Shooters who find the standard M1A too long for the brush were the target when Springfield Armory built the Scout Squad. The idea was a handier rifle on the same action. This one is new, chambered in .308 Winchester, with the blue and black finish named on the listing.

The M1A is the civilian semi-automatic version of the M14 the Army issued in the years after the Garand. It keeps the two-stage trigger and the aperture rear sight that service rifle competitors know well. Ammunition choice matters more than most buyers expect, so try two or three loads and keep the one that groups best. Photos tell most of the story on a rifle like this, so look closely at the wood, the bluing and the markings before you decide.

As a field gun, a short semi-auto .308 has a clear role. It handles quickly in thick timber and still has the power for deer and hogs at the kind of range most people shoot. As a range gun, it is a pleasant way to shoot a historic pattern without paying for a surplus piece.

It ships to a licensed dealer you choose, and the background check is completed at that counter.