Mini 14 vs. AR 15, your thoughts?

[coctailer]

I like the Mini better than the SCAR.

 

[coctailer]

Also there is this..............

 

[kenno]

I was a 45Bravo/Level 4 and a 45Bravo Instructor. I repaired more M-16A1s than any other type of weapon, 1000s of them and I repaired everything from the S&W 38Spl to the 106mm Recoiless Rifle. Everything in the inventory I was cleared to work on, except the Stinger. The M-16 broke often 90% was user induced but that's the military for you, it was not soldier proof, nor desert proof, nor jungle proof.
The M-16/AR is not a panacea, neither is a Mini. The Mini has great faults because Ruger was making a marketable comodity, just like the Ruger Standard 22LR Pistol and his six guns, they all looked like an iconic firearm. Form was a marketing tool, not function for Bill Ruger and he paid no royalitys for the designs he ripped off. The Mini is not a military combat weapon but properly tweaked it is an excelent civilian combat weapon, and because it copied the m1/m14 it functions when others won't, mine shoots 1.75MOA and it is over 20 years old.
Turning an AR combat rifle into a SUPER SOG CQB/MOA Sniper/Vegimatic Mix Master with 100% reliability (without cleaning) while laudable, requires far more magic than most civilians can afford to pay for and frankly the AR-15 is rapidly being suplanted by newer more reliable AR's for less money, the M-16 is near 50 years old after all.
Those who want an AR because of cheap mags, more power to you. I still have OEM Ruger 20 rnd mags I bought in the late 1970's, they work fine, everytime, just like my 55 year old M-14 mags they are based on. Plus my Mini came out of the box completely ambidexterous!

 

[gunnoob75]

Far more magic? Money? Really?

BCM and don't look back.

 

[Rix]

Purpose? (what are you going to do with it?)

 

[Trlsmn]

I like the Mini better than the SCAR.

How long does the SCAR hold a charge?

You beat me to the A-team

No one will ever look this cool with an AR...

 

[crusader4x]

BCM and don't look back.

Ditto!

 

[tonyspdx]

I'm glad you didn't take my comment as malicious... And, try as I might, I can't fight the urge to throw my worthless opinion...

I've had limited experience with both, but my experiences fell right down the established party lines.

The Mini-14 I had never failed to operate, and wasn't real precise, and it threw brass so far you couldn't find it. Bought it for $200, sold it for $450.

The AR's I've shot both jammed, failed to cycle or had some other issue, but looked so neat and cool I still daydream about buying one. When I can piece one together for less than $400, I might do it.

if the world ended and the last two guns in the abandoned hardware store were a Mini and an AR, I'd take the Mini.

If you are waiting for a $400 to piece together, you might be waiting for a long time.

 

[Spitpatch]

Form rather than function was Bill Ruger's goal, and he never paid "royalitys" for designs he "ripped off"? I'll leave that one alone. No comment of mine could enhance its already firmly established value.

I'll take coctailer's claim of newer Mini's having undergone some serious improvement toward accuracy under advisement. His experience is greater than mine, but the two newer (brand new) Mini's I've shot recently demonstrated exactly what mine did 20 years ago.

I spent two years with that gun: trigger job, relieving barrel contact, handloading extensively, etc, etc. The very best it ever did at 100 yards was about 3.5 inch groups. (9 power scope, sandbag rest). Believe me, I wanted it to shoot. It was a gift from my father. It just would not.

I do not doubt that with serious modification beyond what I did, it could have done better, but I had exhausted all moderate means.

More recently, I decided to revisit the AR idea, since I'd carried one as a Quick Reaction Force team leader, and I knew that a well-worn M16 (or at least the one I carried) could outshoot this Mini all day; even with iron sights.

As a Colt collector, I wanted a Colt, but after range time with FBI and Delta team guys testing close-quarter battle sights on AR's, and bugging them to no end about their opinions of AR manufacturers, I bought a DPMS AP4.

Crappy FMJ factory ammo came out of this box stock carbine at 2inch groups, and with the assistance of Timney, Leupold, and handloads, it's shooting groups that average .87".

And I'm certain that the checks Bill sent to Herr Luger, Mister Nambu-San, and Colonel Colt simply got lost in the mail.

 

[speelyei]

$400 is all it's worth to me, and barely, at that.

for me, it's a novelty.

no offense to the hordes of AR gurus and their disciples out there.

Who knows? AR's could be the weight set and windsurfing equipment of tomorrow...

 

[DERGLOCKINMEISTER]

love them both , never had serious problems with either , 1 year old mini more accurate out of the box than a ar i just bought . make your own day , save up , buy both .

 

[NoAim]

I view the Mini-14 as the "American AK". It's a less accurate rifle that works, needs to stay iron sighted, lightweight, with the ability to fit a folding stock.

That said, I prefer ARs. The accuracy, aftermarket support, ergonomics, ease of maintenance and general cost effectiveness make it a better rifle for me. I recently took one of CMMG's 18" rifle length gas bargain bin rifles (i.e. <$600 complete) out to the range. I had slapped a 3-9x scope on it to do some accuracy testing. My first group = 0.75" @ 100 yards and no malfunctions. The only time I've ever had a serious malfunction on an AR is either due to MagPul PMAGs, or when I bent the **** out of the charging handle during competition (jammed the BCG inside the upper receiver since it was pushing down on the carrier key), or using the wrong buffer on a suppressed 10.5".

There's nothing "wrong" with either, and you'd be happy with either as long as you don't try to turn them into something they aren't. Trying to make a precision scoped shooter out of a Mini-14 is just asking for tears.

 

[UncalledForGabe]

I have to go with the Mini 14. Its more reliable and compact with a folding stock. Although I do miss good accuracy sometimes. That's what my bolt action is for anyways!

 

[dario541]

I have shot both. I like the handling of the Mini-14 better but I believe that accuracy is better with the M16-M4 family of firearms.
The best thing about the M16 is the availability of spare parts. Look at any issue of Shotgun News and you'll usually see long lists of spares including firing pins and other critical parts that are NOT available from Ruger. This is one of my main complaints about Ruger. They just don't want to sell spare parts. Why? Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!

 

[The B]

I have to go with the Mini 14. Its more reliable ...

no, no it's not. a correctly constructed AR is as reliable as any rifle on earth.

 

[sweetbeard]

both are great weapons ,both are easy to service,the mini 14s are very robust and have a better operating system than your run of the mill ar-15, also everyone dosen't have one ,having said that, there are some great ar-15s i would hold out for a gas piston system as these rifles are more reliable and run cooler !!

Don't confuse an AR newb with your gas piston hogwash..

get the cheapest AR you can, coctailer sells nice ones and be done with it.

 

[kenno]

If you are waiting for a $400 to piece together, you might be waiting for a long time.

CDNN INV. is wholesaleing the S&W AR base mdl for $599

 

[Will]

I own and enjoy both. Each has there place and are truly capable firearm. I don't shoot either for than 100 yards after that IMHO is when I go to bolt action to get the groups I expect. The AR seems to be more accurate for me, feeds better and is easier to take down. Might be I have spent more time with that firearm than the other (thanks to my Uncle Sam). Many AR barrels can shoot 5.56 and .223, don't believe 5.56 is suggested for the mini, I could be wrong. Then again I never needed a case extractor tool for the mini.

The good news is we are able to have the delima of what one to own, I decided both was the best choice.

 

[kenno]

"And I'm certain that the checks Bill sent to Herr Luger, Mister Nambu-San, and Colonel Colt simply got lost in the mail."

Herr Luger? Pull the other one! Next you'll be telling me the Maxim was a German design as well!

 

[Redcap]

They are both reliable IMO. I've had both barrels white hot numerous times.

Bullbubblegum.