Dear Guys,
I don't own an M1A, but from what I know, they are true battle rifles, with open apetures to quickly pick up targets out to 200 yards, and fairly loose tolerances to prevent jams, lock ups, etc. Expecting these to be target or sporter rifles (1 to 2 MOA) is in my opinion just plain silly. You aren't paying $1,800 for this rifle in order to get a varmint rifle. You are paying for the fact that it is as utterly durable and reliable as a tank, and fires the 7.62 Nato in a 20 round magazine.
I doubt that if you put any AR configured rifle (DPMS included) side by side in a torture test with the M1A, including mud, dirt, extended high rates of fire, etc. that the AR is going to outlast the M1A. Saying that a DPMS is a "better deal" than the M1A really depends on what you are looking for.
Just my thoughts.
Mannyrock