Marginal point but it irks me nevertheless, and when I part with $900+ on hardware I don't like to be irked at all. So think of the needs of your first rifle based on the ammo (and don't overlook shooting cost if you're into recreation/practice) and go from there.ĮDIT: add to Duffy's post that SA is very slow to accomidate the AWB expitation and in addition to not offering a flash suppressor, they don't offer a bayonet lug either. If you are a modern battle rifle enthusiast you should have a platform for. The AR is easier to customize and add more shit to, including change of calibur and then there is the cost of ammunition to figure. If you can afford both eventually I suggest you do that. Neither rifle is mil-spec, but you can get a closer version with the AR platform than the M1 Platform. The current competition for the M1A is the US made FAL, or an AR-10 (and some could argue an apples to oranges comparison there, but a comparison btw an M1A & an AR-10 is a far better matchup than an M1A & an AR-15) Then you can compare rifles that accept the round. You must consider your uses, then figure out what round suits your needs best.

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