I like my Ruger Mini-14.....
I like my Ruger mini-30, hits harder.
Yup. Mini-14 is a sweet little gun.
And buying .223’s won’t put ya in the poor house...
The Mini is a nice shooter, but lack of reliable, less expensive magazines make it kind of poor rifle for combat.
The SKS is a good gun.Not really refined, but a hardy gun with a lot of parts you can find on internet or Shotgun News.
I have a DPMS AR type rifle and that is a Cadillac of rifles.
But the funnest rifle to shoot is a M1917 Enfield in 30.06. Kicks like a mule, ugly like a busted blister but will kill at over two hundred yards.