I've made the decision that I would like to have a semi automatic .308/7.62x51 rifle, and due to their accuracy and other issues with FAL and G3 platforms, I'm planning on purchasing an M1A variant of some sort. The Archangel stock, Sage EBR chassis and VLTOR stocks all sound like they would be nice additions or starting points for a build, but I don't know whether they are worth the money, which would be the best out of the three or if there is another choice that I have forgotten to mention, and whether I should look into a barreled action and stock set, or if I should start with a complete rifle and then add the stock later on. Any feedback from anybody who has experience with the M1A/M14 platform or with any of these stock sets would be greatly appreciated.

My DMR/SASS is a Crazy Horse M21A5 custom built for me by Smith Enterprise on a forged Poly Tech receiver that I supplied. I prefer the SAGE EBR for this type of build because it is battle proven (TACOM M14EBR-RI), and it is consistently accurate. The Crazy Horse includes a fancy medium heavy barrel, but the M14EBR-RI uses a chrome lined standard profile USGI barrel... both deliver sub-MOA performance from the SAGE EBR chassis stock with LC M118 LR.

If you don't mind me asking, roughly how much did the Sage EBR build cost?

This particular EBR build started late in 2004, and I didn't finish it until last fall, so it's hard to
say what I spent on it, but I value it near $6K without glass. At today's prices, you can expect to
spend about $2K+ on the rifle, plus the EBR stock, plus the scope & rings, plus accessories.

Go with an EBR, and put either an M1A Standard or Loaded in it if budget is somewhat of a concern. Buy the complete rifle, sell the factory stock, and then buy an EBR from here in whatever color you like. Be careful when buying glass, as semi auto 308s have a reputation for destroying optics. If you're on a budget, either a fixed 6x or 10x from SWFA (preferably in the mil/mil flavor) will serve you well. Vortex also makes some rugged optics, and you can find fixed power USOs for a decent deal too. Be warned that even on a budget, this will easily be a $3k+ endeavor, so plan accordingly.

Hey a loaded Springfield, buy the chassis. It is a fantastic platform albeit a bit heavy.

This is exactly what I had. The rifle was VERY heavy for range use and was so accurate it wasn't fun. I kind of miss that setup though.