Experienced shooters, veterans, and hunters often want a hard-hitting 308 Winchester rifle, which ranges far and offers excellent downrange performance.
Also, 308 Winchester ammunition is plentiful and inexpensive, so you can afford to practice with the rifles.
With this in mind, Gun Tests Contributing Editor Robert Campbell and his South Carolina shooters tested Springfield Armory rifles in the popular M1A configuration.
One is the SOCOM version with a 16-inch barrel, and the other the Scout Squad with an 18-inch barrel. These are fast-handling rifles that outperform ARs or AKs at longer ranges.
Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16
AA9626 7.62 NATO/308 Win., $1799
Springfield Armory M1A Scout Squad
FDE AA9120 7.62 NATO/308 Win., $1455
But they are pricey, so we looked around for a similar rifle that wouldn’t break the bank. We located a used Tanker Garand, a short-barrel version of the M1 Garand that had been outfitted with an 18-inch barrel by Federal Ordnance. It is a 30-06 Garand that uses en bloc clips to reload.
Federal Ordnance M1 Garand
Tanker Garand 30-06 Springfield, $775
Black Hills Match loads gave good results, shooting best-of-test groups in the Scout.
We used Winchester white box FMJ loads primarily in the combat firing test.
Hornady ammunition gave good results in the M1A rifles. We didn’t see a lot of velocity differences.
For pure fun, the wood-stocked Tanker Garand, top, is a neat rifle. For area defense, we prefer the black-stocked Springfield SOCOM rifle.
The Springfield Scout Squad comes to the shoulder quickly and moves quickly to cover targets. Unfortunately, the FDE color is no longer offered. But you may still be able to find this model at retail.
We also ran the Scout with an Eotech red dot—perhaps not the best choice for this rifle. When using the Eotech sight, we had to use a jaw weld instead of a cheek weld because the sight sat so high on the top of the rifle.
The Springfield M1A Scout Squad is also available with a wood stock.
The Springfield Scout Squad and Leatherwood Hilux Scout Scope provided a good experience.
Note the well-designed forward mounting surface under the scope on the Scout’s stock.
The Scout Scope on the Scout Squad knocked down its share of plates.
With the short 10-round magazine, the SOCOM rifle handles well. We also like the all-black businesslike stock.
The M1A front sight is easily adjusted. We like the tritium slash on the front sight of the SOCOM rifle.
Adjusting the rear sight is a simple matter of turning large, easy-to-use knobs.
The M1A is simple to disassemble and maintain.
This used Federal Ordnance M1 Tanker Garand in 30-06 Springfield costs half as much as the 308 Winchester rifles.
Short, light, powerful, and handy to use, the Tanker is an interesting piece. It is similar in operation to the M1A1, save for the magazine system.
The Tanker’s rear aperture is a bit tight for fast shooting.
Each rifle featured a practically identical trigger-guard-mounted safety. Push the tab in the middle forward to Fire.
The Garand is easily disassembled beginning with unlatching the trigger guard.
Here’s the en bloc assembly for the Federal rifle. It holds eight rounds.
To load the 30-06 rounds into Tanker Garand, push the clip and rounds down into the top of the action. To avoid getting your thumb busted by the closing action, control the bolt handle with your palm.
So what did our shooters think of these guns?
The Scout Squad is a reliable, hard-hitting rifle. We like the handling and trigger action as well as the reliability. We experimented more with this rifle than any other tested. This was a Grade A rifle.
The SOCOM is short, powerful, and accurate enough for most any chore. The rifle proved reliable with a variety of ammunition. The choice between this rifle and the Scout Squad is difficult, but in the end, the slightly shorter SOCOM is our choice. We gave it an A grade, and it was Our Pick.
The used Tanker Garand was a great deal of fun to fire. It is accurate enough for hunting to moderate range, and considering its reliability, it could be a life saver. The magazine capacity, ammunition reserve, and handling of the M1A rated better among the testers, however. We thought the Tanker earned a B grade.
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