Sorry for my misunderstanding.
The Chinese made M14s seem to be hit and miss. I had a Polytech M14 before getting the Springfield, and had no issues with it. It was accurate enough, and ran fine for years.
A buddy had a Norinco that would not shoot better than about 5 MOA no matter what he fed it.
At the range once, I saw a guy have the op rod disconnect from the bolt on a Polytech. He said it happened once in a while when he was shooting quickly.
Keep an eye out at shows and shops. I got a deal on a used M1A scout for under $900. It was a retired LE gun, the stock had some "trunk wear" but the metal, bolt, and bore were in perfect condition.