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.