AR 15 or Mini 14

[BradN]

Ahh, one of my favorite topics. I've owned both. I like both. But I'd take a Ford over a Chevy.

 

[35 Whelen]

I own both. The AR sits in the safe, the Mini in the rack in the laundry room. They're both fine rifles, but I've grown SO tired of seeing AR's with multiple appendages.

A few weeks ago there was a guy at the house shooting his electronic sight, bi-pod, forward pistol grip, collapse-able stock, flash hider, back up sight equiped AR. I half (or less) jokingly asked if I needed to run an extension cord to the bench so he could shoot....

To me the Mini is much more clean and simple. My Mini is an '06 model and rivals the AR for accuracy. I read the magazine argument often, but geez...how many magazines does a fella need? I have four for my Mini, aftermarket and Ruger and none of them has ever jammed.

All that said, it's largely personal preference with a little popularity contest thrown in.

Good luck with your decision.

35W

 

[gotigers]

not ford vs chevy, more like ford f150 vs chevy colorado. Both good for what they are at their price point.

Ash: Reliability....I am not saying the Mini 14 is unreliable. I have never heard it was, nor have i seen one be unreliable. But neither is the AR. I have seen ARs shoot different types of ammo for thousands of rounds over years, clean and dirty without issue.

The AR reliability myth comes from the low end manufacturers that put out garbage. Ex. the recent batch of low end bolts that are breaking. Another Ex. Vulcan/Hesse and a few other bad companies put out a lot of bad guns. The EASE of manufacturing of the AR makes it popular for every bubba with a mill to try to make one.

If you compare a Ruger mini to a good AR (Colt, BCM, Daniel Defense, Bushmaster, etc) you will see comparable reliability. And as i said, there are 10's of millions of ARs vs millions of minis, so you will see more AR issues becuase of the overwhelming bigger sales of the AR.

Speaking of sales, that is the best poll of all. 10 to 1. I think we have a winner. lol.

I really have no bad feelings about the mini. I just think the flawed logic of hating the AR is just silly.

 

[itsa pain]

if you say compare a minis reliability to $1500 dollar ARs then the mini wins for $700. I own both and the mini is a hundred times les complicated has gigantic parts when stripped unlike the AR where you have to be a watchmaker with all the small parts and with a mini you do not have to bring it to a dental hygienist for a cleaning like an AR

 

[Ed Ames]

Hand in hand with what you are saying, though, is that some people use that in a...misleading if not dishonest way.

Some people compare the mini to the cheapest AR they can find and say there isn't much/any price difference. They then compare the mini to a top-shelf AR and say there isn't much/any reliability difference. Each comparison is correct, but the conclusion those people then try to draw...that the AR is the same price and reliability as the mini...is logically incorrect. It's the same price OR reliability.

 

[MistWolf]

The Mini-14/30 action isn't based on the M14/Garand design, it's based on the M1 Carbine.

I had an early Mini-14 and it was particular and not very accurate. I had a Ranch Mini-30 and traded it for an M1 Carbine because it was a good deal for me. I'm glad I have the Carbine and wouldn't trade it for another Mini, I wish I had a Mini-30 for blasting 7.62x39 ammo.

Still and all, I built an AR carbine from a PSA kit for about $700 not including sights that is much more accurate than either Mini I owned, more reliable than the first and easier to shoot than either one. (I cannot answer to the reliability of the Mini-30 I had. It never gave me any trouble but we only fired a couple hundred rounds before trading it off)

Judging from the posts in this thread, it sounds like Ruger has made improvements, but I would still pay $1200 for a Colt or BCM AR before I paid $700 for a Ruger Mini

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I have had a Mini for twenty+ years and we STILL use them as our primary carbine at the department I work for. I bought the mini back in the day for 340.00 new when the cheapest AR was over 700.00. Nowadays, the what-you-get-for-your money really is starting to tip in favor of the AR and the Mini is no longer a poor mans substitute either. So the choice is really about what you like and what you're doing with the thing or might do. I like my mini, have M-1's as my MBR's, and havce since developed a liking for the AK.

For my money, I'd get an AR of good mid-range quality with an eye to building it up if you like. Then, if I wanted something reallyt rough-and-ready, I'd get an AK and then have a platform that ate 7.62 x 39 to boot. Really, the AK does rugged better than the mini. Just my take and meandering off path...good luck; no matter what you'll have fun.

 

[itsa pain]

ed ames in no way was I trying to be misleading or dishonest just telling the truth with a little humor and exaggeration thrown in lol

 

[Merle1]

Own two mini and no AR's. carried one for many years in the Army and was an armorer so am quite familiar with em.

No real reason other than they don't intrest me.

Minis are very reliable, extremely sturdy and rarely ever break. Cons are that mags are expensive and can be tough to find. Only factory mags are worth it, all others cause problems. Sights on older ones were terrible, new gen ones are much nicer. Traditional styling or can be uber tactical with add on bits. Will shoot the cheap ammo all day long

AR's have mags a dime a dozen, many, many mods. Most are reliable can be picky with the cheap ammo. Some are poorly put together and will be problematic. They are more accurate than mini's in the right hands.

I beg to differ about Ruger magazine reliability. I have several brands including Fed Ord & USA brand in both 20 & 30 round capacity, which I bought way back when factory mags were not available. None of them have ever malfunctioned. My only complaint with them is that the metal is thinner (much lighter than factory) which leads me to believe they will wear out sooner. Time will tell.

I have come to the conclusion that SOME guns are picky & some are not. That's my opinion, for what it is worth.

Merle!

 

[mrvco]

Personally I wouldn't buy an AR as a ranch rifle and I wouldn't buy a Mini-14 as a tactical rifle. If it was all I had to spend now and forever, I'd take a Mini-14 over most any $800 AR though. I like my AR because it's easy to work on and parts are plentiful. I'd still like to own a Mini-14 (more likely a Mini-30) and probably would by now if I hadn't already bought a lever-gun (which suits my "ranch rifle" needs).

 

[MistWolf]

Why not have an AR as a ranch rifle? It suits the purpose perfectly. There is nothing a Mini-14 can do that an AR cannot

 

[Ed Ames]

...except fold.
And deliver a respectable buttstroke.
And fit in a standard gun sock.
And provide standard rifle ergonomics.
And go from fire to safe without moving your hand from the grip.


I'm not a ranch rifle person but the mini provides all the "benefits" of the AR (semi-auto, reliable, weak cartridge, etc.) in a slick little package that doesn't have all the appendages and snag points of an AR.

 

[macomb2013]

Both are execellent rifle. they will serve you the same reliablity wise, i mean you are not going to war or to an extremely filthy environment.if you are on a budget, I think you should go with AR. You get more out of in initial investment consider now days the prce of both are the same.

 

[jeff-10]

Thanks guys this pretty much reinforces what I been reading up on. Surprise to me that the mini is harder to take apart and put together. If it were for to looks I'd get a Mini but it comes down to what subdude said I need em both.

I own two Mini 14s, a older one and a newer Tactical model. I don't currently own a AR but have a ridiculous amount of trigger time on an M16/M4 as a former infantryman. Breaking down either is a non issue. The Mini 14 disassembles very easily as does an AR.

Although I own Mini-14s, personally I would purchase an AR at this point. The R&D has pushed it considerably further than the Mini 14 in terms of accuracy and reliability of the AR isn't really an issue anymore. Also the magazines are going to be cheaper and spare parts more readily available. Still there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Mini 14.

 

[Ash]

"The Mini-14/30 action isn't based on the M14/Garand design, it's based on the M1 Carbine."

Not at all. It is based on the M14 which is based on the Garand. The gas system is related to the M1 Carbine, but the bolt, receiver, sighting, trigger group, and assembly is all Garand/M14. I know, I own all four.

 

[briansmithwins]

What's a fair test of reliability?

I'm thinking two rounds:

First, fine rock dust blown onto both rifles, see if both will fire 10 rounds. Second, rock dust mixed with water to a slurry, poured over both rifles, fire 10 rounds.

Repeat until a rifle chokes?

I found a sucker that will let me drown his Mini.

BSW

 

[breakingcontact]

I like them both. I like the mini for being a piston gun, however, I strongly dislike not being able to replace the firing pin myself.

 

[MistWolf]

...except fold.

Ok, but the adjustable stock of the AR is more comfortable to shoot than the Mini folder. When it comes to choosing a rifle with a folding stock, there are better choices than the Mini

And deliver a respectable buttstroke.

With the folding stock? A jab from the muzzle is faster and keeps it on target and it's easier to mount a bayonet on an AR

And fit in a standard gun sock.

That can't be a serious concern

And provide standard rifle ergonomics.

With the folding stock?

And go from fire to safe without moving your hand from the grip.

Going from FIRE to SAFE without breaking your grip is easy

I'm not a ranch rifle person but the mini provides all the "benefits" of the AR (semi-auto, reliable, weak cartridge, etc.) in a slick little package that doesn't have all the appendages and snag points of an AR.

It's a wash when both rifles are equipped the same, especially when your Mini has the ever so handy folding stock. Personally, I've never had a problem with either rifle snagging.

While the 223/5.56 is considered an intermediate rifle caliber, I wouldn't call it weak. It leaves a devastating wound channel.

It's much easier to mount a wide variety of sights, iron, RDS, optic or a combination to suit your needs on the AR. It's also easier to configure the furniture and set length of pull, to install your choice of muzzle devices, change barrels and change calibers. The AR is more versatile and has better support in the market

 

[justice06rr]

Mini vs. AR, AR vs. AK, AK vs Mini... Pick which one you like better and which one suits your shooting style/needs.

You can't really go wrong with any of them.

 

[Armymutt]

I've had a Mini-14 since '95 and been playing with M-16s/M-4s since around the same time. Finally bought an AR in '09. I prefer the AR for a couple of reasons. Magazines slide straight in and out - none of this rotational locking stuff. The AR is much easier to disassemble than the Mini. A single pin will let you easily remove the bolt carrier, no odd angles and fiddling required. If you reload, recovering your brass from an AR is much easier, as it tends to put it all in the same spot a couple of feet from the rifle, rather than randomly shooting it all about at distances of 10 feet or so.

 

[itsa pain]

mist wolf you can get a folding stock that also pushes in and out like the M4 I have one on an AK

 

[Ed Ames]

Ok, but the adjustable stock of the AR is more comfortable to shoot than the Mini folder. When it comes to choosing a rifle with a folding stock, there are better choices than the Mini

Shrug. I am not a huge folder fan. It's just something a mini can do and an AR can't.

With the folding stock? A jab from the muzzle is faster and keeps it on target and it's easier to mount a bayonet on an AR

With or without. A heavy conventional stock would be better. You can jab with either, but 90+ percent of ARs sold cannot mount a bayonet properly. They have carbine length gas systems and 16.5" barrels so the bayonet lugs are a joke.

That can't be a serious concern

For a gun you are going to leave behind the seat of a pickup? Absolutely it can be.

With the folding stock?

Minis do not require a folding stock.

Going from FIRE to SAFE without breaking your grip is easy

Hmm... With my hands I have a choice of using my off hand, breaking my grip, or maybe reaching up with my...no, just those two. The mini is easy.

It's a wash when both rifles are equipped the same, especially when your Mini has the ever so handy folding stock. Personally, I've never had a problem with either rifle snagging.

Most minis don't have a folding stock and don't need it...snagging is a big part of why. With the ar you don't have a choice about the snag points.

While the 223/5.56 is considered an intermediate rifle caliber, I wouldn't call it weak. It leaves a devastating wound channel.

It's weak for a center fire rifle. Not the weakest, but weak enough that many people question its use on large game.

It's much easier to mount a wide variety of sights, iron, RDS, optic or a combination to suit your needs on the AR. It's also easier to configure the furniture and set length of pull, to install your choice of muzzle devices, change barrels and change calibers. The AR is more versatile and has better support in the market

But do you need that for a ranch gun? In other words a gun that will live in a scabbard on an ATV or behind the seat of a pickup? A rifle that will be used to take occasional shots at roving dogs that might bother the chickens, or pigs tearing up a field, but mostly will just be along for the ride?

I don't know why such a person would want to mess around with their rifle so much. They have actual work to do.

 

[Roadking Rider]

Mini 14. I'm a very big fan of wood and steel rifles. No two, know how many you have will ever be exactly alike. Each has there own distinctive look and feel..

 

[mnhntr]

Until Ruger learns how to make an accurate mini that can be converted into another caliber with the change of an upper using two pins I would get the AR. I have yet to see a mini that can even compete with the cheapest ARs as far as accuracy goes.

 

[Charger442]

ive owned both. i dont have a mini 14 anymore, but i still have several ARs. one of the greatest days in my gun life was the day i traded my stainless mini 14 that i had worked on for a year trying to squeeze accuracy and reliability out of, but got fed up with ALL of its drawbacks. I realized you could only polish a turd so much...



Ill let you guess what gun Ill never own again.