M1 garand vs M1a

[Orlando]

This M1A is all USGI TRW parts built on a SAI receiver and shes a shooter. I have no issues with SAI receivers


100 yds with surplus ammo

[melloman]

Good looking rifle. Did you paint that stock yourself?

[Orlando]

No not me, I have no skills

[corpsman]

The two rifles are very similar, and will provide similar accuracy.

Any M1A / M14 you get today will have a commercial receiver. Some of these are forged (big $$$) others like the Springfield M1A are cast. The Garand is 100% USGI (in most cases), with a hammer forged receiver. The operating principal is very similar to the M14 (M1a is a trademarked name from the commercial Springfield Armory Inc. Company, but the rifle is a Semi Auto Clone of the M14 Service Rifle). They even share a lot of parts.

The Big M14 'advantages' over the M1 are:
1. Easier to scope
2. detachable mag (arguable is this is better or not. Mags can be finiky and expensive, the M1 Garand Enbloc clip design just works, they are cheap, and plentiful. A skilled rifleman can insert an enbloc faster than changing a mag)
3. Gas Piston Design (not really a big deal, you can bend Garand oprods but it's rare)
4. Bolt Roller (no biggie here, Garand bolts work just fine)
5. Surplus ammo is still being produced. (HXP is still cheaper from CMP, but will eventually dry up)

Garand Advantages:
1. Parts are by far more available and a lot cheaper. NOS USGI Garand bolts are ~$75, NOS USGI M14 Bolts ~$400.
2. All USGI Parts
3. Hammer Forged Receivers
4. You can own a rifle actually used in combat. All original M14s are select fire and not readily available to civilians.
5. Rifle is cheaper. $625 CMP SG vs $1200 M1A (high end rifles are more)

Justin

Excellent post sir. I find satisfaction in encountering someone who has made exactly the same observations I have.
The issue is which platform is more effective with respect to a full power battle rifles main function. Suppressive fire.
I own several examples of both platforms and generally prefer the Garand for range shooting and hunting. The box
magazine does not lend itself as well to suppressive fire as the en-bloc clip. Not saying the box magazine is ineffective.

[corpsman]

This M1A is all USGI TRW parts built on a SAI receiver and shes a shooter. I have no issues with SAI receivers


100 yds with surplus ammo

Recently purchased a newish standard M1A. Sr # 30x,xxx. The stock had been sprayed with truck bed liner and the hand guard was missing. Had a couple hand guards so no huhu. The rifle was inconsistently suffering ignition failures. The primers showed a nearly deep enough strike. Head space. Took the bolt apart. No obvious issues. Failed to check the interface of the bolt and the receiver rails. The smith spotted it instantly. So he lapped the bolt. Fixed. Point is, it obviously came from the factory that way. I attempted to get the support folks at SAI to do a bolt swap, but they wanted the whole she-bang and promised to have it back to me "soon". Last I heard their backlog was many weeks. No thanks. One would think a well established manufacturer like SAI would have adequate QA procedures.

[Orlando]

My rifle is not a SAI build , it was just built on a SAI reciever. I agree a bad rifle should not have gone out but not sure how much better customer support you can ask for though? SAI was going to fix it free. I'm sure they wanted the who rifle back so they could go over it and make sure there were no other issues.
I'm not sticking up for them but they do even warrenty their M1A's to second, third owners etc which is pretty much unheard of in any industry

Just curious how you determine the "magazine does not lend itself as well to suppressive fire as the en-bloc clip."
20 rd mag or a 8 rd enbloc, IMO the 20 rd mag wins hands down for suppressive fire?

[jbkf1003]

Just curious how you determine the "magazine does not lend itself as well to suppressive fire as the en-bloc clip."
20 rd mag or a 8 rd enbloc, IMO the 20 rd mag wins hands down for suppressive fire?

Not to put words in the posters mouth, but mags need to be repacked, depending on how many mags you carry, determines how long you can fire without spending time to repack mags.

Enbloc clips are cheap, and you can have hundreds if not thousands of rounds ready to go.

Justin

[Orlando]

True but I think the limiting factor is you can only carry so much ammo. 20 rds in a mag vs 8 rds in a enbloc, the mag wins hands down every time
Just my opinion ,yours may vary

FYI, I own more Garands than I do M1A's

[jbkf1003]

True but I think the limiting factor is you can only carry so much ammo. 20 rds in a mag vs 8 rds in a enbloc, the mag wins hands down every time
Just my opinion ,yours may vary

FYI, I own more Garands than I do M1A's

No problem, it's just one of those topics that will be debated on the internet and never get resolved.

Now what do you guys think of 45 vs 9mm. (kidding, we all know that 9mm will only kill your body but a 45 kills your soul)

[Orlando]

MY everyday carry is 45 ACP but my most enjoyable range pistol is the Berretta M9 9MM