DA Socom...puzzling occurrence

jjohnwm

jjohnwm

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I have a Dominion Arms Socom, purchased slightly used off the EE awhile back. It's had very little done to it; I installed an Ultimak rail and mounted a HiLux 2-7x scout scope, dropped it into a Boyd's walnut stock (EE buy), and swapped the spring guide for a new name-brand one picked up cheap at a gunshow. It's always been a 2MOA gun with South American surplus (had a bunch left from my last Norc 305, years ago), and usually about a 3MOA gun with other surplus, Norinco, etc. It always passes the tilt test, and it has to be held practically an inch away from your shoulder before it will double.

I got it into my head that I wanted to try it for deer hunting...no idea why, just a way to inject a little extra fun into my local hunt this year. I had no 150gr bullets handy to load up for it, and frankly I've never had any; I just don't care for chasing brass through the weeds, so I shoot cheap surplus in it and toss the brass. Didn't feel like working up a load for it now, but I had a couple boxes of inexpensive Winchester 150gr factory stuff on my bench and decided to use it up.

My first group was a fluke: 2 inches at 200 yards, 3 shots. Hmmm. I clicked the scope a bit to move the group to the bull, and fired a few more groups. All were in the 1.5 to 2.25 inch range at 200 yards. By this time I was grinning like an idiot, and quickly shot up a box and a half of this stuff, saving a half box for the hunt. Moreover, the gun functioned like a champ, no misfeeds, FTF's, FTE's, nothing. It didn't disassemble itself or blow up or lose any pieces. I was not LEPeppered with hot brass fragments or hot gas or broken metal shards. It just shot, and shot well.

They're only 3-shot groups, and I do feel terribly embarrassed to even admit that (whatever happened to TDC, anyway?)...but this is a plinker for which I've never had particularly high expectations, and for my purposes 3-shot groups are significant. I was planning on butchering the original plastic stock and creating my own folder as outlined in the sticky, since I have all the required bits'n'pieces, but now I'm frankly afraid to even touch it; don't want to jinx myself.

Can this be? Do I actually have a MOA Chinese M14?

Here's the pic I took when I was toying with selling it last year...that won't be happening anytime soon. :)

ibB9PD1.jpg
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Should have mentioned earlier: the ammo was 150gr Win Power Max.

Now, a question: will carefully removing and then re-installing the same stock likely have a negative effect on accuracy? I don't care about re-zeroing, just grouping ability. I ask only because I neglected to do the popsicle-stick trick with the Boyd's stock when I installed it. I'd like to correct that oversight, but as stated, I don't want to rock the boat. :)
 
Don't be alarmed, they are out there! That is why I will never sell mine. I haven't even hand-made for it yet, but get consistent MOA or better groups with Winchester Supreme 150 grain Ballistic Silvertip.

I used mine for hunting almost extensively for a number of years. I have since given up as mine is sitting in a Troy chassis and ends up at a healthy 13 pounds, which I have now decided is too much to lug all over heels half acre. Still will be using it for a stand gun tho.
 
jjohnwm said:
Should have mentioned earlier: the ammo was 150gr Win Power Max.

Now, a question: will carefully removing and then re-installing the same stock likely have a negative effect on accuracy? I don't care about re-zeroing, just grouping ability. I ask only because I neglected to do the popsicle-stick trick with the Boyd's stock when I installed it. I'd like to correct that oversight, but as stated, I don't want to rock the boat. :)
Click to expand...

You will be fine.

You may need 10-20 rounds down range to settle the rifle back into the stock, but that's pretty normal!

Personally I prefer a bit of epoxy or resin to fill the hole, as with commercial Boyd's stock you only need to close up the relief for the connector pin.

Cheers!
 
m14medic.ca said:
You will be fine.

You may need 10-20 rounds down range to settle the rifle back into the stock, but that's pretty normal!

Personally I prefer a bit of epoxy or resin to fill the hole, as with commercial Boyd's stock you only need to close up the relief for the connector pin.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping to hear...thank you, sir!
 
I am very happy with my DA Socom. I love reloading for it as well.

Want to do the same thing with a scout rail and a red dot. Never heard of the Ultimak before and will consider it along with M14.ca's version as well as GG&G's forward rail.

Nice results! I would Be curious about trying it with the gas system turned off to see how much it improves.
 
I have a socom18 in a boyds and with an aftermarket op rod. It shoots about 2 moa with chinese surplus, 1.5moa with federal blue box, and 8moa with remington corlok. I took it hunting but didnt get a shot. The weight didnt bother me, but i found the 5/20 mag to be a bit bulky. It looks like you wont have that issue.

Accurate chinese m14s exist, even if nobody believes it.
 
I have a DA socom 18 I picked up new yet to fire it! Black feather stock usgi bolt and trigger group both NOS H&R. It's one of those things I keep changing and may never finish, but it there when I want to play. Next is barrel I'm thinking. Money pit but I'm keeping it so all is good
 
I've always wanted to try taking a deer with one of these, and today (our deer opener) I finally hunted with mine. My first two Chinese M14's would have required closing the distance to contact-burn range; accuracy was not their strong suit. Today it was nice knowing that I could take a 300-yard shot with no worries about the gun's capability.

300 yards is about the maximum possible shot I could expect from the stand I sat today. And sit I did...the Socom is clunky, heavy, awkward, uncomfortable, rattly, poorly balanced and generally not something I want to carry around on foot all day. It's cool and quirky, and as a range toy/plinker it's a blast. As a hunting rifle...not so much. Nevertheless, I will use it in that role for the balance of deer season. I like trophy photos that feature non-mainstream guns and this one fits the bill. :)

Rust, I like your idea about shooting the with the gas turned off. I think I'll try that after deer season ends.
 
Well, a week of hunting exclusively with this fat little rifle has produced a fat little spike. He came charging to a doe bleat call, posed quartering-to at 230 yards, and took a single 150gr Power Max. He was hyped enough to make it more than 100 yards back into the thick stuff (damn it!) but he was dead when I got to him. Deer are tough critters.

So that particular itch has been scratched, i.e. the desire to hunt with a M14-type rifle. I've had a couple of others in the past, and the idea of slugging them around and then actually shooting at game at 200 yards was laughable. This one is accurate enough for that, and it was fun, and it was cool...but it was also a huge PITA as a hunting gun, and I doubt I'll ever do it again.

But the gun's a keeper, and will now return to its regular diet of surplus ammo and it normal regimen of shooting at steel plates, milk jugs, pumpkins and other fun targets. I'm going back to hunting with guns that aren't nearly so demanding and effort-intensive...you know, stuff like muzzleloaders...black powder cartridge single shots...leverguns...actual hunting rifles.:)

Here's the little guy, with the other little guy:
2016deer_zpsberlmrcm.jpg
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Awwww!!!!!!
He looks delicious! Congrats on a successful hunt and a nice shot.

As much as I like my DA Socom, you are absolutely right. It is one fat noisy pig of a rifle.
 
Interesting development the last few days. I dismounted the barreled action from the stock and did the popsicle stick thing. I then went back to using my dwindling supply of South African surplus, and it took a few groups before my accuracy returned to its regular 2MOA. As per m14medic's suggestion, this was expected. I then removed the scope, mounted a red dot on the gun using m14.ca's rear sight pocket mount, and got virtually identical accuracy. This was good news; I wanted to get this gun a bit lighter and sleeker, and the TRS25 red dot certainly achieved that goal.

The next day, I removed the scout mount forearm and replaced it with a walnut handguard. When I shot the gun...disaster! The SA ammo was suddenly shooting 4-inch groups! WTF??? The handguard? I took off the walnut and replaced with another old Norc handguard I had on the shelf...some kind of plastic, I think? No joy; groups still terrible. I wondered if the red dot or the rear mount were at fault, but had no way to check, so for lack of anything else to try I replaced the scout mount forearm.

Eureka! First group was back to 2MOA, with several more just as good to follow. This was still using the red dot sight; the forearm didn't have a scope mounted on it at all. I then shot up the remaining 11 rounds I had of the Winchester hunting ammo, since I don't plan on hunting with this little oinker again. 5 shots into 1.25-inch, then 3 more into 7/8-inch, and the last 3 a nice even 1-inch.

In thinking it over last night, I am wondering if the scout mount forearm might be acting a bit like a barrel strut, like the ones that are often sold for Mini14's. It clamps rigidly to the barrel at front and rear. Maybe it is adding rigidity and improving accuracy?

Whatever it was, I'm not fooling with it any more. I had a cheap-ass rifle shooting way above its pay-grade; I should have smiled and said "thank you" and just enjoyed it. When I unexpectedly messed it up, I almost did the little Homer Simpson scream. No more changes! :)
 
jjohnwm said:
Interesting development the last few days. I dismounted the barreled action from the stock and did the popsicle stick thing. I then went back to using my dwindling supply of South African surplus, and it took a few groups before my accuracy returned to its regular 2MOA. As per m14medic's suggestion, this was expected. I then removed the scope, mounted a red dot on the gun using m14.ca's rear sight pocket mount, and got virtually identical accuracy. This was good news; I wanted to get this gun a bit lighter and sleeker, and the TRS25 red dot certainly achieved that goal.

The next day, I removed the scout mount forearm and replaced it with a walnut handguard. When I shot the gun...disaster! The SA ammo was suddenly shooting 4-inch groups! WTF??? The handguard? I took off the walnut and replaced with another old Norc handguard I had on the shelf...some kind of plastic, I think? No joy; groups still terrible. I wondered if the red dot or the rear mount were at fault, but had no way to check, so for lack of anything else to try I replaced the scout mount forearm.

Eureka! First group was back to 2MOA, with several more just as good to follow. This was still using the red dot sight; the forearm didn't have a scope mounted on it at all. I then shot up the remaining 11 rounds I had of the Winchester hunting ammo, since I don't plan on hunting with this little oinker again. 5 shots into 1.25-inch, then 3 more into 7/8-inch, and the last 3 a nice even 1-inch.

In thinking it over last night, I am wondering if the scout mount forearm might be acting a bit like a barrel strut, like the ones that are often sold for Mini14's. It clamps rigidly to the barrel at front and rear. Maybe it is adding rigidity and improving accuracy?

Whatever it was, I'm not fooling with it any more. I had a cheap-ass rifle shooting way above its pay-grade; I should have smiled and said "thank you" and just enjoyed it. When I unexpectedly messed it up, I almost did the little Homer Simpson scream. No more changes! :)
Click to expand...

M14.ca states in the instruction manual for the scout hand guard that it could possible increase accuracy as it stiffens the barrel when clamped to it....Good to see there is some truth to that, been eyeing one up for quiet awhile now!
 
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