AR10 or M1A pros and cons

[Profreedomokie]

I have owned and shot both. The M1A is a top notch cool factor gun but, that's it. The AR10 is more accurate,easier to clear,easier to work on, more aftermarket accessories made for it, easier on the brass and your shoulder. A friend just traded a M1A National Match and bought a DPMS AR10 M4 and loves it.

 

[justinsaneok]

I've been looking into a .308 myself and plan on a DPMS AR 10 after going back and forth for a year or so. I'd really like a POF AR 10 but it's a dream with my current money situation. One day though. My friends got a few DPMS ar 10s and they are freakishly accurate for the price. Has never had one fail out of all 4 he owns and everyone else who shoots on his range. He sells a butt load of them and never had one come back or heard a foul word about them.

 

[03on22s]

I love my AR's, but I wouldn't trade my M1a for anything. It just feels like it means business when I shoot it.

 

[djcorrell]

If you want.it.to shoot...dpms lr308 out of the box, just add a good trigger. If you want.to sit on the couch and play with it, get the m1a. I can spend my time petting garands and 03's. But that is after the shooting is done.

 

[henschman]

Alright first off guys, we need to get our terminology straight. "AR-10" refers to a specific make of rifle... namely an Armalite. Some people in here lumped the DPMS LR-308 in as an "AR-10," which it is not. While they are both .308 ARs, they are totally different patterns and very few of their parts are compatible. There is also a difference in the quality level between the two, which is reflected in the price -- DPMS' tend to be several hundred cheaper than Armalites. Then there are higher-end ones like LaRue, Noveske, KAC, etc. that are more.

"M1A" also refers to a specific make: Springfield Armory, Inc's semi auto version of the M-14. It is not the only type of semi auto M-14 available, either. I would say it is an upper-mid level company on quality, similar to Armalite. You can get all mil-spec M-14s that are higher quality, for a higher price. You can also get Chinese M-14s that are overall a little lower quality, for a lower price.

Accuracy wise, standard model M1As tend to shoot a little over 1 MOA. Standard AR-10s tend to shoot a little under 1 MOA. Optics-wise, the M1A requires a scope mount and a raised cheek rest to mount optics, whereas with an AR-10 (assuming it is a flat top), you can just mount your optics to the top rail with either a one-piece mount or some high rings. Iron sights-wise, the M1A has a longer sight radius and the sights are a little easier to adjust. When it comes to reliability, it's hard to quantify the difference, other than to say that M1As have a better reputation for it, though it generally only shows up under hard use (high round count, sustained fire, limited opportunity for cleaning). Not that Armalites are that bad on reliability... they actually have one of the best (if not the best) reliability reputations among the .308 ARs. When it comes to weight, they are really close... in a plastic stock, the M1A is about half a pound lighter than the AR, but in a wood or fiberglass stock it is about the same (that's comparing a 22" standard barreled M1A versus a 20" standard barreled AR-10). They both have lifetime warranties and a good reputation for customer service.

Both have their fanboys who will tell you that there is no other way to go, but if you look at it dispassionately, you can see they both have their pluses and their minuses for different applications. Usually the guys who sware the M-14 platform is the only way to go mean for a "2nd Amendment Purpose" rifle, whereas the guys who sware the .308 AR platform is the only way to go mean for shooting the tiniest possible groups on paper, or for long range precision. And there is some truth to both of those assertions. But for the purposes of the average shooter who just wants to have some fun at the range, I don't think you would be sorry either way.

Heck, if you've already got your hands on both, you can probably already tell which one you lean more towards, so just pick one and buy it! They both have pretty damn good resale value as far as firearms go, so if you wind up not liking it, you can always sell it and buy the other kind.

 

[MLRyan]

I'm not sure on the manufacturer of the T26. It's back in Mississippi so I can't really check. I pretty sure it's not an original T26(that would be worth major bank). I got from my grandpa, who bought it back when he was in the Marines. Only 150 T26s were made, so I'm about 99.99% positive it isn't original.

 

[Perplexed]

I'm not sure on the manufacturer of the T26. It's back in Mississippi so I can't really check. I pretty sure it's not an original T26(that would be worth major bank). I got from my grandpa, who bought it back when he was in the Marines. Only 150 T26s were made, so I'm about 99.99% positive it isn't original.

Where did you get the 150-count figure? Are you talking of the M1's that were converted by field armories in the Pacific during WW2? Those were pretty rough conversions that did not get the official "T26" designation. There was only one actual T26 made by Springfield Armory, plus two prototypes equipped with folding metal stocks and designated M1E5. The T26 is thought to have been destroyed during testing, so no known T26's survive. What's left are the field conversions and possibly the two M1E5's, though I don't know where those are other than a few in museums.

Now if you're talking about the commercially-produced "tanker" Garands from the 1950s or later...

 

[MLRyan]

Where did you get the 150-count figure? Are you talking of the M1's that were converted by field armories in the Pacific during WW2? Those were pretty rough conversions that did not get the official "T26" designation. There was only one actual T26 made by Springfield Armory, plus two prototypes equipped with folding metal stocks and designated M1E5. The T26 is thought to have been destroyed during testing, so no known T26's survive. What's left are the field conversions and possibly the two M1E5's, though I don't know where those are other than a few in museums.

Now if you're talking about the commercially-produced "tanker" Garands from the 1950s or later...

Wiki of course...duh...

To emphasize the need for rapid action, he requested the Ordnance arm of the U.S. 6th Army in the Philippines to make up 150 18" barreled M1 rifles for service trials, sending another of the rifles by special courier to U.S. Army Ordnance officials at Aberdeen as a demonstration that the M1 could be easily modified to the new configuration.[41][43][45][46] Although the T26 was never approved for production, at least one 18" barreled M1 rifle was used in action in the Philippines by troopers in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (503rd PIR).

Of course, being Wiki, means it might be completely wrong...

 

[Perplexed]

The Wiki article actually got it right, though the author could have made the difference more clear between the field conversions and the T26 prototype. I didn't know that the field-converted M1's were used in action, though it doesn't surprise me one bit. The supply lines in the Pacific theater got rather tenuous at times, so pressing these converted M1's into service might have seemed like an expedient move.

 

[ripnbst]

Pick a number between 1 and 20 and tell me what it is, then I'll tell you which one you should buy.

It's personal preference IMO.