AR Sponsor
Posted: 1/3/2008 7:14:21 AM EDT
| This really will boil down to a personal preferance choice as both are excellant rifles. I had until recently a M1A NM. It was always an acurate and reliable rifle, but I never warmed to. I am young enough to have cut my teeth with the M16 in the Army and is partly responsible for my preferance for rifles based on that platform. Others who trained with M14's may for the same reason prefer the M1A. The things I do not care for with the M1A are mostly ergonomic. I do not like the mag release, the large wrist of the stock and the dificulty of dissasembly of the M1A. My DPMS TAC-20 is every bit as accurate as my M1A NM as reliable and easy to dissasemble. It also cost less. And if I so choose can easily mount an optic with no further cost or trouble (other than optic and rings). Lastly is that the commonality with my AR15's make it a no-brainer switching back and forth as they operate the same. |
|
To me the best thing about an AR-10 type platform over an M1A is the ability to mount optics. It is a pain in the butt to mount optics on an M1A, they just weren't designed for it. An AR10 flat top is an ideal optics platform. If you are more an iron sight kind of guy the M1A's sight radius and excellent iron sights are superior to an AR10 in my opinion. Main thing that sucks about an AR10 is the cost of mags. I won't have a rifle that I don't have at least 10-20 magazines for. That is cost prohibitive with an AR-10. Makes a DSA FAL a lot more attractive. I'm saving up for one now. Excellent condition mags are still under $10 each for FALs and with a DSA topcover they are just about as easy and solid as an AR-10 for optics mounting, with adjustable gas piston reliability and a superior left-side charging handle. www.dsarms.com -David Edgewood, NM |
|
If you want a nostalgic weapon, get the M14. I myself plan to pick up another M1A, but this one will be in a plain USGI stock with irons. But thats only because I want another nostalgia gun to go along with my Garand and my M1903. If you want a modern weapon get a .308 AR (I would say AR-10 but I don't want the Armalite Nazi's to get on me). They are easy to scope, you have your choices of accessories and they have the AR ergo's we are familiar with. Downside is the expense of mags and reliability is questionable. DPMS and Armalite mags go for about about $30 each. But I have to say, I have not heard much complaints from Armalite and DPMS owners lately. The FAL is another option. With the DSA railed top cover, you will have a very solid and low profile mount for optics, almost as good as an AR flat top. Best part about the FAL is it has AK like reliability and mags are only $7 each. |
| FWIW I shot against two M1As that were tricked out at the range last week with my 24" LR308. My only mods are CMC trigger, PRS stock, CAA grip, SS 109 scope in Burris heavy duty rings. Now I know most accuracy comes from the shooter but hey I'm not that great and I was putting 5 rds through one hole,(.66") at 100yrds out of 10 shot groups anything that wasn't throught that one hole was my fault. The two guys with M1As were shocked at the groups by my DPMS. They were shooting 3 rd groups that were as big but mostly bigger than my 5 rd groups.I never let the barrel cool like they were doing and when they said "lets see who's shoots tighter" I shot a 3rd group, (because they felt anything more would heat the barrel to much on their M1As, go figure) of .38" total without subtracting for bullet diameter that's just a little large than the diameter of one round. I had gone first and after seeing that 3rd group through a spotting scope they packed up and left. Those two guys had a lot more $$ in those M1As than i have in my LR. But hey that's just this one guys story. |
AR Sponsor