While in the Corps I carried and qualified Expert with the M14 during basic then again for the next three years. Your sights are calibrated for use with M80 Ball ammunition so use that exclusively if you want/need your sight adjustments to be accurate at differing ranges. Your forend support should be positioned just ahead of your magazine. You have it under the gas block where it is adversely affecting the barrel. FYI: the Marine Corps range for Battle Sights was 300 yards...yards, mind you. We zeroed our rifle to that distance and never touched the sights after that. Regardless of the enemy's range, we aimed for the "belt buckle". If he was very close to us or 300 yards away, that's where he got hit. Anywhere else in between the impact would occur anywhere from the beltline to 13" above, a kill shot guaranted.
Not bad considering that I qualified with both the M1 and M14 in my career. But zero windage is adjusted with the rear sight in the middle notch and the front sight is slide for windage. But that was starting in 1961. Vietnam 1967-1972: M14/M16A1 and then a great M21. Still shooting long range at 80! Stay safe out there, bad times coming!
You might have had better results with more consistent front rest placement. The front rest was all over and on the gas system. Go prone and use the sling and a sand bag for support. Also use a smaller bulls eye. At 25 yards a 2” aiming black would be a bit better if your using a center hold. Your windage should be adjusted with front sight drift. Now that you have your zero , time to calibrate that elevation drum.
This brings back memories. Fort Ord, days spent on the beach ranges. Running back and forth to the seaside ranges. I had some training on the Garand before basic but the training I received brought me up to hitting 600M man sized targets at about 90%.
Thanks for sharing. I was at SMR Virginia Beach a couple years ago, used to be called Camp Pendleton. They still had the target range facing the ocean, but it’s abandoned and not used anymore. I thought that would be interesting having a range shooting out towards the sea. Far as I know, the Navy and Marines is the only one that does that anymore on ships when they’re underway. Thanks for coming by!
Only thing you didn't cover was to loosen the flat head screw on your elevation knob and spin it back to your zero mark. This way your knob now corresponds to the correct shooting distance. These really were the best iron sight put on a battle rifle. Great video and beautiful rifle!!
Thanks for the well done teaching video. Great to see this video in particular because zeroing is some of what I've forgot. I qualified with m14 (1967). Now I have a Springfield scout squad (or squad scout whatever). Pretty much everything came back to me (which surprised me). But the eyes aren't what they used to be and I shake a bit. So I'm only good to 100y so far. Everyone recommends red dots etc. for the vision issue. But somehow that doesn't capture those good (and some bad) memories. So I'm sticking with the standard sights. Thank you. USMC 1967-71
Thanks for sharing. Even at my age at 38, my eyes weren’t what they were in basic training at 19, so I don’t completely feel it yet, but it is coming. Thanks for coming by!
I have an m1a loaded I really need to go out a shoot it. I cleaned it then put about 30 rounds through into function check it but haven't done any accuracy testing yet. I'm very much looking forward to spending some time behind it and some other rifles this summer
Thanks for the informative video. I downloaded FM 23-71 but it is easier sighting with your video. I have a M14 made by Rockola very similar to the one I had in 1966. The selector switch kit was purchased from Fulton Armory.
About what I remember from BCT 1963. Battlesight zero is not for target shooting or sniping. It is for combat conditions. It is so if you aim center mass you will hit the target in a vital area from zero yards to about 300 yards. Who has time for sight fiddling while under fire?
That’s correct. I basically read through the procedure in the field manual and thought it might be interesting to display on camera. The practicality of it for everyday shooters can be questioned and after I did this I had to readjust my sights for everyday shooting. Thanks for coming by!
When I was in the army we zeroed on what was called a Canadian Bulls Eye. The target was marked in small squares. The CBI was rectangular about four inches wide and maybe three inches tall and was black. Along the bottom row in the middle was one square left white. To zero from 25 meters the front sight seemed the exact with as the CBI with the white fit visible to make sure you were not taking too much of the black. A X inside a circle was about two inches above the aiming black. All bullets were adjusted to that circle for the ,M 14.
They have examples of those in the FM. I feel like this was a missed opportunity had I used those, then I would have included a small bit of authenticity. Thanks for coming by!
I used the M-14 to qualify at the Edson range 1972 ( Expert 220 ) USMC ....The M-14 is very expensive to make , that is why the Generals replaced it with the M-16 toy...! Semper Fi....!
@ Wildkat-1 - Regarding the replacement of the M-14, the story I have seen and read in history is that Defense Secretary McNamara had it in for the army ordnance establishment and decided to put the national armories out of business. He was an auto manufacturing executive at Ford, with time out for service in the army air force during WWII, so I don't know where the guy got the idea that he was smarter and more-astute than military men who'd spent their whole lives in the profession of arms, but that was him.... he was an arrogant SOB, a real piece of work. McNamara liked the AR15, which later became the M-16, and pulled the plug on the M-14, which was at the time (circa 1962-1963) being turned out by Springfield Armory in Mass., as well as Winchester, TRW and H&R in the private sector. Army special forces had used the new weapon in Vietnam and liked it, and the Air Force wanted the new rifle to replace their worn-out M-1/M-2 Carbines, as they'd never adopted the M-14. McNamara's real crime, if you will, is not that he favored a newer design in the AR15/M-16, but that he pulled the plug on production of the M-14 pretty much acting alone and on his own authority, without consulting the service chiefs or other parties. The trouble was that the M-16 was very new and had not been sorted out in terms of defects or manufacturing problems making the rifles, nor its ammo. By 1963, the M-14 was being produced in large numbers and the rifles were working well in the field and in training where they were being issued. There was no emergency or sense of urgency necessary for their replacement. However, McNamara and his whiz kids with their slide rules promptly ceased production, while development of the M-16 was still taking place. Which means the ordinary Marine or soldier was left hanging out to dry. Many men - as you undoubtedly know - trained stateside with M-14s or even M-1s, and didn't see their first M-16 until getting to Vietnam. Once there, they didn't have much time at all to familiarize themselves with the new weapons, let alone become anything like experts with them. Big Green (the Army) and the Corps sent men into combat with them anyway. With the predictable result that there were severe problems almost immediately, and you know the rest. Literally, there were GIs who died in combat with jammed M-16s in their hands or at their feet. The scandal made its way back home in letters from the men, and finally a Congressional hearing was convened, the so-called Ichord Hearings of 1967, in which the whole sordid story finally came out of how McNamara and his specialists had bungled the introduction of the new rifle badly, and then how the DOD/Pentagon and the brass tried to cover it up. The whole thing was a disgrace from top-to-bottom. Eventually, the armed forces sorted out the M-16, but not until long after the last men had returned from SE Asia. There are a lot of Vietnam combat veterans walking around today, old guys who hate the M-16 ... and considering what they've experienced, probably with good reason.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 You're right, about McNamara ....The military knew back in 1906 when they invented the 30-06 round-ball ammo, you can dig the enemy out from where they are hiding ...the 7.62x51 is the same projectile as the 30-06 ...that 5.56 won't dig anything ...I believe if you're going to ask someone to risk their life for the country's sake, you should equip your Warriers with the best battle weapon possible ...!
@@Wildkat-1 - Re: "I believe if you're going to ask someone to risk their life for the country's sake, you should equip your Warriers with the best battle weapon possible ...!" I couldn't agree more! It is to the eternal discredit and shame of our military establishment at the highest levels that when it comes time to fund that latest super-carrier or sub for the navy, or fancy new supersonic jet for the air force, that money never seems to be a problem.... even though those prices are measured in the billions of dollars. But when it comes time to arm, train and equip the humble foot-soldier, the infantryman, all of the sudden, the funding cupboard is bare! And when the brass and the bureaucrats finally get off the dime and do something, it is often precisely the wrong decision made for the wrong reasons.
There is a battle sight zero setting on the front and it should be set at that and left alone during zero. All adjustments for windage and elevation should be made from the rear sight. Once you start messing around with the front sight you will be all over the place and wasting ammo trying to zero.
3:12 Is an extremely and common misrepresented image of a bullet miraculously climbing upon exiting the muzzle.. It does NOT arc upward from the bore. It only falls.
I copied that directly from the field manual, I just drew it with a pen so that it was my own and not a picture of the page itself. Thanks for coming by!
When the Army conducts a zero range exercise they typically use what is called a “Canadian Bullseye” target. This looks like a rectangle with a cut out slot. There is usually an “X” above the rectangle and one below. The one above is used to zero an M14 or an M1 rifle. The one below is for an M16 series rifle. The difference owes to the difference in muzzle velocity between the 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds. This difference cause a marked difference in the trajectory of the rounds. The 5.56 has a much flatter trajectory than than the 7.62mm and is actually still rising as it passes through the 25meter point. We would normally fire three rounds and then go down range to check the shot group center. This was done until the center of the fired three rounds centered on the appropriate “X”. The M16 we used back in the 70s required a bullet to adjust the sights. The sights are adjusted in the direction you want the round to go. On the M16 the elevation adjustment was made on the front sight. There was an arrow with an “up” indicating the proper direction to move the round. The front sight actually went down to move the round “up”
There is not that much difference in trajectory between the 5.56 mm 55 grain round and the M80 7.62 mm round. The difference in impact points at 25 yards is mostly due to the difference in the height of the sight aperture over bore centerline between the AR-15 and the M-14. Yes, in both cases the projectile is rising at 25 yards (and at 100). I have never heard that sight called anything but a "Canadian Bull". There is no "eye" in it.
@@explorerx6984 A bullet follow the law of physics where its drop is calculated by the formula D=1/2g(t)sq where d is the drop g=32.2 ft/sec/sec t in this case would be the time it takes for the round to reach the target. You would really be surprised by the difference in drop due to the differences in muzzle velocity. I had an argument many years ago with a fellow officer who tried to say we could use the M16 sub caliber device to zero our M16. The subcaliber device used a .22 long round that had a muzzle velocity much slower than the 5.55mm. His argument was the 25 meter distance made the difference insignificant. I gave him the numbers and told him to put them in the formula. He finally believed me!
Using the wrong ammo though. Really should be firing 7.62 rounds. Says in my SA manual that the 7.62 primers are hard and mitigates the "slam fire phenomenon". Meaning a 308 round can go of when the bolt is closing due to the fact every time the bolt closes. The firing pin does leave a dimple on the primer. It's a small chance but if it slam fires. Your rifle will explode. I don't really want to hear any arguments. Just saying, that's what the manual says.
@@cornfromajar3222 not a problem brother. Just would hate to see you have what seems like a pretty major malfunction. Especially when it's easily avoided. Rock on and stay safe.
308 rounds have a chamber pressure of 60,000 psi while the 7.62 rounds are at 50,000 psi which is why you see different loads in the reloading data for the M1A. Recommendation is not to use 308 rounds because of the potential for damage. As for slam fires, reload if you can using Lake City or IMI brass since there is no difference between the two cases. Use a primer pocket reamer and you will eliminate the possibility of a round going off when it is not in battery. Throw away any commercial brass after firing them. You can reload the Lake City brass four times before discarding them. Look up the article "Reloading for the match M1A." Lot's of good info there.
@@clyderokke5409 right on, sounds like good info. From what I understand it's all about the 7.62 having a harder primer. I'm no expert just what I read in the book that came with my rifle.
900 Inches (25 yards) is what we used when I was in the Marines. They actually called the range the 900 inch range. It is important to know though that in the Marines, the sight picture we were taught was to place the blade of the sight below and just touching the 6 oclock point on the bullseye. If you put the blade at the center of the bull, you will hit the top edge of the bull at 200 yard.
Interesting. I fully accept that the marines as a whole take combat and weaponry more serious than the Army, (I.e. every marine is a rifleman first, whereas Army if you’re not an infantryman, cavalry, or special forces, then you’re not a rifleman). I really would like to see the army adopt more of a marine doctrine when it comes to marksmanship. Thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
That’s an excellent question. When I shot this video I based the procedure on what I read from the field manual (and I read this section a couple times over before I headed to the range) and I didn’t read anything about the front sight post. But I could have easily overlooked it. Thanks for coming by!
Hello! My name is Artem. I'm from Ukraine. Recently I got a gun permit and bought myself an M1A Springfield rifle. As I really like American weapons and in particular M1A. Today, I went to the shooting range with M1A for the first time. After the seventh magazine was fired, there was a problem. After the magazine runs out of cartridges, the bolt locks up. I pull the magazine out of the chamber and the bolt unintentionally comes off the delay. When I try to put the bolt on delay without the magazine in the chamber, the bolt does not lock in the rear position, but comes off the bolt lock button. There was also a case, after firing the last cartridge from the magazine, the bolt was in the delayed position. I took out an empty magazine. When the magazine was inserted into the chamber, the bolt unintentionally released from the delay and ejected the cartridge into the chamber. After shooting, I disassembled the rifle at home for cleaning. After cleaning, I reassembled the rifle and tried to put the bolt back on the bolt without the magazine in the chamber. Again, the bolt does not lock in the rear position. When I tried to put the bolt on delay, the bolt is released. In our country, such a rifle as M1A is rare and exclusive. There is practically no information on its operation and functioning. I decided to turn to you! Please tell me if you have encountered such nuances when using M1A. Is this problem like my rifle normal or is it really a malfunction of mechanisms? Thank you in advance for the answer!
Well Artem, I have heard of this problem very rarely. My first suggestion is to try a few different magazines just in case this may be the problem. It’s not uncommon to have a lot of issues due to a faulty magazine. My 2nd suggestion, if different magazines don’t solve the problem would be to replace the bolt stop. That’s the switch/lever that locks the bolt to the rear after you fire the final cartridge in a magazine. I’ve never replaced that piece myself and if it were in the USA, I would take it to a gunsmith for evaluation. I don’t know what the situation is like there however and if you can’t repair it you may have to choose between selling it for a different rifle or accepting the way it is. I wish I could be more helpful but I have to make some guesses since I haven’t actually seen the rifle in person. Best of luck, I hope you are able to fix it! Thanks for coming by!
@@cornfromajar3222Hello, I really appreciate your response! I took my rifle to a good gunsmith yesterday. He checked it out. And determined the problem. Because the bolt will not engage when the firing pin is installed and locked. It was found out that it presses the mechanisms of the rifle and therefore the bolt will not engage without magazine in the shaft. I contacted Springfield with this issue the same day as you did. But there was no response from Springfield. I will keep the rifle as I have come to terms with this problem over the past few days. It is very difficult to buy such a rifle in Ukraine, because for the last 5 years, only one gun company brought 5 such rifles, I managed to buy one. If you are interested, I will add a link to the RUclips video I posted for Sprinild. Thank you again for your reply! I wish you all the best! 1. ruclips.net/video/qpNa3FoAEnE/видео.htmlsi=VyllgQKhvsfvOBtH 2. ruclips.net/video/JHlxumEp6b4/видео.htmlsi=l7nGtdv9H6wb4Shn
That’s correct. I basically found this procedure in a field manual and thought I would share the process. The practicality in everyday use can be questioned though. Thanks for coming by!
2" above the center at 25 yards/meters equates to hitting the X at 250 yards/meters (because of the known "drop" ballistics of the 7.62x51/.308). This exercise is done so you can quickly go back and forth from the firing line to the target...and it is faster to only walk 25 yards/meters instead of walking back and forth from the 250 yard/meter line. This is an expedient way to give you a battle zero.
Check your norma lot nos. They had a recall, I had one come apart and hit my tv flat panel, and leave a mark. I was unloading a drum of it for the recall. No good deed...
It is stamped Rockola M14F. They are built by James river armory in North Carolina. I got this on a trade which involved four different guns to get this one rifle so it is going to stay with me long as I can. Hopefully my son will inherit one day. Thanks for coming by!
I’m confused, why would your POI at 25 be above the your POA? That would mean that at 100 yards POI would be way off target if your POA is center mass. I’m assuming that this is similar to zeroing an M16/M4.
I was just following and demonstrating an old army manual. The concept is that by doing it this way, your POI and POA would meet at 250 yards, which was apparently the standard pre-Vietnam. Thanks for coming by!
After doing the 12 clicks you suggest, where do I aim a laser bore sight on the target? 2 inches above the center of the target? or on the center of the target?
Official NRA Target, B-16, 25 Yard Slow Fire Pistol, Black Center a.co/d/aljqYiH They’re $20 for a pack of 100. They’re marked for pistols, but they’re simple and visible and not too distracting for videos. Thanks for coming by!
I had to laugh a little bit at your user name. But to your question, you should be shooting center mass, and the shots will land above it. Thanks for coming by!
Someone else asked me this in the comments, I would think that it would be similar. You could try it and see how it works. I followed the army manual which is designed for the full length barrel. Thanks for coming by!
Thanks for this video. But a question in after u sighted in for battle sight zero, did you adjust your elevation back down to zero? And add elevation as u shoot longer distances?? Instruction sheet with my socom 16 said to loosen elevation screw, move knob to zero and then retighen. I have not been successful in doing that. I mess up. Just wondering what u did after u sighted in.
I don’t keep mine battlesighted, I basically keep it zeroed for fifty yards. I just did this video for demonstration if anyone was trying to use the Army manual. My range is pretty lame so I usually only shoot one distance or re-zero if I shoot farther. Serious M1A shooters would really call me out on that, but I just don’t shoot often enough at different targets to mess around with it. I wish I could be more helpful I’m definitely not smart enough with the gun though. Thanks for coming by !
I like the fact that your video seems geared to every day Joe shooters not "serious shooters" as you said. I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the viewers looking up this video are more casual shooters (like me). Shooting safely but just for fun.
...close enough for gummint work...good minute of pie plate/minute of terrorist accuracy...you're not shooting for score st Camp Perry's 600 yard range...just trying to take Mustafa Ali off the board...
Bullets don't travel in an arc, the illustration is misleading. But I believe you're trying to explain bullet drop due to gravity, thus an elevated point of aim based on distance. Sorry this stuff drives me nuts.
No worries. You are correct. Although I can’t do an image in the comments here, the Field Manual has an illustration on page 51 of what I drew there. I’m assuming that is just a simple visual demonstration just for quick understanding for the reader. Thanks for coming by!
lmao. The 'customary' system of measurement, i.e. used by 7 billion ppl is metric. But we continue using the imperial system because we don't know WTF to prioritize. So we accept idiotic european social norms that have no practical value whatsoever but instead forsake units of measure that would make our lives super easy. smh
While in the Corps I carried and qualified Expert with the M14 during basic then again for the next three years. Your sights are calibrated for use with M80 Ball ammunition so use that exclusively if you want/need your sight adjustments to be accurate at differing ranges. Your forend support should be positioned just ahead of your magazine. You have it under the gas block where it is adversely affecting the barrel. FYI: the Marine Corps range for Battle Sights was 300 yards...yards, mind you. We zeroed our rifle to that distance and never touched the sights after that. Regardless of the enemy's range, we aimed for the "belt buckle". If he was very close to us or 300 yards away, that's where he got hit. Anywhere else in between the impact would occur anywhere from the beltline to 13" above, a kill shot guaranted.
Thanks for coming by!
If resting the rifle up by the gas block is bad then please explain why bipods attach on the gas block
Not bad considering that I qualified with both the M1 and M14 in my career. But zero windage is adjusted with the rear sight in the middle notch and the front sight is slide for windage. But that was starting in 1961. Vietnam 1967-1972: M14/M16A1 and then a great M21. Still shooting long range at 80! Stay safe out there, bad times coming!
Thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
Good for you at 80. Very encouraging. I have some vision problems w/o glasses. I'm only good to about 100y so far, but I'm loving it. USMC 67-71
That's what I was taught. Windage is done with the front sight and I'm 71
You might have had better results with more consistent front rest placement.
The front rest was all over and on the gas system.
Go prone and use the sling and a sand bag for support.
Also use a smaller bulls eye. At 25 yards a 2” aiming black would be a bit better if your using a center hold.
Your windage should be adjusted with front sight drift.
Now that you have your zero , time to calibrate that elevation drum.
This brings back memories. Fort Ord, days spent on the beach ranges. Running back and forth to the seaside ranges. I had some training on the Garand before basic but the training I received brought me up to hitting 600M man sized targets at about 90%.
Thanks for sharing. I was at SMR Virginia Beach a couple years ago, used to be called Camp Pendleton. They still had the target range facing the ocean, but it’s abandoned and not used anymore. I thought that would be interesting having a range shooting out towards the sea. Far as I know, the Navy and Marines is the only one that does that anymore on ships when they’re underway. Thanks for coming by!
Did you shop the Kmart in Marina and shoot at the Laguna Seca rifle range?
Shopped at Laguna Seca and shot at Kmart.
@@JeepsCafe
Only thing you didn't cover was to loosen the flat head screw on your elevation knob and spin it back to your zero mark. This way your knob now corresponds to the correct shooting distance. These really were the best iron sight put on a battle rifle. Great video and beautiful rifle!!
Thank you for coming by and thanks for reminding me!
So, adjust elevation as needed for zero. Then, loosen the knob and return to zero? Like a scope?
LRB owner here. Nice video! Thanks.
Thanks for coming by!
Very clear, concise and easy to listen/watch. Bravo Sir!
Thank you and thanks for coming by!
Thanks for the well done teaching video. Great to see this video in particular because zeroing is some of what I've forgot. I qualified with m14 (1967). Now I have a Springfield scout squad (or squad scout whatever). Pretty much everything came back to me (which surprised me). But the eyes aren't what they used to be and I shake a bit. So I'm only good to 100y so far. Everyone recommends red dots etc. for the vision issue. But somehow that doesn't capture those good (and some bad) memories. So I'm sticking with the standard sights. Thank you. USMC 1967-71
Thanks for sharing. Even at my age at 38, my eyes weren’t what they were in basic training at 19, so I don’t completely feel it yet, but it is coming. Thanks for coming by!
I have an m1a loaded I really need to go out a shoot it. I cleaned it then put about 30 rounds through into function check it but haven't done any accuracy testing yet. I'm very much looking forward to spending some time behind it and some other rifles this summer
Do it Hoss! Thanks for coming by!
The USMC used 15 up and MZ for 200 yards, that was good 1964 to 1974 and for my M1A now.
Thank you for sharing, and thank you for coming by!
So, 15 instead of 12? And what is MZ? Thx.
Thanks for the informative video. I downloaded FM 23-71 but it is easier sighting with your video. I have a M14 made by Rockola very similar to the one I had in 1966. The selector switch kit was purchased from Fulton Armory.
Thanks for watching and thanks for coming by!
Agree. Your video is best I've seen so far. Some videos are overly detailed and perfectionistic. Probably for competition shooters.
About what I remember from BCT 1963. Battlesight zero is not for target shooting or sniping. It is for combat conditions. It is so if you aim center mass you will hit the target in a vital area from zero yards to about 300 yards. Who has time for sight fiddling while under fire?
That’s correct. I basically read through the procedure in the field manual and thought it might be interesting to display on camera. The practicality of it for everyday shooters can be questioned and after I did this I had to readjust my sights for everyday shooting. Thanks for coming by!
When I was in the army we zeroed on what was called a Canadian Bulls Eye. The target was marked in small squares. The CBI was rectangular about four inches wide and maybe three inches tall and was black. Along the bottom row in the middle was one square left white. To zero from 25 meters the front sight seemed the exact with as the CBI with the white fit visible to make sure you were not taking too much of the black. A X inside a circle was about two inches above the aiming black. All bullets were adjusted to that circle for the ,M 14.
Not fit a white square!
They have examples of those in the FM. I feel like this was a missed opportunity had I used those, then I would have included a small bit of authenticity. Thanks for coming by!
I still remember my dope at the 200 was 12 MZ. That was PI in 1962
Thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
Good demo, 👍
Thanks for coming by!
I think initially you are to center your rear adjust your front left or right at 25yd to get left/right zero. Then tackle the rear.
Thanks for coming by!
I dig it. well done
Thanks for coming by!
I used the M-14 to qualify at the Edson range 1972 ( Expert 220 ) USMC ....The M-14 is very expensive to make , that is why the Generals replaced it with the M-16 toy...! Semper Fi....!
what a boot
Thanks for sharing! And thanks for coming by!!
@ Wildkat-1 - Regarding the replacement of the M-14, the story I have seen and read in history is that Defense Secretary McNamara had it in for the army ordnance establishment and decided to put the national armories out of business. He was an auto manufacturing executive at Ford, with time out for service in the army air force during WWII, so I don't know where the guy got the idea that he was smarter and more-astute than military men who'd spent their whole lives in the profession of arms, but that was him.... he was an arrogant SOB, a real piece of work.
McNamara liked the AR15, which later became the M-16, and pulled the plug on the M-14, which was at the time (circa 1962-1963) being turned out by Springfield Armory in Mass., as well as Winchester, TRW and H&R in the private sector. Army special forces had used the new weapon in Vietnam and liked it, and the Air Force wanted the new rifle to replace their worn-out M-1/M-2 Carbines, as they'd never adopted the M-14.
McNamara's real crime, if you will, is not that he favored a newer design in the AR15/M-16, but that he pulled the plug on production of the M-14 pretty much acting alone and on his own authority, without consulting the service chiefs or other parties. The trouble was that the M-16 was very new and had not been sorted out in terms of defects or manufacturing problems making the rifles, nor its ammo.
By 1963, the M-14 was being produced in large numbers and the rifles were working well in the field and in training where they were being issued. There was no emergency or sense of urgency necessary for their replacement. However, McNamara and his whiz kids with their slide rules promptly ceased production, while development of the M-16 was still taking place. Which means the ordinary Marine or soldier was left hanging out to dry. Many men - as you undoubtedly know - trained stateside with M-14s or even M-1s, and didn't see their first M-16 until getting to Vietnam. Once there, they didn't have much time at all to familiarize themselves with the new weapons, let alone become anything like experts with them. Big Green (the Army) and the Corps sent men into combat with them anyway. With the predictable result that there were severe problems almost immediately, and you know the rest. Literally, there were GIs who died in combat with jammed M-16s in their hands or at their feet.
The scandal made its way back home in letters from the men, and finally a Congressional hearing was convened, the so-called Ichord Hearings of 1967, in which the whole sordid story finally came out of how McNamara and his specialists had bungled the introduction of the new rifle badly, and then how the DOD/Pentagon and the brass tried to cover it up. The whole thing was a disgrace from top-to-bottom. Eventually, the armed forces sorted out the M-16, but not until long after the last men had returned from SE Asia. There are a lot of Vietnam combat veterans walking around today, old guys who hate the M-16 ... and considering what they've experienced, probably with good reason.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 You're right, about McNamara ....The military knew back in 1906 when they invented the 30-06 round-ball ammo, you can dig the enemy out from where they are hiding ...the 7.62x51 is the same projectile as the 30-06 ...that 5.56 won't dig anything ...I believe if you're going to ask someone to risk their life for the country's sake, you should equip your Warriers with the best battle weapon possible ...!
@@Wildkat-1 - Re: "I believe if you're going to ask someone to risk their life for the country's sake, you should equip your Warriers with the best battle weapon possible ...!"
I couldn't agree more! It is to the eternal discredit and shame of our military establishment at the highest levels that when it comes time to fund that latest super-carrier or sub for the navy, or fancy new supersonic jet for the air force, that money never seems to be a problem.... even though those prices are measured in the billions of dollars. But when it comes time to arm, train and equip the humble foot-soldier, the infantryman, all of the sudden, the funding cupboard is bare! And when the brass and the bureaucrats finally get off the dime and do something, it is often precisely the wrong decision made for the wrong reasons.
The front sight is moveable left and right to get your rifle zero. The rear sight right knob is for wind, not for zero.
Thanks for sharing and helping out! I just went by the field manual and in that section it didn’t mention the front sight post. Thanks for coming by!
There is a battle sight zero setting on the front and it should be set at that and left alone during zero. All adjustments for windage and elevation should be made from the rear sight. Once you start messing around with the front sight you will be all over the place and wasting ammo trying to zero.
3:12 Is an extremely and common misrepresented image of a bullet miraculously climbing upon exiting the muzzle.. It does NOT arc upward from the bore. It only falls.
I copied that directly from the field manual, I just drew it with a pen so that it was my own and not a picture of the page itself. Thanks for coming by!
Thank you for the help 🇺🇸
Well I hope to at least give an insight, glad I could help. Best advice I can give is to read the FM. Thank you for coming by!
When the Army conducts a zero range exercise they typically use what is called a “Canadian Bullseye” target. This looks like a rectangle with a cut out slot. There is usually an “X” above the rectangle and one below. The one above is used to zero an M14 or an M1 rifle. The one below is for an M16 series rifle. The difference owes to the difference in muzzle velocity between the 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds. This difference cause a marked difference in the trajectory of the rounds. The 5.56 has a much flatter trajectory than than the 7.62mm and is actually still rising as it passes through the 25meter point. We would normally fire three rounds and then go down range to check the shot group center. This was done until the center of the fired three rounds centered on the appropriate “X”. The M16 we used back in the 70s required a bullet to adjust the sights. The sights are adjusted in the direction you want the round to go. On the M16 the elevation adjustment was made on the front sight. There was an arrow with an “up” indicating the proper direction to move the round. The front sight actually went down to move the round “up”
Excellent breakdown and thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate you coming by!
There is not that much difference in trajectory between the 5.56 mm 55 grain round and the M80 7.62 mm round. The difference in impact points at 25 yards is mostly due to the difference in the height of the sight aperture over bore centerline between the AR-15 and the M-14. Yes, in both cases the projectile is rising at 25 yards (and at 100). I have never heard that sight called anything but a "Canadian Bull". There is no "eye" in it.
@@explorerx6984 A bullet follow the law of physics where its drop is calculated by the formula D=1/2g(t)sq where d is the drop g=32.2 ft/sec/sec t in this case would be the time it takes for the round to reach the target. You would really be surprised by the difference in drop due to the differences in muzzle velocity. I had an argument many years ago with a fellow officer who tried to say we could use the M16 sub caliber device to zero our M16. The subcaliber device used a .22 long round that had a muzzle velocity much slower than the 5.55mm. His argument was the 25 meter distance made the difference insignificant. I gave him the numbers and told him to put them in the formula. He finally believed me!
The bullet does not rise, as soon as it leaves the muzzle gravity begins pulling it to the earth, I think what you mean is trajectory.
Using the wrong ammo though. Really should be firing 7.62 rounds. Says in my SA manual that the 7.62 primers are hard and mitigates the "slam fire phenomenon". Meaning a 308 round can go of when the bolt is closing due to the fact every time the bolt closes. The firing pin does leave a dimple on the primer. It's a small chance but if it slam fires. Your rifle will explode. I don't really want to hear any arguments. Just saying, that's what the manual says.
Well I did a trade to get this rifle and didn’t get a manual with it- thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
@@cornfromajar3222 not a problem brother. Just would hate to see you have what seems like a pretty major malfunction. Especially when it's easily avoided. Rock on and stay safe.
308 rounds have a chamber pressure of 60,000 psi while the 7.62 rounds are at 50,000 psi which is why you see different loads in the reloading data for the M1A. Recommendation is not to use 308 rounds because of the potential for damage. As for slam fires, reload if you can using Lake City or IMI brass since there is no difference between the two cases. Use a primer pocket reamer and you will eliminate the possibility of a round going off when it is not in battery. Throw away any commercial brass after firing them. You can reload the Lake City brass four times before discarding them. Look up the article "Reloading for the match M1A." Lot's of good info there.
@@clyderokke5409 right on, sounds like good info. From what I understand it's all about the 7.62 having a harder primer. I'm no expert just what I read in the book that came with my rifle.
900 Inches (25 yards) is what we used when I was in the Marines. They actually called the range the 900 inch range. It is important to know though that in the Marines, the sight picture we were taught was to place the blade of the sight below and just touching the 6 oclock point on the bullseye. If you put the blade at the center of the bull, you will hit the top edge of the bull at 200 yard.
Interesting. I fully accept that the marines as a whole take combat and weaponry more serious than the Army, (I.e. every marine is a rifleman first, whereas Army if you’re not an infantryman, cavalry, or special forces, then you’re not a rifleman). I really would like to see the army adopt more of a marine doctrine when it comes to marksmanship. Thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
How come when you set that rifle for a battle zero you used the dial on the windage instead of adjusting the front sight blade?
That’s an excellent question. When I shot this video I based the procedure on what I read from the field manual (and I read this section a couple times over before I headed to the range) and I didn’t read anything about the front sight post. But I could have easily overlooked it. Thanks for coming by!
Explain more, please. And is there something in a manual about the front sight? I'm getting ready to deal with this and am kind of a newbie.
@@teller1290 The manual tells you to initially adjust the front sight to zero the windage.
Hello! My name is Artem. I'm from Ukraine. Recently I got a gun permit and bought myself an M1A Springfield rifle. As I really like American weapons and in particular M1A. Today, I went to the shooting range with M1A for the first time. After the seventh magazine was fired, there was a problem. After the magazine runs out of cartridges, the bolt locks up. I pull the magazine out of the chamber and the bolt unintentionally comes off the delay. When I try to put the bolt on delay without the magazine in the chamber, the bolt does not lock in the rear position, but comes off the bolt lock button. There was also a case, after firing the last cartridge from the magazine, the bolt was in the delayed position. I took out an empty magazine. When the magazine was inserted into the chamber, the bolt unintentionally released from the delay and ejected the cartridge into the chamber. After shooting, I disassembled the rifle at home for cleaning. After cleaning, I reassembled the rifle and tried to put the bolt back on the bolt without the magazine in the chamber. Again, the bolt does not lock in the rear position. When I tried to put the bolt on delay, the bolt is released. In our country, such a rifle as M1A is rare and exclusive. There is practically no information on its operation and functioning. I decided to turn to you! Please tell me if you have encountered such nuances when using M1A. Is this problem like my rifle normal or is it really a malfunction of mechanisms? Thank you in advance for the answer!
Well Artem, I have heard of this problem very rarely. My first suggestion is to try a few different magazines just in case this may be the problem. It’s not uncommon to have a lot of issues due to a faulty magazine.
My 2nd suggestion, if different magazines don’t solve the problem would be to replace the bolt stop. That’s the switch/lever that locks the bolt to the rear after you fire the final cartridge in a magazine. I’ve never replaced that piece myself and if it were in the USA, I would take it to a gunsmith for evaluation. I don’t know what the situation is like there however and if you can’t repair it you may have to choose between selling it for a different rifle or accepting the way it is. I wish I could be more helpful but I have to make some guesses since I haven’t actually seen the rifle in person. Best of luck, I hope you are able to fix it! Thanks for coming by!
@@cornfromajar3222Hello, I really appreciate your response! I took my rifle to a good gunsmith yesterday. He checked it out. And determined the problem. Because the bolt will not engage when the firing pin is installed and locked. It was found out that it presses the mechanisms of the rifle and therefore the bolt will not engage without magazine in the shaft. I contacted Springfield with this issue the same day as you did. But there was no response from Springfield. I will keep the rifle as I have come to terms with this problem over the past few days. It is very difficult to buy such a rifle in Ukraine, because for the last 5 years, only one gun company brought 5 such rifles, I managed to buy one. If you are interested, I will add a link to the RUclips video I posted for Sprinild. Thank you again for your reply! I wish you all the best! 1. ruclips.net/video/qpNa3FoAEnE/видео.htmlsi=VyllgQKhvsfvOBtH 2. ruclips.net/video/JHlxumEp6b4/видео.htmlsi=l7nGtdv9H6wb4Shn
great video! thanks :D
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Very good info thx
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Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome and thanks for coming by!
The best rifle sniper navy seal
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If you shoot only 1" above the bullseye at 25 yards would the point of aim point of impact (or point blank range) be 125 yards?
The math would say yes although I haven’t tried it at the range. Thanks for coming by!
So if I understand it correctly, I AIM at the center of the bullseye, but my round will hit ~ 2” high, is this correct?
That’s correct. I basically found this procedure in a field manual and thought I would share the process. The practicality in everyday use can be questioned though. Thanks for coming by!
Thank you for your help
So why have your group 2" above the center? Why not have it on the X? What am I missing?
2" above the center at 25 yards/meters equates to hitting the X at 250 yards/meters (because of the known "drop" ballistics of the 7.62x51/.308). This exercise is done so you can quickly go back and forth from the firing line to the target...and it is faster to only walk 25 yards/meters instead of walking back and forth from the 250 yard/meter line. This is an expedient way to give you a battle zero.
@@michaelj.acosta6810 Oh ok, thank you for that. 👍
Sorry I didn’t get back sooner. Michael Acosta hit the nail on the head. I don’t think I could have said it better. Thanks for coming by!
@@cornfromajar3222 Thats ok, as long as I got the answer I needed. 👍
Check your norma lot nos. They had a recall, I had one come apart and hit my tv flat panel, and leave a mark. I was unloading a drum of it for the recall. No good deed...
Thanks for the heads up and thanks for coming by!
What brand of M1A is this? It's a beauty!
It is stamped Rockola M14F. They are built by James river armory in North Carolina. I got this on a trade which involved four different guns to get this one rifle so it is going to stay with me long as I can. Hopefully my son will inherit one day. Thanks for coming by!
I’m confused, why would your POI at 25 be above the your POA? That would mean that at 100 yards POI would be way off target if your POA is center mass. I’m assuming that this is similar to zeroing an M16/M4.
I was just following and demonstrating an old army manual. The concept is that by doing it this way, your POI and POA would meet at 250 yards, which was apparently the standard pre-Vietnam. Thanks for coming by!
After doing the 12 clicks you suggest, where do I aim a laser bore sight on the target?
2 inches above the center of the target? or on the center of the target?
I haven’t used a laser bore cider, but presumably, the razor should land where the bullet would right above the target. Thanks for coming by!
Thanks for the video. Question, where can we find the targets you use?
Official NRA Target, B-16, 25 Yard Slow Fire Pistol, Black Center a.co/d/aljqYiH
They’re $20 for a pack of 100. They’re marked for pistols, but they’re simple and visible and not too distracting for videos. Thanks for coming by!
Seen people mess with the set screw for elevation...
They have, I did this based off the Army Regulation and it didn’t mention it, so I didn’t include it. Thanks for coming by!
So which one do you aim for? The center on the paper or where it should be hitting
I had to laugh a little bit at your user name.
But to your question, you should be shooting center mass, and the shots will land above it. Thanks for coming by!
So can this same technique be used for a Socom 16?
Someone else asked me this in the comments, I would think that it would be similar. You could try it and see how it works. I followed the army manual which is designed for the full length barrel. Thanks for coming by!
I think your pretty close We started at the 900” range first 1970 USMC vn
Thank you and thanks for coming by!
Thanks for this video. But a question in after u sighted in for battle sight zero, did you adjust your elevation back down to zero? And add elevation as u shoot longer distances?? Instruction sheet with my socom 16 said to loosen elevation screw, move knob to zero and then retighen. I have not been successful in doing that. I mess up. Just wondering what u did after u sighted in.
I don’t keep mine battlesighted, I basically keep it zeroed for fifty yards. I just did this video for demonstration if anyone was trying to use the Army manual. My range is pretty lame so I usually only shoot one distance or re-zero if I shoot farther. Serious M1A shooters would really call me out on that, but I just don’t shoot often enough at different targets to mess around with it. I wish I could be more helpful I’m definitely not smart enough with the gun though. Thanks for coming by !
I like the fact that your video seems geared to every day Joe shooters not "serious shooters" as you said. I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the viewers looking up this video are more casual shooters (like me). Shooting safely but just for fun.
I shot expert on the m16…but I’m not on the ground
Thanks for sharing and thanks for coming by!
The 25yr range at my Rod and Gun Club prohibits the firing of and high caliber rifles there.....go figure.
Although my range doesn’t prohibit that, there are plenty of rules that I’ve heard other members grumbling about. Thanks for coming by!
...close enough for gummint work...good minute of pie plate/minute of terrorist accuracy...you're not shooting for score st Camp Perry's 600 yard range...just trying to take Mustafa Ali off the board...
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to much of a hurry= go do what you got to do.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks for coming by!
Bullets don't travel in an arc, the illustration is misleading. But I believe you're trying to explain bullet drop due to gravity, thus an elevated point of aim based on distance. Sorry this stuff drives me nuts.
No worries. You are correct. Although I can’t do an image in the comments here, the Field Manual has an illustration on page 51 of what I drew there. I’m assuming that is just a simple visual demonstration just for quick understanding for the reader. Thanks for coming by!
Bullets do travel in an arc if you aim high.
lmao. The 'customary' system of measurement, i.e. used by 7 billion ppl is metric. But we continue using the imperial system because we don't know WTF to prioritize. So we accept idiotic european social norms that have no practical value whatsoever but instead forsake units of measure that would make our lives super easy. smh
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