My thoughts were:
Carbon fiber stock
Lighter modern alloy (reduce weight)
Precision rifling
Option of a little longer barrel and scope mounts??
It is hard to improve on the clean lines of the M1. It is a military weapon of the old school. It was the finest ever made in it’s day, and still a formidable choice today.
I agree. The M1A SOCOM shown here is a better choice than the M1. Its modern materials, lighter weight, 20 round detachable magazine and availability of 7.62mm NATO ammo worldwide makes it a winner IMHO. A modern, real M14 would be even better.