tayous 1, you haven't given much of a picture of your goals for the rifle, so it's hard to answer exactly.
I'm going to proceed on the assumption that you want a rifle for personal defense and possibly for some competition shooting eventually. Maybe a little hunting. I'm figuring cost is a factor, also.
Here's the straight story; no B.S.:
If I were you, I'd get a rifle from Springfield Armory, the older the better as the older ones seem to have a higher percentage of USGI parts. Any non-GI parts on the one you get can be swapped out, but some, like the op-rod, are getting expensive. I'd want a standard, GI, chrome-lined barrel that with decent care will last 20,000 rds before it has to be replaced. Non-GI barrels shoot-out of Match accuracy levels a lot sooner, maybe in as little as 5,000 rds. Not that they're completely shot out, mind you, just no longer at Match levels of accuracy. Forget the expensive wood, and go with a GI synthetic stock that won't swell and change zero when the temp/humidity changes, and it paints/camos easily. Pay close attention to the muzzle, as improper cleaning can bugger it up, and your accuracy along with it. Good news is that if the buggering is not too bad, a re-crowning, which is cheap, will fix your problem.
Once you get the rifle, learn how to shoot it from all positions into an inch, with iron sights, at 25M.
After you can do that, get a trigger job. Any NM bells and whistles can easily be done later as time and money permit. Some NM mods can reduce reliability, such as tight chambers.
Heavy NM-contoured barrels prohibit Scout-style mounting of optics, the only way to go on an M1A or Garand, IMHO, and I've BTDT. Heavy, too.
Keep it simple and as GI as possible, and you won't go wrong, as long as you do your part and learn how to shoot it. Go to
www.fredsm14stocks.com and order his "Guide To Becoming A Rifleman", and read it front to back a couple of times, then go practice.
If you do what I say, and practice, you will own the finest Main Battle Rifle ever made, and, again, if you read the Guide and PRACTICE, you'll be in the top 5% percent of shooters this side of Camp Perry.
There's a lot of NM rifles out there that people are selling off because the AR is out-doing them at the ranges. That's fine, but the M1A is a better real-world Battle Rifle. The range isn't the real world, and far from it. Maybe they're worn out, maybe they're not. Don't pay for NM stuff you don't need, and don't want. I have a Super Match that I wish had a GI barrel, so I know what I'm talking about.
If you need more info, don't hesitate to IM me.