I live in Ca, so it is a bastardized AR or a standard Mini/M1A type rifle for the masses. (It really is all about the looks!) As a result I have seven bastardized AR’s, 6 in 5.56 and 1 in 7.62x39.
I also have three Minis, an older SS ranch in a Ram-Line camo stock (remember those?) a blued older mini 30 with a wood stock and a new SS ranch in a synthetic stock.
For the past 15-odd years I was head rangemaster and armorer for the office where we had 70 mini’s issued in the field or assigned as stand by guns in 5 different office safes. I can honestly say I’ve had a wider exposure to a variety of different era minis than 99% of the people I have met (we had one wooden hand guard model, a very early polished stainless/wood stock mini, several shark-fin 180 models, dozens of 16” and 18” 580’s and 5 or 6 unissued, brand new 583-series in our inventory) I have fired several AC-556 13” and 18” full auto guns along with the mini-14 target model and a couple of customized mini’s as well. I have trained and qualified on minis dozens of times myself, and trained new and experienced mini shooters of various skill levels for years. In all the years only one mini had issues, and this was after it got tweaked in the gun rack after a pretty nasty vehicle collision. (Ruger fixed it.)
That being said, mini 14’s have some big pluses and big minuses just like every rifle out there.
Pluses: Simple manual of arms; the safety and mag release are ambidextrous, the action is easy to operate, it is easy to check for a loaded chamber, it is easy to clear in case of a jam. They are rugged, reliable (with OEM magazines!), weather resistant from -20 wind chill to 150 degree interior Crown Vic trunks, minimal lube, sand and grit don’t phase them much, they keep going. They are deputy-proof and will shoot minute of 9-ring on a B-27 to 200 yards if you do your part. (In my week-long patrol rifle instructor course I had to shoot my mini 14 out to 300 with open sights.) Plus, they look and handle like a “regular rifle” for folks who do not want the AR look or feel.
Minuses: They got very pricy to buy new, the factory 30-round mags are, IMHO, expensive and a bit less reliable than the very reliable 20’s (which are often 22 bucks or more each!). The action/barrels are not as accurate as average AR’s are and mini open sights are not as precise as AR sights. The mini ergonomics are “take it or leave it” as real customization is not easy. Magazine insertion is like the AK with a “rock and lock” motion; if you miss the pin the mag will fall out. Tough to insert a full mag on a closed bolt. Red dot or scope optic mounts are pretty much limited to factory scope rings, cheesy add-on picatinny mounts for red dots using the scope ring slots, side-action mounts or an aftermarket mount built into the hand guard. If you reload they can dent and fling brass all over like a field goal kicker. Mounting a gun light is not simple and the single point sling option is a PITA and usually involves drilling the stock to insert a mount.
(Full disclosure; I also oversaw the transition from the mini 14 to Colt AR 15 Enhanced patrol rifles in 2021. We swapped partially because our guns were aging, but primarily because most of our new hires were all trained previously on AR-15’s so the transition to our office became easier.)
I like the mini 14/30/6.8/.300BO for what it is; a very rugged, dependable rifle that can do duty as a home/ranch defense rifle, a truck-floor varmint getter, a deer/pig hunting gun, a trainer for newer shooters or a plinker for lazy afternoons of fun. I know it has several limitations, but I’m not a Camp Perry bullseye shooter anyway so I can live with what they can do.
If you want a mini 14, I say go for it. If you do, I’ll never say you made a bad purchase.
Stay safe.