My Three Decade Journey with an M1A

[BarryinIN]

I bought mine in Dec 1987 for $660. I had wanted one so bad I couldn’t stand it for a long time.

In the winter of 88/89, I took it over to SA and left it for an NM upgrade ($327).
I shot my first NRA Highpower match with it in 1989.

I had to quit after the 1991 season. In 1994, I was able to start up again. After that season, I changed to an AR.
At this point, I was classified Expert and my highest score over the National Match Course with the M1A was a 470.

My first match with an AR I shot a 475.
And that was the end of me using an M1A for competition. I made Master within a month.

I did use a match conditioned M1 Garand once after that, and also shot a 475: tied with my best-ever M1A score.

My opinion of the M1A as a match rifle isn’t too high.

As a battle rifle? I’ve never carried a .308 anything into battle, let alone carried another .308 into battle for comparison, so I can’t make a qualified statement. But the M1A/M14 wouldn’t be very high on that list either.

I’ll never part with mine due to the memories it holds, but I think it’s OK, nothing more.

 

[Talyn]

After first shooting a Team M1 Garand on my University Rifle Team for a couple years I was an early adopted of the AR for DCM matches with a Colt HBAR, as well as getting my first personal DCM M1G. Caught alot of cr*p from the rest of the older M1G and M1A shooters that dominated the "line".

Had some ups & downs with the HBAR sinc back then there wasn't the upgrades that there are now, and often shot both in the same matches swiching back & forth. After school I got my first SA M1A NM and did OK with it, but still shot all three in local matches, but realized the AR was the future and in a few short years the AR was taking over.

Never made it to Perry since it was a long drive but visited there to stock up on M1Gs and 1903s at the North Store during the "good" years of quality Greek returns. Ended up rebuilding mainly the M1Gs I got there to a higher standard of metal & wood finishes having picked out the best TE & ME examples I found at the North Store.

Since I built up my Ultimate HB March AR and an A2 to meet the CMP guidelines for both. There's not many matches in my area but still shoot a few and enjoy it.

As per other comments the M1A is a classic, but I lean more of my druthers towards the M1G, which dad carried in WW2, and the AR is more accurate properly built and shot within its capabilities.

For self-defense I'm GTG with the AR platform, with the M1A in the DMR & support role to a common-caliber bolt gun, as well as a M1G to my long-range HB 30-06 bolt gun.

My .02

 

[Blackfeather]

Tack drivers

 

[Grayfox]

Looking back, I've had 2.5 decades with the M1A. Bought my first one used at a gun show prior to Y2K. Anybody remember that scare?
Its the second, plain black rifle in the pic I posted earlier. Actually, its not a M1A. Its an old Federal Ordnance M-14A made in the mid-1980s. Early rifle using Fed Ords own receiver and all USGI surplus parts. Been a great rifle! I put it into a SA black, composite stock some years ago.

 

[Blackfeather]

My very first M14 type rifle was this Scout Squad M1A that I bought in the late 90's... right out of the box it was in a USGI synthetic stock with the black crinkle paint, and I has Springfield's custom shop bed it in one of their Walnut stock the last time it was in for warranty repair. It eventually ended up in a Sage chassis before I parted it out to fund my first Custom M14 build from Smith Enterprise.

I remember the Scout being excellent when shooting with iron sights offhand.