Maintenance - AR308 pattern vs. M1A

[Legasat]

Which is easier to maintain? Please include your thoughts about disassembly, cleaning, replacing parts, etc.

I am going to buy a semi-automatic .308 soon. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.

[Bhobbs]

I have an AR15 and an M1 Garand which is similar to the M1a and I would say the M1 is way easier to field strip and clean.

[Josh3239]

I think the AR is. What is harder than popping two pins and pulling the charging handle? Need to lubricate? Just drip some oil into the vent holes.

[FMJBT]

I'd say the AR is easier to maintain and repair. Maintaining the M-14 (M1A) in the military has become a lost art, not many armorers remain who know all the tricks to keeping them running correctly. The AR platform is a bit more intuitive for most people to figure out from what I have seen.

[Jpach]

I think the AR is. What is harder than popping two pins and pulling the charging handle? Need to lubricate? Just drip some oil into the vent holes.

This.

Need to clean your BCG? Push out the rear pin and pull the BCG out.

Thats about it. Plus you can clean from the chamber to the muzzle, unlike the M1/M1A.

Its very very simple.

[pyro3k2]

are we including replacement parts, cost or parts, and availability of the replacement parts in this question? eventually every part on a gun will break and need to be fixed or replaced.

[FeuerFrei]

AR10 type is definitely easier to repair or clean.
However the M1A requires very little to keep it going and mine has never failed to eat any type of ammo I fed it. No parts breakage experienced either, ( my own experience).
+1 for using my original hi-caps in the M1A.

[Black Majik]

Definitely the AR10. Especially if you have any sort of optics mount on the stripper clip guide in your M1A/M14, good luck getting your bolt out. In CA I prefer the M1A because it's featureless, but the AR platform will be easier to maintain.

[MadMax]

AR series are so much easiar to maintain and clean than the M1A.

[IEShooter]

Cleaning

[QUOTE=Jpach;4094467]This.

Thats about it. Plus you can clean from the chamber to the muzzle, unlike the M1/M1A.QUOTE]

Really?!?!? Well, I guess I better stop cleaning my M1A from chamber to muzzle then.

Granted, you can't do it with a rod, but I don't use rods. I much prefer my OTIS cable system.

Having said that, neither of them are hard to clean. Once you do it 2-3 times, you'll have it down pat.

All things considered, my thoughts are that the AR platform is a bit easier, but like I said, I don't think anyone who owns an M1A would consider it a hard gun to clean.

Right now, I only have a "standard" AR in .223, but will soon be joining you and building a .308 version.

Regards,

John

[slopoke]

I don't know squat about cleaning and maintenance of a AR weapon. But as far as repairs go outside of normal wear and tear,M1As have a "lifetime warranty" from Springfield. The warranty states that it is for the initial purchaser, but I have heard that they have taken care of second owners of their weapons.

"Springfield, Inc. warrants to the initial retail purchaser that the products it sells will be free of defects in workmanship or material during his or her lifetime as long as he or she owns the product."

[Josh3239]

Many AR companies have lifetime or very good warrantys. And unlike an M1A the repairs aren't a heachache. If something happens to my bolt I can just go out and buy another one, pop it in, and keep on shooting. No worries about headspace and AR15 bolts and other parts are everywhere.

[vf111]

To me, they're both about the same maintenance wise - once you figure how to do both it's pretty much 6 or half-dozen. Besides you're going to wind up with at least one of each anyways....