I own one. All of this stuff is well-known, it's just that you have the nostalgia crowd that's pushing the gun as amazing with zero clue. I'd love to see someone take their M14 Scout or SOCOM to a carbine class and see how well it compared to an AR-15 or any other good modern rifle; you'd discover the answer is "not well".Although I have never owned an M1A, I have heard EXACTLY the same sentiment from those that have shot M1A's competitively; and from multiple sources.