Your budget is limiting, but don’t let anyone ever convince you an M1A isn’t up to competing with an AR10 for accuracy. They are, but prepared to whip out the platinum card and know exactly what you are doing.
Inside your budget you have 2 choices in brand new M1a rifles . You have a std with the 22" barrel and a scout with a 18" barrel. I’d go with the scout myself given the two. Reason being they are a little more handy without loosing too much. It’s a range toy anyway.
You might get lucky, but that isn’t always the case. To improve it with little investment, I’d shim the gas cylinder, replace the std spring guide with a NM version, maybe a sadlak TiN piston for good measure, and send the trigger group to a guy by the name of Bill Springfield to clean it up. It is pretty cheap to have them things done and besides having the trigger done you could very well do it yourself with a couple cheap specialty tools. Them things will probably get you into the 1 MOA game providing the stock isn’t too loose fitting. They normally aren’t too bad.
As far as scoping it, that is where it gets expensive. No mater what you buy the scope can only be so low. You’ll need a slight rise minimum to use it. The scout does have a forward rail for optics, but scopes with that much eye relief isn’t all that. A lot of guys replace this rail with lower profile rail systems so they can co-witness their iron sights with a red dot. If it weren’t using a receiver mounted scope, I’d have an Aimpoint T1 out front of a scout. It would be a badass little rifle packing plenty of punch.
There is ways to go about it. Eventually you do spend plenty, but besides an AR, the M1A is really a very diversed rifle for options. You’re not limited with it. Work with it as budget allows and learn as you go.
the M14 platform would be my choice. the springfields are good but for a bit more, a fulton armory or 7.62mm firearms brand m14 would be a bit better.
one thing ost overlooked is the ammo, imo. if you shoot the cheapest surplus ball from whichever country its found, your accuracy will be somewhat lacking but still in the military requirements for the 3-4moa range. put some better quality ammo in it like some 168gr hpbt match ammo and the accuracy gets better. same with most any rifle. alot of people arent happy shooting m193 from the ARs but love them with the 77gr match ammo.
my 2 springfield rifles were a loaded walnut version and a synthetic scout. both shot 2-3moa with south african surplus ball ammo and id get between 1.5-2moa with 168gr reloads.
Don’t let the accuracy of the M14 scare you off. On the average, it’s one of the more accurate & consistent shooters of the class.
Accurizing an M14 does cost money but how accurate do you want it to be? If attempting to squeeze every bit of MOA for heavy season of competitive shooting, that could cost you a chunk of change. However, there are some minor tweaks that will tighten up the groups, improve consistency and even improve reliability without breaking the bank. Unitizing the gas block, glass bedding, tuning the op-rod along with a couple of other tweaks will give a solid shooting M14 that’s hard to beat. Mounting optics is not impossible, but it is a pain.
If you want optics, the AR-10A4 is clearly the better choice. (I have no experience with the SCAR so I make no claims for it.) The FNAR is a good rifle but as a battle rifle, it’s not as rugged and magazines are proprietary, expensive and a bit rare. Chances are, the AR10 will have a slight edge in accuracy over the M14 right out of the box.
Another excellent choice for a 308 battle rifle is the FN FAL or it’s Commonwealth counterpart, the L1A1. The FALs I like best are the Steyr STG58 and the Para FAL
A DSArms FAL would fit within your stated budget and needs. It’s accurate enough and otherwise is quite maintainable/customizable. Depending on your accuracy requirements it may not be sufficient. It’s pedigree/history is at least as noteworthy as that of the M-14 but like the M-14 it’s a heavy bitch.
The M14, as others have mentioned, is a money pit.
If coin is not a factor I’d consider the SCAR, OBR/PredatAR or LMT MWS.
M1a isn’t a money pit until you want to squeak out every once of potential, then it becomes expensive. An AK can’t hold a candle to the M1A, a FAL will compete only so far. Putting optics on a FAL however is way worse than the options for the M1A. An AR10 is the best all around choice, but it is nice sometimes to be different.
You are exactly wrong. The FAL is easy to scope, doesn’t have a cheek weld that involved applying your chin to the stock, and the scope mount doesn’t interfere with cleaning nor malfunction clearing.
Why people continue to promote M1s in this day of sub .75 MOA factory $2k-ish .308 ARs is beyond me. Well, it’s not beyond me but sometimes I like to pretend we are all rational and don’t have emotional attachments to inanimate objects that obscure our facility for logical thought.
It’s easier to scope a FAL than an M14, but the FAL mounts are notorious for having trouble with holding zero.
Why people continue to promote M1s in this day of sub .75 MOA factory $2k-ish .308 ARs is beyond me.
They also promote AKs, FALs and other designs. The M14 isn’t perfect and it’s virtues overstated, but it’s still a good rifle.
Well, it’s not beyond me but sometimes I like to pretend we are all rational and don’t have emotional attachments to inanimate objects that obscure our facility for logical thought.
I’ve never heard a bad word nor experienced personally, a problem with the DSA FAL scope mount. Where are you hearing about these problems? I’ve been using the DSA mount for about 4 years. No problems so long as you use LocTite on the screws as recommended.
The M1 can be a good rifle. It’s not AK47 reliable and SR25 accurate like the fanboys promote it to be and it is ridiculously, stupidly expensive to attempt make it as accurate as say…a LaRue OBR, a LaRue PredatAR (which is MUCH lighter), SCAR-H, or an LMT MWS.
I suppose if cheap 7.62x51mm can be had in abundance, it could be a fun 2-6MOA plinker/brush gun. I love my FAL but I don’t let emotions cloud my thoughts on it. Too expensive to shoot and not accurate enough to shoot long range which are findings you can apply to the M1. If you want an accurate 7.62x51, neither the FAL or the M1 are rational choices given the lower cost and far greater mechanical accuracy of the SCAR-H and AR .308 variants.
Here is a DSA FAL I have been watching, seems a pretty good deal, considering it has both the DSA scope mount, and fore end, and the stock ones, it also has extra mags. Not a big fan of the camo, but hey there are allot of extras there, I also noticed, someone tossed the flat head screws and went with allen head on the scope mount. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=241486519
When I left the Marine Corps I looked at both the FN FAL and the M1A. In battle rifle form they both qualify very close they both have their pros and cons. For many reasons I just didn’t like the FN FAL . I did however like the M1A. When I made that choice my goal was to take it as far as it could go. On this journey I’ve learned a lot and achieved what I set out to do. The FN FAL just can compete at this level. It was never meant to. Neither was the original M14, but it can. And that is why I like it. I made the right choice, for me, per my goals. As I look at my M21 in front of me, it represents $6500 worth of hard work and refinement. What makes this rifle so prohibitive is the cost in doing so, and consistency between rifles. Everything has to be just so. Little things most never even think of can be the difference between a good and outstanding rifle. I took in information from every source I could find, on every part. I used what was known to be true, used working theories from experts in the field and used my own judgement to source the parts. Then I decide just how to build it. I have a first rate gunsmith and both of us collaborated on just how it all should be fitted. End result is I have exactly what I wanted and more. I don’t think you’ll never see a FN FAL this accurate. With the right ammo and a bit of luck I’m laying down tight groups thought only achievable with a quality AR10 rifles. It is doable, but it’s like it needs to become the most important thing in your life. You have to have a passion for it.
Knowing what I know now, if I were a 22yo kid again fresh out of the Marine Corps, I’d probably go with an AR10, knowing just how easy it is. However AR10s back then were something that were not really an option.
There is no right or wrong here, just preference and money.
I have both SCAR17 and MWS, without any mods out of the box the MWS beats the SCAR, better trigger, I found it more accurate, and mag availability. That said the Geissel trigger I installed in my 17 made a world of difference, now if mags would just become available. I have waaaaaaay more into my SCAR than my MWS and really it’s only real benefit over my MWS is weight. If I were going for just one battle rifle it would be a MWS, the money saved can go towards ammo, optics, mags.
I put the 7.62 urge on hold for right now. I will eventually get a SCAR-H. I was just wanting the M1A as a plinker and for fun, but after seeing ammo prices the more I realized I wouldn’t shoot it very often. So I am just going to hold off for now. Another reason I was wanting the M1A, was because I found a brand new loaded M1a for $1300 out the door and I thought it was too good to pass up. Eventually though, I may get an FAL, M1a, and SCAR. I try to keep all my guns to 5.56 because of the cheap ammo. Later when I can afford it then Ill merge into the 7.62 NATO guns.
At one time SAI did build there rifles with USGI parts. Mine was such a rifle. Eventually USGI will run out. Most of SAI current commercial parts are not too bad.
Investment cast receivers vs forged isn’t a huge deal. What is a huge deal is if it is machined right. Everyone has had flops, including LRB. There has been excellent “to die for” SAI receivers.
So no not the garbage as you make them out to be. You want to be critical, bring your US drawings, calipers and actually start measuring. Don’t assume anything is or isn’t top notch till you actually double check it.
That was a good price for the loaded. If you were to get one look me up, I’ll help you anyway I can if you need input or ideas.
The SCAR-H is a wicked little head turner. I fancy them to. Wouldn’t mind having one myself.
I’m in the opposite boat. I have one 5.56 and the rest are 30cal somethings. It is a little more, but all the rifles can do a lot more than the little 5.56. I figure the added cost is justified. Besides if you are shooting MK318 mod 0 ammo, or MK262 Mod 1 which isn’t all that cheap either, there isn’t that big of a difference in cost.
