{"id":2176,"date":"2024-05-13T23:20:49","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T23:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2024-05-13T23:20:49","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T23:20:49","slug":"barely-legal-yet-positively-awesome-the-m1a-scout-squad-in-illinois","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2176","title":{"rendered":"Barely Legal Yet Positively Awesome: The M1A Scout Squad in Illinois"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1.jpg\" data-caption=\"John Boch Photo\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-696x464.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1-560x373.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/M1A-Scout-Squad-1.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"\" title=\"M1A Scout Squad 1\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Boch Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thanks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/a-layperson-on-crypto-trading-use-crypto-pay-for-your-guns-ammo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crypto currency Solana\u2019s<\/a> meteoric rise earlier this year, I could afford my own copy of the \u201cgreat gun\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunssavelife.com\/\">Guns Save Life<\/a> selected for our Great Guns 2024 drawing.\u00a0 For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/guns-save-life-pokes-gun-grabbing-gov-pritzker-with-great-guns-2024-drawing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">those who missed it<\/a>, the Illinois gun rights group GSL likes to give away a really nice firearm every year in a multi-month drawing. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/guns-save-life-pokes-gun-grabbing-gov-pritzker-with-great-guns-2024-drawing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Springfield\u2019s M1A Scout Squad<\/a> got the nod this year thanks in part to the state\u2019s sloppily-written gun and magazine ban.<\/p>\n<p>And because GSL loves poking fun and ridiculing political hacks that think they\u2019re better and smarter than the little people like us.<\/p>\n<p>Why would I buy something with wooden furniture? Admittedly that\u2019s outside of my usual lane. However, after Land o\u2019 Lincoln\u2019s Governor signed a bill banning America\u2019s favorite rifle and many like it last year, that limited my defensive choices in my dysfunctional state.<\/p>\n<p>Enter the <a href=\"https:\/\/classic.avantlink.com\/click.php?tool_type=ml&amp;merchant_link_id=2e558851-8cbb-4a4e-95db-a9979bd7c2fa&amp;website_id=4e8a62e5-c9f2-4169-947d-06856fc118da\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad<\/a>. It\u2019s barely legal thanks to shipping with a muzzle brake instead of a flash suppressor.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t look at it as a neutered doggie. It fires a very potent 7.62\u00d751 NATO round in a tried and true rifle design that\u2019s put down a lot of commies and bad actors over its 50+ years of service.<\/p>\n<p>I expected good things based upon my limited experience shooting more traditional M1As over the years.<\/p>\n<p>I got more than I expected.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_546608\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-546608\" style=\"width: 770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-546608\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1a-3-560x373.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-546608\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fellow instructor (and Best Man x2) John Naese fires some rounds from the Scout Squad. He put his seal of approval on it too. John Boch Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>First Shots &amp; First Impressions<\/h3>\n<p>At the DeWitt County Sportsman\u2019s Club, I set up targets and stuffed some magazines. My M1A now has a proper rifleman\u2019s sling, one that can be fashioned into a loop sling for precision long-range work or use as a hasty sling for, well, hasty use.<\/p>\n<p>The trigger proved very good for a factory product, breaking cleanly. The long sight radius helped provide precision in aiming. Then, when you do your part with a nice trigger squeeze, that\u2019s when the magic happens and the M1A puts rounds on target.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest surprise? That muzzle brake works better than I expected, taming the recoil down to something similar to an AR-15. Even better, it did so without the addition of a ton of obnoxious noise like AR- muzzle brakes I\u2019ve worked around in my time as a rifle instructor.<\/p>\n<p>The only negative experience involved the mechanical safety. In previous M1As I\u2019ve handled, the safety worked as if lubricated with butter. This one required real work to put the safety on\u2014and required pushing firmly with the thumb to get the safety off. I\u2019m told that this difficulty will disappear with use. However, I think I\u2019d rather go have another colonoscopy than sit around for a few hours working that safety on and off a few thousand times.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_546607\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-546607\" style=\"width: 770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-546607 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-560x373.jpg 560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 770px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 770\/513;\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-546607\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Springfield-M1A-2-560x373.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-546607\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Four rounds of 150-grain Winchester soft-point defensive rounds including two in the lower left hole. I quit while I was ahead after adding two clicks to the right. John Boch Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Accuracy, even with nonmatch ammo proved excellent. Reliability was perfect. Fit and finish, outside of the safety actuation, was great. Springfield\u2019s machines also crafted a great piece of lumber for the stock\u2014probably walnut, but I\u2019m not an arborist.<\/p>\n<p>With a street price of about $2,000 with tax and 7.62\/.308 ammo going for about a buck a round, this isn\u2019t a rifle for those on a budget. Unless of course you hold the winning ticket at the Great Guns 2024 drawing, of course. (With odds a whole lot better than the lottery.)<\/p>\n<p>Remember how gun control is racist, classist and sexist? Welcome to the \u201cclassist\u201d aspect of that trifecta.<\/p>\n<p>Since taking it out and putting it through its paces, <del>it<\/del> <em>my M1A<\/em> has become my go-to tool for commies and criminals who might want to visit harm to me, my family or my community.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, you can thank Gov. Jelly Bean for prodding me to replace my weaker .223 dispenser with a .308 for two-legged pest control, especially for swarms. Consider it the unintended consequence of gun control\u2026driving people to (far) more powerful defensive tools.<\/p>\n<p>Given our state\u2019s onerous new gun ban, perhaps the best part of owning this particular boomstick where I live is not needing to look over one\u2019s shoulder when taking it out for some range therapy.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><em>Need Ammo? Check out<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/\"><strong><em>Ammo To Go,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em><strong>the ammunition retail sponsor of TTAG gun reviews and simply a cool online place to fulfill all your ammo needs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/barely-legal-yet-positively-awesome-the-m1a-scout-squad-in-illinois\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Boch Photo Thanks to the crypto currency Solana\u2019s meteoric rise earlier this year, I could afford my own copy of the \u201cgreat gun\u201d Guns Save Life selected for our Great Guns 2024 drawing.\u00a0 For those who missed it, the Illinois gun rights group GSL likes to give away a really nice firearm every year [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}