M1A Rifle in Project Zomboid (Build 42.19): Stats, Parts, Loot
M1A Rifle · Build 42.19 vanilla · also known as M14 in older pages and some locales
- Display name
- M1A Rifle
- Category
- Two-handed firearm · semi-auto only
- Ammo
- .308 / 7.62×51mm · “Box of 7.62x51mm Rounds”
- Magazine
- M1A Magazine · max 20 rounds
The M1A is a heavy, long-range, magazine-fed battle rifle: weight 4.5, condition max 10, damage 1.2–2.0, base hit chance 50, and a very loud report. It rewards aiming investment and careful attachment choice more than spray-and-pray. For broader firearm ranking context, see the best firearms guide.
Core combat stats
| Stat | Value (42.19) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.5 | Two-handed; both hands required when equipped |
| Max condition | 10 | Durability steps before break; repair restores condition |
| Damage | 1.2 – 2.0 | Per-hit damage band |
| Critical chance / crit damage | 30% / ×4 | Base crit chance and critical damage multiplier |
| Hit chance | 50 | Base; Aiming perk and parts improve effective hits |
| Shot range | 0.61 – 40 | How far the projectile can travel (tiles) |
| Sight range | 2 – 10 | Default aiming window; scopes raise the upper band |
| Aiming / swing time | 50 / 0.5 | Aim settle and shot cadence; parts can change aiming time |
| Recoil delay | 20 | Recoil pad reduces this by 2 when mounted |
| Jam chance | 1 | Can jam; clear with Rack Firearm (default key X, rebindable) |
| Piercing bullets | Yes | Bullets can pierce; do not treat this gun as “no penetration” |
| Max hit count | 1 | One hit target per shot (M16 Assault Rifle uses 2 for comparison) |
| Magazine capacity | 20 | Detachable M1A Magazine |
| Fire mode | Semi-auto only | No full-auto option in vanilla |
| Sound radius | 170 | Very loud; expect zombie attraction after shots |
Attachments (screwdriver install)
Install or remove attachments from the inventory context menu when you have a screwdriver and a compatible part. Only parts that list the M1A as a valid mount work. Parts that share the same slot replace each other (x2, x4, and Red Dot all use the Scope slot).
| Part | Slot | Effects (42.19) |
|---|---|---|
| x2 Scope | Scope | Weight +0.3 · Aiming time +5 · Sight range 4–12 |
| x4 Scope | Scope | Weight +0.4 · Aiming time +10 · Sight range 8–16 |
| Red Dot Sight | Scope | Weight +0.2 · Aiming time −10 · Sight range 2–10 |
| Laser Sight | Canon | Weight +0.6 · Hit chance +5 · Aiming time −10 |
| Recoil Pad | Recoil pad | Weight +0.1 · Recoil delay −2 |
Repair
The stock repair path needs another M1A Rifle as the fixer and Aiming 5. You cannot patch it with scrap metal or a different rifle type through this recipe. Higher Aiming also reduces how often firearms lose condition in general; keep a spare M1A if you plan long-term use. See the weapon repair guide for the broader system.
Jams and racking
When the weapon jams (or needs a chamber cycle), use the Rack Firearm action — default keyboard binding is X, fully rebindable under Options. Tooltips also say to rack for jammed, empty chamber, or spent-round states. If you remapped controls, use your own keybind instead of assuming X.
Where it spawns
Loot uses relative weights and roll counts, plus sandbox loot multipliers — not fixed “8% / 32%” percentages from older pages. Practical search priority: gun stores (especially rifle shelves), pawn shops with gun inventory, then garage and generic firearm pools.
| Loot pool | Rolls | M1A weight | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gun-store rifles | 4 | 2 | Gun-store rifle shelves — relatively better odds for this rifle |
| Pawn-shop special guns | 4 | 4 | Pawn-shop special / gun cases |
| Gun-store guns | 4 | 1 | General gun-store firearm pool |
| Pawn-shop guns | 4 | 1 | Standard pawn-shop guns |
| Garage firearms | 4 | 0.5 | Garage firearms stash — low weight |
| Generic firearms | 2 | 1 | Early-tier room firearm pool |
| Generic firearms (mid) | 3 | 1 | Mid-tier firearm pool |
| Generic firearms (late) | 4 | 1 | Late-tier firearm pool |
Additional low-weight entries appear on some bag / gun-box distributions and selected vehicle inventories. Map-level locations are covered in the places to find guns guide.
Ammo and magazines
- Carry spare M1A Magazines — swapping mags is faster than feeding loose rounds under pressure.
- Stock Box of 7.62x51mm Rounds from gun stores and related ammo containers.
- Same cartridge family as hunting-style .308 rifles; do not load 5.56 M16 magazines into an M1A.
Playstyle notes
- Strengths: long shot range (40), solid damage, semi-auto control, piercing enabled, strong scope options (x2/x4) and laser accuracy boost.
- Costs: heavy, loud (sound radius 170), magazine- and Aiming-dependent; repair needs a second M1A plus Aiming 5.
- Vs bolt actions: faster follow-up shots than bolt rifles, but still less “crowd delete” than full-auto M16-class guns that can hit more targets per shot.
- Skill: Aiming raises hit quality and is mandatory at 5 for the stock repair path — see aiming level-up tips.
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