I've looked at an AR-10, but I've never fired one at the range. How does the bolt stand up to long term use? Apparently the AR-15 with the 7.62x39 upper gives the bolt assembly quite a beating. What are the relative pros/cons of the AR10 vs M1A?
Not a problem. The M-1A doesn’t have any of the good handling ability of the AR-10. Even the Garand has a better balance than the M-1A.
The M-1A also has the problem of needing an armorer to continue it’s accuracy. Look at the repair books for the Garand and the M1A. They have about four hundred pages. The books on the AR series mostly cover reloading.
Just make sure you buy a later version. The earlier versions had a problem with the ramp feed. If you get one that has problems, the guys at Armalite are more than happy to honor the warrantee.
My son owns the AR-10. I’m stuck with the M-1A.