WWTD

What to do...

Pay for the significantly more expensive, but higher quality, Fulton Armory M1A up front, or get a regular Springfield and swap out for a better trigger and more USGI parts over time?

I bet there is some lead-time for one made by Fulton. BUT they are local to me. I would never have to ship it back as I can walk to the place. I’ll have to ask about the lead time.

Hmmm.

Will I shoot 25,000 rounds through it and need a barrel change? I could buy 10 rifles for the price of that ammo. But I doubt I will shoot that much. Will I shoot competitively with the M1A? Probably not. If given my druthers, unlimited time and money, would I want to do both? Heck yeah.

Will a Springfield with some compromise parts see me through a 'Zed' Apocalypse ok? Probably. [ed: zed is a synonym for zombie, ghoul, or walking dead]

Is the quality of a Springfield M1A good enough for the likes of me and any grandchildren? Probably. Will is work just fine, without a hitch, and shoot better than I can even if I practice LOTS with it and improve my skills? Most probably.

If I get the base model Springfield I can have fun with it while relatively quickly accumulating upgrade parts and swapping them out. Bolt, National Match trigger group, Gas cylinder assembly, op rod. Not too much else. And THEN I’d have a spare as a backup of each part.

I’m probably better off spending money on magazines and ammo and getting a plane jane M1A from Springfield.

Or… I should ask myself, “what would Tamara do…?” You could do worse than to make your motto: WWTD? [ed: No matter what she'd do, she'd pull it off in a higher quality snark than I am capable of. we all have to reach for the stars, though few of us will touch them...]

I bet she’d pop for the Fulton AND the new Troy stock system right from the git-go. And the scope and other accoutrement. If she had the $5 Grand + on her at the time. Piecemeal, I’m betting Tam would go basic Fulton-Armory model.

Once in hand, and in the long run, I bet I wouldn’t REGRET going Fulton…

Yeah, WWTD.

My OLD motto was WWJJD. “What would Joan Jett do?” Like Joan Jett, Tam responds to emails and inquiries at about the same frequency. Only Jesus is more reticent to personally respond to entreaties. Verbally, or in writing, at least. So imagining what any of the three would prefer, about anything as a course of action, is my recourse. [ed: I wouldn't ask Jesus for rifle purchasing advice. Don't think he is the go-to guy for that sort of thing.]

Should I get that unhyped blurfl that cost a bit more, or the slightly cheaper knock-off? WWTD? Tamara would say, “You get what you pay for. Do you want good or not as good? At least you aren’t paying for hype, in this case.”

Perfect! I might be able to go beyond applying the WWTD philosophy to my nonfirearm related issues.

Should I mow the lawn, or go buy a 12 pack of IPA and drink it? What would Tamara do? Right. Off to the Licka-Sto, go I.

I have money in my budget to buy some reading material. Bronte or Pratchet? Dickens or David Weber? What would Tamara do? Right. High thee hence to yonder Discworld and Harrington section.

Laundry, or range time? KA-pow! Blam-blam-blamo!

This could work.