Mini 14 or AR

[Cowtown]

Thinking of getting a .223 and wondering ya'lls suggestion on which one.

I was trying to find a used one.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stag]

I have shot both. I like the AR. It can be a dirty beast, if you neglect to clean it. I like the AR for its manual of arms. They are very accurate. They also give you the ability to add stuff to it.. if you are into that. which can be fun. They are a little more difficult to find, because everyone wants one. And the price on them can be inflated. I have an AR lower that I have yet to get an upper for.

Mini-14s are nice ranch rifles. Alot of folks love them. They have nice wood stocks and you could probably find a nice used one fairly quick.

What purpose do you have in mind for firing .223 ?.. if you list that.. you may get a better viewpoint from board members.

 

[Cowtown]

I want a good rifle for what ever might come up.... self protection.

the 223 should be easier to get.

I am open to the least expensive rifle I can get.. even an AK.

 

[cuate]

The Mini comes cheaper than an AR, breaks down to clean simpler and easier. On the other hand most ARs will shoot circles around a Mini. AR magazines are much less expensive and you can add a multitude of acessories to your AR. Most ARs come with chrome bores and chambers.

A Mini is a fun plinker, nowhere close to two or three bullets almost through the same hole. They are pretty tough and patterned similiarly to the old M1s and Carbines, the gas system different of course. Minis get a bad rap, accuracy wise and are prone to begin stringing fired rounds when the barrel gets hot. I have both rifles and choose one or the other depending upon what I shoot at and the distance, etc.

 

[bvillars]

mini vs. ar

man this chevy versus ford. I have a couple of both and love them all. AR's seem to be frowned on by the general public because of the look, while the mini is more accepted. The ar is certainly more accurate, but I seem to hit lots of hogs with my open site mini 14 and mini 30. Mini's are cheaper but ar's hold their value a little better. I suggest you go to a range and try to rent each one or lots of people will let you shoot their weapon either a mini or ar if you buy the ammo. Good luck and hope whatever you buy you love it. Who knows maybe later in life you can buy the other one. You can always use the excuse you need another one to leave to a son or dughter later on.

 

[SC-Texas]

There is no rifle in the world that beats the ergonomics of the AR-15.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

You might do a search of previous posts. This question was asked a month or so ago and had lots of good responses.

My pick; the AR hands down. They're more accurate and there's lots more configurations than the Mini-14. I've owned both and the AR is a better rifle.

 

[TriggerTime]

Bullseye Shooter is right, this one was covered well a month or so ago. Do a search and hopefully you can find it and view all the responses.

AR-15 hands down. It's much much more accurate. You can switch out uppers. Easy to get parts for. I've got both and there is no comparison.

Good shooting.

 

[KellyAsh]

+1 for the AR

 

[SC-Texas]

Heck, another plus for hte AR is that you can buld it yourself by mailorder.

the onyl part that needs an FFL transfer is the lower.

 

[Okierifleman]

Definately the AR. The number of different accessories are endless.

 

[Cowtown]

Thanks for all the input.
Guess I will save up for an AR.

 

[M. Sage]

My money is on the AR. Heads and shoulders above the Mini 14.

AKs are cheaper than either, easier to clean than the Mini and about on par with cleaning the AR. Maintenance is easier on the AK, though, since it requires so much less.

7.62x39mm ammo is fairly plentiful and is becoming cheap again... definitely cheaper than 5.56mm.

Then again, with an AR you can have versatility. It's so easy to change calibers in the same receiver, it literally takes seconds.

The Mini comes cheaper than an AR, breaks down to clean simpler and easier.

I beg to differ... You wind up taking the barreled action out of the stock to clean a Mini.

On the AR, pop one pin out, hinge the action open and the bolt group will fall out in your hand. How fast can you (or anybody?) strip and assemble a Mini 14? Faster than this?

YouTube - McKenzie -11yo Girl Sets New Record for Field Stripping AR15

She took it down farther than most people do for cleaning. You don't usually take the buffer and spring out, and most people don't usually separate the upper from the lower completely. She was moving pretty fast, but I think she took the bolt down farther than I'd bother doing it for regular cleaning, too...

Ok.. found a Mini 14 strip and assemble guide (though I can't find anybody trying for speed)... no way is this easier than the AR-15.

YouTube - Ruger Mini-14 Disassembly

 

[Texas42]

wow. . . . . .That little girl rocks. I don't even have a complete AR-15 and I feel really really . . . . . like I just got my butt wooped.

 

[DCortez]

wow. . . . . .That little girl rocks.

That was pretty cool.

 

[M. Sage]

To me, that's pretty good praise for a design. Admittedly, she's obviously practiced and been coached on how it's done, but how many other rifles would you feel comfortable handing off to an 11 year old girl so that she could disassemble and reassemble it for speed?

There are a couple that spring to my mind - the AK, the HK91/33/53... But all are more modern designs than the Mini 14 which borrows a lot from the M14 which in turn borrows a lot from the M1 Garand.

 

[lonewolf23c]

I've fired both. The AR is indeed more accurate, but can also be more problematic if you don't clean it after every use. The Mini-14 is a fun plinking rifle, can stand up to a bit more abuse in the way of lack of cleaning, but isn't as accurate either. The AR series rifles regardless of manufacturer can easily be modified to accept tons of accessories to the point where you can no longer even carry the rifle due to its weight. Personally I would choose the AR first, then maybe later get a good Mini-14 for plinking.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

The AR is indeed more accurate, but can also be more problematic if you don't clean it after every use.

I asked one the guys who has won the Texas State rifle championship how often he cleans his AR match rifle. He said "never". I'm sure he was kidding somewhat, but I've noticed my AR takes a lot less to make it happy over my M1 Garand. You do need to pay attention to lubing it correctly and I would make sure the chamber is clean. We cleaned them a lot more when I was in the Navy, but we were doing a lot of training exercises with blanks and they definitely dirty a rifle more than shooting live ammo.

 

[lonewolf23c]

I asked one the guys who has won the Texas State rifle championship how often he cleans his AR match rifle. He said "never". I'm sure he was kidding somewhat, but I've noticed my AR takes a lot less to make it happy over my M1 Garand. You do need to pay attention to lubing it correctly and I would make sure the chamber is clean. We cleaned them a lot more when I was in the Navy, but we were doing a lot of training exercises with blanks and they definitely dirty a rifle more than shooting live ammo.

They're ok as long as your not crawling around in the mud, sand, etc. Get a little dirt in the action and it most likely won't fire. Spent 13 months in Iraq, using the military M-16 and they're not that great unless your in a nice clean environment. Spent a lot of time over there just cleaning rifles due to the dusty conditions.