How to Field Strip a M1a Socom

Springfield Armory's M1A SOCOM is a variant of the M1A, the civilian version of the military M14. The semi-automatic M1A features a gas-operated rotating-bolt-action. It fires 7.62-caliber NATO ammunition -- fed from a box magazine -- with capacities of 5, 10 or 20 rounds. Muzzle velocity is 2,400 to 2,500 fps. The SOCOM variant of the M1A features a barrel shortened to 16 inches, the legal limit for many standard firearms. The operating mechanism and recoil compensator of the SOCOM are modified to compensate for the shorter barrel length. The overall length of the M1A SOCOM is 37.25 inches, and it weighs 8.8 pounds.

Instructions

    • 1

      Verify that the rifle is unloaded, and point it in a safe direction.

    • 2

      Press the magazine-release lever located between the trigger and the magazine; remove the magazine. Pull back on the operating handle. Allow the bolt to slide forward and close.

    • 3

      Turn the rifle over. Hold it down firmly with one hand on the forend. Grasp the rear of the trigger housing; pull it up and out to release the trigger mechanism. Lift the trigger mechanism out of the receiver.

    • 4

      Grasp the forend with one hand. Grasp the receiver -- near the rear sights -- with your other hand. Pull down on the receiver while holding the forend. Separate the receiver from the stock.

    • 5

      Place the barrel and receiver upside down on a flat surface. Pull the operating spring and spring guide toward the muzzle; this takes pressure off the connector lock. Slide the connector lock toward the operating-handle side of the receiver; hold the operating spring and spring guide. Allow the operating spring to move forward and decompress. Remove the operating spring and operating-spring guide.

    • 6

      Turn the barrel and receiver upright, with the muzzle pointing away from you.

    • 7

      Pull the operating handle back until its guide-lug lines up with the disassembly notch on the receiver. Pivot the operating rod up and out. Pull it back to separate it from the operating-rod guide.

    • 8

      Move the bolt forward while simultaneously lifting it up and rotating it counterclockwise. This separates the bolt from the receiver.