Welcome from Louisiana. I like my DPMS’s two. I know I’ll get some feedback on this but there is only so much you can do an M1A, but the possibilities with the AR platform are just about endless.
I know what you are saying. I have an M1A, it shoots purity dame good, but my Home built DPMS LR-308 16 inch Carbine shoots so much better with less recoil and not as heavy. Sense I had my stroke three years ago I am not as steady as I used to be. I paid 13 hundred for my M1A it’s a standard and I have roughly 950 bucks in my DPMS.