Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16 .308 Winchester
Model: AA9626
Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16 .308 Winchester
Model: AA9626
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16 is a short-barreled semi-automatic .308 Winchester built for close-range work. It has an MSRP of $2,129. Springfield designed it in 2004 around a custom 16.25-inch carbon steel barrel with a small proprietary muzzle brake, which keeps a .30-caliber service action down to carbine length.
It arrives sighted, with an XS tritium front post and a ghost ring rear adjustable for windage and elevation, which Springfield points to for moving the rifle fast in dim light. A forward scout-style Picatinny rail takes a CQB optic ahead of the action. One 10-round magazine and a heavy-duty rifle bag come with it.
If you’re cross-shopping, the Springfield Armory M1A Standard has an MSRP of $1,914 and is the full-length version, 0.69 lbs heavier on a 22-inch barrel with National Match sights. The IWI Galil ACE Gen II has an MSRP of $2,179 at 8.38 lbs, with a side-folding stock and a full-length top rail in place of a scout mount. The SOCOM keeps the M14 action inside 37.25 inches, which neither of the others does.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The ghost ring adjusts for both windage and elevation, so the sights can be zeroed to a particular load.
- The stock is black composite, which takes weather without the care a walnut stock wants.
- The brake is fitted as the rifle is sold, so nothing has to be added to tame a .30-caliber carbine.
- Fitting a suppressor mount means measuring the thread under the brake first.
- A 16.25-inch barrel gives up velocity in .308 next to the 22-inch M1A Standard.
- The rail sits ahead of the action, so a conventional scope over the receiver is not something Springfield provides for.
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.308 Winchester Ballistics →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the twist rate?
1:11, the same as the full-length M1A.
What magazines does it take?
It ships with a 10-round magazine, and Springfield lists a 20-round M1A magazine in 7.62x51mm NATO as an accessory.
Is the trigger the same as the full-length M1A’s?
Both are two-stage. Springfield describes the SOCOM 16’s as a National Match trigger.
