AR-15 BS Thread

Yep. And I'm not afraid to say that I switched out the LW50 for a Shilen barrel, and it shoots tighter groups

 

It'll take a lot of abuse. On a good weekend of shooting (think carbine course), you'll go through 800-1000 rounds. I wouldn't do that with a precision rifle, but a chrome lined cromo barrel will take a ton of abuse.

 

I'm not much for punching holes in paper, shooting steel, or shooting through the same hole 60 times..but here is my girl (Kimberly)
Bone stock except for the Leupold Mark AR 1.5-4x20
It came with two Magpul magazines, but I traded those out for Lancer L5 AWM
Like I said before, it does what I need it to do, and that is all I ask for

 

I'm familiar with ARs and have spent plenty of time behind them. Mine, friends, issued gear haha you get the idea

That said, there's just something about the Ruger mini-14 that appeals to me. I haven't been able to shoot one yet, but have read up plenty about it being less accurate, newer models having heavier barrels helped a lot, etc. I hope not to derail this thread, but to ask, as AR owners, do you think I'd be happy with the 14 just for plinking out in the country (yet still for possible self defense if need be) as a Marine with a lot of time behind an AR? I keep telling myself to just get one, and then get this stigma that it will be "less than an AR" in some way. Can anyone speak to the downsides, if they are vastly significant, or just minor, etc? I'm thinking about pulling the trigger, heh heh, on one soon.

 

I can't offer much input, but 4-5 years ago i got to shoot a mini-14 a little, i liked the way it shot, but from what i remember it just doesn't have the ergonomics of the AR, i'd love to get one in the future, but SBR's and suppressors will come before that.

You could be very happy with it, or you could hate it, the mini-14 is pretty moddable (from what i've read), but IMO the AR takes the cake on the possibilities to make the gun yours.

 

Yeah, I've gone down that road haha just about to pick it up as a fun little plinker to throw in the truck for various uses. I'm pretty set on it actually, but there's always that nagging in the back of my mind. I figure if anyone will be harsh on it and let me know what I'd miss out on it would be AR enthusiasts so any insight is welcome. I wouldn't mod it very heavily. Those days are over for me. I spend more on camera gear than guns now days ha

 

You might be disappointed in the accuracy compared to a decent AR, and the people 20' away from you WILL be disappointed that your brass is hitting them in the head.

 

Haha I've seen that. Pretty crazy how far they throw.

For the same budget I don't know that I could build the AR that would satisfy haha too much lusting for just a few more things . . . with the 14 I feel more like, meh, it is what it is haha

 

Buy the mini-14..if you don't like it, sell it and put that money towards another gun. It never hurts to have too many guns!

 

It does hurt to have too many hobbies haha I'm looking for a good deal on one, hopefully before May. Thanks for the input, all.

 

Honestly, for self defense there is nothing wrong with it. The .223 does the same damage coming from a mini as it does from an AR. It's small, lightweight, loud, etc. I wouldn't feel less safe with a mini 14 than I do with an AR unless I was shooting past 150-200 yards. And if you're having to defend yourself from that far away...

 

What does a mini 14 go for? Both of them are great rifles. If it was up to me on a limited budget. I'd get the m&p15 sport. Or do a psa build on the blemish parts. Both will run you 600 or less.

On a side note I've always wanted a mini 30 as a survival rifle, might as well go 30 cal on it because the accuracy of the mini 14 isn't impressive. Neither is the mini30, so ill take a larger caliber over the 223. Idk if that makes sense.

 

get an SKS and some tapco 20 round mags. perfect 30 cal survival rifle.

 

Not Murikan enough. Actually for an ultimate wilderness survival rifle, it would still be the m44
Cheap, accurate. And cooks your food as you shoot.

 

my collar bone is still swollen

 

I really thought your rifle fractured mine. It's just slightly bruised tho. Imagine the kick of a m44?

 

AK type mags that you have to rock into place, plus more $$ paid per mag are the 2 big downsides for me. Not insurmountable in my opinion, but never been a big fan of the minis.

 

My opinion, yes, they absolutely are...I run Noveske barrels on all of my guns. I have shot pretty much everything else (LaRue, Daniel Defense, BCM, FN, Shilen, Wilson, etc.) and my Noveske barrels are just more accurate over the long haul than anything else.

There are a lot of good and great barrels out there. What you have to weigh is the round count that you expect to send down the barrel, the cost of the barrel, and your intended purpose (accuracy needs). There isn't a specific formula that will tell you yes or no on investing in a Noveske barrel.

I can tell you that I have close to 25k rounds (about 50% suppressed) through a Noveske MK18 barrel and it's still going strong. My 3-Gun barrel is a Noveske and that rifle gets a lot of use and is also still going strong.

I think you also have to ask the tough question, "Are you capable of harnessing the accuracy of a premium barrel?" A lot of people will just never be able to shoot sub-MOA groups no matter what you put in their hands. So, will that person really benefit from spending the extra cash on a Noveske over a Daniel or BCM barrel?

Anyway, just some thoughts for you to chew on.

- Mark

 

Good answer, thanks Mark. I have a cheap AR but am building a better one and am researching my parts list. Sounds like I should put Noveske barrels at the top of my list for quality and I'll have to make a decision once it comes down to price...

 

I built mine from scratch over time and it's a little more than a standard noveske but less than their higher models at $2600 and it's completely worth it, and no I don't care if my noveske lower get scratched lol