I like the mini for how it handles. It just feels right, and some guys prefer the look and action. That being said, my best mini is worse than my worst AR. In fact, my best mini doesn't even equal the groups I get from either of my iron sighted Winchester M94's. I have an old and a new mini and they group the same.
The mini is a heartbreaker. It will throw out a good three shot group now and then. Maybe even a good five shot group. Just enough to string you along into thinking you may have the gun figured out (of course, the good groups are a statistical anomaly). Then the next group will be 6-8 inches. I am convinced when mini guys report their group size they are reporting the single best 3-shot group they ever got out of an entire case of ammo.
In addition, it will try its hardest to ruin whatever class you have on the rifle, as well as the windshield of your truck if you park close enough the brass can hit it. Minimum safe distance from the ejection port of a mini is about 15 yards. Once I actually embedded a piece of brass into a wood post as it was ejected by the mini.
In addition, my most reliable mini is less reliable than my least reliable AR. Both of my mini's have had to go back to ruger, where the replaced the bolt assembly in each. I have no idea why. They seem to run now, but who knows? All that being said, I do have a soft spot for the mini (when I don't want to wrap it around a tree). I think the mini best serves in the same role as an iron sighted .30-30. Think of it as a model 94 firing a weaker cartridge that goes bang more times before it needs to be reloaded. And is less accurate. And is probably less reliable. And is more expensive.
I got sucked into the 'new minis are better than the old ones' and bought a new one. I tell my friends that was doubling down on stupid. All this comes from a guy that still wants to like the mini more than an AR. It just hard to spend more on a mini and get so much less than even a cheap AR. I plan to not triple down on stupid. As always, your mileage may vary (but probably won't).
