GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
I haven't owned an AR-15 since the 1980s, when I had an Olympic Arms jamm-0-matic.
But I've shot a LOT of AR's since then. Even possessed some for months, borrowing them from friends and family.
My go-to semi-auto battle rifles are the Springfield Armory M1A and the Ruger Mini-14 (a scaled-down version, pretty similar).
You know what? I don't like them as much as I like AR-15s.
The AR mags go in straight. None of this "approach at an angle like an airplane landing in a 30-knot crosswind" stuff. AR mags drop free with the push of a button. Mini-14 mag changes are slow and awkward (as are M14 mag swaps, as are AK-47 mag swaps. NONE of them are ever going to be as smooth and fast as chaning AR rifle mags.
Modern flat-top-receiver AR's are easy to mount optics to, and remove them. AK's don't accept optics. Mini-14s can be scoped, but only with a long conventional scope. There's no good way to mount a red dot on a Mini-14.
My old eyes need an optic now. Iron sights just aren't working for me. I'm getting 6 m.o.a. with rifles that I know would do 2 m.o.a. if they had scopes on them.
If you want to attach accessories to a mini-14, you have to clamp them on the barrel. That affects barrel harmonics and changes your point of impact.
I just added a 2-AAA miniature Mag-Light, and it made my gun shoot 3 feet low at 200 yards. Three feet! Now I've got the rear sight as high as it can go without being too wobbly, and I'm still hitting 6" low. I guess I can live with that.
The AR pattern guns let you put your lasers and tactical flashlights and stuff on the handguard-- preferably a free-floating hardguard. No point-of-impact shift.
I've had my Mini-14 too long to give it up, but if I ever want to compete in 3-gun matches or take another tactical rifle course, I'm going to have to get an AR. It's really the only sensible choice.
But I've shot a LOT of AR's since then. Even possessed some for months, borrowing them from friends and family.
My go-to semi-auto battle rifles are the Springfield Armory M1A and the Ruger Mini-14 (a scaled-down version, pretty similar).
You know what? I don't like them as much as I like AR-15s.
The AR mags go in straight. None of this "approach at an angle like an airplane landing in a 30-knot crosswind" stuff. AR mags drop free with the push of a button. Mini-14 mag changes are slow and awkward (as are M14 mag swaps, as are AK-47 mag swaps. NONE of them are ever going to be as smooth and fast as chaning AR rifle mags.
Modern flat-top-receiver AR's are easy to mount optics to, and remove them. AK's don't accept optics. Mini-14s can be scoped, but only with a long conventional scope. There's no good way to mount a red dot on a Mini-14.
My old eyes need an optic now. Iron sights just aren't working for me. I'm getting 6 m.o.a. with rifles that I know would do 2 m.o.a. if they had scopes on them.
If you want to attach accessories to a mini-14, you have to clamp them on the barrel. That affects barrel harmonics and changes your point of impact.
I just added a 2-AAA miniature Mag-Light, and it made my gun shoot 3 feet low at 200 yards. Three feet! Now I've got the rear sight as high as it can go without being too wobbly, and I'm still hitting 6" low. I guess I can live with that.
The AR pattern guns let you put your lasers and tactical flashlights and stuff on the handguard-- preferably a free-floating hardguard. No point-of-impact shift.
I've had my Mini-14 too long to give it up, but if I ever want to compete in 3-gun matches or take another tactical rifle course, I'm going to have to get an AR. It's really the only sensible choice.