Re: m1a/ m14 lock time
I believe it's pretty comparable to the M1 Garand, seeing they use the same essential construction.
May I ask you why lock time is important to you?
It's my view that lock time is overrated. It is what it is. You build your skills around your tools, such as they are.
The only time I've even noticed lock time was in especially cold weather, with a frontstuffer, after several shots without cleaning. If you're shooting something else and locktime is even noticeable, there's usually something wrong with your cartridge's priming.
Lock time has more importance when the shooting discipline involves motion, either of the gun, or of the target. Shooting movers is a special case, and a faster lock time can make a useful difference. IMHO, for other shooting disciplines, not so much. While some may think that Offhand shooting makes lock time an issue, it's my personal belief that the key issues are mental and physical, and not mechanical.
Greg