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Mini-14 or Mini-30 or AR ?
Christian B.
Member Posts: 218 ✭✭✭
I'm getting ready to expand my collection to include a couple of long guns. I'm pretty sure that I want the Remington 870 for a shotgun, but I'm having problems with a semi-auto rifle.I'm gathering from what I'm reading that the AK is kind of a nightmare... so I wrote that one off. I started to look at AR-15's and noticed the Mini 14/30's for much less.What have you experienced from each of them? Is there a real advantage between the 14 and the 30? Something that makes the AR worth so much more? I intend to convert the 14 or 30 over to the butler creek stock. Is there something else I'm overlooking?christian
Comments
"To take no action, is an action"Get involved today, tomorrow depends on it!NRA Life Member
The Mini-14 is ok...I have the stainless ranch model with a Burris compact scope, Butler Creek pistol grip folding stock, gunsmithed muzzle-brake. I also a variety of hi-cap mags for the gun. 6 Millet/eagle, 4 USA, 2 Ramline, 2 Precision. The best are the Eagle/Millet 35 round lexan mags. 2nd is the Ramline plastic 30 round...they also fit the Ar-15. My 3rd favorite is the Precision mfg mags. I am the orginal owner of the gun. Mini-14 will cycle without jaming with the use good quality mags. The break down is easy, but not as fast as the AK or AR. There are very few parts in the Mini, which would make it more reliable. Accuracy is not great 3 to 4" groups w/ the Burris scopes. The trigger is very heavy and the action is slow and heavy. But you can still dump a 30 rnd clip in seconds. The Mini-14 is also much heavier than the AK and the AR-15. The Magazine changes also take more time then the AK and the AR. Junk metal mags sometimes slip off the front catch when inserted causing the need to reinsert...with is not good in a defense situation. I would not really recommend the Mini-14.
The Polytech AK: My Polytech is a high quality AK. Treaded muzzle, stamped reciever, swing out bayonet, underfolding metal stock, pistol grip, chrome lined barrel, 100 round drum mag, and five 30 round banana clips. The AK is well built. Disassembly/field strip is very easy. The Ak is a very good rifle. It is not finiky at all. It will eat up just about any ammo. It cycles without a problem. Mags are easy to find and the construction is pretty much standard. The drum mags (75 and 100 rnd) are still pretty easy to find and still pretty cheap(100 to 200 bux) I have seen them on the web and in Shotgun News. The drum mags are much easier then the AR-15 drum mags to get and the AR-15 drum mags are very expensive(400). A good AK is more accurate a Mini-14. I like the way the AK cycles. The AK is less prone to jam also. Mag changes are faster and easiler then the Mini-14. There is a mag release extenion which faclitates mag changes. Polytech also produced the "Legend" with is a milled receiver version. The Legend is a highly accurate rifle. I maintain my AK very well. I on longer take it out to fire. It is excellent condition and since it has all of the goodies the firearm bans prohibit, the value keeps rising. So it is now a collectible.If you can find a nice pre-ban AK like Polytech, then you will have your self a very fun and collective AK. You can also keep your eye out for a nice postban AK which will make a more affordable shoot/beater. But with any AK you buy....do your research on the gun(mfg/value) and make sure you do not buy anything modified into an illegal comfiguration.
Now...the best for last..THE AR-15:I would recommend the AR-15.Smooth action, light trigger, easy to control, highly accurate, easy to double tap, many configurations, many options. The AR-15 is a great gun. I have a Postban bushmaster M4 carbine configuration AR-15. It has a removable carry handle with A2 sights. The upper receiver has a scope rail for easy attachment of a variety of optics. You have three sight option on the AR-15. A1, A2, and A3(my setup). I recommend A3, becuase it give you more flexibility, but if you plan to use the carry handle often then an A1 or A2 config would be better. The A3 doesn't offer much room to insert your hand to carry the weapon. Some of the more tactical (and more expensive) Ar-15s have a rail setup or the front sight. With that setup up you can attach a typical looking Ar front sight, a laser, other device, or leave it empty so your scope has an unobstructed sight path. Those expensive Ar's sometimes have rails around the front handgaurd.Unless you need to attach a half dozen sights item, I would recommend the A3 config.Detachable carry handle with A2 sights with the scope rail upper reciever. You can get the Trijicon night sight for the A2 rearsight and the front post sight.As far as the gun goes you can get long heavy barrles, short heavy barrels, short regular barrels. Front hand will vary from basic Ar style handguards to free floating tubes.Preban ARs have a bayonet lug and a threaded barrel....feature with you won't use all that much, but features that bring more collectible value.Decide what you want to do with the gun. If you want a collectors piece, the get a colt pre-ban M4 carbine or a Colt H-bar green label.If you want a fun shooter that is accurate the you can chose from a variety of post-ban AR-15. The bushmasters are excellent quality at a great price. Armalite makes a top-noch AR. Colts are good, but your paying for the name. I like the Bushmaster.If you want a tactical/defense AR-15 I would recommend the Bushmaser Shorty Carbine with a 14.5"barrel with the permanent mini y-comp muzzle-brake.If competition is something that might be a seriously hobby for you then get a CMP/DCM competition legal rifle with heavy barrel and tigther tolencerences. Bushmaster, Armalite, Colt, ect. I would probably go with a Armalite for competition.I really like my bushmaster, but I think the Armalite looks really sweet.Strip down and cleaning is really easily...especially with a chrome lined barrel. Operation is very easy. Accuracy is awesome. I recieved breakdown and operation instruction from my cousin who is a Marine. Its a simple gun with a few parts.Mag changes are very easy. New condition USGI/NATO mags are still availble. Good reconditioned demo mags are availble too. I am a fan of the new condition USGI mags. Although the Ramline, Thermold, and Orlite mags work fine. The Thermolds are used by the Canadien military and are perfect for the Professional Ordnance Carbon 15 Ar-15 rifles and pistols.Professional Ordnance make a carbon 15 based Ar-15 rifle and pistol. They are very light. I have the type 20/21 pistol...it is super light and fires like a champ. They probably make a good rifle too. They offer tool steel hardened chrome bolts and bolt carriers. The rest is mainly carbon 15/carbon fiber material. You can get a blue metal match barrel, stainless match barrel, stainless fluted barrel(which allows you to attch lasers, and lights to the barrel). A Stainless P.O. rifle would be ultralight weigth corrosion resistant tactical weapon.Check out thoses rifles too.But in anycase go with an AR-15. More options, best quality, many accesories and cips, light, accurate, custom parts(trigger, hand guard, ect)Happy Shooting
Life is the leading cause of death.Everything else is just a contributing factor.[This message has been edited by smooth_operator (edited 10-21-2001).]
Life is the leading cause of death.Everything else is just a contributing factor.
Life is the leading cause of death.Everything else is just a contributing factor.