Where are all the M1A's?

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ChronoCube

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I'm looking for an M1A standard. But looking online and at gun shows, it seems like the supply of them is rather scant. At the last gun show, I saw lots of ARs and AKs and milsurps, but only one M1A, and that was the SOCOM model. And on Gunbroker, there are also way more ARs and AKs. The M1A's that are listed are mostly the Loaded model. A few are Standard but more than I'm willing to pay.

What happened to the supply of Standard M1A's? Why does it seem near impossible to find a Standard M1A?
 
Also it seems that prices of the other semiauto rifles have come down since the Obama panic but the M1A prices have not...
 
For about $100-150 more than a standard the Loaded offers a lot of nice upgrades.

Watch Gunbroker, good deals can sometimes be had, and also look up the website of Whittaker Guns, they seem to have M1As in stock most of the time.
 
at one of my semi local gun shops i saw a m1a scout for about $1400 and a standard for about $1100. I guess m1a's are out there, you just have to look a little harder.
 
well... there are at least 100x as many companies making AR15s as M1As, and most of them are cheaper than M1As, and they come in a caliber that's cheaper to shoot. So it's really no surprise that there are a lot more AR15s out there.

That said, they do seem scarce.
 
The M1A full size parts are being used to fulfill military contracts to produce the M14 rifle in various configurations for the US military's overseas operations. The good GI surplus parts are being used for that operation so the parts makers have to make them. Parts are getting scarce. With a handful of authorized manufacturers versus the dozens of civilian manufacturers of the AR15, it's supply and demand economics. Plus the M14 receiver is a PITA to machine, that's why SAI is having them investment cast instead of machined from billet.
 
1) The new plastic stocks look fine to me, and more importantly they seem to fit better than the painted surplus GI fiberglass stocks. Looks are an opinion, of course, but I wouldn't let it stop me.

2) SAI receivers have been cast forever, I think since SAI started producing rifles. Although forging is a nicer process, the SAI cast receivers are thicker toward the rear where the original military forged receivers can crack from bolt impact.

3) I'm not aware that any M14s are actually being made for and sold to the US military right now. The army/navy/marines had large stocks in storage and what little they want I believe is simply being sourced from refurbished stock rifles, not any new production. I could be wrong of course, so if anyone has concrete information otherwise please say so.
 
Where are all the M1A's

They are out there but you can figure on $1500.00 + or - a few bucks for a standard Springfield. You can find them in wood or synthetic. I will be purchasing one soon. Probably going with the synthetic camo. I am curious to know if they will cycle the steel case ammo without stoppages. Not too concerned about the wear factor.
 
Why would you spend over $1,000 on a weapon and shoot crap ammo through it? I never understood this.
 
This must make slightly used FALs much more popular?
A guy wanted $700 for his last winter (no decent offers) and took it back to Batesville, MS. The bore was a mirror.
 
CMP won't have them. Military M14s are all legally treated as full-auto and will never be surplused to civilians. The Garand is a different rifle.
 
CMP has no M14 and never will (Machine Gun). I've never seen a Commercial M1A offered by the CMP. Sometimes on pops up on the trader there.

Don
 
ChronoCube,

If the DFW in your location is Dallas area, Bachman Pawn and Gun usually has a good selection of M1A rifles, I know they did at the last show here a couple of weeks ago. They are at most of the larger shows in the Houston area, but Dallas is their home.
 
they are a little hard to find & not cheep either, but they sure are fun to shoot. if you want to save a little on ammo look at surplus i have been seeing alot of british radway green,south african,german& some others. just make sure its nato spec. you can view some of these at aim surplus as well. that james river looks nice & comes with a forged receiver. you can also see these at 7.62 firearms. their are some neat pictures of their process & products.
 
As Wally mentioned, Bachman has a good selection, but also there has been a nice assortment at the recent shows by several vendors. Having said that, I didn't see any being sold...
 
We who have the M1A's tend to hang on to them because they are great shooters, easy to maintain, and almost a perfect firearm for the often discussed SHTF scenario. Mine's a keeper! :)
 
"and also look up the website of Whittaker Guns, they seem to have M1As in stock most of the time."

I was in Whittakers last week and it looked like they had quite a few in their racks.
 
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