds. assuming the trw is carbon steel, satainless can go for......... I swabed my kreiger less than a dozen times in 15,000 + rounds. though the bolt and chamber got a little more attention.
    0
  • fort_knox
    beach-

    The serial number is; 059xxx. Under the op-rod is; "TRW 7790xxx 11 63 BM". The 63 is a little difficult to read, but appears to be that. On the underside of the barrel near the muzzle is "Geneseo, IL". The bolt is stamped TRW as well. I'm assuming it is all TRW except for the receiver of course.

    I was not aware that the surplus parts used by SA, Inc. were used surplus parts! That is certainly a disappointment if it is true!

    I found this M1A in a shop after 2+ years of active searching for a NIB pre-ban (and that was three years ago). I have the box, packing materials, inspector's sheet on headspace, etc and the blue tag that they put on the trigger gaurd. I also called SA, Inc. w/the serial number to verify what configuration it went out in, and when it went out.

    I was almost duped once by a "parts gun". I called SA. Inc. w/the serial number on it and was told it went out as a receiver only. Its much nicer having found one with the materials that came from SA, Inc. anyway...but I was getting a bit anxious/impatient at that time. Anyway, I'm glad I made the phone call!

    As far as my shooting goes; I lean more towards a "non-shooter" (otherwise this guy would have seen some use by now). I shoot occasionally when I find the time and inclination. I have to travel to one of two ranges/shooting clubs I belong to in my area since I am a suburbian. I have been shooting since before I can almost remember...Arkansas heritage! When I do shoot at the range, or on my Father's property in rural Missourri, I take my time and do the best that I can.

    GP-

    Thanks for the advice on the finer details/suggestions on the M1A and AR-15 lubrication! I appreciate it!

    Best regards guys!
    0
  • bobski
    oil your gun, fire 1 round, swab bbl, fire 1 round, swab bbl, etc...do this for 5 rounds. clean bbl. let gun cool. inspect bore and chamber for deposits or stray shavings. check for loose parts. load 5 rounds, fire in slow fire pace. swab bbl. load 5 rounds. fire in slow fire pace. swab bbl. load and fire 10 rounds while gun is hot. load another 10 rounds. fire. clean gun. oil gun. youre broke in. btw...im sure im just repeating old history to experts, but the last m-14 milspec parts were mfg'ed in 1970. any milspec parts are considered premium and sought after on guns today. to find an m-1a with all the same mfg stamps is suspect. it, like colt 45's, were designed to be overhauled in the field. an armoror jsut grabbed the next part off the shelf and fixed the gun. it was supplied thru mass military supply lines. to have a gun go thru service with all the same parts would be impossible. besides, most guns werent offered to the military assembled from the same location. guns were at times assembled in numerous plants with gun parts companies sharing parts to meet quotas. afterall, the military didnt care, it was milpsec anyway! to have a gun with the same marks....i/e: trw, sa, hr, win, etc... just means someone collected all the parts together and built a gun with all the same parts. like stereos, some companies make better speakers or receivers than others. to buy a complete jvc sound system usually meant it wasnt the best system you could have. slap a set of bose 501's on it instead, and maybe so! being milspec standards usually meant a minimum requirement. some companies had higher standards than the minimum military standard in the quality control area. some developed reputations for better triggers, better bbls, better op rods, etc... my m-1a has trw trigger, a H-R oprod, winchester hammer and safety, with a s-a bbl. my smith says its his favorite combo. i dont question him. he's a national celebrity when it comes to m-1a's! he has people waiting 2 years to get one of his guns. my gun is mixed matched...the way a good gun or correct gun is suppose to be. key word here folks....'matched.' match doesnt mean all the same mfg, it means the parts were hand fitted and matched together by a smith. hope this helps!

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
    0
  • fort_knox
    bobski-

    Thanks for the information.

    I have not disassemled the rifle to confirm that it is 100% TRW. I believe I said I "assumed" it was. I only saw their stamping on the barrel and bolt. I don't really care anyway as long as the parts that were used are of good quality.

    It is a confirmed SA, Inc. manufactured M1A. Since the business is still thriving after all these years, and that this was so difficult to find...this is reassuring.

    I have some other popular pre-bans firearms purchased as NIB that were not nearly as difficult to find as this was...as long as you were willing to pay the price.

    It is only a standard configuration SA, Inc. M1A, but it was very difficult for me locate one at any price using the sources I did at the time (Gun List and Shotgun News).

    Regards
    0
  • bobski
    glad i could help. get some grapite grease or white grease. i forgot what they call it, but they use it on diving air valves and stuff. its real expensive stuff. maybe someone can help me name it. anyway, make sure you grease the receiver op rod charging handle groove with grease. locate where the op rod and bbl is visible on the right side. usually oversize match bbls are so fat, the op rod rubs it as it works. put some grease on the bbl if the op rod shows signs of touching it. dont forget to grease the bolt rollers. use a q-tip to apply it. just a dab. not a lot. make a gun logbook. record every shot and the date. your gun will start getting tight around 1500 rounds. it will drop off in accuarcy around 3 or 4000 rounds. without a log, you cant watch the results as years go by. come on over to: www.usnst.org and meet the team. pipe in and get hoards of info on the m-1a from seasoned pros. you might even be able to get milspec 'match' cleaning instructions from someone! just ask! good luck! tell em retired cpo ski from va beach sent ya!

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
    0
  • bobski
    i just noticed we are past 10 posts and may be locked out, so let me tell you about the 12ga shotgun shell trick. knock the primer out of an empty 12ga shell. then, slide it over the flashhider. the primer hole acts as a perfectly centered rod guide when you stick your cleaning rod down the bbl! this way, you dont have to worry about damaging lands and grooves on the muzzle end of your gun if you bend or jam your rod down it wrong. stay in touch!
    0
  • fort_knox
    Thanks again bobski...especially liked the 12 gauge hull/shell trick.

    Best to ya!
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity

Didn’t find what you’re looking for?