[headedtotexas]

After a lot of reading and study, I think I've got my Mini 14 the way I want it. Sometime after the snow sets in I'll send the trigger group off for a trigger job, but that's all I've got left. I'm happy with the first several hundred rounds through it and my Mini 14 is a way better shot than I am. I need more work, not the Mini 14.

So why do I still want an M1A? There aren't many places around where I can shoot further than the Mini 14's range. There aren't any targets around here that need the energy a .308 delivers or anything more than the .223 delivers. My Mini 14 is laid out very similarly to a M1A Scout with the same type of sights, flash hider, wood stock, etc. So why do I still want an M1A? Not sure, but I do. Am I missing something, or is this the nature of gun collecting?

 

[jim580]

Those banner ads are a temptress, aren't they?

 

[bai78]

....Am I missing something, or is this the nature of gun collecting?

It's just the nature of things...

 

[headedtotexas]

Yes they are. Kudos to SAI's marketing department. Even more effective than those ads however, is the enthusiasm of contributors here and at other forums. Together, those siren songs make it tough. The symbolism of the M14/M1A is the clincher for me. I want the history and the significance. Those were the same things that have drawn me to the Mini 14.

 

[headedtotexas]

That's quite a collection Bai. And I can certainly understand how the nature of things expands one's collection.

 

[Bolero]

My BIL just bought one recently. He actually now has two, a Match Grade and his new short version (not the scout model).

Man I am so jealous. The M1A is more than just a big bore Mini, its a whole different deal. (Not knocking the mini at all, though).

 

[Jeff F]

The M1A is more than just a big bore Mini, its a whole different deal. (Not knocking the mini at all, though).

You got that right, so many people try and compare the two and think the Mini is just a scaled down M1a. Night and day difference not only in the caliber but also the design.

 

[Junkman192]

So why do I still want an M1A?

Because its an M1A. Remember, you gotta bring enough gun! I agree with you completely, I love my mini to death, it will always be the favorite in my collection, but I would like either an M1A, or an M1 Garand. Its the historical thing, because I am a big history guy, and its .308, how can you go wrong?

 

[BBT53]

I agree with Junkman. I love minis but I still want at least 1 M1A

 

[old grump]

So why do I still want an M1A? Not sure, but I do. Am I missing something, or is this the nature of gun collecting?

Because bigger is better and the M1A is what the M1 Garand should have been. Besides its in our genes. If you gotta have a gun you gotta have 'The Gun'.

 

[USSF06]

The Base Exchange here recently called me saying they had an M1A SOCOM 16 in stock. I had been waiting months, but unfortunately, I had just spent my money on a Mini-14. I was so disappointed. I stopped by the firearm section later that day and asked to see it. The rifle truly is the KING of rifles. Relatively lightweight, and SOCOM 16 etched in gold..... I tried selling my Mini-14 at work that night... but in the long run, I decided I am better off waiting a little while and holding on to the mini for now. Besides, at $1700... I am sure the M1A will be there for awhile.

 

[Dacotua]

I bought my M1a before I did my mini.

Love the gun, its really accurate and consistent.

 

[Nuclear Cowboy]

Just sold my M1A LOADED. After having owned it and two FAL's I've come to the conclusion that I don't like .308 semi auto rifles. Too heavy, more recoil, expensive to feed and no more accurate than my .223's. My one remaining .308 is a tac driving bolt rifle.

 

[hoghunt]

I have a loaded m1a with an old k4 weaver scope on it and when you can hit a railroad tie plate at 350 to 400 yards it's, well just great.

Bryan

 

[drewogatory]

I paid too much (even with a big discount) for my M-21 but it shoots fantastically well. Super easy on brass as well. Weighs as much as a small car however, and the scope mounting options are all flawed in one way or another. Seriously thinking about a fiberglass McMillan stock and just shooting it with the irons. Shot my best 100 yd group ever with that rifle though, using irons alone. Never come close to duplicating it however...

 

[Bolero]

Again, not knocking the Mini, but take an M1A and any 556 over iron sights at 700+ meters and see what you think.
I'm no vet, but I've seen it in practice, that 308 hauls past 300 yds compared to 556. Not only that, but the M1A sight, once you figure out the settings, allows you to hit out to 1000 yds plus with a twist of a knob.

 

[headedtotexas]

The sights on the M1A are awesome, and I've only held them in gun shops here and there. In time I think I'd swap the original our for NM sights. The hooded tiny rear aperture is very sharp.

I wanted a Scout version for a long time, but have now migrated back to a standard. I had planned to put a red dot or EER scope on the Scout, but the iron sights grew on me and I sort of lost interest in the Scout rail. My Mini 14 has an Ultimak rail for 100 yard stuff.

To me, the M14 had a walnut stock and the M1A should too. I realize it's a personal choice and I get that the synthetic stocks stand up better to harsh weather and heat, but for me, the anchor in history is an important part of this gun and mine will have to wear walnut.

 

[40nascar]

The sights on the M1A are awesome, and I've only held them in gun shops here and there. In time I think I'd swap the original our for NM sights. The hooded tiny rear aperture is very sharp.

I wanted a Scout version for a long time, but have now migrated back to a standard. I had planned to put a red dot or EER scope on the Scout, but the iron sights grew on me and I sort of lost interest in the Scout rail. My Mini 14 has an Ultimak rail for 100 yard stuff.

To me, the M14 had a walnut stock and the M1A should too. I realize it's a personal choice and I get that the synthetic stocks stand up better to harsh weather and heat, but for me, the anchor in history is an important part of this gun and mine will have to wear walnut.

GI issue to troops in Vietnam were actually dark brown fiberglass stocks.

 

[headedtotexas]

I'd like to find one of those 40. I've seen black and green, but never brown. Were they the same dimensions as the USGI walnut and current SAI walnut? The new synthetic stocks are much smaller, especially in the forend.

While we're on that subject, are the current SAI walnut stocks and the USGI walnut stocks the same size, weight and shape?

 

[PigBat]

You want one because they're too awesome to not have one, simple as that. Same as the 1911.
Guns are like women and cars: men choose them, not simply for what they can do or how they look, but for how they make us feel.

Stocks at Fulton Armory in USGI fiberglass, walnut and birch, light, medium and heavy (plus the tacticool stocks):
Fulton Armory - M14/M1A Stocks