Originally Posted by
Motel Bravo
Alright, first off, Investment castign is NOT the same as just mold casting where the metal is basically tin and lead like "Hot wheels" car.
People blow the whole Investment cast Vs. Forged thing way out of proportion. A springfield Investment cast reciever will outlast several barrels and the owner of the rifle, Lee Emerson wrote a book where they tested a Springfield Reciever with Cases packed with pistol powder and it still took twelve rounds of that way over pressure dangerous crap to even make the reciever start to fail.
Thats said, I haven't inspected one, but i suspect the SOCOM M1A has a larger gas port due to less barrel in front of the gas cylinder, this would cause a much more violent recoil impulse that would be be beating the hell out of the everythign behind the operating rod and bolt, and in the M1A the hammer is impacted by the bolt causing it to re cock, and SOCOMS break hammers. The whole action/reaction thing somethign the chain WILL GIVE if the force is stronger than normal.
I would get a Scout of standard length barrel if in question(The scout still has a longer barrel than the SOCOM, but is still short enough for inside work.