AR vs AK vs Mini 14/30 Reliability

I have an early Black Rain Fallout 15 that is very accurate, and hasn't been shot in years. I had an extractor issue once, since fixed, and though it shoots fine, I haven't forgotten when it wouldn't. I wouldn't trust my life to it. My Vepr 7.62x39 factory folder is definitely my go to rifle in any circumstance I can imagine, I even shoot 3 gun with it on occasion. In my 3 gun experience I have seen numerous AR stoppages, my Vepr has never failed once, even with the cheap Tula steel case, that it seems to like. I don't know how it groups, it's not a bench rest rifle, it reaches out to the limited long range steel at matches in Yancey County just like the AR's do. It is somewhat limited by some places not allowing shooting the bimetallic ammo that is the most available, and it's pretty heavy being a 16" barrel RPK with a 3x prism optic and a 40 round magazine. I can't speak about the Mini, have never owned or shot one, it just wasn't something I was interested in.
 
Garand thumb did a torture test. Didn’t have a mini but had m14/m1A. The m14/m1a failed horribly. I’ve never had a mini jam up but I’ve never had it in adverse conditions.
 
I've shot all three, own two of the three, and the one I don't own, I have regular access to. All three are fine for reliability, so just pick one and roll with it. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I do think that of the three, The AR will be more accurate than the Mini 14 over a longer period of shooting/engagement, because the thin barrel of the Mini 14 does not lend itself to sustained fire. But the Mini 14 is really handy because of that lightweight barrel. So if you want to take more than five or ten shots quickly? Probably want an AR or AK over the Mini 14. But otherwise? All three are great, proven rifles.
 
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Gnash.Hyena said:
I've shot all three, own two of the three, and the one I don't own, I have regular access to. All three are fine for reliability, so just pick one and roll with it. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I do think that of the three, The AR will be more accurate than the Mini 14 over a longer period of shooting/engagement, because the thin barrel of the Mini 14 does not lend itself to sustained fire. But the Mini 14 is really handy because of that lightweight barrel. So if you want to take more than five or ten shots quickly? Probably want an AR or AK over the Mini 14. But otherwise? All three are great, proven rifles.
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I think that for many casual shooters the less accuracy of the Mini will never be noticed anyway and the modern Mini is much better out of the box than the older versions. My 185 series will do the 9 ring at 100 yards just fine with my 68 year old eyes. My ARs shoot tighter but both deliver consistent hits in the important zone.
 
rufrdr said:
I think that for many casual shooters the less accuracy of the Mini will never be noticed anyway and the modern Mini is much better out of the box than the older versions. My 185 series will do the 9 ring at 100 yards just fine with my 68 year old eyes. My ARs shoot tighter but both deliver consistent hits in the important zone.
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I most definitely agree. The handiness of the Mini-14 is its greatest attribute, and barrel metallurgy has definitely improved in the past few decades. It may not be on the "fighting carbine" level of the AR or AK, but for the average person shooting on a flat range for fun, they aren't going to notice a substantial enough POI shift to make the Mini-14 not worth buying over the others, if they just want a Mini-14 for its own sake.
 
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