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AR vs. Mini 14

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i know by now i'm white noise on this thread but i'm sorry thats bad idea i will argue that a mini 14 is a great gun but why would it be any more practical to hunt and carry than a AR???? besides what are you hunting with a .223 besides ground hogs???? if you already own an AR keep it or trade your upper for different one if any thing. use your noodle and if your naybors are that clueless a mini 14 aint gonna help. even from the investment side of things in 10 years if you have a decent make AR its gonna be worth alot more than a new mini.
 
My advice would be a 3 point sling, when adjusted properly, i can carry it hands free with minimal movement all day long (not advocating this, but you gotta do what you gotta do.) this is with an M16A4 with ACOG, and 30 round magazine, rail system with forward grip attached. comes in around 10 lbs. but i dont notice it, and i can sling it strong-side or behind the back when need be.

get a flattop upper with folding sights, and a 16" barrel, regular handguards and a collapsible lightweight stock, you should be in the upper 6 low 7lb area.
 
My Buddy has a AR15, CavArms lower, pencil 16" BBL flat top that sits right around 5.5 lbs. Amazingly light IMO. Calls it an "Ultra-Light."
 
an AR is not practical. It's too heavy for my purposes and I don't need an AR for 99.9% of what I need a rifle for.
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I just looked up the Mini-14. That sucker is 8 lbs! I don't think I any of the AR15s that I own are that heavy.

My latest AR is somewhere between 5 and 6 lbs unloaded. I can't tell the difference in weight between it and my M1 carbine. My heaviest AR15 weighs less than 7 lbs.

Stay away from HBARS and railed forearms. Then you'll have a nice light and handy carbine, even if you go with a 20".

carbines.jpg
 
+12000 for all those saying your AR needs to go on a diet, I recently inherited a Retro ar built on a surplus 603 M16a1 upper with it's pencil thin bbl. One thing that astounded me was just how much slicker handling this rifle is vs my other Hbar 20" 7.62x39 ar15. I can shoot this retro ar much better and it's literally a joy to carry handle and shoot. A rifle such as this will make a mini feel like a sbc cast iron cylinder head by comparison.

30c36810.gif
 
I just looked up the Mini-14. That sucker is 8 lbs!
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toke.gif The Mini may be a lot of things, but 8 lbs. isn't one of them.

Maybe the heavy barrel Target model, but not a regular Mini-14.
 
The Mini may be a lot of things, but 8 lbs. isn't one of them.

Maybe the heavy barrel Target model, but not a regular Mini-14.
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http://ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdSpecsView?model=5847

Caliber: .223 Rem.
Capacity: 20 Rounds
Finish: Blued
Stock: Black Synthetic
Barrel Length: 16.12"
Groove: 6
Twist: 1:9" RH
Overall Length: 36 1/2"
Weight: 8 lbs
California Approved: No
Massachusetts Approved: No
Front Sight(s): Protected Blade
Rear Sight(s): Ghost Ring Aperture
Other Features: Garand-Type Safety
Suggested Retail Price: $ 894.00
Miscellaneous: Compact Mini-14 with Flash Suppressor
Click to expand...
 
Suggested Retail Price: $ 938.00

this is the only number I need to see
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They sell for $650 to $700 around here, new.

A Mini-14 with a 5 round magazine is a light, handy rifle, with nothing hanging off of it to break. It also doesn't look as "evil" as other black rifles. The new ones are quite accurate.
 
Like the AR-15, the Mini-14 can be lightweight or heavy depending on how much junk one wants to hang on it.

A stock Mini-14 with loaded 5-round magazine will usually be a bit lighter than a similarly equipped AR-15. Pimp out both rifles with 40-round magazines, telescopic sights, flash supressors and 3-point slings, and the difference essentially disappears.

I am no fan of the AR-15, but shorn of silly 'accessories' I would not consider it too heavy to carry. The pointy bits (pistol grip, magazine, front and rear sights) do make it more awkward than a conventional rifle, though.
 
I know I may get flamed here, but an AR and Mini-14 are functionally very alike.

1. Fire the same cartridge. Minis will fire both .223 and 5.56x45 with no problem.
2. Both have 20, 30, and 40 round magazines.

The Mini-14 is going to be far less picky about ammo. If you buy a 580 series Mini-14 they are very accurate.

The Mini-14 is a piston driven rifle while most ARs are direct impingement. Minis are a snap to take apart and clean.

Minis also cost about $300 less than a comparable AR.

ARs have more aftermarket accessories.
 
I say if you say your hbar is %99 trade that heavy upper for a lightweight upper, then you basicly break even, you can even just carry the 5 round magazine. But l agree with Reid73, you do sound like you sold yourself on the mini so just go with what suits you bet
 
I know I may get flamed here, but an AR and Mini-14 are functionally very alike.

1. Fire the same cartridge. Minis will fire both .223 and 5.56x45 with no problem.
2. Both have 20, 30, and 40 round magazines.

The Mini-14 is going to be far less picky about ammo. If you buy a 580 series Mini-14 they are very accurate.

The Mini-14 is a piston driven rifle while most ARs are direct impingement. Minis are a snap to take apart and clean.

Minis also cost about $300 less than a comparable AR.

ARs have more aftermarket accessories.
Click to expand...
Good summary.
 
May I suggest a Saiga 7.62x39? I have an AR and my buddy has a mini. My saiga was $350 (now $400 or so) and shoots more accurate than the mini with an arguably better round for the application. The AR owns them both in the accuracy dept but 1 inch groups at 100 yards isnt usually necessary for a ranch rifle. I havent weighed either of them but the saiga feels the lightest by far. It requires less cleaning then the ar or the mini and ammo is about $0.20/round. Everyone who has shot mine has loved it, a few have even bought their own, including my buddy with the mini. In my opinion, the saiga "out ranch rifles" the ranch rifle.
 
I don't think the new mini is going to be as light as you think. I have a SS/wood 580 with the thicker barrel and it weighs 7lbs 9oz. It is a half pound heavier than the 580 with the thin barrel I used to own.

I like minis but the advice to buy a lighter upper is good advice. If you don't need a semi auto my remington 7615 weighs 7 pounds even unloaded and the the Ruger compacts are around 5.5 to 6 pounds.
 
Mini-14

I recently bought a Mini-14, 2 weeks ago, took it out to the range last weekend. With my handload's, I'm averaging 2" groups at 100 yards, very happy with that.

With my factory PMC FMJ, it will only do about 3.5". My handload's are far superior to the factory fodder.

55 grain Hornady SP spire point
25.3 grains H-4895
Remington Case
CCI small rifle primer.
 
Saw a minty 195 series Mini 14 on Tuesday, in the used gun rack at the gunshop near my hunting camp. SS/wood, $499 w/box and original paperwork.

Pretty sure my Mini 14 SS/wood doesn't weigh 8lbs, but the newer ones with the heavier barrel, are sure to weigh more?
 
taliv said:
if my neighbors saw me with a mini-14, they'd think a lot of things, but none of them "less crazy"

they'd probably think
1. i lost a bet
2. recession must be getting really bad
3. want to give the varmints a sporting chance, or fire 70% warning shots
4. i couldn't find a wood-grained duracoat color to make an AR that matched the paneling on a '78 cutlass sierra
5. a-team reruns are getting to me
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That is funny right there...more funny than choosing a Mini-14 over a AR due to weight...unless you mean that you want to loose weight by lugging around the "Mini"...sounds reasonable to me. :)

I figured it out...when you say "AR" you mean AR-10 right?
 
Get what you want....
It's your money, your life and your wants and needs.

Personally, I cannot stand the Mini 14 and I love ARs. Having said that, I won't try and talk you out of doing whatever the heck you want.

If you want a lightweight AR, get a pencil barrel. If you want a wood stock, get the Mini.

Both guns have positives and negatives. The AR has many components and you can build a rifle exactly to what you want. Mags are cheap and they go boom when you pull the trigger. They do have protuberances.

The Mini is generally less accurate, the mags are expensive, but it does have a wood stock. It also has less protuberances..

There ya go, the pros and cons. Now go get what you want...
 
If your barrel is heavy there's an easy fix. Send your upper to ADCO, and pay for them to contour your barrel down to the pencil/lightweight/M16A1 configuration and it will make your gun really light.
 
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