AR-15 or M1A?

F

Forseti

New member
I've been playing around with a surplus M1 for a while, and think I want to add another rifle...and I am torn between the Springfield M1A, and the AR-15. Seems like parts are well in abundance for the AR, and it gets high marks for accuracy, and even reliability now.

It would also be a very different "shoot" from my M1 Garand...

So I am leaning heavily to getting a Bushmaster AR-15...probably a "flattop" Bushmaster XM15 E2S A3 with a 20" barrel, and a detachable handle.

Still, what better place to get opinions...than right here! Any suggestions?
 
i just got out of the AR15 .223 bus. went with the springfield armory M14 .308 i can't say enough about this weapon, its great, and i love it the more i shoot it. no more colt ar's for me, maybe some day again. i'll stick with the M14 very very acur. weapon. my2
 
Forseti, both rifles have a lot going for them, but since you already have a long-range gun in the M1, your best bet would probably be to go with an AR. I would reccomend a 16-inch barrel for greater versatility...the loss of muzzle velocity is negligible and since you're going with a flattop and presumably an optical sight, you won't notice the shorter sight radius.
 
Forseti,

I was trying to decide the same thing about 2 weeks ago. Except I chose the Armalite AR10 A4 in .308 over the M1A. I chose the AR10 because it "just felt better to me". Plus, I love the green furniture :)

Have fun deciding!


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BKs Pistol Pages
 
M1A no question.
The .308 is a more flexible round IMHO. With .308 you can not only do defense, fight a war etc, you can varmit hunt, deer hunt, elk hunt... Long range 600 meters plus...
What ever you want.
 
An AR will give you variety, something different. It's a cute little "poodle popper" and it'll complement you M1 battle rifle. Buy a Eagle Arms/Armalite lower and built your own AR, you can get all the exact features you want and your cost will be around $650. Use the $350 you'll save to buy mags, ammo, an Aimpoint.

Or, get the M1A (the M1's better looking younger sister). A lot of the parts interchange between the two and the cleaning gear & combo tools work on either one. If you like your M1 you'll LOVE the M1A. If you already love your M1 when you get the M1A you'll have to get a private room somewhere so the two of you can be alone.

How about this: Build your own AR.... with the money you save have your M1 rebarlled to .308 Winchester. Lots of good smiths will rebarrel a M1 for around $250. Then you can sell your old .30-06 barrel on eBay for $100+. Surplus .308 ammo is cheap, but good surplus .30-06 is getting harder to find all the time. -- Kernel
 
I agree a 16" barrel on an AR is more versitile...but it also precludes you from some rifle competitions, which require a 20" or greater and fixed "military" sights...in fact, I am worried that getting a flattop (even with a removable "handle") may make me ineligible for some shoots.

I have also "heard" that high end AR-15's are doing quite well in competition over M1A's...any truth to this?
 
Forseti,

I am pretty sure National Match Champion at Camp Perry for the past several years now have been winning w/ m-16s / Ar-15s

If I am not mistaken USMC Sgt. Julia Watson won all honors last year w/ her m-16 (slightly tweaked of course).
 
Forseti, the great thing about an AR is you can get more than one upper. :)
Get yourself a 20 inch AND a 16 inch upper!
Get the 20 inch with a carry handle so it will be DCM legal, get the 16 inch with a flattop to mount an optical sight for CQB and you're good to go!
 
Both are fine rifles IMHO, depends on what your going to use it for. I don't claim to know everything but after owning and shooting both for a few years it would be like this; AR for target/plinking/varmint and M1A for the same but add deer/long range(1000 yds.). The mouse gun would be easier to shoot due to recoil but since you've been shooting the M1 the M1A wont be much different. I think my battle rifle vote would go to the M14 though. I plan on trying my luck at long range with the AR10 sometime in the future.


Brian
 
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