2 of each.
L
AR-15 hands down
Mini 14 is acceptable in areas where you want a conventional wood stocked appearing rifle.
When I was contemplating them, I was hoping the magazines were compatible. As the are not, I went with the one most likely to have, shall we say, the fewest free-range resupply issues. Also, as a former soldier, I’m familiar with the AR already.
Mini-14s are good but the AR15 is king for many reasons.
I own several of both I have put thousands of round through both platforms.
I would have a hard time picking between them if I had to grab one on run out the door.
They both work well.
Old mini 14 were horribly inaccurate. I understand they’re better now
Here in NY they’re NOT a banned gun. AR 15s are. As long as they have no dangerous threaded barrel end, an evil bayonet lug and a scary pistol grip or hole in stock. Yes these dangerous parts make the AR evil and illegal for new purchase
AK all the way.
Disappointing
I had two ARs, a Mini 14, and an SKS. Sold them all.
Bought an M1A.
AK-74M all the way. Arsenal/K-Var still has some SLR-104’s in stock, though what peeves me about them is that they use the 4.5mm stock pin instead of the normal 5.5mm pin that Russians use.
Mini-30 if I was going to go for a Ruger.
I’ve had both. The older minis with the lightweight barrel were noticeably inaccurate(minute of basketball). The newer ones with a thicker barrel shoot much better. A properly tuned AR with a good barrel will easily outshoot a mini. (possibly .5 -1.5 moa) An AK on the other hand needs serious tuning to get it reasonably under 2 moa. But it is a hardy and versatile gun that will never fail you. My reccomendation is to buy all 3 if Hillary gets elected!
Always be able to shoot whatever (common) ammo you are able to get yer hands on. .380, 9mm, 45 ACP, .223, .308, AK 7.62, 30-06. At least one each. IMHO.
I would have bought a Mini-14 years ago if they used the same magazine that the AR-15 does.
Not just the Brady Bill-era Mini-14, but also that fateful first stripped AR lower receiver at a gun show and all that followed. After I earned my WECSOG diploma with an StG-58 parts kit and gear-logo Imbel receiver (Oh yeahhh...), I began post-graduate work in Remington 700 M40A1 clones (a great way to re-use brass from the FAL).
Without ol' BJC stirring the pot, I might've missed a lot of fun. Until 2005, that is, when the waters of Hurricane Katrina rendered me as gunless as the average canoe-paddling newbie. C'est la vie.
I prefer the mini14 because the AR got a little clogged up after about 600rds and was not reliable to MY standards.
It also has an 18.5in barrel vs the 16in on the M4 variety AR.
Accuracy was equivalent, both under 2in at 100m with iron sites.
And I do hate the sound of that damn spring under my ear...
That said, all your friends and family have the AR. You can share magazines. Somebody can pick yours up if you are down and use it naturally.
AR First and Foremost. Everything else after that.
I like em both...
Ruger mags are proprietary and damn expensiveThere are two big problems that will preclude me from ever buying a Mini-14.
One, they only use Ruger magazines, which are getting more and more expensive. You’d think Ruger would recognize the benefit of allowing them to use the same magazine as the AR.
Two, there are no repair kits for them. If something goes wrong, you gotta send it in for repair or take it to a gunsmith.