Mini-14 or Saiga .223?

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RH

New member
Looking to get my first "real" rifle, for general short range (<100yds) shooting and of course for TEOTWAWKI ;) . I've had my heart set on a Mini-14 for a while, I just like the looks and the reputation, the fact that it shots .223 and 5.56, and it's more "traditional" construction. But I see that I can get a Saiga .223 for $299, which is less than half the cheapest Mini ($600+ at WalMart in basic config). I do not want to go thru the "conversion" of the Saiga, would be very happy with the standard stock (like the Mini), and I understand I would be limited to 10 rd mags. I want something that consistently goes bang, with "combat" level accuracy, and maybe put a cheap scope on it. Comparing both "off the shelf", should I get the Saiga, or save up for the Ruger?
 
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kd7sgm

New member
I do not know anything about the Saiga, I know the mini 14 is a very good rifle but $299 is hard to beat. I would think that if you are on a limited budget and the Saiga is a quality rifle then the choice should be easy.
 
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sirgilligan

New member
You have had your heart set on a Mini, get the Mini.

There is no wrong answer, or, wrong rifle to get if both are reasonably well made.

I love a Mini-14 that is blued with a wood stock, reminds me of my Dad's M1 Carbine in looks.

Save up for the Ruger and while you save you have time to study more, maybe go shoot with some friends. When you have the money you might be surprised what you do with it.

That's my advice.
 
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the rifleer

New member
Given your criteria, buy whichever you like better. Ruger has an unprecedented warrantee that is basically "if it breaks, ship it back and we will fix it". I just got one and love it. The mini 14 is made of high quality steel and has a nice stock on it. I would go with the mini, but like I said, its whichever you like better. I don't think than either has a true advantage over the other when you look solely at performance.
 
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RH

New member
I dont see myself going through cases of .223, so I would probably stick with domestic factory ammo, maybe the cheaper russian stuff if it shoots reliably.
 
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amd6547

New member
I have been shooting a Saiga 5.45 since summer. I put about 600rds through it, and it has been faultless.
I'd take it over any Mini 14.
 
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rickyrick

New member
I like the mini and the accuracy ain't as bad as people make out. However, the price of the saiga can't be beat
 
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jaymce

New member
Given your post either will do.

Saiga will be better overall but probably have a crappy trigger compared to the Mini if you don't convert.

Used Mini may be the way to go. I know they can be had around here in stainless for -600$.

Accuracy could go either way, neither is known to be all that accurate.

Goes bang every time might lean a little toward the Saiga, if you start moving out of factory ammo towards Surplus steel crap.

If I were you I would go for the mini based on this statement:

I've had my heart set on a Mini-14 for a while, I just like the looks and the reputation
Click to expand...

I have settled for guns and always ended up getting the other eventually anyway with the substitute being more of a set back in the end.

Second vote for the M&P Sport. Well built, better accuracy that the Mini or Saiga, easy to upgrade or at least on par with the Saiga.
 
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TriumphGuy

New member
I've got some experience with both. My opinion is that for half the price, you get half the rifle.

The Saiga that I shot felt sloppy and wasn't accurate at all. Also, you'll have a much easier time finding mags and other extras for a mini.
 
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dhalsey

New member
I just picked up a Kel tec su16 for 499.99 at turners. I felt like I did pretty good. It might be a option for you.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
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Yung.gunr

New member
I just bought a Saiga even though I could have bought the Mini. I love my Saiga and I am very glad I went with it. I had planned on doing the conversion largely because I had heard the trigger sucked. Really though it's not bad at all IMHO.
Based on what you are looking to use it for, you could get the Saiga and like 1500 rounds of ammo for the same price as the Mini. Saiga will last just as long or longer I would say. It is built along side it's AK cousin which we all know about their legendary longevity.

Just my $0.02....

Oh and on the box from Russia it has .223/5.56 printed right on it. If the 5.56 is cheaper or strikes your fancy I'm sure the Saiga will have no problem running it even though they advertise it as .223.
 
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pilpens

New member
Get whichever one feels better on your shoulder. I have shouldered both but not fired. The Ruger Mini felt a lot better than the saiga
 
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David the Gnome

New member
You'll be giving up a good number of things to go with the Saiga over the Mini-14. Firstly, until you do the conversion (which you say you aren't going to do) the trigger on the Saiga leaves a lot to be desired. Second, you are stuck with the expensive Saiga factory 10 round mags with no alternative options. You also lose the last round bolt hold open feature that you get with the Mini-14 as well as the Mini-14's more traditional scope mounting system. With the Saiga you're going to have to purchase a side scope mount of some sort whereas with the Mini-14 all you have to buy are rings as the scope mount on the Mini is part of the receiver. There is a very large aftermarket available for the Mini-14 and there's next to nothing out there for the .223 Saiga.

Based on your original post alone I would say don't buy the Saiga, it sounds like you would be setting yourself up for major disappointment. If you were okay with the shortcomings of the Saiga I would highly suggest purchasing it in one of the two primary AK chamberings, 5.45x39mm or 7.62x39mm.

The 5.45 would give you even cheaper ammunition than the .223/5.56 would and is pretty much the same cartridge in terms of size and performance as the 5.56 round is. In addition you would also get access to the AK74 surplus and aftermarket magazines, opening up a whole world of possibilities for outfitting your gun. You would also share parts commonality with the other AK74 variants giving you many aftermarket options for parts and accessories, plus when you got tired of shooting it as it and you converted it (which you would eventually do) it would make your conversion much simpler.

The 7.62 would cost you more for ammunition but is a much more versatile cartridge which could serve you well in any roll from plinking to self-defense all the way up to a hunting cartridge capable of taking most any game in North America. It also has even more aftermarket parts and accessories available for it than even the AK74 variants do.

It's your call and if I were you and I wasn't looking for an AK-variant gun, I would definitely hold out for the Mini-14. Don't make the mistake of buying a different gun just because it's cheaper right now, it will end up costing you more down the road when you do eventually end up buying the Mini-14 that you wanted in the first place. I'm pretty sure most everybody else on here can tell you from personal experience that if the Mini is the gun you really wanted, you will eventually buy it whether you buy the Saiga now or not. :eek:
 
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2amencw

New member
Kel Tec SU 16

I have had all three types of rifles. I still have the SU 16. I think it does a great job of bringing the best of several designs together. My 2 cents.
 
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