M1A or AR 15

[thinkinblue613]

I was wondering what you guys think about these two rifles. I just picked up my Remington 870 last night and love it. The next gun on my list would be one of those two rifles. I wanted your input on what would work better for my preferences.

I want a rifle that is accurate long and short range. Easy to maintain, not too much of a hassle in California and won't get too much attention from the Police if I get pulled over for whatever.

How long does it take to load a locked magazine on the AR-15?

Would the M1A be a better choice for me because I would prefer to have a rifle with no hassles on the range. (Detachable magazine)

And which of the two rifles would be cheaper to buy or build, maintain and customize?

[5hundo]

In the current political climate, the M1A will certainly give you less hassles.

[gcvt]

It's not at all difficult to build a fully California compliant AR style rifle...but parts are getting expensive and hard to find.

[Artery]

I've been a long time M1A/M14/M21 owner, and just finished my first AR build.

Regarding mag changes, let me just say that unless you get the mag change 'the first try' on the M1A, the bullet button mag AR can be nearly as or just as fast. The M1A mag release is horribly awkward. Its not a linear motion like it is on the AR (or nearly any other magazine fed rifle) its a 'up and back' motion that is very awkward.

That said, at the risk of getting yelled at, the M1A is the more accurate platform. if anyone wants to debate that, just look at what designated marksmen in the military shoot (save for the specially modified AR platforms). Not sure what your definition of 'accurate' and 'long range' are. For most shooters, the accuracy of either rifle is very acceptable.

.223 is way cheaper than .308, sometimes nearly half the price. If you plan on hunting, the .308 is much more versatile.

Reliability is a double edged sword, all things being equal the M1A is probably more reliable, but consider that the AR is more likely to be rapidly fired, increasing the likelyhood for malfunction and thus adding to its negative reliability image. The AR is very easy to clean, much easier than the M1A, which must be separated from the stock to clean thoroughly, though it needs to be cleaned less frequently.


The AR is cheaper to build and MUCH easier to customize, but the M1A is probably easier/cheaper to maintain.

It sounds to me like you want an M1A. The M1A isn't going to get banned anytime soon (knock on wood.) No one will give you a hard time for it, it has a history of serving this country in one form or another continuously for ~70 years (as the Garand, M14, and M21.) If you can afford it, go for it.

They're threads and threads on this, that's just my 2 cents.

[bornproud]

[mark2203]

I have and really like my AR but want the M1A Socom II. It's a sweet rifle, but heavy. It's around $1800 and can be purchased off the shelf.

[mark2203]

Also, I'm not sure if this Vltor modstock is a legal upgrade for it in CA.

[Overkill]

^^ Not unless you have a fixed magazine

[randy]

M1A or M1A Scout. Stay away from the Socomm and the Socomm Cheese grator model. Then buy lots of mags, then get training, and more training. Then get some training for your 870 and more training for it. Now you are ready to practice and then buy an AR.

One of my AR uppers cost more than my M1A did.

[Paratus et Vigilans]

You've got to balance your stated factors to make a decision.

The M1A costs more to acquire and to shoot (.308/7.62 is significantly more expensive than .223/5.56). It is also less likely to get you unwanted attention from LEO's, as long as you don't put a flash hider or a stock with a pistol grip or telescoping or folding buttstock on it. If you want to put optics on it, the options for doing that are more limited and more expensive than doing so on an AR-15. Assuming you get a full length barrel on it and not a SOCOM or a Scout, the M1A will reach out and touch someone further away than the AR-15. The AR-15 is very accurate at long range, maybe more so than the M1A, but if you're shooting more than paper, the M1A is more likely to get the job done at longer range.

The initial acquisition cost of an AR-15 is about half that of the M1A, and it costs a lot less to shoot it. It is also easier to shoot the AR-15 proficiently and it is easier to put optics on it. The downside is that it does run a risk of an ignorant LEO giving you problems for a perfectly legal rifle (assuming you keep it legal and don't create an illegal AW out of carelessness or ignorance). It requires more frequent and more detailed cleaning than the M1A. If you go hog wild on mall ninja accessories for an AR-15, you can easily make it more expensive than the M1A.

I'm sure there are more factors out there that could be listed, but I think these address your stated concerns.

[Beelzy]

Get an AR.

More practical for today's urban roles.

Carry more ammo, less overpenatration, quick to get into action.

Added bonus: when the SHTF, there will be plenty more ARs around for parts
and mags.

[tenring]

M1A or M1A Scout. Stay away from the Socomm and the Socomm Cheese grator model. Then buy lots of mags, then get training, and more training. Then get some training for your 870 and more training for it. Now you are ready to practice and then buy an AR.

One of my AR uppers cost more than my M1A did.

+1 M1A Scout is hard to beat. Standard gas system and no cheese graters to tear your hands up. It' also the least expensive model!
No problems at the range but ammo is pricey.

[baldoHHO]

Ar15 in 6.5 Grendel which has about 40% less recoil than MIA and Wolf ammo now available in 120 grain Softpoint & MPT(multipurpose tactical)
can be had for 10-11 bucks a box. Overall lighter than MIA, cheap good ammo and better bc & knockdown than 223/5.56..Threre are now at least
a handfull 6.5 Grendel maker to my knowledge.

[Darklyte27]

I had this same debate a month or two ago.
i wanted to finish the ar since it was more likely to encounter any political issues.

M1A will come as my priority since i just finished my build.

[glockman19]

I have a M1A loaded and 2 AR's. I like the AR's but in a situation would choose the M1A. I prefer the 7.62 round over the 5.56.

I will be getting another AR upper, a varmint Stag model 6, but will also get a M1A Scout model before any AWB takes effect.

Also, in an urban enviornment, you can hide behind a brick, block, metal or wood wall and the 5.56 will not get to you...however, the 7.62 will rip throught all of those materials leaving no place to hide.