[Amadeus]

So what's the deal with Springfield's line of M1A rifles? The MSRP for that thing is just this side of insane. Not much better in the stores either. Is it really worth the $1000 + cost? If so ---------- WHY?

[Mikul]

Because every decent .308 semi-auto is over a grand.

[ocabj]

In California, semi-auto .308 options are limited. No FAL or AR-10s. Well, I think you can get a fixed magazine FAL, but why?

[tiberius]

Just get a real one from the CMP.

[Chipperman]

Since when is CMP selling M1A's?

[tiberius]

My bad. I (mis)read as M1's. Springfield makes "new" M1's that ARE overpriced when compared to the real ones. It didn't register that someone would think that their M1As are "insane"ly priced. :confused:

I do have a Springfield M1A though. Like others said, that seems to be what good .308 battle rifles go for. How much do think it should cost? Middle of the road AR-15's cost $700+ and Springfield doesn't have the benefit of economies of scale.

They are worth it if you want a .308 battle rifle.

[Chipperman]

I don't own one, so this is based on reading here and speaking to friends that own M1A's....

It seems that IF you get one that's reliable out of the box, then it's not a bad deal. The problem is that so many of them need to go back to the factory to be tweaked.

[Buckskinner]

Do your duty and get an www.ODCMP.com M1 garand for half the price. Spend the rest on 2000 rounds of ammo and shoot it all in six months.

People talk about jumping through hoops, but they are SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR!!!

And the ammo (compared to decent (non-Indian) .308 is not that much different in price.

.30-'06 AIN'T GOIN' ANYWHERE!!

[swingset]

$1000 for a good semi MBR isn't alot.

Do some looking into the costs of new manufacture firearms and this will become apparent.

[JShirley]

Yup. Ended up paying almost that much for a G1 (FAL) built by my good friend Matt. 'Course, it has some extra goodies, like fold-down charging handle and inch-style selector, and has been GunKoted.

And I believe it's a much better rifle than a basic M1A, anyway...:p

John

[Amadeus]

I'm just not cracking on the rifle -- I mean some of the better firearms DO tend to run upwards of $1000. Even though my M1 Garand was well below that price and seems to do the job just fine.

I was just wondering if there is some quality - aside from accuracy -- that is truly amazing about the M1A? I keep hearing mixed reviews.

And is there something special about the .308 round that requires a high-quality rifle to achieve satisfactory performance.

[JShirley]

You'll probably get satisfactory performance from a .308 Saiga.

The big issue there is mag cost and capacity.

John

[Amadeus]

I'd love to try out a saiga. I'd also love to own an AK variant. But I live in a bad state for that sort of thing. Not really available.

[Poodleshooter]

They're the cheapest manufacturer of M14 style rifles in the US,since "everyone else" consists of Armscorp and various custom builders.
You must have missed the Polytech/Norinco M14 style rifles kicking around before the ban. They ran about $500.
It's worth it if you want to shoot one as a match rifle,as there is a huge aftermarket for accurizing those rifles. If plinking is all you want, buy a FAL,CETME,HK91 clone,etc for half the price.

[Buckskinner]

He ain't gonna buy no FAL/CETME BLAH BLAH BLAH where he's livin' now...

[Beetle Bailey]

My advice is that if you want a .30 cal semiauto battlerifle (in California) is to get the M1 Garand. Garand clips are way cheaper than M1A mags (you can only get 5 or 10 round mags anyways) and surplus ammo, while not as plentiful, is still available. If you had to, you could always rebarrel the Garand in .308 anyways.

The only reason I would choose the M1A over getting the Garand from, say CMP, is if I wanted to mount a scope on it. A scope mounted M1A is a terrific rifle, but of course the cost is really starting to add up at this point. Did I have fun taking a few shots with a M1A and Sightron scope a few weeks ago? Yes. Is it worth it? I think there are better "bang for the buck" options out there, but if you want a Designated Marksman - type rifle in California. . .

It's really a YMMV kinda thing. . .

[BamBam-31]

Actually, I'm thinking a good M1A should cost in the neighborhood of $2000.

[Beetle Bailey]

Hehe. . .just noticed that you already have a Garand :o .

BTW, it was BamBam-31's M1A I was shooting. Thanks, BamBam-31 ;) .

[tommytrauma]

Springfield's hit or miss quality control makes their rifles over priced. Spend the same money at West Texas Ordnance and get a M1A you can depend on.
(At least that's my plan.)