Why are M1A's so expensive?

[hkruss]

... and scarce?

I had been toying with the idea of buying one as this is one of my dream guns, but the cheapest ones I find are going from around $1600 to upwards of $2600!
So seriously, why are they that expensive?

On top of that, all my local dealers say they aren't getting many of them in. A couple of dealers told me that Springfield doesn't seem to be in any big hurry to produce them. So maybe I'm answering my own question. They keep the inventory artificially low, and that drives the prices up, right?

So then the question would be, why would they purposely keep the inventory low? Sure it will cause prices to go up, but I feel sure they would make just as much by producing more, selling at a lower price, but make up for it in volume sales.

So what is your take on this?



.

[bntyhntr6975]

I didn't realize they were going for that high. A buddy of mine is thinking of selling his to fund something else. Its a standard model in very good condition and asking $1250 with half dozen mags. They shoot real nice, I do know that much about them.

[Albtraum]

I don't know of any other sub MOA, semi-auto, .308 rifles out there that can compare to the M1A.

[gun runner]

Buds Gun Shop has plenty of them. They are very nice weapons, now Im going to buy one soon. I dont know why they are so expensive though.
Nothing better than a M1A .308 caliber with a 10+1 round capacity

[LDBennett]

I looked into an M1A but the pricing was just too high. I don't compete so I just could not justify buying one. it was the historical aspect that was driving me.

But you know the M1A is just a M1 Garand with a box magazine and a few other changes. The M1 Garand shoots 30-06 ammo rather than 308 and 30-06 on paper has more velocity potential.

The bargain of the Century is the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Garands. For a little over $600 you can get a service grade gun. It is out of storage, usually in excellent shape with little throat or muzzle wear. Some even sport new stocks (but not all). For $1000 you can get a completely rebuilt M1 Garand (Special Grade) that includes a new stock, a match grade Criterian new barrel, and all the metal work re-parkerized. This one is virtually a new gun. (The receiver is usually a Springfield WWII receiver in excellent condition).

With the Criterian barrel some have documented one MOA shooting.

Just food for thought. But there are special requirement to be eligible to buy these guns. See:

http://www.TheCMP.org/Sales/m1garand.htm


LDBennett

[436]

Why? Because they work, and they can I guess.
It’s a great rifle, Afghanistan and its shooting distance’s have shown the Military it’s still in the game. Even before that, the Seal’s knew how well they worked in operation(s) where range, power and reliability were the deciding factors in the fight.
The M14 is a great rifle on its own, but the M1A is what the M14 should’ve been in the beginning.
So demand is high, as is the price.
I have an M1A in the (loaded) Blk stock, NM match sight, match tuned trigger, NM med barrel, NM flash hider; it shoots like a dream. It looks like the going price for that aforementioned rifle is’.., $1450.00 and change.
436

[raven818]

Tis a beauty indeed.

[al45lc]

The O.P. answered his own question..scarcity. Supply and demand, the lower the supply and the higher the demand, the greater the price.
Doubtful they are artificially keeping the supply low, probably just can't keep up.
And NO ONE in their right mind in that business in this economy with this administration is going to take a chance on an expansion when it may be for naught.

[al45lc]

Originally Posted by Albtraum

I don't know of any other sub MOA, semi-auto, .308 rifles out there that can compare to the M1A.

A properly set up L1A1 or FN-FAL would. The Israelis used air gauged barrels and reportedly got excellent accuracy.

[3/2 STA SS]

Originally Posted by al45lc

A properly set up L1A1 or FN-FAL would. The Israelis used air gauged barrels and reportedly got excellent accuracy.

The Galil in .308 as well...

[hkruss]

Hey 436 ... I'm drooling over those pictures!

And LD, I bought a CMP Garand a couple of years ago.
I absolutely love it, but I still want that M1A! Looks like it's gonna be a little too pricey for me though.



.

[LDBennett]

hkruss:

I have bought several CMP Garands including the Kimber 82G. All were excellent. They were so good infact I dumped my 1945 Springfield (Korean import) that was made in the last month of WWII. It did not shoot up to my standards especially compared to the other CMP Garands. I especially like my Special grade with it excellent new barrel and new stock.

I thought I wanted the next generation Garand, the M1A, but the pricing drove me away after seeing several in the local stores. They have no special fit and finish that my Special Garand does not have but they may have better accuracy (??). It should be remembered that before the M1A was the match gun for Military style matches the Garand was the goto gun for that purpose. The Garand can be made to shoot extremely well too. The design is the same except for a couple of details as the M1A. I chucked the idea of having a M1A.

But it is not the only accurate Military semi-auto. Try a PTR 91 (H&K G91 308 clone) or a FN FAL. I have both plus a Hakim (8mm Egyptian). All shoot very well especially the PTR 91 which is really a new gun. The FAL is an Enterprise Arms Chilean remake. All are California legal too. I also have Beretta made Garand that does OK too.

The bottom line is you don't have to pay $1500 and up to get a good example of a military semi-auto in 308 or 8mm, especially if you don't compete. And one MOA is not all the exceptional in my experience with the many guns I own. I know, the M1A is a winner but many of us don't have to have THE winner and just want reasonable accuracy. I think the PTR 91 might give the M1A a chase for accuracy (??).

LDBennett

[3/2 STA SS]

I had a Polytech M-14 10 years ago that fired as well as any Springfield. It wasn't the prettiest rifle but it held it's own against some much more expensive rifles.

[Packrat76]

About 24yrs ago I traded for a NM-M1A that had most of the accessories with it, including a paratrooper stock and a E2 stock. The accuracy of the rifle is 1/4 moa with canadian 1V1 .308 ammo. 1-1/2 with us ball or handloads, why I don't know. I recently sold off the extra stocks at auction and almost paid for the rifle itself. No way would I shuck out $2000 now for the same gun. I believe the old supply & demand factor is the reason for the high prices.

[hkruss]

Good points LD.

Yeah, I would probably be better served to buy one of the 'special grade' Garands, or just rebarrel my current Garand.

Guess I will have to keep dreaming until I get rich.


COME ON LOTTO!!!



.

[JasonS]

Originally Posted by 436

Why? Because they work, and they can I guess.
It’s a great rifle, Afghanistan and its shooting distance’s have shown the Military it’s still in the game. Even before that, the Seal’s knew how well they worked in operation(s) where range, power and reliability were the deciding factors in the fight.
The M14 is a great rifle on its own, but the M1A is what the M14 should’ve been in the beginning.
So demand is high, as is the price.
I have an M1A in the (loaded) Blk stock, NM match sight, match tuned trigger, NM med barrel, NM flash hider; it shoots like a dream. It looks like the going price for that aforementioned rifle is’.., $1450.00 and change.
436

Superb looking weapon you got their. Just started looking into these types of guns and keep being pulled back to that, but the initial cost and cost of rounds keeps me at bay so far, I may get something more affordable for now and save slowly for one of these, its truly beautiful.

[bobski]

hmm, well lets see if can help some.
when the sand box broke out, most if not all USGI parts were sold back to the govt to build weapons.
nws crane, (huge govt surplus supplier of graveyard parts) stopped selling them and switched to building 14's (M21 types)
about the same time, you may have noticed most of the surplus 7.62 nato went scarce as it was diverted to combat.
this meant the only source for M1a parts became parts junkies, and those with whole guns saw the market and striped many to sell parts to hungry buyers.
the panic insued, and everything from worn usgi parts to chinese parts were passed off as real or new parts.
springfiled armory, who has of course govt contracts in place to supply parts to replace all the depleated stores of 14 parts has for the most part, put civilian sales in second place to govt needs.
so, they poop them out slowly, and of course they market them to mimick the funky rails and techno crap that people like and put on them to boost sales.
1. they got you waiting.
2. the set the trap.
3. they make funky guns, and you buy them based on how cool they look, knowing full well 99% of you buyers wont even shoot them past 300 yds on a regular basis.(where the gun really shines)
they got it all sewn up pretty neat.

fact, the last real usgi part was made in 1971.
fact, to find a usgi built gun is rare.
fact springfield armory is NOT a usgi gun.
fact NM doesnt mean its usgi. it just means its to NM standards.
1/2 of what makes a M1a really accurate is not done to civilian springfield M1a's. though, the gun is sold as (loaded) its full of loaded parts, but it doesnt mean it was match fitted and hand picked by a skilled smith to NM moa. ballpark, yes. tlc and testing, no.
fact a true M1a designed to mimick a real 14 should have a bbl designed to shoot usgi nato 7.62, not 308. make sure you ask for that.
fact anyone can slap together a gun with all NM parts. doesnt mean its a true match gun.
a real M1a built to M21 or M24 standards should run you about 4000.00 today. i just sold mine. only had 100 rounds in it. ever since NWS dam neck gave the 600yd range solely to the seal teams, they kicked out the civilian clubs, retirees, and marines. so, i no longer had a 600yd range to shoot it. it just became a paper weight, so i sold it.

sadly, 1/2 of you M1a owners wouldnt know a used part from a new part when you buy your M1a's. its one of the reasons why there arent many used ones. people are leary. once a guy finds he's got a good one, he keeps it. most used ive seen are abused and worn out. so, thats why you wait for SA to poop out new ones. you are banking on a new one to be worth it. not always. then again, if all you do is shoot it to 200 or even worse, 100 yards, they know you wouldnt know the difference between a good gun or a gun slapped together to look cool, for a quick sale.
ive shot enough to be able to talk with some authority, so please, i wont argue with you.
in my opinion, the best M1a is one you commission an old 14 gunsmith(ex armorer) to build you a match gun. let HIM pick and fit the parts. you may have to wait 2 or 3 years, but when its done, youll have a gun that can shoot 4" moa at 600yds all day.

but if all you want is to own a cool looking gun, SA is the way to go. enjoy the line.

[Fast Forward]

I got one on order and I,ll wait as long as it takes

[Lee D]

theres nothing like an M1A/M14 rifle. my Socom is the funnest gun in my collection, but they are pricey to feed. one bit of advice, buy Checkmate mags, they make the SAi mags, but cost half the price of the SA ones, and are 100% reliable

[Lee D]

Originally Posted by bobski

hmm, well lets see if can help some.
when the sand box broke out, most if not all USGI parts were sold back to the govt to build weapons.
nws crane, (huge govt surplus supplier of graveyard parts) stopped selling them and switched to building 14's (M21 types)
about the same time, you may have noticed most of the surplus 7.62 nato went scarce as it was diverted to combat.
this meant the only source for M1a parts became parts junkies, and those with whole guns saw the market and striped many to sell parts to hungry buyers.
the panic insued, and everything from worn usgi parts to chinese parts were passed off as real or new parts.
springfiled armory, who has of course govt contracts in place to supply parts to replace all the depleated stores of 14 parts has for the most part, put civilian sales in second place to govt needs.
so, they poop them out slowly, and of course they market them to mimick the funky rails and techno crap that people like and put on them to boost sales.
1. they got you waiting.
2. the set the trap.
3. they make funky guns, and you buy them based on how cool they look, knowing full well 99% of you buyers wont even shoot them past 300 yds on a regular basis.(where the gun really shines)
they got it all sewn up pretty neat.

fact, the last real usgi part was made in 1971.
fact, to find a usgi built gun is rare.
fact springfield armory is NOT a usgi gun.
fact NM doesnt mean its usgi. it just means its to NM standards.
1/2 of what makes a M1a really accurate is not done to civilian springfield M1a's. though, the gun is sold as (loaded) its full of loaded parts, but it doesnt mean it was match fitted and hand picked by a skilled smith to NM moa. ballpark, yes. tlc and testing, no.
fact a true M1a designed to mimick a real 14 should have a bbl designed to shoot usgi nato 7.62, not 308. make sure you ask for that.
fact anyone can slap together a gun with all NM parts. doesnt mean its a true match gun.
a real M1a built to M21 or M24 standards should run you about 4000.00 today. i just sold mine. only had 100 rounds in it. ever since NWS dam neck gave the 600yd range solely to the seal teams, they kicked out the civilian clubs, retirees, and marines. so, i no longer had a 600yd range to shoot it. it just became a paper weight, so i sold it.

sadly, 1/2 of you M1a owners wouldnt know a used part from a new part when you buy your M1a's. its one of the reasons why there arent many used ones. people are leary. once a guy finds he's got a good one, he keeps it. most used ive seen are abused and worn out. so, thats why you wait for SA to poop out new ones. you are banking on a new one to be worth it. not always. then again, if all you do is shoot it to 200 or even worse, 100 yards, they know you wouldnt know the difference between a good gun or a gun slapped together to look cool, for a quick sale.
ive shot enough to be able to talk with some authority, so please, i wont argue with you.
in my opinion, the best M1a is one you commission an old 14 gunsmith(ex armorer) to build you a match gun. let HIM pick and fit the parts. you may have to wait 2 or 3 years, but when its done, youll have a gun that can shoot 4" moa at 600yds all day.

but if all you want is to own a cool looking gun, SA is the way to go. enjoy the line.

thank you for that excellent post...true in so many ways. im not afraid to admit im by no means a knowledgable guy when its concerning the M14 platform, but hey, im reading, reading and doing some more reading. the m14forum has helped me out considerably. it took me awhile to finally have the money saved up for my first M1A, and i went for the Socom16(i love carbines), i didnt like that VLTOR crap on the SocomII. my next will hopefully be a basic model that will be built using LRB parts. evidently their recievers are as good as it gets and a great start for a top shelf rifle.

[azimuth]

I have an older M1A that has been a fine rifle. Although I have several M1's, the M1A seems to be a more accurate shooter for me. While today's prices are pretty steep, the M1A's seem to hold their value well enough that you shouldn't lose much on it if you decide to sell it somewhere down the road.

[Fast Forward]

Originally Posted by Fast Forward

I got one on order and I,ll wait as long as it takes

Up Date It,s Here,,,my New National Match with the SS Barrel and a Wood stock

[raven818]

Very nice. Time to see how hot that barrel will get.

[436]

Fast Forward,
Sweet..... have fun. Here's something you might think about down the road.. This is my light load out for the M1A, it's 5+1-20 round mag's of .308 168gr "one mag" has 5 rounds APIT mixed in, Glock 20 in a Blackhawk CQC Serpa 6+1-15 round mag's of 10mm 180gr... half HP and half FMJ, 1 Bud Nealy 5" pesh-kabz knife, 1 SOF Tactical Tourniquet, normally I have a Garmin 650 GPS and Quik-Clot Combat Gauze, with a Russel Chest Seal in the center, shoulder and back panel area of rig.. The rig comes from Tactical Tailor who is just out side of JBLM
http://ImageEvent.com/swat/m1a1
436

[aa1911]

why? because they can do this with iron sights and some average reloads:

100m prone supported



and they never jam. Best gas rifle ever made to date yet IMO