[MasterGunner01]

If you want a gun that is reliable, quality parts are plentiful and relatively cheap, then an AR clone is the way to go. If you want a rifle that has reliability problems without continual maintenance and you cannot buy certain spare parts without sending it to the factory, then the Ruger Mini-14 (or Mini-30 or Ranch Rifle) is your gun. Ruger will not sell you certain spare parts without sending the rifle to Ruger for installation: hammer, trigger and sear, extractor, firing pin, to name a few.

The Mini-14 is essentially an M14 action shrunk down to .223 Remington with a different gas system than its bigger brother. I was taught, as part of rifle maintenance, how to disassemble the trigger housing group and bolt assembly of the M14. This is something that Ruger will not allow and they require the rifle to be sent to them for installation of replacement parts. Ergo, I cannot recommend any Mini-14 based rifles.

[circlecity]

Thanks MG - that’s exactly the kind of experienced info I was seeking. Looks like I’ll go for the AR clone. At least for that’s the one I’ll get first.