Which is easier to Maintain, a Mini-14 or an AR15

[Crash]

Thinking about buying either a Ruger Mini-14 or some AR15 clone for home protection ("up close and personal" out to about 300 yds).
In general, which is easier to maintain, including disassembly and reassembly?
Also, I understand that, because of twist rate of the Mini-14 (1 in 9), it probably won't shoot the heaviest bullets (anything above 75 gr) as accurately as the AR15. Is that correct?

All input appreciated,

Crash

[Paladin]

There are a lot of reasons why the AR-15 is really popular right now.

I've seen a Delta Force combat veteran say that if he had a choice between any pistol, shotgun, or rifle in the world for self defense he would choose an AR-15.

I know people that like the Mini-14, but in the end the AR-15 is more accurate, more modular, and as long as you keep the bolt carrier group lubricated, more reliable.

[Crash]

There are a lot of reasons why the AR-15 is really popular right now.

I've seen a Delta Force combat veteran say that if he had a choice between any pistol, shotgun, or rifle in the world for self defense he would choose an AR-15.

I know people that like the Mini-14, but in the end the AR-15 is more accurate, more modular, and as long as you keep the bolt carrier group lubricated, more reliable.

Paladin,

Thanks for your input--I appreciate it.

Crash

[Paladin]

Some discussion on twist rate:
Pairing Barrel Twist Rates with Bullet Weights for .223 and 5.56 NATO

Basically for a given caliber if you want to shoot more accurately at distance you want a heavy bullet. For 70- to 77-grain bullets you want a 1-in-7 twist rate barrel. Again this is primarily for distance shooting to reduce the effects of wind.

[Jose_in_Dallas]

Some personal notes from me. When I had a Mini 14 in the early to mid 90's. It was my first rifle in .223. Buddy of mine sold it to me on a good deal and I had always been infatuated with it since the days of The A-Team. It was a Stainless Steel model with the Choate folding stock. Made for a very compact setup. Loved that about it. But some things I hated. It had a very pencil thin barrel which I heard made for inaccuracy after a few rounds had been fired because it heated up quickly. No rail. Honestly didn't know that was a thing and I shot it with iron sights. Even when my vision was good, I was terrible at shooting this with any accuracy. Also what I read and experienced, it was finicky with magazines. Can't remember what brand it preferred but magazines were certainly an issue.

No idea if that's still a thing with modern Mini 14's or not. AR's can now add a Law Side Folder if you want to make it more compact or there are a lot of options for that coming from the factory (think Sig MCX). With the amount of accessories and compatibility, I would go with the AR. I honestly don't remember how hard it was to clean or to take fully down. But there is a reason why the AR is so popular. Sorry I didn't really cover easier to maintain as I do pros and cons.

[AF-Odin]

I have a Mini-14 I bought in 1978 and more than one AR platform. Really like the Mini-14 as a rifle to use for odd jobs around the ranch and plinking. Used to have a folding stock for it, but foolishly traded the stock about 1993. That said, the AR is much easier to care for, more options, and significantly cheaper magazines. For home protection purposes I would go for the AR with a red dot and a light.

[Grayling813]

I have an older 1980’s model Mini-14 Ranch, it’s the firearm I have owned the longest since mid ‘80’s. It’s always been as accurate as I can shoot and never had a single failure of any kind. The Garand system is battle proven in WW2 and Korea, low maintenance and reliable.

All that said, I hardly ever take it out to the range but when I do I always ask myself why I don’t shoot it more.

One advantage a lot of people say about the Mini-14, especially the Ranch models, is they don’t look like those scary black AR15 “assault rifles.”

Still, my go to rifle is my AR.

[Crash]

Some discussion on twist rate:
Pairing Barrel Twist Rates with Bullet Weights for .223 and 5.56 NATO

Basically for a given caliber if you want to shoot more accurately at distance you want a heavy bullet. For 70- to 77-grain bullets you want a 1-in-7 twist rate barrel. Again this is primarily for distance shooting to reduce the effects of wind.

Paladin,

Thanks for this article. I knew that, in general, you needed a faster barrel twist for the heavier bullets, but didn't know the specific rates for the various bullet weights. Very helpful....

Crash

[Rafe]

For a somewhat...extreme example, check out the 8.6 Blackout. Most barrels for the cartridge use a 1:3 twist rate, and one from Gorilla Ammunition is a whopping 342-grain expanding subsonic round. There are YouTube videos showing the wacky effect a big bullet spinning that fast has on ballistic gelatin.