Springfield Armory M1A Instructions Manual

							BEFORE USING OR HANDLING REVIEW THE
FOLLOWING RULES FOR SAFE SHOOTING.
ALWAYS FOLLOW THESE RULES TO BE A 
SAFE SHOOTER!
READ THESE AND BE A SAFE SHOOTER
ACCIDENT (AK si dent) N. 1. An unintentional or unexpected happening that is undesirable or unfortunate, esp.
one resulting in injury, damage, harm or loss. Dont be the cause of an accident!A responsible gun owner is safety minded and always handles guns in a safe manner by following the basic rules 
of safe shooting and using common sense in the use of a firearm.
WARNING
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							BE A RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER...
Read these rules!  Use common sense!
•  Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. 
•  Keep your finger off the trigger until you are actually aiming at the target and ready to shoot. 
•  Treat every gun as if it is LOADED...ALL THE TIME!
•  Be sure of your target and backstop before you shoot.  Ask yourself what your bullet will hit if it misses or goes 
through the target.  The bullet can travel over a mile.
•  Place the safety ON when not shooting. 
•  DO NOT DROP YOUR GUN.  If it falls, it may fire even with the safety on. If you do drop it, unload it and check if it
works correctly before using it again. When firing this or any other high power rifle always keep a firm hold on 
the gun.  Anticipate the noise and recoil.
•  Never put your hand over the muzzle of a gun. 
•  Never rely on a guns safety to protect you from unsafe gun handling.  A safety is only a mechanical device, not 
a substitute for common sense. 
•  Be sure the barrel is clear of obstruction before shooting. 
•  If anything does get into the barrel, remove cartridges and clean bore immediately before attempting to shoot. 
Obstructed barrels can burst and injure you or bystanders.11 
						

							BE A SAFE SHOOTER...
•  Never let water, snow, mud or other material enter the barrel. 
•  Never pull a gun towards you by the muzzle.  Do not climb a tree or cross a fence or ditch with a loaded gun. 
•  Guns and alcohol or drugs do not mix.  Do not use them before or during shooting activities.
•  Get instructions from a competent firearms instructor before using any gun. 
•  Always keep and carry your rifle with an empty chamber until you intend to shoot.
•  Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use.  This means the chamber is empty and the magazine 
is removed. 
•  When receiving a gun always open the action and check that it is unloaded. 
•  Load the gun only when on the range preparing to fire, and unload it before leaving the range. 
•  Load and unload with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. 
•  Be certain the gun is unloaded before cleaning. 
•  Always empty guns before entering a house, car, truck, boat, RV, camp or any building.
•  Never leave a loaded gun unattended.
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							•  Store guns and ammunition separately beyond the reach of children. 
•  Never place a gun where it could fall and fire. 
•  Children do not really believe that guns can kill.  Keep every gun secure so kids can not get to it.  If a child finds 
your gun and plays with it, tragedy may result. 
•  Use a rifle case with safety flap or strap when transporting your M1A.
• 
Old or reloaded ammunition may be dangerous.  Use only clean, dry, original, high-quality, commercially 
manufactured
ammunition. 
•  Many ammunition identifications sound similar.  Make sure you use the right size 
ammunition
in your gun. 
•  If a gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, keep it pointed at the target for at least 10 seconds before 
removing the cartridge from the chamber.  Sometimes slow primer ignition will cause a hang-fire and the 
cartridge will go off after a short pause. 
•Spectators should be 10 feet behind and away from the shooter while loading, firing and unloading. 
•  Always wear protective eyewear when shooting or near shooting activities.
•  Always wear hearing protection when shooting, at a shooting range, or near shooting activities. 
•  Never shoot at hard flat surfaces, the ground, water or rocks...bullets will ricochet unpredictably. 
•  Do not alter or modify your gun, and have guns serviced regularly. 
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							•  Do not attempt to change your guns trigger pull, because alterations of trigger pull usually affect sear 
engagement and may cause accidental firing. 
•  Stop using your gun if it fails to function properly.  Have the gun examined by a competent gunsmith. 
•  Do not horseplay with a gun.  Your gun can not think...but you can.  Firearm safety depends on you.
•Use a gun lock when gun is not in use and store firearms in a secure place.
•  Never assume or take someone’s word that a gun is unloaded.  Always check it yourself.
•  Always carry a gun so you can control the direction of the muzzle in the event you fall or stumble.
•  Never transfer a gun to someone who is not legally permitted to possess it or who might use it unlawfully.
•Know and obey all laws of firearms ownership. 
•  Write to Springfield concerning any items which you do not understand and which might relate to your safety and 
the operation of any of our products. 
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Always wear eye and ear protection when using any firearm.
Safety and instruction manuals are available from Springfield, Inc. 
						

							WARNING: WHEN THE TRIGGER IS PULLED YOU MUST EXPECT THE GUN TO 
FIRE, AND YOU MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIRING IT.
WHEN YOU PULL THE TRIGGER AND 
NOTHING HAPPENS
You can expect your M1A to fire when you pull the trigger, but there may be times when you pull the trigger and the
gun does not fire.  When this happens it is important to understand the various conditions that could cause this to 
happen.  In every instance it is important to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction while you identify
what happened.Wait 10 seconds in case there is a hang-fire- where the primer delays igniting the powder.  After 
10 seconds you can begin to take corrective action.
WHAT TO DO
First look at the bolt.  If the bolt appears to be closed pull the bolt back by pulling rearward on the operating rod handle.  If no shell
is ejected and the chamber is empty there was a failure to feed.  Release the bolt then pull back on the operating rod handle just
far enough to allow you to see if a shell was chambered.  If there is a shell in the chamber the gun is ready to fire.  If there is no
shell in the chamber check the magazine to make sure it is properly inserted.  Then pull the operating rod handle back and release
it.  If the magazine is properly seated the gun should be ready to fire.  If there is another failure to feed, remove the magazine and
insert a different one.  If there is a continued failure to feed, unload the gun and take the gun to a competent gunsmith.
WARNING
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							If there is a cartridge in the chamber, remove the magazine and release the operating rod handle smartly and open the bolt
again.  If the cartridge continues to remain in the chamber pull the operating rod handle back and lock it open.  Point 
the gun in a safe direction and insert a cleaning rod in the muzzle.  Keeping your hands away from the muzzle, tap the 
cartridge until it comes out.  Check the extractor and clean the chamber.  If this problem repeats itself, unload the gun and
take it to a gunsmith for inspection and repair.  Do not use the gun if this problem persists.  Safely dispose of the cartridge.If an unfired cartridge is ejected, unload the gun and inspect the primer on the cartridge.  If there is a small or faint
indentation, the bolt may not have been fully closed.  If the primer mark is deeply indented the primer is defective.  Both
cartridges should be safely discarded.  Reload the magazine and chamber a cartridge.  Check the bolt to see if it is
fully closed.  If not, unload the gun and inspect the ammunition and chamber to see if they are clean.  A dirty chamberor deformed ammunition will prevent the bolt from properly closing.  Properly loading the first cartridge from the magazinerequires you to properly insert the magazine and to pull the operating rod handle back fully and release it smartly to
allow the bolt to slam 
forward and strip the cartridge from the top of the magazine.  If the bolt continues to not close
fully, try a different
magazine. Take the gun to a competent gunsmith if the problem continues. 
If a cartridge is ejected without the bullet 
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RELOAD THE GUN UNTIL YOU HAVE LOOKED DOWN
THE BARREL AND DETERMINED THAT THE BARREL IS FREE FROM OBSTRUCTION.
A bullet stuck somewhere
in the
barrel will cause the gun to explode if another shell is fired.  You can only remove a bullet stuck in the barrel by pushing
it out with a wooden dowel or cleaning rod.  Do not try to remove the bullet any other way.
Always load the M1A from the magazine.  Laying a shell on the magazine without placing it in the magazine or by 
placing the shell directly in the chamber allows the bolt to slam forward harder than it would if the shell had to be
stripped from the magazine.  When this occurs the inertia firing pin can come in contact with the cartridge primer with
sufficient force to cause  a slam fire.  A slam fire can occur even if you are not pulling the trigger and even if the 
safety is on.  The use of handloads increase the chance of a slam fire and should not be used.  When releasing the
bolt to place a cartridge in the chamber you should always hold the gun firmly and keep it pointed in a safe direction.
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							NOTE TO LEFT HANDED SHOOTERS
The M1A was designed to be operated and fired right handed.  Thats the way Uncle Sam wanted it and thats the way
instructions on use were given.  If you are left handed and normally shoot left handed take the time to practice using the
M1A right handed.  If this does not work for you, you must develop safe handling procedures that work for you.  
OPERATION OF THE
SAFETY
When the hammer is cocked the gun may be
placed on SAFE.  To do this press firmly on the
safety lever until it snaps rearward into the trigger
guard to put the safety ON [see figure 1].  When
the safety is ON the trigger cannot be depressed
because the trigger is blocked and the hammer is
locked in place.
Fig. 1
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Always wear eye and ear protection when
using any firearm.  Safety and instruction
manuals are available from Springfield, Inc.
SAFETY 
LEVER
SAFETY PLACED IN THE “SAFE” OR “ON” POSITION 
						

							To take the safety OFF place your finger inside
the trigger guard and press the safety lever firmly 
forward until it snaps in place in front of the 
trigger guard [see figure 2].  When the safety is
OFF the gun will fire when the trigger is pulled.  
The rifle should be unloaded with the safety ON 
by removing the magazine and ejecting the 
cartridge in the chamber by pulling the bolt to 
the rear.  
The rifle should always be loaded and
unloaded
with the 
safety ON.
WARNING: THE SAFETY IS SIMPLY A MECHANICAL DEVICE AND CAN BE BROKEN
OR MALFUNCTION DUE TO BREAKAGE, IMPROPER ASSEMBLY, WEAR OR ABUSE.
THE SAFETY DOES NOT REPLACE SAFE GUN HANDLING PROCEDURES. 
WARNING
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Fig. 2 
						

							LOADING AND UNLOADING
CAUTION: WHEN LOADING AND UNLOADING ALWAYS PREPARE THE RIFLE  
BY HAVING THE SAFETY ON AND THE RIFLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
1.  Load the magazine by inserting the cartridges one at a time into 
the magazine [see figure 3].  
Place the rifle on safety and point it 
in a safe direction.
2.  Insert the magazine into the magazine well with the rear of the 
magazine slightly lower than the front.  When the front of the 
magazine is fully inserted, firmly rock the magazine up and to the 
rear until it locks [see figure 4].  You may have to push hard 
to accomplish this.  When the magazine is properly in place it 
cannot be removed without pressing the magazine release.
3. Pull the operating rod handle and thus the bolt, fully to the rear 
and release it smartly.  If done properly a cartridge should be in 
the chamber and the rifle ready to fire after the safety is moved to 
the off position.  Do not touch the operating rod while it moves 
forward, as it needs the fast forward movement to strip a cartridge 
from the magazine, push it into the chamber and lock up.
LEFTLEFT
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WARNING
Fig. 3
Fig. 4