AR15---Mini14or30 or 30 Carbine

C

CHAINSAW

New member
I am going to purchase a semi-auto rifle. I will use this as a home defense and plinking rifle and whatever.

I am left handed so the Garand style safety of the Rugers is a plus for me. I have read they are not real accurate, how about reliability?


I have no knowledge of the AR15. I assume they would be more reliable than a Ruger as they are designed for combat situations. Are they a fairly accurate rifle? What about the safety selector for a lefty?

The 30 Carbine would also be a consideration. What can you tell me about the IAI 888? What about the safety selector position?

I handload so ammo would not be a problem. Any help you would give would be appreciated. Thanks--------Chainsaw
 
AR15!!!!!!

All you need to add is an ambidextrous safety. I have an AR15 and it is SWEET! I also have an M1A, and therefore know that the ergonomics of the M1/M14 are also good, but for a semi-auto 5.56x45mm you can't get a more reliable, accurate, customizable, fun gun to shoot than an AR15 (at least for the $700 to $600 price range). You may want to consider a carbine configuration if you are going for a home defense type gun. Hi-Cap magazines are cheep too... compared to other guns.

Get a Bushmaster: http://www.bushmaster.com I have yet to be disappointed by my Bushmaster.

If you have questions about AR15's, ask away at http://www.ar15.com (in the forums).
 
The only advantage that the AR has over the Mini is that its alot more accurate at any distance. A Mini-14 or 30 will shoot reliably with just about any ammo. My AR will shoot a 1" group at 100 yards and the Mini-14 groups are in the 4"-4.5 when hot. The Mini is alot cheaper and will serve you well in a home defense situation. With me it would come down to what my budget will allow.

If you get a mini, stick with PMI MAGS or Ruger Factory. All others are CRAP!!!!!
 
I own Mini 14 Ranch rifle.Do yourself a little favor,get the AR-15...wish i did!!The 14 is reliable with PMI mags but its accuracy suffers at 100 yards and beyond unless your willing to sink in $$$$ to "slightly"improve it.
 
The AR-15 is more accurate as a rule. I have a Bushy carbine, and I like it a lot. However, my Mini-14 will shoot 3" groups at 100 yards when hot, 1 1/2 to 2 inches if you let the barrel cool between shots. That is plenty accurate for most HD senarios. I think the Mini is also more reliable when dirty. If you will keep it clean and have the money, I would get the AR. If you are on a budget or will put this rifle in the corner and forget about it until you need it, get the Mini. (This assumes you will only need 1 or 2 full capacity mags, because at 7 or 8 quality mags, the prices even out.)

I would stay away from the Mini-30 as my experience was not good and I have never owned a .30 carbine so I can't comment on that.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

David
 
Go with the AR-15 and either Bushmaster, Armalite or Rock River Arms. The AR will be more accurate than the mini and mags are a lot cheaper and more reliable. I am also a lefty and I have not had to make any modifications to the rifle. You can do the ambi safety but I think you will find it is not necessary. Also, DPMS sells a left handed upper receiver and bolt that ejects from the left hand side. Combine the 2 and you have a truly lefty oriented rifle.

Also, you might want to check out our group purchase for a M4orgery at AR15.com. We are doing a group buy on a $900+ rifle for $660 delivered to your FFL. Great thing about the AR's are their ability to be customized. So even if you do not like the config you can build off of it. Great rifle price + good price on accesories as well.

The AR15.com limited edition is being sold at Castle Arms.

Take a look. http://www.castle-arms.com/
 
I'd also vote for an AR-type rifle. As several people have noted, the ergonomics and accuracy of the AR15-pattern rifles are much better than the Mini-14 or the M1 Carbine. Ambidextrous safties are easily available for the AR. I'd eliminate the .30 Carbine anyway, since the .223 is less expensive to shoot and probably more effective. Good 20- and 30-round magazines for the AR are generally less expensive and easier to find than those for the Mini.

I doubt, for the uses you mention, there would be a significant difference in reliability between any of the three weapons you mention.

For your purposes, I'd also choose the shorty configuration, with the 16" barrel. It's much handier as a defensive weapon. The group purchase of the carbines at AR15.com has been the topic of a few posts here on TFL, and while this gun does have some good features (lightweight M4 barrel profile, flattop receiver), other parts are pure Walter Mitty (the faux flash suppressor and the pinned "telescoping" stock). I'd just get a carbine with a bare muzzle or real muzzle brake and a solid stock(preferably A1 length), assuming a pre-ban rifle is out of the question.

Olympic Arms recently brought out a little carbine they call the ".223 Plinker." This is a politically sanitized AR-type with an unlined, bare-muzzled 16" heavy barrel and a solid stock. It has old-style A1 sights, which are harder to adjust, but simpler and more rugged. Once dialed in, the A1 sights should be fine for plinking and defense. Putting A2 sights on a shorty seems overly optimistic to me, anyway. The receivers are cast rather than forged, but I doubt that will matter for your purposes. Besides, the Ruger is made of castings, too. Suggested retail for the Plinker is $599, though I've seen them for $525 (you can get them with a factory muzzle brake for $35 extra). This isn't much more than a Mini-14. You can check it out at http://www.olyarms.com.

If you really wanted to go all-out, of course, you could get an AR carbine with forged receivers, chrome-lined 14.5" M4 barrel, competition muzzle brake, flattop upper with Trijicon ACOG and backup iron sights, handguard-mounted SureFire light, and a trigger job. It'd be nice, but for plinking and defense, the Olympic Plinker would probably serve just as well, and save you $800 that you could use to buy about 6,000 rounds of ammo. Or you could spend the savings on a good training course, and learn how to really use the rifle.

You can go nuts with add-ons with the AR, but most of these are just for appearance and pretty useless on a plinking/defense rifle. A sling and some good spare mags are about all most civilians really need.

Mike
 
Lonnie,
Take it from another lefty, don't bother with a left handed upper. With a shell deflector, the regular AR15 upper is completely ambidextrious. Left handed uppers have problems and are more a gimic than a solution.
 
CHAINSAW, I've had four Mini-14s; two in blue and two in stainless. From the benchrest with a K-4, they all shot at about 1-1/2 MOA at 100 yards.

Of four Ar-15s, three were mil-sight only. They seemed to shoot okay. I have a Bushmaster with a 6X24 scope which is highly accurate off the benchrest, but the darned thing weighs around nine pounds--I'd hate to carry it around just for varmints or casual plinking.

For what you say you want to do, I'd go with the Mini-14 in .223--I think it's a better deal for the money.

I guarantee you the .223 is a more useful cartridge, all-around; and it's cheaper than the .30 Carbine for plinking.

A minor point is that the Ruger's appearance is more politically correct, insofar as not scaring the ignorant type of neighbor into a 911 call about machine guns.

FWIW, Art
 
Lonnie,

I believe these were the guys who make/made it.

http://www.shooterstore.com/acb/showprod.cfm?&DID=90&CATID=608&ObjectGroup_ID=1662

Scroll down and you will see the A2 Upper to A2 Southpaw.

I don't know about the reliability of the parts but I agree that it is not necessary. I have a Bushmaster A3 Shorty and the only modifications I have made is to mount a Reflex II and a Tac latch. I feel the same way about AR's as I do most pistols - they were made for left handers. The SIG series, with the decocker, is the only pistol(s) that I have not found a way for a lefty to use easily.

Chainsaw,

I still think the AR15.com rifle would be a good start. I agree that some of the config items you could do without and are more than a little useless but that is what happens when you design something by committee and are going for a group buy and the associated discount. The 2 main reasons to focus on the RRA is that the rifle is equal to the standards of the best Bushmaster (non purple finish) and exceeds Olympic Arms with regards to fit, function and finish. 2nd item is the low $660 (delivered to your FFL) for a pretty darn good setup. I doubt anyone can find a similar (non-dealer) price for this setup. Don't forget you can always sell the upper and get something different or change the stock.

Miles
 
Lonnie,

I'm a leftie as well. Just as Willie said, You won't even know the port is on the right side. Don't even worry about it. If you have to get a left handed one, DPMS makes a southpaw panther at http://www.dpmsinc.com

They make great rifles.

Good Luck.
 
At close range a Mini 14 or 30 is just fine (within 100 yards) avoid the AK since there is no such thing as a lefty AK. Reversing the port on a high dollar AR sounds like trouble waiting to happen. If over-penetration is an issue the 30 carbine should do the trick. Load it with soft points.
 
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