Semi-Automatic Center Fire rifle

I have a CMP M1. It works like it should and is good out to 600 yards on zombie-sized targets. The 1A may be better but I was trained with the 30-06
My old drill instructor taught us "if you cannot kill it with 8 rounds of .45 ACP. you should have brought your M1. If you cannot kill it with 8 rounds of 30-06, you should have brought friends." Probably still good advice.

Have had all the guns you mentioned, but one variation of the M1A may be worth a look... a SCOUT SQUAD that has a 18.5" barrel with muzzle break instead of the SOCOM 16.5" barrel.

Had one of the SOCOMs many years ago and sold it...always kind of regretted it... A great deal came in to a local store on a SQUAD and I bought it...really accurate and almost no recoil.

One thing you didn't mention was if you are going to mount a scope on the gun... If that is the case go with the barrel mounted scout scope regardless of what you buy... The barrel on the M1A/Minis has so many pressure points that when the barrel starts heating up the receiver and scope keep looking at the target and the barrel warps and groups take a walk... With the IER style "Scout" scope as the barrel bends so does the scope...

Have a Mini-30 that gave me fits as to accuracy and walking until I read about the Ultimak scout scope mount...installed one and group size went from 6" to less than 2"....and no more walking... Have the Burris 2-7 Scout Scope with the ballistic drop reticle on both rifles and have no problem making hits out past past 400 yards...

Good luck in your quest...

Bob

Peak53 said:

Since you mentioned the Ruger Mini 14, you might want to consider the Mini 30. The old stories about inaccuracy are ... old. Fixed now for about 20 years. A little more thump than a .223, say if you wanted to shoot through something to get at something.

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^^^This^^^.
M1As are nice, but for us old guys, having to pack one around in the field isn't as fun as just shooting one at the range.
A friend brought along his M1A, Mini-14 and M1Carbine to the range last year. I had my two Mini-30s.
Being able to shoot them side by side for a couple hours made me realize how much I like my pair of Mini-30s.

The M1 carbine, while light and handy, was like shooting a .22 compared to the others. It was pretty minimal out at the 200 yard gong.

The M1A, it had the longer range punch, but was like holding up a lead filled boat paddle, and the extra recoil made follow up shots a bit slower. And his standard model wasn't any more accurate than my Mini-30s when shot for group. Sub 2 MOA.

His Mini-14 was accurate, pretty easy to hit the 200 or 300 yard gong. But the difference in striking energy was apparent.
I had just got one of those paddle targets made of AR500 steel that flips around when you hit it.

The Mini-14 wouldn't flip the target around, it just teetered back a few inches. The 7.62 x 39 and 7.62 x 51 flipped the target around to the next paddle with authority.

To me, the Mini-30 is the just-right blend of power, accuracy, weight, reliability and handling.
Even with just a FastFire red dot, I can smack the 300 yard gong every time from sitting, kneeling or prone, and more often than not from the standing position.

Aside from the obvious self defense usage, the Mini-30 makes a great hunting gun for small to average deer and hogs.
I've shot several Montana whitetails with Hornady SST loads, and in a couple weeks I'm headed to Texas to visit relatives and will try to shoot a hog or two with it.
If you want to use your carbine for hunting, the Mini-30 makes more sense, in many states the .22 caliber Mini-14 isn't legal to use.

Don't believe all the horror stories you hear about the Mini-30 on the internet. Take it from someone who knows them inside and out. If you get one, check out the Mini subsection on perfectunion.com, the best pool of knowledge about the Mini carbines.

Don't waste money on aftermarket magazines, stick with Ruger ones. With good magazines, the Mini is one of the most reliable semi autos out there.
It, like the Garand, M1A and M1 Carbine, keeps all the fouling away from the action, and what fouling that occurs at the gas pipe and gas block will not impede functioning.

Don't buy the worst ammo made for the 7.62 x 39 (Tula) and expect stellar results. Red Army Standard, MFS and Brown Bear are much better, and Silver Bear is better yet.
For just a few dollars more per box than the cheapest Russian stuff ($10 instead of $7) you can get Boxer primed, reloadable, brass case like Geco, Fiocchi or PPU if you shop around.

I keep telling myself I'm not going to buy any more guns but find the M1a very temping. I'm just not sure about the recoil and arthritis.

Having owned a fabulous M1A, and being an old guy my own self, I would eliminate it from contention. Too big, too heavy, too much penetration, never mind recoil, for home defense or a day at the range. I dumped mine.

I do agree with this:

A quality AR15 style rifle should be your first choice.

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And, if home defense is important, those AR-15 style pistols with arm braces are just the ticket for that purpose.

So:

I am committed to US Design either the Springfield M1A (Full size or Socom), M14,

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- -

NO

ranch model Ruger Mini14 (current favorite)

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Yes, or the Mini-30

or a distant fourth M1 carbine.

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Also a good choice for HD because of its maneuverability.

Definitely, an AR-type rifle or pistol, a Ruger Mini-X, or an old MI carbine, all of those fit the bill IMNSHO for fun range shooting and interior home defense. YMMV.

I own M1 Garands, M1As and M1 Carbines. Love 'em all and any would suit your needs.
I do have an AR-15, but honestly never really warmed up to it.
Had a Mini-30 years ago, but that was when they had accuracy problems and reliable magazines were non-existent. So its long gone.

I'd say your best bet for the money would be a CMP M1 Garand. Excellent rifles, reasonably priced, a piece of history and pure joy to shoot. If you go this route, also pick up a couple of cases of ammo from CMP as well.

My personal favorite is the M1A. I have four versions of this rifle. A Standard, Scout Squad, Socom-16 and a National match. My favorite as an all around rifle is the Scout Squad. I think the 18" barrel is the perfect compromise between utility and handling. It just feels right.

I'm also a huge fan of the M1 Carbine and have two. Light, compact, easy to shoot and just plain fun! I think its the perfect home defense rifle. Plenty of power to do the job, but not so much as over penetration or the neighbors would be a major concern. Unfortunately, these are getting harder to find and quite expensive. If you can find a good one at a reasonable price, grab it! The prices are only going to keep going up.

Any one of these would be an excellent addition to your collection and sure to bring a smile to your face.

Since you say no long range have you thought about a pcc. Depending on your current pistol you can find pcc’s in 9mm, .40 or .45 calibers. Get one that uses the same mags and you’re all set. Cheaper to reload for, and [eventually] more factory ammo options. I like them in .45 acp. This is one of my builds that use greasegun mags. Get up with Rudy at Macon Armory, he builds gas operated pcc’s instead of blowback. The CMMG rotary bolt .45 pcc’s are nice. Good luck.

Baltimoreed11754 said:

Since you say no long range have you thought about a pcc. Depending on your current pistol you can find pcc’s in 9mm, .40 or .45 calibers. Get one that uses the same mags and you’re all set. Cheaper to reload for, and [eventually] more factory ammo options. I like them in .45 acp. This is one of my builds that use greasegun mags. Get up with Rudy at Macon Armory, he builds gas operated pcc’s instead of blowback. The CMMG rotary bolt .45 pcc’s are nice. Good luck.

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Been kicking myself for the last 8 years for selling my Marlin Camp .45. Bought it new back in the 90's, and now you can't touch one for under a grand. Being a 1911 guy I loved being able to carry one style of magazine that I could use in both. It wasn't the most accurate gun, but it was a hoot to shoot.

If I were you, I would get the Ruger, because that’s what you really want. I’ve never been inclined to own one because my friend had one that couldn’t group well at all. But, I understand they are much better now, and based on Sandog’s experience it looks like they can perform well (great shooting/write-up Sandog!).

I own a nice M1A, really nice gun, but it is a bit of a boat anchor. Mine’s the “Loaded” version, with the stainless barrel. Shoots decent groups, but I much prefer other rifles. To me, with the M14, they tried to improve the Garand, and ended up making it worse ergonomically (just my opinion, I know there’s a lot of arguments to the contrary). Plus, the M1A was pretty much obsolete when they introduced it. I love shooting my Garands. I probably only have 60 rounds through my M1A since I bought it over 15 years ago. I should sell it...

I’ve got a M1 Carbine, now that’s a great little carbine. Accurate enough, super easy/fun to shoot, and reliable. The .30 Carbine round itself is nothing close to the power of the .556, .308, or 7.62x39, nor is it as available and economical to buy. And, your not going to scope it. But, super fun at the range, and would be handy around the house.

Personally, I think you should get a quality AR (Colt), IMO they are the best, most versatile, all around semi auto rifle for range and home defense. Hard to beat the performance, and the value. If you really want wood stock/traditional rifle, then a Russian, or Chinese SKS is a great option. Straight forward rifle, well designed and built, still a good value, great round, and plenty good accuracy. Or, a good old fashioned AK47, you really can’t beat them. But I get it, you want more of a traditional American style rifle.

Brings us back to the Ruger... Hope you find a nice one and enjoy it! .

I'm going to make an assumption that modern semi-autos like the AR, FAL, AK & such weren't suggested or given a thumbs up for a reason. There are some worthwhile semi rifles that haven't been mentioned, bit unusual - 1918 BAR, Benelli MR1, Robinson M-96, Hahn Machine & Tool M14 - but a plain old Garand in 308 or a military (not civilian) M1 Carbine is tough to beat. Unless you plan on scoping the thing.

I have a few M1As and 1961 made M14, also 4 Mini 14s to include a folder and X39. The M14/M1A types are excellent rifles, but Springfield quality is hit or miss. Yes, they ALWAYS take care of the customer but of the 8 or so guns I've bought from them, work was required including going back to the factory. Mini 14s are lots of fun, accuracy has definitely improved, but Ruger has done a bit too much economizing for my taste.

If you're comfortable with it, a Garand converted to 308 is quite alot of gun and fun. I have one converted by God only knows who and it works fine. Another with a fancy Weigand stock converted by DGR gunsmithing that's just a gem to shoot.

If you go with the Mini 14 there are all sorts of add on available. To each his own but it seems to me many are over the top. A good trigger and perhaps a less aggressive ejection (easily changed out smaller diameter gas port) and sights or low power scope will get 90% of the pleasure and ability out of the gun. No need to go overboard.

None of them are as much fun as an M1 Carbine though.