Springfield or LRB M14?

I have a mid 1990's Springfield NM that has been a very accurate and reliable rifle for me. Perhaps Springfield isnt the company it was?
I've only owned/shot Norincos up to about 2000, and while they worked--accuracy sucked, barrel indexing and other details was always an issue. If one had the knowledge and liked tinkering around this isnt a big deal. Still, if the barrel is obviously crooked, what other problems may be lurking underneath? As a consumer, I avoid obvious problems.

LRB's are well regarded, but I have no personal experience with them.
The guy (who implied he was the owner) at Smith Enterprises lost me as a customer when he wouldnt sell rings to me "because you guys in Canada passed bad gun laws" (as if I had something to do with it). rolleyes...
 
zupermann said:
I have a mid 1990's Springfield NM that has been a very accurate and reliable rifle for me. Perhaps Springfield isnt the company it was?
I've only owned/shot Norincos up to about 2000, and while they worked--accuracy sucked, barrel indexing and other details was always an issue. If one had the knowledge and liked tinkering around this isnt a big deal. Still, if the barrel is obviously crooked, what other problems may be lurking underneath? As a consumer, I avoid obvious problems.

LRB's are well regarded, but I have no personal experience with them.
The guy (who implied he was the owner) at Smith Enterprises lost me as a customer when he wouldnt sell rings to me "because you guys in Canada passed bad gun laws" (as if I had something to do with it). rolleyes...
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What sort of accuracy are we talking here from the norinco? Like 2MOA?
 
Between an SAI and LRB, no contest, LRB all the way.

Now, speaking from personal experience, I prefer my JRA M21 DMR to an LRB M25. The mount is different but to my taste the JRA feels more rugged of the two. Std NM barrel on the M21 vs. heavy NM on the M25 IIRC. JRA also has the older style side config. if mounting any M14 hardware is needed.
 
As asked money was no object so buy the LRB. I still enjoy the M14 platform more than any other on a range day but I knew that before I purchased one. So for me it was money well spent.
 
Younka said:
LRB for sure
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U bet. However by reading reviews on them, don't expect more than 1.5MOA on these fine rifles. Bear in mind the price.

Too bad Dycor Services with P&D Enterprises stopped doing their Polytech M14's Socom Match rifle built a few years back. (came minus a match barrel but rather a chopped to 18.5"). Those shot well for the $$
 
gord1986 said:
What sort of upgrades would you recommend for a norinco m305 to make it 'well tuned'
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my advice.... when M14medic.ca spends time to give his 2 cents, all you noobs should take the advice and act on it.
Notsorichguy/m14medic.ca is carrying on the torch for all you guys, send him your rifles, keep him busy and in the game for years. AND don't bust his ballz if he gets behind LOL
I'm not really here to give advice anymore unless I happen to pop in and read something that is just plain wrong hehehe

There are a great many gunuts who have come and gone from the battle rifle forum who's tuned up m305 rifles are very accurate. One of the more recent range reports I've seen has been Rugby Dave's rifle and it's just one of many. So many guys try and do the work required to make a norinco really reliably accurate and they fail. If you "really" like the platform, send it to a smith specializing in the m14 and get the simple work done for the few hundred bucks it will cost. The difference will probably amaze most folks.
anyhow, the topic is a dead horse for me, I know the truth, barney knows the truth and so do a great many other m14 nuts who have had loads of fun hunting, competing and just plain old shooting these rifles for the past couple decades now.
 
This is the Springfield deal breaker for me.

Apparently the trigger assembly in the Springfield M1a is not to GI dimensions and therefore parts are not GI interchangeable.
As I understand it you can only replace Springfield trigger parts with Springfield parts.

I have both an LRB and Nork and there's no happy ending.

The LRB is ridiculously expensive and the Nork is a first class piece of cr@p. (regardless of it's fan base)

Before I'd buy a Springfield (or another LRB for that matter) I'd strip the Nork to the receiver and build it up from there with GI components. In the end you'd actually have the same forged receiver value of the LRB and literally identical performance.

For a real nice job of it... You could get the Nork receiver annealed, hand worked/polished, re-hardened and parkerized or blued by Vulcan gun room in Southern Ontario. He does real nice work on such things.

In the end you'd still be cheaper than the LRB.

The only real downside to the Nork receiver is that you cannot take it to the USA if you might be a cross border competitor or hunter.
 
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BadAsMo said:
This is the deal breaker for me.

Apparently the trigger assembly in the Springfield M1a is not to GI dimensions and therefore parts are not GI interchangeable.
As I understand it you can only replace Springfield trigger parts with Springfield parts.
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i'd LOVE to hear barney or tom respond to THAT one- I think somebody's trying to sell you springfield parts at a SUBSTANTIAL MARKUP- IE U PAY FOR THE NAME SPRINGFIELD on the package-that's easily remedied by buying a usgi trigger group- the ONLY critical relationship on these rifles is the bolt/headspace- everything else can be swapped willy- nilly- as for the rings, you can get those anywhere as well
 
I have a Springfield NM m1a, and really love the rifle.its 1.5 MOA capable if I do my part. Gonna start waking up a load f R it and then take part in the challenge on here. If money was no object, I would have an LRB. That said I picked up my NM for 1600 bucks to my door, so couldn't and wouldn't refuse that deal.

In time, maybe I can buy an LRB, but I will enjoy shooting my springer in the meantime. Before I got the springer I loved shooting my tweaked shorty Norc, cause that's all I had. Either way get into the game and enjoy the fun and history of this awesome platform
 
BadAsMo said:
This is the Springfield deal breaker for me.

Apparently the trigger assembly in the Springfield M1a is not to GI dimensions and therefore parts are not GI interchangeable.
As I understand it you can only replace Springfield trigger parts with Springfield parts.

I have both an LRB and Nork and there's no happy ending.

The LRB is ridiculously expensive and the Nork is a first class piece of cr@p. (regardless of it's fan base)

Before I'd buy a Springfield (or another LRB for that matter) I'd strip the Nork to the receiver and build it up from there with GI components. In the end you'd actually have the same forged receiver value of the LRB and literally identical performance.

For a real nice job of it... You could get the Nork receiver annealed, hand worked/polished, re-hardened and parkerized or blued by Vulcan gun room in Southern Ontario. He does real nice work on such things.

In the end you'd still be cheaper than the LRB.

The only real downside to the Nork receiver is that you cannot take it to the USA if you might be a cross border competitor or hunter.
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I have swapped GI parts into a SAI trigger housing so I'm not sure this is correct. If you want to spend a bunch of money on a Norinco build you'd better plan on keeping it. You will never recover your cost. Not even close. I'ts like restoring a 4 door Nova with a six. Costs as much as an SS396 to do but nobody gives a ####.

I have owned 3 SAI with few problems. I still have the Super Match from 1988 with all GI parts where they could be used. I have a JRA and LRB. If I kept one it would be the JRA. I have owned both TRW and Winchester M14 rifles. The JRA seems closest to original for me and I got it for $2200. Good rifles are not cheap and 1 MOA M14's are few and far between. If you have the money and really like the platform spend it and get a keeper. Who knows just how long they will be available here with dip#### in office.
 
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