mini 14 vs. socom 16

[dmckean44]

The mini's sold today are a little more accurate.

 

[uvausmc]

The socom is heavy and while i love the .308 I would choose a good 5.56 load for defensive situations just because of the over penetration you will get with the .308.

ever thought of the Mini in 6.8? Promag should be coming out with 10, 20 round mags for it soon. Mine will shoot 1-2 inch groups at 100yds with iron sights and Im still not done breaking it in. Ammo is more than a .223/5.56 but you get more punch too that will work better on people and deer size critters.

 

[jordan1948]

I second the mini 6.8

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I would suspect that there is a significant amount of velocity loss with a 16" barrel .308? I've got a remmy 700 tactical with a 20" barrel and I'm probably losing 60 fps compared to a 24" barrel. I've read several places that you don't get a complete powder burn until 20" of barrel, i.e big time blast and flash.

As far as gun choice goes, get the mini, it cost's half what the socom does, ammo cost will lend itself to more practice, and you're not going to be hunting deer with it anyway.

 

[dougiefreshhh]

thx Kaptin

thanks Kaptin. Factory rings with your Nikon?

some people love steak, and some hate chicken. Some like mini's, some don't.

I'm glad we have choices though...

Last HD comment on SOCOM/Mini/AR..

HD is NOT about 1" groupings at 100 yards... so accuracy should really not be on this thread....but it is fun to throw into the mix.

 

[TimboKhan]

You can get FACTORY Mini 20-rounders at Midway for $30.

So not that hard to find and pretty much the going rate for any hi-cap pistol magazine I've purchased recently.

Well, I said Harder to find, not impossible. Try walking into a gun shop and finding factory 20 rounders for a mini. I can count on one finger the number of times that has happened to me, whereas I can walk into virtually any gun shop on the front range and find AR mags.

I will say that it is easier to find them now than it was a few years ago.

 

[Defense Minister]

I could drive down to my local Bi-Mart right now and buy a brand new Mini-14 for $659. But, I already have one that I love! If you want a rifle that is handy and points well, don't hesitate to go for the Ruger. If you have the cash and want something that will shoot through concrete block, buy the Springfield.

 

[HiroProX]

The accuracy debate changes with a 580 series Mini-14. Groups of less than 2" have been done with the 580 Mini-14's at 100-115yards, which is in the range for El Cheapo AR-15s. And with Ruger and Pro-Mag making quality 20 and 30 round magazines for them, capacity is equally "up there".

In the category of "handy", it's the mini in a walk. Many words describe weapons based on the full sized Garand/M-14 action, but "handy" is not one of them. They are uniformly heavy. Also in barrel lengths shorter than 20", muzzle blast and flash are nothing short of vicious. I leaned that from a Garand Tanker in .308 I owned at one time. The U.S. Army experimented with Garand carbines, and it's pretty obvious why they dropped the idea.

Of the two choices, for the stated purposes, I'd advise to the Mini. But as other have stated, the OP would do well to consider an AR or the Mini in 6.8mmSPC.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Both are great rifles and I won't say anything bad about either. (In fact I'd love both.) However, if the primary role is 'ranch rifle' get the original, a lever action 30/30. Win 94 or Marlin 336, your choice. Find one for $300 and use it until you decide what semi-auto you want. Obviously I'm no operator, but the old school still works.
RT

I've had the good opportunity to shoot all of the above options plus ARs and lever action 30-30's.

Based on the orginal post, I'd say a 30-30 lever action is the most cost effective solution balancing weight, reliabilty, and self defense. If you worry about capacity, you could buy a used 9 mm pistol as well and still likely spend the same as one mini-14.

If I had to choose either mini-14 or SOCOM-16, then I'd go with the mini-14 for the intended purpose listed in the original post. Both will get the job done fine. I think the SOCOM is just over-kill for the purpose outline in the OP.

Whatever you choose, get the proper formal training beyond just lots of social plinking with your buddies. It's money well spent.

 

[Ignition Override]

Dan Crocker and mattlove444 suggested a Mini 30 or an SKS.

As for that x39 caliber, if these are worth considering and you want to pay more than for the generic Norinco, then how about a so-called "Paratrooper" version,or the SKS D or M series which are designed for using only AK mags?

The price of any of these might equal that of a used Mini 14.

 

[jeepguy]

for the price of the m1a you could get a mini 14 & mini 30 or mini 14 & saiga 308 or cetme if you get m14 clone get fulton armory or one of the other ones imo better qualty.

 

[LEVRLOVR]

I say go with the Mini.

Far and away a rifle you will carry more often than just about anything else.

It has plenty of power for just about anything including deer, it is lightweight, more than accurate enough, and just a plain joy to carry, especially with the factory folder.

 

[lobo9er]

those are 2 TOTALLY different guns, the socom is light years ahead of the mini. both are good guns but the socom is better. depends what you need it for and what you want to spend.