I went to a multi day patrol rifle instructor school a year ago. Many kinds of ARs with all kinds of variations on gear, make, model, etc. One person ran an SU-16 and another ran a Mini-14. All finished the class with no problems. The Ruger shooter was running about average for the class. He was doing it with irons while most of the class had some sort of red dot on top.
That eperience alone taught me that it is the indian not the arrow.
Would I prefer a GOOD AR-15 over a Mini 14? Of course.
If limited to a Mini 14 would I be less well armed? No.
My 580 series mini with iron sights will not be the limiting factor in me being able to use it to defend myself under circumstances I am likely to face. I am the limiting factor. Even if TEOTWAWKI were to come it would do just fine. Would I feel more secure with a GOOD AR-15? Yes, but that is a feeling, not a fact. Most of us will rarely ever shoot our guns to their theoretical maximum. Sory if that bothers you but it is true. YOU are the weak like in just about every gun.
Other issues such as mags not being interchangable are interesting in an internet debate but they do not hold up well in real life. Let's be honest how many of us actually only own one handgun? How about one make and caliber of handgun? I thought so. Buy enough mags so you are set for life. I have 10 mags for my G17. I only use a few in a given year. I have 20+ mags for my 1911s. They don't work in my G17. That's why I have enough for each gun. I have more than enough AR and mini mags for my purposes. So unless you are going to dump every centerfire rifle that is not a .223 AR-15 the "mini 14 mags aren't compatible with AR-15" is bogus. Even if you do what about your trusty pistol? Are you going to dump everything that does not fit into a G17?
One thing that would impress me with a Mini 14 vs. AR-15 debate would be to comapre the older style skinny barrel ARs versus the Mini. One of these days maybe I'll pick up an old skinny barrel AR because I think those two are closer than the M4ish barreled guns that are popular.
That eperience alone taught me that it is the indian not the arrow.
Would I prefer a GOOD AR-15 over a Mini 14? Of course.
If limited to a Mini 14 would I be less well armed? No.
My 580 series mini with iron sights will not be the limiting factor in me being able to use it to defend myself under circumstances I am likely to face. I am the limiting factor. Even if TEOTWAWKI were to come it would do just fine. Would I feel more secure with a GOOD AR-15? Yes, but that is a feeling, not a fact. Most of us will rarely ever shoot our guns to their theoretical maximum. Sory if that bothers you but it is true. YOU are the weak like in just about every gun.
Other issues such as mags not being interchangable are interesting in an internet debate but they do not hold up well in real life. Let's be honest how many of us actually only own one handgun? How about one make and caliber of handgun? I thought so. Buy enough mags so you are set for life. I have 10 mags for my G17. I only use a few in a given year. I have 20+ mags for my 1911s. They don't work in my G17. That's why I have enough for each gun. I have more than enough AR and mini mags for my purposes. So unless you are going to dump every centerfire rifle that is not a .223 AR-15 the "mini 14 mags aren't compatible with AR-15" is bogus. Even if you do what about your trusty pistol? Are you going to dump everything that does not fit into a G17?
One thing that would impress me with a Mini 14 vs. AR-15 debate would be to comapre the older style skinny barrel ARs versus the Mini. One of these days maybe I'll pick up an old skinny barrel AR because I think those two are closer than the M4ish barreled guns that are popular.