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Mini 14 and AR 15 disscussion

Mossbergboogie
In the ask the experts a fellow was looking for either or.

But I has hoping that the strenghts and weakness of each could be examined.

An overall disscussion of both platforms. Personally i dont think they are an apples to apples comparison.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • Tartersauce
    Both are inferior weapons platforms....due to insufficient caliber.[;)]
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  • Permanently deleted user
    I agree, they are different. Mini 14 is more of a "traditional" semi-auto rifle, no pistol grip, more like a Garand, or a "hunting" rifle like a Remington 742.

    An AR15 is just that...a semi-auto only M16.

    Owning both, I wwwaaay prefer the AR over the Mini. I think the AR is also much more accurate.

    There was a time when I considered the Mini-14 the "poor man's AR", but the prices of the Mini-14 have creeped up, and since it seems like everyone makes an AR today, their prices have gone down.

    JMHO
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  • iwannausername
    Only problem I had with my mini was shooting the barrel out - 3500 rounds of mostly rapid fire with 20 and 30 round mags will do that.

    More "recent" problem for the mini is apparently it is hard to find good hi cap mags for them these days.
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  • HandLoad
    So then, My question would be: Is the AR longer lived - can it fire more rounds in similar manner without similar damage?
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  • River Rat
    The AR is a better gun, and inherently more accurate. I consider the mini tougher, but then I haven't shot an M-16 since the 1970s and they have changed. The 14 is cooler, I think. It costs half as much as a good AR, and may be the better value.

    It's like saying which is better, a huey helicopter or a D-8 Caterpillar. They do different jobs.

    Maybe the mini-14 is better because you can get it in 7.62x39.
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  • watrulookinat
    quote:Maybe the mini-14 is better because you can get it in 7.62x39. You can get the AR-15 IN 7.62X39 also. And .308 , 9mm to name a few plus others.
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  • Colt Super
    quote:Originally posted by Tartersauce
    Both are inferior weapons platforms....due to insufficient caliber.[;)]


    You are correct, Sir.

    Doug
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  • Permanently deleted user
    quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
    quote:Originally posted by Tartersauce
    Both are inferior weapons platforms....due to insufficient caliber.[;)]


    You are correct, Sir.

    Doug


    For the "proper rifle calibers start in 3 or 7" crowd there is the AR-10.

    Some of you may remember that Ruger was going to come out with the "XGI" in the 80's...a .308 Mini-14.....which never reached the public due to reliability probs

    Seemed like the XGI was pointless...a scaled down .223 version of the M14 was going to be being re-enginereed to take the .308?

    No wonder it failed
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  • slackmason
    how many of you have hade much experience with the new
    580 series mini 14? i own one and although i am new and inexperienced
    ive had people with much more experience tell me its an all new mini 14 when it comes to accuracy.
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  • 11echo
    quote:Tartersauce Posted - 01/07/2008 : 11:14:32 AM
    Both are inferior weapons platforms....due to insufficient caliber.

    I guess I'm going to have to disagree with this! Basically both weapons are a military design, so realistically you NEED to look at them under that premise. Now the basic design of the mini is a copy of the old Garand. A design that is known for functioning in just about any conditions! I have no first hand information on this weapon, only what I've read. And I haven't read/hear anything "bad" about how this weapon functions ...only sighting/string shot groups as the barrel warms up and barrel wear.
    Now the AR I do have experience with, and it has a spotty record at first. From what I hear lately the design and ammo components have been cleaned up and operation is good these days. BUT I think what Mr. Tartersauce & Mr. Doug Wilson are alluding too, that the caliber is too small to be effective ...i.e. no killing power is wrong. The 5.56mm was never developed to be a man stopper like the 30-06. The 5.56mm is a hard hitting round, but the main goal for this round is to cause enough damage to a solider to stop him from completing his "mission", but not enough damage to kill him. So now he can yell his head off for his buddies to come help him, and detour them from the "mission" too! And under that description the 5.56mm is a great cartridge! .Times and ideas are changing, and this is one of them.
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  • Mk 19
    Both guns are great for spraying a ton of ammo down range, but if you ever want more you have to go with the AR. With just the change of the upper you can have everything from a belt fed 22 LR to a 50BMG, you can go from a CQB rifle to a .5 MOA varmint gun by removing 2 pins. what can you do with a Mini? Put on a folding stock?
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