AR vs. Mini 14

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dispatch55126

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This is not another SHTF thread!

Now that this is settled, here's my dilemma. I own an AR w/ several mags and love it. Its accurate, reliable and...its a toy. However, I also own, walk and hunt on 160 acres and an AR is not practical. It's too heavy for my purposes and I don't need an AR for 99.9% of what I need a rifle for.

So, do I trade my AR and mags for a new model Mini 14 and stock up on 20 round mags? They're plenty accurate for what I need it for and more comfortable to slog around in the woods.

Next question. Anyone want to trade?
 
If your AR is to heavy I suspect you have too much crap on it and/or using a heavy barrel.

Change barrels to a lightweight and unbolt the carp. There is no reason a AR has to weigh more than 8 pounds loaded.

You can sell a heavy barrel for most of what a new light barrel will cost. Price Mini-14 factory mags sometime too.

BSW
 
yeah, seriously. for 50 years people have been complaining the AR is so light it feels like a Mattel toy. if yours is too heavy, there must be some sort of configuration issue.
 
Get a lighter upper for your AR. An M4 barrel profile or even a superlight "pencil barrel." Unless your lower is made of lead, a lighter upper should get you below 7 lbs, and allow you to do anything a Mini-14 will do.
 
A basic AR isn't all that heavy, seems like to me. A match target with a big scope gets heavy, or one with a bunch of tactical stuff hung on it.

If "tacticalized", just take off all that excess stuff and lighten the load.

IMO, a lightweight 20" upper will take care of hunting needs. You don't need long-string tight-group accuracy when you're only going to fire one or two shots.

I like the Mini-14s, but they seem to have become overpriced. I wouldn't sell my AR to buy one, although I'd jump on a good-used reasonable deal.
 
My 16" M4gery weighs right about 6lbs with nothing on it. The carry handle is 8-9 oz. and a flip up iron sight will be lighter then that. My TA-31F with mount is about 14-15 oz. and some of the red dots will be less then that. So you can stay under 7 lbs with irons or a lightweight optic. As some of the previous posters mentioned, a superlight barrel would weigh even less.

The other thing I would suggest is to look into slings. With the right sling setup, you will hardly even notice you are carrying the weapon and it will shoulder very quickly. Once you spread the weight across your torso a few ounces here or a pound there stop mattering so much imo.
 
The mini is a very lightweight and compact gun, even more compact in some of the newer configurations. With the supplied flush fit magazine, there are no protruding grips or carry handles sticking out to get in your way. I would assume you would carry it slung over your shoulder for comfort. Also, at least in wood stocks, it looks like it belongs on a farm. Hard to make an AR NOT look like it belongs on a swat team. You may already have the better gun overall in your AR, but if you want a mini, there's really nothing wrong with them. They are handy little rifles.
 
Mine is a no-frills mid length A2 without any of that tacticool crap people put on them. The only weight comes from the HBAR. Part of the reason I'm thinking about an outright trade is that I cannot afford to purchase a new upper so I'm stuck with what I've got or something completely new. That said, I would love a pencil barrel though I can't find them with mid length hand guards. Their either in carbine or full length.
 
CMMG and Bravo Company both make Government Profile midlength barrels. I have the CMMG barrel and it is light and handy. I would try switching that out first. A 16" HBAR weighs more than a 20" Government profile, so a 16" Government profile will shave a lot of weight off (almost a pound and all of it from in front of the barrel nut where you notice it more).
 
Lesser-cost suggestion: Work on building up body strength. I've never been any Great Physical Specimen, but I spent some thirty years as a walking hunter with a 9.5-pound Weatherby hung on my shoulder. Many walks exceeded a dozen miles in a day.

Note: A leather sling which is around two or two and a half inches wide where it goes over one's shoulder is indeed a Good Thing. Leather is much less prone to slip and slide than nylon.
 
dispatch,
A mini 14 is great little carbine, my 580 series functions flawlessly.
But if i were you, i wouldn't trade your AR i would just go buy a mini.
They don't call it a ranch rifle for nothing, im not going to bash anyone who owns an AR
they are real nice rifles ,but sadly many will say the mini isn't.
Well mine is not a tack driver but i gaurantee I WILL HIT WHAT IM AIMING FOR.
Be sure you get the ss with an all weather stock have fun shopping.
 
I had a Mini 30 and it was exactly what I'm looking for. I need something I can carry around the woods all day, hang in a tree or lay on the ground while I'm working and not worry about cleaning it right away afterwards. Maybe its the military background or maybe its just how much I spent but I've got an insationable need to clean the AR whenever I shoot it. Much more so than any other rifle I own.

I'm leaning toward the Mini 14 only because I'm heavily investing in 5.56/.223 right now to include reloading. Carrying around an AR all day just isn't practical.
 
Carrying around an AR all day just isn't practical.
Click to expand...

if you want to get the mini, get the mini. but don't try to sell ridiculous statements like this around here.

also, clean your AR however you wish, but i clean mine 2 maybe 3 times per year at most. the AR probably needs less cleaning than your other rifles
 
if you want to get the mini, get the mini. but don't try to sell ridiculous statements like this around here.
Click to expand...

Okay, let me break this down then. I'm looking for something handy and lightweight. Currently, I have mine setup in an A2 configuration. What kind of weight savings would I get by:

1. swapping the fixed A2 buttstock for a collapsible stock?
2. swapping the 16" HBAR for a 16" gov't profile?

Don't get me wrong, I like my AR and parts are much more available. I'm just looking to shave as much weight as possible.
 
Hell, if you think the mini-14 is the best choice for you, go for it.... I have a 20" bull barrel AR with a Shepherd Scope for coyote or other varmint hunting and a 180 series mini-14 and it shoots plenty good enough for me also. It depends on your own situation about which one to own and it's your choice. Personally I would own both, but it is up to you.....
 
Ditching the A2 stock and HBAR barrel should save about 2 lbs. I'd consider a light weight barrel and using a 20 round mag loaded with 10 rounds.
 
I prefer the Mini 14 to the AR for the purpose of walking around on farm woods. Your neighbors will think are are less crazy if they see you with a Mini 14.
Click to expand...

Exactly, thank you. Walking down the road with a "normal" looking rifle won't even get a second look by the neighbors or the occasional DNR or Sheriff. The neighbors already think I have a full auto whenever I shoot my P85.
 
if my neighbors saw me with a mini-14, they'd think a lot of things, but none of them "less crazy"

they'd probably think
1. i lost a bet
2. recession must be getting really bad
3. want to give the varmints a sporting chance, or fire 70% warning shots
4. i couldn't find a wood-grained duracoat color to make an AR that matched the paneling on a '78 cutlass sierra
5. a-team reruns are getting to me
 
Ways to save weight:
1. Thinner barrel.
2. Shorter barrel.
3. Fluted barrel.
4. Take the cleaning kit out of the A2 stock.
5. Use a collapsible stock.
6. Remove any optics.
7. Remove any lights or lasers.
8. Take anything out of the pistol grip, if you are using it as storage space.
9. Use 20 round aluminum magazines.
10. Don't use a bipod.
11. Replace handguards with a set of the old triangular ones, they're very light.

I used to have a Colt SP1. That was one very light rifle. I still have a carbine with a 16 inch fluted barrel and an aluminum one piece float tube, it is also very light.
 
The weight difference between the 16" HBar and 16" govt profile feels like more than just what the numbers are. Since all of that extra weigh is off in front of your front hand it really makes the carbine feel heavy.

Admittedly I also like the feel of mini-14's they just feel light and handy.
 
I think an M4 weights about 7.1 lb empty and a Ranch Rifle weighs about 6.9 lb. Not much of a difference.

I love my Mini, but I have both ARs and a mini and couldn't part with either. I didn't weigh any of my rifles, but one of them has a Cavalry Arms lower and feels like a good lb lighter than my M4gery. I might just have to take a couple of hikes with each to see if I can feel a difference.
 
I don't know what you need a rifle for (your post doesn't say) ... but it sounds like you have already talked yourself out of the AR and into the Mini-14, so go for it.
 
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