Hi, new to the site, and am looking at getting a semi-auto .308. I was looking at getting a Rock River Arms, when a friend of mine suggested getting a Springfield Armory M1A. The RRA seems to have a good reputation for reliability and accuracy, as well as the proven track record of the AR type action. Of course the same can be said about the M1A. Which would you guys chose and why? I will not be doing any competitive shooting or anything, I just want a good rifle to have fun with, and maybe to occasionaly take hunting. Thanks alot, Jesse.

FN/FAL

Being a throwback, I really like my M1A. It is not a black gun or derivitive and harks back to
the M14. A pleasure to shoot, and looks and
feels like my idea of what such a class of weapon should be. I have shot it to 600 meters and could keep it on an 18" square boiler plate. As noted by the highly visible splashes.

Estacado

Love my M1-A.

Wow that's a " Good Question " !.

I enjoy my M1A have handled a FN and a H&K 91 as friends have those .

I Known nothing about RRA other than what's posted on sites such as this one .

I have shot the M1A the FN/FAL amd a AR10 Armalite's 308. I have not shot a RRA 308 but do own a RRA AR15 that shoots subMOA with everything I put in it.

If you like the feel of wood or fiberglass and a more traditional rifle feel the M1A is a good choice. It will also probably get fewer dirty looks at the range. Of the three I like the Fn/Fal, I prefer the AR15 platform as a 223 or 6.5 6.8 version.

Like the ARs in .223, it is probably much easier to run an RRA in "accurate mode" IF you are a guy who likes to change chamberings from time to time. Some extra barrels (which you can switch in and out yourself) and you can run the RRA in .243 Win, .260 Rem, 7mm/08, .308, and .338 Federal, amongst others and get very, very good accuracy from them all.

My last M1A competition gun was an absolute "hummer" which shot a possible in State level offhand competition its first day on the range, but that was after $1,300 of extra work by AAMU folk on top of the purchase price (in 1982 dollars!!)

I've also owned a Match FN/FAL and a real inch-pattern Aussie L1A1, but didn't find them anything like as accurate, and heavy and ungraceful to boot. Used to shoot them as a member of the KOCR Rifle Association (King's Own Calgary Regiment), but really didn't find them as practical as the other two, as a civilian rifle.

Long-winded way of saying why if I was faced with making that choice today, I'd go with the RRA.