Shooting Bruce's M1A evoked some fine memories, in addition to being highly accurate and pleasant to fire. If someone wants a GOOD example of the M-14/M1A variants for shooting and overall enjoyment, I can recommend the Fulton Armory examples like those that Bruce owns without reservation.
Personal preference maybe.....I shoot Garand-based rifles a LOT better than I do "new pattern" (AR-15, HK-91, FN-LAR) designs. I know damn well that AR's are intrinsically a LOT more accurate than are Mini-14's, but all that aside--I still hit critters better with the Mini. Maybe it's all that smog I've breathed in since birth here in the People's Respooblik--or perhaps all those chemicals I was around during my drug lab days--have altered my chromosomes or something.
As much as I enjoy the M1A, the cost of running them caused me to sell the example I had, as well as an HK-91 that was due to become an assault rifle when CA lost its mind permanently and irretrievably in 1989. The success of Bruce's cast boolit work in his rifle causes me to re-think this matter. Rather than hijack this thread, I'll start another that deals with the subject of Mini-14's and cast boolits.