I didn't have a ton of experience with "scout" style rifles so I figured I'd go that route for the M1A. My take:

Pros:
-Rifle was very reliable
-Soft shooting
-Lots of aftermarket accessories
-Scout setup allows for a better cheek rest with optics than the standard M1As
-Inexpensive for a M1A/M14 variant
-Grouped better than what I expected from what I had read ahead of time
-Excellent iron sights

Cons:
-the scout style makes the rifle front heavy with optics
-I'm not a fan of the brake but that's an easy change

Full review: