- Accuracy
- Reliability
- Customizability
- Magazines
- The ability to reliably and accurately mount optics
...
The list goes on and on.
By the time you’ve thrown a crapload of cash trying to make a Mini-14 work, you could’ve had an AR.
Just sayin’.
My Mini-14 worked fine for my purposes right out of the box.
wrote:
By the time you’ve thrown a crapload of cash trying to make a Mini-14 work, you could’ve had an AR.
Just sayin’.
I've had good luck with Ruger mags. My Mini-14 has been great on reliablility so long as I use the Ruger mags.
I did buy one 30 round mag from another source which hasn't always fed as reliably as the Ruger 20 round mags. I'm pretty sure the problem is with the 30 round mag, and not the rifle.
I do have a scope on mine. I don't have a lot to compare to, but it didn't seem to be much of a problem putting that on.
The Mini-14 is never going to be as accurate as an AR-15. I knew that when I got it. Up to 100 yards or so, it's accurate enough for my purposes. I can plink 2 liter bottles or gallon milk jugs from up to 100 yards or so. Plinking cans at that distance can be a challenge. That's all I need really. Where I hunt, and where I live, I'm unlikely to ever have a clear shot at a distance over 100 yards. Closer shots are even easier.
Actually, the prices have come down on AR's since I bought my Mini-14. And the Mini-14's seem to have gotten more expensive, too. At the time I got mine, I could have had 2 or maybe even 3 brand new Mini 14's for the price of an old, worn out, used AR.
I might get an AR-15 at some point. It would definitely be an upgrade for me. But the Mini-14 suits my purposes fine, and it was a much better deal when I got it than any AR-15 I could find at the time.