Review:
M1A M2 Bipod

By Jeremy Tremp

For any type of precision rifles, a bipod and some sort of rear bag is mandatory in my opinion. Sure, you can rest the rifle on a bag, rest or backpack, but there will always be some variables there that are not 100% repeatable. One of these is the potential left to right movement and rotation of the barrel when using a rest or a bag positioned toward the front of the rifle.

On the other hand, a bipod will make your life so much easier when chasing sub-MOA groups. From shooting prone to tabletop shooting, it’s just so much easier to have a consistent point of rest on the front end of the rifle. After all, the fewer points of input you have on your rifle, the more accurate your shot placement can be. Frankly, the most inaccurate part of our rifle will always be the human element.

Most bipods will interface with your rifle via M-Lok slot, Picatinny rail or the swivel stud mounts. But what about a rifle like the stock standard M1A that has none of the above (unless you have a variant like the Loaded Precision model with the Archangel stock)? The U.S. Military came up with a great option for attaching a bipod to the M14 back when it was in service, using a mount that interfaces with the rifle’s gas cylinder. Thus, was born the M2 Bipod for the M14 rifle.

The Details

The M2 Bipod is made from 100% high quality carbon steel. The attachment point is directly on the M1A gas cylinder, with no modifications required. The bipod’s legs are extendable from 12” to 16” and easily fold back along the stock when not in use. Extremely rigid and durable, the M2 bipod weighs in at 14.1 ounces.

I really like that this bipod attaches to the gas cylinder area, which pushes the bipod out as far as possible forward on the rifle. The large duck-like feet of the bipod give you very solid interface points with whatever surface you’re on. The folding design of the M2 bipod allows for quick access and deployment when the shooter is ready to get into position, while also allowing it to fold back and away against the stock when you don’t need it.

The M2 Bipod is also a great way to get that legendary historical look for your M1A. One caveat with the M2 Bipod is that it will not work on the SOCOM 16 variant.

Hands-On

I attached the M2 Bipod to my M21A5 Crazy Horse Rifle, built by Smith Enterprises on a Springfield Armory M1A. The rifle runs like a Swiss clock, but my main complaint was that it didn’t have a bipod — or a mount for a bipod, for that matter. With the Crazy Horse being a sub-MOA rifle, I wanted to squeeze as much accuracy from the gun as I could with the most solid and repeatable base on the ground.

The M2 fits perfectly on the M1A Crazy Horse, and really added to the aesthetics and historic look of the rifle. I appreciate it even more as this “Crazy Horse” is a civilian version of the M21A5 rifle used in the U.S. Military. Therefore, adding a USGI bipod made a lot of sense for this build.

I shot from the ground in the prone position, standing and resting the bipod on the back of my truck, as well as seated using it at a bench rest. Since the M2 bipod is naturally a bit taller than other bipods, I had to lift my chest a bit higher off the ground in the prone position which isn’t ideal. When using the rifle standing or sitting with the bipod deployed on a surface, I was the most comfortably positioned. Although prone was not as comfortable, it’s certainly the most accurate shooting position as it eliminates the most human variables from the accuracy equation.

With the M2 Bipod attached, I felt quite confident in my shooting abilities and being able to squeeze out every bit of accuracy that this M1A has to offer. It was great for supported shooting, and when I didn’t need the bipod deployed, it was easily folded up and out of the way for unsupported shooting.

It’s also great for shooting off a bag if you are looking to get into position fast or shooting through a barricade. The feet give you more stability on the left and right of the handguard, eliminating some of the wobbles you may find from shooting off a bag without it. It’s a great accessory to keep in the shooting bag to easily attach when you want to shoot from supported positions for increased accuracy.

Conclusion

If you’re interested in a rigid, quality bipod for your M1A that requires no modifications to the gun, give the M2 Bipod from the Springfield Armory Store a try. It’s priced at $170.99. You’ll gain accuracy, capability and some extra style points the next time you head out to the range with your buddies.

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M1A™ M2 Bipod

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