Mini-14 vs. AR15 (price)

[niteowl]

An AR is more accurate but I doubt your officers are good enough shots under stress situation to tell the difference. BTW, what was Murderer Platt armed with in the Miami FBI shootout? I think the FBI agents would disagree with your assessment that the mini-14 is a joke.

no doubt.

I think the US Marshals would disagree with that assessment as well. Gordon Kahl had no trouble dispatching a couple with his Mini 14.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Kahl

it's a minute of man rifle out to 200 yards easy, and it gets the job done.

 

[ghoster]

get what you want and have fun.

a lot of the experts likley dont even own said guns, only in their super tactical minds.

i really like the 120 mag arguement. you guys better ease up, thats one big dude that carries 120 loaded mags. thats what 3600 rounds? what does that weigh? reeeeealy nimbal in a tactical situation with 100 + lbs of ammo on ya.


yea, yea, im sorry, i just couldnt get the picture of someone running around with 120 mags straped on playing gi joe. not ment as a attack i am sure there there are pepole with that many mags for each gun i just cant figure out why.

 

[PzGren]

I had bought a Mini 14 for $250 a few years ago and find the accuracy more than sufficient for off-hand shooting.



A good friend of mine has a Mini14 that is exceptionally accurate -even when hot. He also had a flash hider mounted and a plastic stock and handguard.
I never got around to get the flash hider since one of my sons fell in love with the MIni 14.

 

[RatDrall]

I couldn't find an AR-15 from a brand and configuration that I wanted for less than $1100, so I ended up buying a Mini-14 today for $400 less than that. I got a few 20 round factory magazines for it, but I think it will spend most of its time with a 5 round magazine in it for pest control and not looking so evil.

A Ruger Mini-14 was my first rifle when I was 18 years old. It was very accurate for the first 5 or so rounds, putting them into less than 2" at 100 yards. After that it would open up into a pattern. Keep in mind that when I got the gun I bought a thousand rounds of really crappy reloads. They shot very dirty but the mini-14 never had a jam that wasn't attributed to the crappy aftermarket magazines I was using. I should also mention that I honestly never broke it down and cleaned it like I should have. It left me with the impression of a durable, reliable, accurate enough rifle. I traded it for a Romanian AK because I wasn't able to get any factory magazines for the Mini-14.

Just messing around with the little rifle in the house, I like it. It is a lot lighter than I remember, and very short. It's surprisingly shorter than my 18" barreled 870 (it hardly fits in my safe, it's almost too short for the upper rifle rack thing). It's not as ergonomic as an AR15, but it is definately more so than an AK47. It broke down easy for cleaning (it came soaked in oil). It came with a flash suppressor on it, no choice there. The synthetic stock feels very sturdy. It also has a nice recoil pad, not that a .223 really needs one, but it helps the gun stay in place on the shoulder. The action moves freely, even wobbling a bit AK style, which screams "reliable" to me.

I'm waiting for my ammunition to come in and I will post a review when I get a chance to shoot it.

 

[Ed Ames]

I shot a choate side-folder equipped mini and an AR carbine side by side today at the range. The weird part was that I couldn't perceive any weight difference though the AR had a fancy multi-part optical sighting set-up that looked like over a pound.

The mini was probably $600 when you factor the stock in. It's an older pencilbarrel though. The AR owner paid over $2400 counting the snazzy tacarific scope/magnifier.

In my hands (and I claim to be lousy with everything but pistols...and even there I know my limits) the AR gave a 3" one mag group at 50 yards. The Mini was about the same at first but opened up to five inches or so by 30 shots. The difference may be the magnified sight but I don't think that made a huge difference.

Both are fairly short when collapsed/folded, but the mini is much handier. It's also easier to work IMO. I haven't gotten used to the whole "charging handle under your nose, tiny window into the workings, and buttons everywhere" thang.

If the current minis are as accurate as a standard (S&W, Stag, etc) AR clone I'd say they win for every use except showing off your magazine battery.

 

[Titan6]

I paid $350 for my Mini-14 not long after the ban expired. Can't find one today for twice the price. I bought a lot of guns after the ban expired as people were practically giving them away. I suppose if I were in a selling mood I could make a few thousand quick easy and then repurchase when the market crashes next year.

You get what you pay for though. Valuation is not based on an arbitrary system of dollars to me. I find the mini to be reliable as a sledge hammer so that is the niche it fills.

 

[mnrivrat]

The new releases of the Mini 14 are changing the ball game a little. They are coming with 20 rd mags and a heavier barrel for increased accuracy.

They even put out a couple "Tactical" models , one having the ATI pistol grip & collapsible + folding stock, along with 4 forearm rails 90 degrees from each other.

This model goes for a little over $800, so is a good price point compared to the AR15's. (possible under $800 depending on where you buy) Couple that with the Mini 14 being a very reliable shooter and I think Ruger is putting out a winner with their latest efforts.