I have both the Ar and a 580 series mini-14 and much prefer the mini. Mine is wood and stainless steel and has the heavier tapered barrel. It will shoot cheap steel cased Monarch ammo from Academy into 2.5" groups with open sights. Thats as well as I can do and with a change in my eyesight over the last year I doubt I can still do that well.
The mini does everything I wanted that style of rifle for. And yes factory mags are more expensive but they are hardened steel and not thin aluminum like the AR mags are that I have. You get what you pay for. And I have 9 twenty round Pro-Mags and they seem to work just as well as the Ruger factory mags. They were $20 each.
If I have one complaint about the mini it is that if you have a 20 round mag in the gun it stabs you in the back when slung over your shoulder. I wish there was a way to modify it so it lays flat on your back like an M-1 Carbine does.
The mini does everything I wanted that style of rifle for. And yes factory mags are more expensive but they are hardened steel and not thin aluminum like the AR mags are that I have. You get what you pay for. And I have 9 twenty round Pro-Mags and they seem to work just as well as the Ruger factory mags. They were $20 each.
If I have one complaint about the mini it is that if you have a 20 round mag in the gun it stabs you in the back when slung over your shoulder. I wish there was a way to modify it so it lays flat on your back like an M-1 Carbine does.