After listening to replies here, exchanging a few PM's and scouting an M1A forum, I am beyond certain that the base SAI product is now mediocre at best. What a shame, especially considering the cost. There appears to be no doubt that $3,000 minimum is required for a top tier M1A/M-14 variant.
But I still want one...and fortunately someone was kind enough to refer me to these folks:http://www.lrbarms.com/information.html
I was told they build with all the best quality spec components available on the market. Sounds like a potential winner, but not crazy about the 1 year warranty.