Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Opinions wanted: AR vs. Ruger Mini-14

I have neither, but have been around both on a limited basis.

I am much more naturally comfortable with a Mini-14, as they seem to have controls with which I am already familiar.

Why do so many bad mouth the Mini but love the AR? Are there substantive operating differences other than accuracy?

I realize that there are differences in the gas operating system, but have not really understood them (other than to think the AR platform is inherently dirtier and less reliable). I have seen ARs lock up and not work, and always need cleaning, numerous times. I have never seen a Mini not work nor need cleaning. That appeals to me for the uses I have in mind (truck gun, beater gun, fun gun, open-sight deer/coyote blaster).

I've never had a mini-14, but my understanding is the accuracy just isn't on par with what most people expect. If you're happy with 2-3 moa, then get a mini. If you want a rifle that is likely to shoot moa, get an ar-15. The other upside of the AR is the huge amount of aftermarket parts. If you plan to have several magazines, ar magazines are much less expensive than mini mags.

Sounds like for your use, and with your familiarity of the m-14 controls that the Ruger is a better choice.

I have owned and used both for better than 30 years.

I still enjoy my Mini-14, and find it to be rugged, reasonably accurate and totally reliable. Much of the negative stuff you will hear is from folks who have never shot or owned a Mini, but parrot what they hear the cool folks saying in forums.

That being said, If I had to grab a rifle going out the door, I'd probably take the AR.

I had a Mini-14 Ranch rifle in stainless for about 5-6 years. I tried all manner of handloads in the thing and never could get it to consistently shoot 2" or better. Usually 4" was about what it would do. I bought it believing all those folks who griped about accuracy were shooting cheap surplus ammo or just couldn't shoot. In regards to the rifle I owned, I found out differently. I didn't want it to be like that. I liked the rifle and wanted it to perform well for me. It fed things fine, but accuracy was dismal.

Did you do anything to adjust the gas block tension or glass bed the stock?

I have had 3 of them all with poor accuracy like 3-4 inches or worse, never had one misfire or one not feed. Had one rust the operating rod to the gas piston, just kick started it like a motorcycle (make sure the barrel is not pointed at your head in this maneuver), it still worked. I think the new ones are supposed to be more accurate.

If I were you I would just buy one of the mini-14's as you like the form factor better. If you don't like it after a while just sell it. They always seemed to be pretty reliable in my hands and they point well. Most AR's have now grown into 9 pound guns when you get all the stuff on them; the little mini's I owned seemed to be lighter than this.

I've owned two Mini-14's and a bunch of AR-15's. One older model and one of the newer 580 series mini-14 rifles. The old one was a bullet sprayer but the newer one was reasonably accurate, about 2MOA which I think is just fine for a walking gun.

I thought the mini-14 made a much better walking rifle than any AR-15 I've ever owned. It was light and pointed naturally. I also really like the conventional stock shape better for a stalking gun.

That said the AR-15 is a better all around package. I wish I still owned both but decided to slim my patriot rifles down to 3 and the Mini-14 didn't make the cut.

Terry

I've had a Mini-14 for over thirty years, AR's for almost as long. As others have noted, the mini carries more like a rifle and less like a piece of gear. My AR's have it all over my mini in the accuracy department. Both platforms, for me, have been dead nuts reliable.

Every Mini I've tried, I have yet to own one, had an out of the box trigger much, much better than any AR stock trigger I have tried. The Mini-14, out of the box, is a better deal than a comparably priced AR: the Mini has a better trigger and comes with scope rings. And, although AR-15's are generally more accurate, and can certainly be made much more accurate, than a Mini-14, comparing an $800 AR with a chrome lined lowest bidder barrel with a Mini-14--and shooting for groups with the stock trigger on each--will generally show the guns to be about even. Or at least this has been my experience shooting guns owned by friends of mine, all within the past two years. Several had new Mini-14's, and the AR's we compared against were Doublestar, DPMS, Olympic Arms and Stag Arms, all of which were priced, pre-Obama, in the $800 range.

All that said, if you intend to customize the going away favorite is the AR. If you want an out of the box, good to go shooter for less than $800, then go Mini-14.

Also, the Mini-14 has something the AR will never have...

The endorsement of the A-team!

I traded for my first mini-14 in 1982 or so, killed a bunch of stuff with it with just the peep sights. Then I scoped it and patterned it and realized I couldn't possibly hit anything with it so they had just came out with the Ranch Rifle version...

6 mini-14's later I decided they were rugged and reliable but unaccurate. I now have AR's and will have to say they are just as reliable as any mini I ever had. They fit me and shoot much better.

The only positive thing about a mini to me is they are ugly from the start. I had a gun rack break and fall off my 3 wheeler with a mini-14, it hit rocks and I ran over it before I could stop. Didn't hurt it a bit besides a few scratches.

I owned a SS Mini 14 Ranch Rifle in the early '90s. It was, and still is, the most inaccurate POS that I've ever seen, or shot. I dumped it and bought an AR-15. There is no comparison between the two rifles.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago. I had two friends that "needed" Minis. One bought the Mini 14 and the other bought the Mini 30. One trip to the range was enough for both of them. Both Minis are long gone and both were replaced with Ar-15s.

Let me see, the A-team fired off a lot of ammo and never once hit anything they were aiming at.

On the other hand the M16/AR-15 has been the main battle rifle of the US military for over 40 years, longer than any other and totally dominates Camp Perry and service rifle competition.

The AR is the more accurate option; but not everyone is Townsend Whelen, and many people find less than gilt-edge accurate rifles interesting. For those people, and I admit to being one, the Mini-14 is an interesting rifle.

Personally, I'm not impressed by what the military carries. I manage my own supply chain and so long as the quartermaster gets her quarter carat I can shoot most anything

I never thought about the connection. That's pretty funny!

I believe the new minis are better, they have beefed up the barrel at the gas block. I have a new one but not had a chance to try it out.

So far, it seems the only knock on the Mini is the poor accuracy.

Are there other substantive differences I should know about? I have not run either platform much and admit to having little understanding of how they actually work.

Essentially, the Mini is an AK-47/M-1 Carbine type rifle. That is, it is designed and built to be reliable FIRST, and accurate second.

The AR platform is an extremely accurate platform, that can be made very reliable.

It is FAR, FAR easier to make an AR combat reliable, than to make a Mini a tackdriver.

Part of this is due to the fact that the AR has been so thoroughly tested and the existence of oodles of accessories and parts for the AR.

In a short range rifle fight (and most of them are), the Mini would be a great tool. Google "FBI 1986 Miami Shootout" if you don't believe me.

But consumers have very few rifle fights. Instead, we punch paper and hunt small game with our 223s. In that arena, Min-14s don't look so good--and ARs look awesome.

Just my 2 cents.

BMT

Well said.

Very well put BMT.

I realy do like the mini-14, that's why I owned 7 of em or so trying to find a good one, well an accurate one. I read a report once from a LEO who was choosing between the two for his dept. I can't remember everything but a few things stuck.
1. The mini won for ergonomics, it felt more like a rifle.

2. It was half the cost.

3. Not many aftermarket accesories available or needed, less to go wrong from individual officer input.

4. Plenty capable accuracy wise for it's intended purpose.

5. It was less evil to the public.

Keep in mind this was in the mid to late 80's, doubt if the same would be said today.

But for my purposes I'll take the AR everytime, just don't think I'd be undergunned with a mini keeping distances under 100 yards or so and ain't that about normal ranges?

I just can't constrain myself from mentioning that with a few bucks judiciously spent, the Mini is capable of very good accuracy.
It is already dead nuts reliable.

......yet, suggest that a fellow spend a buck on a Mini 14, and the indignant howls erupt from the Mini haters.

..........and yet, let one of the AR mavens speak of spending hundreds on a LaRue scope mount, or a SOPMOD stock, and the AR clique chimes in with 'way to go bro'.

........just saying