If you could only buy one...

[YankeeIronSights]

Which of these rifles would you buy, if your state had banned AR style rifles?

New Mini 14 model, ARES SCR or Troy Pump rifle?


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[Eazyeach]

Perfect excuse for a mini-14

[O4L]

I would probably choose the Mini 14 although the Troy pump has always piqued my curiosity.

[hdwhit]

YankeeIronSights wrote:
Which of these rifles would you buy, if your state had banned AR style rifles?

I would continue to shoot the Ruger Mini-14 that I have been using as my principal 223 rifle since 1979.

[burr527]

I have an SCR and am very happy with it.

[stagpanther]

Hard to see a scenario where an AR would be banned and the mini 14 and SCR wouldn't be.

[Kvon2]

I really want a Troy pump but I can't justify the price...at least for now. I'd probably take the mini 14

[Mr. Hill]

Ever thought about a CMP M1 Garand? That's probably what I'd buy.

Of the choices you listed, a Mini-14.

[Skarekrow88]

Mini 30, but if you just absolutely insisted then the Mini 14

[GarandTd]

Blah. None of your choices, I'll stick with my Garand. If I had to choose, I guess the mini14. The Troy, a pump action AR looking rifle....no thanks. The Ares looks like an AR with a traditional stock and no pistol grip. Seems like alot off money and inconvenient features to try and skirt around silly laws.

Have any of you ever operated a detacheable magazine fed pump action? It's pretty awkward.

[OldScout]

I have a WWII M1 Carbine that would be my Ace in the hole. My assigned weapon during most of my standard service time in the Army was the Carbine.

[Nlight1]

None, I would move out of that state.

[COSteve]

[Glenn E. Meyer]

For example, NY State bans standard ARs but Mini-14s are ok, if I read correctly.

[burr527]

Correct, as are SCR's.

[drobs]

[ed308]

I would probably pick the Ares SCR since I can put my own AR upper on it. Hopefully they've improved the trigger.

[Russell P]

Mini 30 FTW. You can thank me later.

Russ P

[cslinger]

Tough call. The mini has the history but the SCR is a cool little rifle on its own (ban state or no)

I am going to say the SCR. The ability change uppers, sight configurations and the ability to take any AR mag are all huge pluses.

[COSteve]

Mini 30 FTW. You can thank me later.
Russ P

I somewhat agree, depending upon what you want your rifle to do. I'm a reloader, a plinker and don't hunt anymore so I've no need for the enhanced performance of the 7.62x39 over the 5.56 which is why my Mini is a 5.56. In addition, I've been handloading .223/5.56 for well over a decade and still have lots of stock to handload the 5.56 for significantly cheaper than the 7.62x39 which I don't currently handload.

If I were interested in using my Mini for small to medium game short range hunting in addition to plinking, I'd have bought the Mini-30 over the Mini-14. I'd get some Red Army Standard ammo to plink with (more reliable and better performance in the Mini than the junk Tula and Wolff) and also some PPU brass cased ammo so after I shot it I'd have reloadable brass. Over time I'd pickup the equipment and components to handload 7.62x39.

In fact, some day if I win the lottery or find a crazy deal on a Mini-30, I'll likely get one to play with even though setting up to handload that new caliber cost a couple hundred $$ and the components are significantly more expensive.

I have a WWII M1 Carbine that would be my Ace in the hole. My assigned weapon during most of my standard service time in the Army was the Carbine.

I also have 2ea M1 Carbines as well as 2ea M1 Garands and a M1A so I can appreciate the appeal of the M1 Carbine. In large part, it's why I like the Minis because they share the same Manual of Arms as those. However, the 30 Carbine rd is really a skinny weaker version of a 357mag rd. Both the 5.56 and 7.2x39 are head and shoulders better performing calibers than the 30 Carbine.

BTW, the 110grn, 30 cal bullet is fired at 1900fps out of the carbine and produces about 900ft/lbs of ME while a 62grn, 22 cal Mini-14 fired at 3,000fps out of an 18" Mini produces about 1,200ftlbs of ME, and a 158grn, 35 cal 357mag fired at 2,153fps out of a 18" barreled levergun (Buffalo Bore 357mag Heavy ammo) produces over 1,600ft/lbs of ME.

(Yes, I have 2ea 357mag leverguns as well.)

[hdwhit]

stagpanther wrote:
Hard to see a scenario where an AR would be banned and the mini 14 ... wouldn't be.

Not only easy to see, but it already happened.

When weapons bans were enacted in several states in the 1990s that looked at cosmetic features and banned weapons with (amongst other features) both a handgrip and a detachable magazine, the Mini-14/30 escaped those bans because without a bayonet lug and flash hider, the Mini-14/30 only had one "bad" feature; the detachable magazine.

[hdwhit]

drobs, is that an after-market stock? If so, who made it?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The appearance of the AR or AK is a well known issue of discussion. The antigun states have focused on them as being particularly evil. The Mini-14 with it's appearance and the initial limitations of available mags let them skate by.

Police weapons choices were sometimes influenced by appearance and departments had to go to different guns. The Ruger pistol caliber guns, the Remington pump 223s, etc. were attempts to placate city councils and citizens who objected to the presence of military style guns.

Currently, states that opposed firearms rights go after magazines and EBRs. Lower courts think that is just dandy as does most of the Supreme Court. Congress, n general, has no interest in the issue as far as we can see in real behavior. No real action is taken to ameliorate such state bans.

The discussion of the failure of gun rights proponents to get supposedly progun politicans off their butts is also well known.

Don't present logical arguments as to why an AR and a Mini are equally efficacious and thus why ban ARs? That argument just leads the anti folks to say: Well, ban the Minis also.

I've heard the professional level discussions of such.

[COSteve]

drobs, is that an after-market stock? If so, who made it?

Looks like a stock Ruger synthetic stock.

[Husqvarna]

can I put a troy upper on a ares lower? that'd slick!