mini 14 vs. socom 16

[Revolver Ocelot]

I was looking into getting a ranch gun/go to rifle for defensive purposes and got to handle a couple options that interested me, the ruger mini 14 and the springfield armory socom 16, if i were to get the mini 14 I would probably cut the barrel and mount an aac suppressor on it to bridge the price gap so the overall price difference doesn't matter much (but don't hold having a suppressor against the socom 16 as it'll probably be a while before I send it off to get the barrel reworked for it).

thanks for the input

 

[ArmedBear]

The SOCOM is one heavy little gun.

The Mini is light and quick.

The SOCOM shoots a serious battle-rifle round designed to be used for aimed fire; the Mini shoots a round designed for a select-fire rifle, where you might just spray it -- but the Mini is a semiauto.

Apart from the obvious similarity of their action designs, the two rifles are not really interchangeable. If you want a .308, a .223 won't do. If you want something light and unobtrusive to carry around, the SOCOM won't serve your needs.

 

[Zundfolge]

Kind of an apples to oranges comparison here.

A Mini 14 vs an AR-15 makes more sense as an argument and if you want a 5.56mm, get an AR.





Anyway, Main reasons to go for the SOCOM 16 are its .308 and its going to do nothing but climb in value.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

Socom 16!!!!

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

the main reason I really liked the socom 16 ( aside from it looking wicked cool! ) was that it was a 308 which makes it good for hunting and such outdoor roles, but its a double edged sword in that its increased weigh would make it less handy for self defense, where as the mini 14 seems to be the oposite in that its light weight makes it great for defense but its smaller caliber is not as good for the out doors roles.

 

[lipadj46]

I actually like the Scout as the extra 2 inches gives it a bit more range and less muzzle blast. You can get them in wood from the factory also.

 

[TimboKhan]

Zundfolge and I are in agreement. Just such different calibers, it's hard to really compare them. I suppose it depends on what you want, but in general I personally would probably go with the SOCOM because of the caliber. Unlike many people, I have always liked and enjoyed Mini's, and I have a nice one that is very fun to shoot, but the .308 is superior to the mini in most respects.

Now, if you compare 5.56 rifles, like a mini and an AR, I would say AR for the versatility. I mean, you can buy a crossbow upper for them, for pete's sake. My Mini is more fun to shoot, but my AR is a lot more versatile. Plus, AR mags that work are easy as pie to find. Factory 20 round Mini mags are somewhat harder to find, and the aftermarket mags, in my experience, are the suck.

 

[Maverick223]

Personally I like my M17S because it is short (about 32" OAL), has a 21.5" barrel, is extremely well balanced (on its pistol grip without a scope), and is very reliable with decent AR mags (PMags or Labelle). The only negative aspect of the weapon for myself is that it belches gas back up when fired. Others don't like bullpups, are lefthanded, or complain of overheating handguards (mine is slotted for cooling). I like it; but seeing as few other people agree with my take on the weapon and it has some drawbacks, I voted for the Mini-14.

 

[mattlove444]

Bridge the gap! Get a Mini-30 in 7.62x39. It's a good in moderator. It shoot 1.5 inches at 100 yrds It does throw brass hard though:banghead:

 

[hunter25]

Get the socom the mini does not compare

 

[chieftain]

Either rifle will work and work well.

But I would choose a XCR by Robinson Arms with either the short barrel in both 5.56 NATO/223 AND the Short or other fast change kit for 7.62x39 ComBloc.

The nice part is most 'cans' for the 7.62 will work pretty good with the 5.56 too.

Now you have light handy, short or longer barrels, and the Russian 7.62 that will work great on Deer, Hog etc... For hunting purposes.

But it's your money and your boat.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[10-Ring]

The SOCOM is so much more rifle than the Mini 14 can ever be.

 

[1KPerDay]

Socom. Get some good earplugs.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

You can get FACTORY Mini 20-rounders at Midway for $30.

So not that hard to find and pretty much the going rate for any hi-cap pistol magazine I've purchased recently.

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

 

[mnrivrat]

The new model of the Mini14 with the heavier barrel, 16 inch tube, and ATI stock has a 20 round magazine and are 1/2 the price of the Socom .

If money is no object, and you want the .308 them go for it, otherwise the Ruger is a reliable gun and cost a whole lot less.

 

[FiveBillionAcres]

These two guns really aren't even close to each other, it's not Apples to Oranges it's Apples to Eggplants.

Never mind the fact that the SOCOM is currently selling for more than twice the price ($2,100 vs $900), they fill completely different roles with different rounds.

What do you plan to shoot with it? Small animals, large animals, dangerous animals, people?

The .223 Rem is a fine round for shooting coyotes and (defensively) people, but I wouldn't shoot any medium game with it. That wouldn't even be legal where I live. But it's much cheaper than .308 Win and as a result you can practice more, and well placed shots are important especially with defensive shooting, the Mini-14 is also lighter and easier to handle and is going to be easier to take into the field without resenting it.

The .308 Win is going to be a great choice for medium to large game, but the M1A is a very heavy rifle and hauling it around in the bush stinks. It's also expensive, and only getting more expensive to shoot .308 Win and thus practice will cost more, and you've already spent more on the rifle.

If you think you'd like to practice more and have a lighter rifle an AR-15 is probably a better choice anyways. The modularity will allow you to move to a larger round later if you like and they tend to have a better reputation for reliability and accuracy. However you can expect to spend a more than $900 with the Obama rush.

If you have something against the AR-15, perhaps a PTR 91, an "AK", a Kel-Tec, a FN FAL or some other rifle?

 

[LoneStarWings]

Socom, or scout M1A imho. For semi-auto only (which we civilians are restricted to without buckoos of money and hassle), I feel like the .308 trumps. You can do just about anything you'd need to do with a rifle with the .308, except for harvesting meat from small animals (it will blow them up).

I really like my scout. It'll shoot less than 1 MOA with match ammo and is a pleasure to shoot offhand or from a bench rest. It only weighs about 9lbs without the scope.

 

[MarineOne]

The new Mini-14 NRA version runs about $1030. For a rifle that shoots 3.5 inch groups at 100 yards, I'd spend my money elsewhere.




Kris

 

[H2O MAN]

Get an 18.0" Bush, Scout or MK14

 

[1KPerDay]

The new Mini-14 NRA version runs about $1030. For a rifle that shoots 3.5 inch groups at 100 yards, I'd spend my money elsewhere.

You got some data to back up that claim? The old minis were not accurate... the newer ones are, from what I've read.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

If you are getting a 5.56, get an AR15. Otherwise, get the SOCOM.

 

[RatDrall]

You can buy a Mini-14 for $650 right now. You'll have to pay twice that for a decent AR. New Mini-14s are accurate and standard capacity magazines are available from Ruger.

Mini-14 > Crappy brand AR15

For the price of the SOCOM M1A you could buy a pair of Mini-14s and a case of ammo.

 

[FiveBillionAcres]

You can find used Mini-14s for $650 for sure, but it's a "young man's gun" which means it's a bit like buying a used Mustang… If you want to go used, you can still find various M1As and Norinco M-14S/M305 rifles for around $800, however the pre-import-ban Chinese rifles are sketchy and I probably wouldn't buy one. There are quite a few used or NIB M1As on gunbroker.com right now.

 

[RatDrall]

Mine was $670 new in the box.

 

[FiveBillionAcres]

When RatDrall? If it was in the last month it's a stupendous deal!

The mad rush on “Assault rifles” it's pretty hard to find anything for bellow MSRP.

$670 is considerably lower than the very lowest model's current MSRP of $872.00.

But it depends how many a dealer bought and how long ago.