Socom or standard M1A?

[jcountry]

Anyone tried a SOCOM M1A?

I like the feel of a scout. My understanding is that a SOCOM is pretty much a scout with rails......

What insights do y'all have on the various models? I like the looks of a shorter M1A, but I am a bit confused about ballistics. Does that shorter barrel really mess up longer range accuracy noticeably? An M1A is on my list, but I am undecided on what kind would be best.

I am pretty familiar with the standard. But have never even fired a SOCOM. What's everyone think of that one?

 

[jrr888]

I like the scout.

 

[fuelman1]

That is a gun that is on my list. I have fired the standard M1A but not the Scout or Socom. I've handled all 3. Standard has 22" barrel, scout has 18", and Socom has 16". I will end up getting the Scout. It's a nice in between. I don't know specifics but 6"difference in barrel length will have a large impact on velocity. Even the 2" difference in barrel length will make a difference. The Scout feels better balanced to me.

 

[rasputin8]

The SOCOM II's rail is heavy and pushes the entire package to 10.5 lbs. In comparison, the SOCOM 16 is 8.9 lbs without the rail. As for accuracy, the shorter barrels may be more accurate because of less flex but you are going to see a drop in velocity.

 

[Chuckdog]

I've had all 3 versions. The Standard M1A is classic, period! The SOCOM is just not for me. I don't care for the looks or feel of it at all. If you ever fire one without hearing protection, you won't be happy either! The Scout was however my favorite. The feel is perfect, and the accuracy is outstanding. They captured much of the good of the rifle and put it in a shorter more manageable package. The Scout type forward optics mount is a great addition, but I loved mine without optics.

 

[ngcsugrad09]

The Scout is perhaps the best all around M1A made. The SOCOM II is a short gun, but it comes at the expense of a nonstandard gas system amongst other minor changes. These changes make the gun a little more picky and they just don't operate as smooth as the full size brethren. EVERY SOCOM I've ever played with had serious accuracy issues once you shot a mag through the gun (provided it didn't cool for a while afterwards). The shift in POI was excessive.

The Scout on the other hand is simply a regular M1a with a shorter barrel. You're only adding two inches to the SOCOM, but retain the ease of getting parts and a much nicer shooting gun.

 

[jcountry]

I think the scout might be for me!

I really like the fwd mounted scope, and I doubt I would use any rails anyhow.

Thanks for all your insights!

 

[83rdrecon]

Scout is a nice comprimise.