Mini-14 vs. S&W AR

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Ditto's on letting your wife pick. I had a mini and sold it because of it's accuracy(or lack there of, 2 moa) I have 2 ar's and love them, but i wish i still had my mini too. It was a great gun. And as stated eariler, 2 moa is more than sufficent.
 
My wife is tiny (5'2" and about 100 lbs) and has handled my A1 AR-15 like a champ. I think the AR is great for beginners because it is so easy to look like a pro after only shooting it a few times. Great ergos, lightweight (when not all pimped out), and light recoil make for a winner with every girl that has shot mt AR's... including half of the local Dance Theater one day ;-).
 
OK guys - while the rifle will not be solely my wife's, I do want her to be able to shoot it and as such I should at least have her try out the options which is sound advice. I'll not rush a decision to save a few bucks.

It also sounds like whichever we decide upon will be fine for our purposes.

Thanks for the good advice, opinions, and not shutting down the thread!
 
m4 ar unless she likes the mini more. lightweight, accurate, lighter recoil (i know its a 223 but still...), factory 6 pos stock (the tapco or ati stocks for the ruger suck imo if you get a ruger just use the standard stock) and looks cool lol this has made a more of a impact on my fiance than anything and she runs it real well. BUT get what fits your budget, her opinions (and yes that DOES matter) and you really cant lose both will put holes in stuff and run great. the deal killer for me for the mini 14 is the lack of factory 30 round mags and also cost of mags (35-40 per mags equals almost 2-3 gi or pmags for ar give that some thought)
 
How come nobody complains about the cost of factory mags for guns like the Browning A bolt or many similar guns which cost MORE than Ruger factory mags? Just wondering?
Click to expand...

Probably because:

1. A Browning A-Bolt is typically not shot in a fashion where having extra magazines is all that useful or desirable.
2. Nobody has tried to ban Browning A-Bolt magazines in the past, so nobody tries to stock up on enough Browning A-Bolt magazines to last several lifetimes.
 
We have both in our household. My wife likes both, with no clear favorite between these two. (She favors lever-action rifles and pump shotguns over autoloaders.) I favor the Mini-14 because I prefer the way the safety operates, especially the lefty-friendly aspect of the safety, and like the line-of-sight being close to the bore axis, for across-the-room shooting without having to allow for the offset. I like my AR15 HBAR for long-range shooting. If I buy another AR anytime soon, it may well be a DMR type. AR for long range, Mini for close-range utility/self-defense/home-defense. Life is good. :)

The current Minis are all Ranch Rifles, which are very simple to scope, with Ruger factory rings. Earlier versions were either Mini or Ranch Rifle, so pay attention to that if scoping is important.

Jack Weigand sells mounts, with either Weaver or Picatinney rails, for those who want to use optics other than normal scopes on Ranch Rifles.
 
CDNN sells Ruger factory mags. for $24.99, so magazine cost is no longer an issue with the mini.
 
Glad to see its not another basher thread ,i think they are both great rifles, but each with its own flaws. I own a newer mini 580 series and love the rifle, its never failed in anyway and while its not as accurate as an AR its as accurate as i need. I dont use mine for HD but i guess it could fit that bill ,as far as mags are concerned i just bought two 30 rounders(factory) at a local show for $29.99 each, while not cheap ive seen them close to double that.
I don't own an AR but have fired a couple and researched them , coming close to a purchase (bought a Rem 700 .270 instead ) They are accurate and reliable 98% of the time but definitely are the GO-TO rifles of the day. As another said they are like Lego's and can be built to your suit, ive seen some Bad ass looking AR's on this forum.
I don't think you can go wrong with either rifle, have fun shopping and don't forget to post some pic's when you get your new toy.
 
i have both after i bought the mini the ar stays at home. i am slightly more accurate with the ar but the mini is more fun to shoot. cdnn sells 30rd factory mags for 29.99 & 20rd for 24.99. i will only buy factory mags. i also feel the mini is faster getting on target, at least at close range. good luck & please let us know which one you get.
 
I hate to be "that guy" that derails the discussion, but have you considered a Kel Tec SU16? It combines the best of the AR and Mini 14 in that it has a traditional style stock(plus or minus depending on your perspective) and piston operation but it takes AR mags which is obviously a huge plus. It also has a reputation for being quite accurate, competitive with a mid-level AR in most cases. And it since it's largely made from polymer it's extremely lightweight, sub 5lbs in fact, which would be good for the wife. They also have several other novel features that nothing else in the class has and all models fold, even the California legal models.

Expect to pay $450-600 depending on model and dealer. Go check out ktog.org if you want to learn more about these.

Given the 2 choices in the original post, I'd go for the AR. In fact money no object that'd be my choice, period. For the price though the SU16 becomes a viable option, IMO.
 
What about another option - somebody suggested a Keltec Su-16 which got me thinking about other rifles out there and I found out that Saiga makes a .223.

How about comparing a Mini-14 to Saiga?
 
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