The only issue I've yet had with my Mini is the spotty quality of aftermarket mags... and boy are some of them bad. I actually had one of the feed lips on a 30rd mag snap while cycling- and I bet the look on my face must have been pretty memorable as the next half dozen rounds got launched straight up over my head! Another time a 10rd mag spat out two instead of one and the spare whacked my Dad right in the forehead. Serves me right for buying cheap mags.
The gun, however, has been great since day 1. Eats everything I've fed it, even some very questionable Southeast Asian 5.56. When I feed it good ammo, it performs well. With crap ammo, a little less so but still more than well enough. Average groups about 3" at 100yd with iron sights. I can't think of anywhere near me where there's more than 150yd of open space to shoot across; if I mounted optics I'm reasonably confident that I'd get more than adequate groupings at any kind of practical distance.
As for other considerations- I'm not sure where all this babble about "complexity" is coming from... the minis are dead simple to operate and break down, tools free. It's no more difficult to disassemble and reassemble than an AR. Since the gas piston is an open system, the gun does get pretty damn dirty. Then again, I've yet to see being dirty affect function, and taking the stock off provides easy access for cleaning.
IMHO, it was worth the $600 it cost when I got it; I don't know if I'd buy another but that's because I already own one. No, the Mini is not a strong contender for the "tactical" role- but neither are 95% of the other semi-automatic rifles out there. It'd be pretty silly to go out shopping for an AR and come home with a Mini, but that's because they're different guns- not because one or the other is inherently better. For an ultra-reliable, low-maintenance house rifle that could be turned to putting small game on the table or whacking pests, there's nothing else I'd rather have.
