AR vs. AK vs. Mini 14

[HD Fboy]

AR is my choice.

I have never gotten over the look and feel of the AK. They look like a poorly executed high school shop experiment. They may be reliable but I just don't like the way the gun feels in my hands.

I have owned Mini 14's. They are just ok.

Guns are like shoes you need to find what fits you.

For me, I want US made.

 

[Double Vision]

+1 on USA-made.
I've never fired an AK but I'm not excited by them either.
I love my Mini 14, my AR is excellent. If I could throw my Mini Thirty into the mix it's right next to my 14.

 

[countryrebel]

AR, AK, Mini 14
That is the order I would take them.

 

[KMO]

Mini-14...

Because it always fires, and it hits what I aim at...case closed...

 

[Welding Rod]

Mini for sure.

Mostly because if you plan your shots right, you could get two hits with one cartridge... take out one bad guy with the bullet, a second with the ejected brass.

Not only that, after the heat of 5 or 10 rounds you could use the bend in the barrel to shoot around corners without exposing yourself.

And if you go in the water, a quick field strip and the wood stock could be used as a floatation device.

Just kidding of course, mostly. I actually like the Mini quite a bit for out to 200 yards or so, and the newer models are fine for farther yet.

As much as I like the Mini however, I do like the AR better. There are a few features of the Mini I prefer over the AR though. One is the open top reciever and the charging handle. I also like the look and feel of a wood stock for general shooting, but not SHTF. The ergos of the Mini are nice for carrying. The sight radius is excellent with its irons and vastly greater than a carbine gas length AR.

I prefer the AR for its accuracy, the way the mags go straight in to the reciever during loading, the ability to easily add a light, and due to its superior ergos for shooting (other than the top rear charging handle). The flat top models provide huge flexibility for sight options.

 

[fireside44]

I'll vote AR.

Light ammo, very accurate. Lots of guys saying "they foul to easy" and then are talking of running dirty corrosive through their AK. I wouldn't leave my cleaning kit at home with either of them myself.

To be honest, none of these guns would be my first choice.

 

[.zerocool.]

Well, I have to say, for practical use, the AR based gun with either a blow back non gas system or a piston operated system is my choice. For many reasons. From available features, upgrade parts including trigger kits and mount on's, to performance, accuracy, and insane takedown power. Heck, the AR has over a dozen calibers of ammo that can be used with it.

For collector purposes, or simplicity, I'd take the mini 14 over the ak any day. Sure 7.62 ammo is dirt cheap, and sure ak's take one hell of a beating and still work, but the mini 14 is not only sexy, but accurate, and adaptable. Buuut, the mini 14 will always peak in performance that is less than an AR can be built to. There is absolutely 0 way you can make a mini 14 perform like a built AR can, and there is no way an AK can beat a mini 14 in performance.

To Add, I've owned all 3 and put more than 10k rounds through each, in -f weather all the way to 90+% humidity. I loved my mini 14 to death, but there was no way I could ever make it as capable as an AR based gun no matter how much money and gunsmithing I could have done to it.

 

[Rich223]

Mini 14 - Reliability above AR, on par with AK, more accurate than AK (580 + series) about 2-3 moa.

 

[UnknownGunMan]

For Convenience AR - Parts and Magazines are more readily available...

AR mags DONT work in MINI or vice versa, so it's hard to own both, as you are liable to grab the wrong mags...

If it was a battle situation... I'd grab the AK...

Mini - good truck gun you don't mind getting rusty...

 

[Tonedeaforphan]

Place all three on ground. Run over with truck. Now see which is better the aluminumR-15 , the ak or the rugged garand style mini14

 

[Combatops1911]

Ak ak ak ak ak ak ak

 

[shotgunslinger]

Lets go ak lets go!

 

[Ignition Override]

Is this evaluation based on an AR kept clean and the other two rifles neglected and kept very dirty?

Does it assume that only factory mags are used?

 

[NWCP]

With the choices given I'd have to stick with my AR15's. Accuracy is better with the AR platform IMHO. With proper maintenance reliability of the AR is more than acceptable. The other two rifles have their place and their proponents. I just happen to prefer the AR over both the AK and Mini 14's. I also happen to like the CZ VZ58 and own one with Zahal furniture. While not as accurate as my AR's it is totally reliable and is a huge improvement over the AK.

 

[benEzra]

The jungle/desert performance is based on the numerous videos made about it (namely the AK vs m16 video by discovery)

The Discovery Channel AK vs. M16 piece is one of the worst pieces of firearms hackery I have seen on that channel. As I recall, they chose a couple of popular myths (the M16 will jam if not kept squeaky clean, the AK can't even stay on paper at 200 yards) and then concocted some "tests" to prop up those stereotypes. The trigger-slapping by AK Guy during the accuracy testing was epic.

I saw AR-57 bump fired with 200 rounds (4 mags), then cleaned, and the chamber and bolt area were pretty dirty, even with handloaded rounds.

I believe the AR-57 upper is blowback-operated, not direct-impingement gas operated, so that's not an indictment of the DI system. All of that residue came from the residual gas and debris blowing out of the chamber and case when the action opens and ejects, and and all automatic and semiautomatic firearms (including AK's) do that.

Also, keep in mind that powder residue won't jam a rifle if it's kept oiled; it's dirt and sand you really have to worry about, and DI AR's keep dirt out of the receiver and magazine as well as piston AR's do. I suspect that most of the (relatively few) M16/M4 problems that crop up in-theater are more due to dirty/worn out aluminum magazines, ejection port covers left open, and erroneous keep-it-oil-free dogma than they are due to the DI system.

in an emergency I would rely on an AK or other piston operated gun

I'd rate a properly put together AR (gas key screws properly staked, proper buffer and spring weight) about as reliable as a typical civilian AK, as long as it wasn't run dry. Wet and dirty isn't a problem for the AR, but dry and dirty can be (just as it can be with an M1 Garand, an M1A, or a mini-14). I own both, like both, and would be equally comfortable with either in a pinch.

 

[Justin]

Place all three on ground. Run over with truck. Now see which is better the aluminumR-15 , the ak or the rugged garand style mini14

If you're the sort of person who's in the habit of running guns over with trucks, perhaps you ought not be let near firearms.

Or motor vehicles.

 

[benEzra]

Place all three on ground. Run over with truck. Now see which is better the aluminumR-15 , the ak or the rugged garand style mini14

I'm not sure, not having tried it, but I suspect it would be harder to crush the aluminum receiver of an AR-15 than it would be to break the lightly reinforced wooden walls of the mini-14's magwell or op rod channel. And if you spring the reinforcement away from the stock proper, or bend the sheet-metal arms that connect to the trigger guard, the trigger group will fall out and the rifle will fall apart. I'm not sure the gas block alignment would hold either since it's not flat.

That's not to say that the mini-14 isn't a fairly rugged gun, but it's not made to withstand being run over, any more than the AR or AK are.

 

[Justin]

Is this evaluation based on an AR kept clean and the other two rifles neglected and kept very dirty?

There are plenty of AR-pattern guns with multiple thousands of rounds through them that have received no or minimal cleaning. The finnickyness of the AR platform is vastly overstated.

 

[M.C.]

AR... because it is you can't be a mall ninja without one

 

[gotigers]

AR15

why?: (in no particular order)

Accuracy
recoil
options (including calibers)
ergonomics
accessories
availability of parts
better ammo options
ammo is cheap enough
lethal
reliability
ease of maintenance
versatility

 

[dave85620]

What a great thread! I've actually been thinking of getting a mini recently and thought the info in this thread was informative. However, iv'e come to the conclusion that the mini is just too expensive when compared to the ar-15. The ss mini I looked at in turners yesterday was going for $799! The cheapest Iv'e seen, in my area and new, was about $750. This is just too much for such an ancient design IMO. I think they should be no more than $500 considering you can get something like a Spikes tactical mid length for the same price as a new mini. They are badass looking though and love the simple design.

 

[bruzer]

Voted mini 14 because it is what I have. If my money tree would produce fruit the AR would be first in the line-up.
Mike

 

[aklovinguy]

ak 74 .super dependible. cheapest ammo. duh cominality of parts dont mean much when the gun prolly wont break in your lifetime.

 

[aklovinguy]

If you're the sort of person who's in the habit of running guns over with trucks, perhaps you ought not be let near firearms.

Or motor vehicles.

I second this. you can hand over the fire arms right now pall.lol

 

[Ignition Override]

aklovinguy:

As Century seems to always dominate or almost monopolize assembly of most AK and other imported semi-auto rifles, have they stopped using AK-74 barrels with over-sized bores in their Tantals?

"Sturmgewehr" reported that:
1) Century has been well aware of this for a while.
2) Their warranty periods begin when the product leaves the factory (normal consumer laws don't apply), which could be months before a given buyer decides to buy the gun.