Mini-14 Vs. AR-15

you don't have to clean it that much. And even when you do...

1. run boresnake
2. wipe out inside of receiver if you shot a lot and it looks really bad
3. lube carrier
4. re-assemble
5. done, in maybe 5-10 minutes

I just relube my carrier after most outing, and won't clean it thoroughly for a couple months at a time. No problems. No wear. No discoloration. No replacement or repairs of parts made or needed.

also, Zerodefect: that pic is great.

a few weeks ago i would have said the mini 14, but after my gasblock cap broke and i called ruger to buy the part, they said i would have to have a whole new gasblock! $165 , i dont think ill be xcsending it back to them, the ar 15 parts are every where! i have 3 ar 15s, dont get me wrong i love my gb mini 14! csa

jmr40: New 20 round Ruger mags are being sold, but how many have you actually seen. And they are $40 each when you find them.

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Find them at midwayusa.com @ $26.99 each 20-Round Ruger factory magazine in stock.

AR.

Can still use motor oil for lube. Tons of parts. And it's allready the staple of my tactical training.

Just a plain better defensive weapon. Really not fair to compare it to the Ruger Mini 14 IMO. I'd hate to defend myself with one of those nightmares.

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I just wanted to say thanks for posting your handgun chart , I figured I was doing something all wrong with my turd of an inaccurate Mini , I just didn't know what . By your chart , I made an adjustment and stopped limpwristing my Mini like a sissy and went from this .......

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To this .... Yeah I know the group opened up , but what can I say , These darned things are soooooo inaccurate at 100 .


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Sorry to get a little off topic , but with that being said , to the OP , BOTH firearms are fantastic platforms and BOTH have their strengths and weaknesses . You really need to try to get out fondle , handle , and shoot both the AR and the Mini and then make the call on what fits for you , and your criteria . I like em both , but the Mini would be my choice . Yeah , sucks Ruger wont supply parts to John Q Public , but nothing ever goes wrong with a Mini 14 . Firing pins can be an issue with the Mini 30 when running thousands of rounds of junk Ruskie plinking ammo , but they are available aftermarket if you so feel the need . Ford / Chevy .... Porsche / BMW , Theres an a$$ for every seat and a finger for every trigger .

I like that target from the Mini. I have to agree though that AR prices have come down and Mini prices have gone up so I would get an AR over a Mini. I do currently own both.

I recently acquired a new manufactured Mini-14 -.223Rem. (base model wood stock, blued, less flash suppressor and packaged with a factory 20 round capacity magazine - cost $645.00 plus tax). The Mini-14 is what it is a semiautomatic carbine of simplistic design and functionality with adequate accuracy.

I’ve owned M1 rifles, Springfield Super Match and standard grade M1A rifles along with Colt H-Bar AR15 rifles. All were utilized for across the course competition. There were also the M1, M14 & M16 rifles issued by the USMC.

With in the realm of the every day practical this is how I see it. If I’m involved in an exchange of fire that would deplete a 20 round capacity magazine I’m gone from this place.

I've owned several Mini's before the AR became readily available. They'd usually stay in the tractor, combine, truck, pickup from late summer to early spring, usually without much (any!) cleaning. Never let me down once. I've also owned several AR's since. More accurate than a Mini, but I feel they're a little finicky occasionally. So my vote goes to.......my Saiga .223! LOL!! Greg

Mini 14 Tactical...or a Marlin 30-30

I would be happy with either - they are both good.

Wow ! They can't be about equal can they

That just can't happen

All guns are made out of itty bitty finicky parts. What's nice about the AR is that the average Joe can actually assemble an AR with a minimum of handtools. If a pretty finish isn't a concern, a large pair of vice grips will get one together. Building your own AR happens for hundreds of Americans, and there are forums to share the knowledge.

Mini 14, not so much. In the day, they were a gun parts paradise for bolt ons, but the most complicated was a flash hider/sight with bayonet lug. Now, they come from the factory that way and the market doesn't begin to offer what it does for the AR.

Odds are, with over 9 million M16/M4's made, it's less of choice of Mini, and more a choice of which AR.

gun parts paradise for bolt ons

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None of that stuff is needed for either weapon. In the type scenario talked about all that is required is basic sights,dependable magazines and ammo.

My Mini-14 shoots ammo my AR-15 chokes on......Mini-14 would be my choice !!!

I'd choose the Mini 14 with about 10 mags. I suspect if that is not enough, no rifle is going to save you. So you need reloads for at least a couple magazine rotations (1000 rounds is a nice round number) and you will be conserving ammunition until your life depends on it.

All that said, if you are buying a rifle for a national or regional emergency, you're better off with something concealable because you'll loose the rifle when its seen by troops. How will the good guys tell you from a bad guy?

Mini-14's were cool in the A-Team on TV! But, think about it how many people ever got hit. Something like zero. There is a reason the armed forces have been using the M16/AR15 for more then 30 years, they work. Never mind the fact AR15's are used by a majority of police Tac Units.

I'd choose the Mini 14 with about 10 mags

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that's about $270 in magazines IF you buy em on sale NOW

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=165411

vs $132 for some of the best 20rd AR mags ever made

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=130092

Bottom line is you can be MORE prepared for the same unit of money for the eventuality of civilization going all "road warrior" on us

I own a 580 ss Mini and a dpms i like them both, but i have to give the edge to the AR for accuracy only. The mini's a great little carbine and never gives me a problem with ammo, but getting anything but factory mags is a waste of money.
My AR is far more picky but runs well on brass and can be serviced/repaired easily. Ive never had anything fail (yet) on my Mini its a very sturdy rifle while i feel the AR is light its almost like a toy, at least untill you fire it! I wouldn't feel afraid to take either gun into battle .

And guy's lets GET OVER the Mini accuracy thing the newer series are not tact drivers but you won't miss either.

No reason for Mini-14 owners to get defensive. The Mini-14 is not a particularly accurate gun as a general rule (exceptions always apply). That doesn't mean it isn't an excellent selection for a zombie apocalypse. Still, assuming a complete chaos rules situation, the sheer number of parts and guns in the AR category clearly gives it an edge over the Mini-14, assuming the apocalypse wears on to a lengthy campaign.

Still, I like the Mini-14, especially their target version with the thumbhole stock. I would like to get one someday.

If you can't defend yourself and family with a proven Mini 14, you won't be able to do it with an AR-15 or any other rifle/carbine.

Let it be.

So, let me get this straight: for a popst-apocalyptic world where I get to wear a brown duster and walk the Earth (like Kane in Kung-Fu) you want me to choose a firearm?

In that case, I'm going to pick a man-portable minigun.

I mean, as long as we're fantasizing about being heros, rescuing women from post-apocalyptic biker gangs and scavaging for fuel to keep the last of the V8 interceptors running, I may as well pick a firearm as patently ridiculous as the proposed scenario.

So, let me get this straight: for a popst-apocalyptic world where I get to wear a brown duster and walk the Earth (like Kane in Kung-Fu) you want me to choose a firearm?

In that case, I'm going to pick a man-portable minigun.

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Thread winner right here.

I look at a Mini 14 as a fancy M-1 carbine with more poop. If you dont mind a handy carbine that shoots like a AK and have a use for somthing like that they are great guns once you get past the mag issues.

The Mini-14 is not a particularly accurate gun as a general rule (exceptions always apply).

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New Mini-14s are more accurate than 99% of the shooters out there.

New Mini-14s are more accurate than 99% of the shooters out there.

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I have never understood this.

How is a bad shooter supposed to get better if his gun is untrustworthy?

Everyone needs an accurate rifle.

If you are a poor shooter, and your gun is 4 inches off target, how are you to know if it was YOUR mistake or your guns?

Or, if you are 4 inches low, and then your gun put it 4 inches LOWER you are now 8 inches off target. Or right on the bull if it threw it 4 inches up.

I dont... understand why poor shooters need poor guns.

Three years in the Army had me looking at the Mini, didn't hurt that I found a used one in 86 for $300 when the only Colts I could find were new and three times that. It has worked fine but I never expected long range accuracy from it, switched up to a 308 bolt gun. Two friends suffered broken bolts in their Minis so I went back to shooting rimfire for plinking. Five years ago I bought a almost new Colt Target-Match and have not looked back. Now that I have a Saiga 5.56 as well the Mini is for sale. It has been a good gun but it is now redundant.