View Full Version : low end rifle kit build VS mini 14
Hello I’m new to the forum and to ar’s in general and would like some input I’ve been shopping around for a new ranch rifle and really like the mini14 however I did find the ar15 platform more flexible in that I can buy upper without background check and California sales tax which is close to ten percent here that would save time and at least a hundred bucks on future gun/upper purchases
So I set a goal to build a ar15 that is as capable or better as a mini14 for the same price I’m not looking for a thousand dollar gun here it’s going to get wet and dirty no gun cabinet queen so here’s where the figures come in a mini14 will run 660 dollars +tax + background check tax close to 60 and background check runs around 40 so I’m looking seven hundred sixty dollars and the kind a low figures for a 223 synthetic stock mini14
So my idea is to buy a strip lower and then a rifle kit my lower is on the way and cost 105 out the door so I’ve got six hundred plus to work with iv been shopping around for some kits and found one I like mind you I want a bull barrel and 1:8 or 1:7 for heaver ammo please check it out http://rangersales.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_12&products_id=1 that leaves me with enough left to get a optic and a bullet button and maybe a few rounds so if anyone has and insight on this kit or could suggest a better one at a comparable price I would be grateful for
60buckscash
11-17-11, 15:51
What are you looking to do with this gun? HD, range, competition, all of the above....
First, punctuation is your friend. Hard to read your post.
Second, the background check is $25. Set by the state.
As for your rifle, you need to better define your goals. First you want a ranch rifle, then say you want a bull barrel. While not exclusive of each other all the time, they suggest different goals.
The Mini 14 sucks compared to a quality AR. In the price range of the Mini, however, you won't find a quality AR. About the closest you'll come is the S&W M&P15 Sport. Not a bad rifle in it's price range, but a couple hundred more puts you in real quality land.
Figure out what you want. If you want a quality dependable rifle, there are many to be had in the AR platform. But you'll need to commit a few extra bucks.
SilverTongueDevil
11-17-11, 16:30
I picked up a Colt Match Target Competition Hbar for 600 dollars
With remove able carry handle 16 barrel one thing I do not care for was the hand guard its a YHM two piece rail.
I wish he would of had the stock handguards.
I also picked up a older Colt Hbar A2 20 inch barrel for 600 bucks.
All stock but its got the crap bolt carrier in it and the colt sear block.
It will soon have a new Colt bolt carrier A3 upper new free floated handguards and the sear block removed. And a optic that is better suited for shooting ground hogs and coyotes.
Maybe the Nikon 1x4 or something like that.
I think you can find a pretty decent AR in the 600 to 700 dollar range nowadays due to the economy. Just keep your eyes out..
For some reason here in Utah people would rather have a RR or BushMaster than a Colt and a lot of times you will find them priced that way... I seen a used Bushy for 1500 dollars because it had some duracoat on it and right below it was a colt 6920 NIB for 1100
The bushmaster sold.:(
I am waiting for a 6920 to come up for sale for a rock bottom price its only takes time..
I think I understand that you have already purchased a stripped lower, and want to purchase the rest of the items needed to assemble into a complete rifle?
Where in California are you (generally)? There are some great shops that can help you with some stuff (but most do not sell decent uppers).
You may want to check out Palmetto State Armory for a lower-priced upper that is likely better than the one you linked to (although not bull-barreled. The equipment exchange here is a great place to shop used for good quality equipment as well.
Be patient, and buy one QUALITY part at a time.
Failure2Stop
11-17-11, 16:49
A target barrel profile is a poor choice unless you just want to drop it on a bench and shoot from there. There are some very nice barrels out there with more usable and handy profiles.
If you are on a budget I would recommend looking into the Equipment Exchange and trying to get a decent used upper at a lower cost than new.
Really, in the AR world, you get what you pay for when new.
underachiever
11-17-11, 16:53
i purchased a lt weight upper from bcm for 412 dollars. it was complete except for nneeding the bcg and the ch. and its bcm quality.
i installed it on a dd lower
.
here is my breakdown
lt wt upper bcm 412.00
stripped dd lower from g and r 150.00
dd lpk 79.00
re with m4 stock 89.00
140.00 bcm bcg
20.00 bcm ch
used magpul rear site 30.00
and what i have i consider to be way better than a mini 14
i was adding the gas to drive there and pick it up to the background check sorry. i like the bull profile due to the less assault rifle look, here in Cali it can only help the cop and rangers don’t like black rifles and many are uneducated on them. As to the barrel length I was thinking it was a little long myself id like an 18in but I thing ill end up with the 16in easier on house back. It intended use will be a varmint gun coyotes and snakes mostly maybe a deer if plausible. I know many people don’t think 223 is a deer gun I understand however around here the deer are small and pretty close range and I would never take a shot that I didn’t think would put it down. That being said I plan to do a lot of target practice (Planking) with it seeing how it will be the cheapest rifle I own to shoot.
I picked up a Colt Match Target Competition Hbar for 600 dollars
With remove able carry handle 16 barrel one thing I do not care for was the hand guard its a YHM two piece rail.
I wish he would of had the stock handguards.
I also picked up a older Colt Hbar A2 20 inch barrel for 600 bucks.
All stock but its got the crap bolt carrier in it and the colt sear block.
It will soon have a new Colt bolt carrier A3 upper new free floated handguards and the sear block removed. And a optic that is better suited for shooting ground hogs and coyotes.
Maybe the Nikon 1x4 or something like that.
I think you can find a pretty decent AR in the 600 to 700 dollar range nowadays due to the economy. Just keep your eyes out..
For some reason here in Utah people would rather have a RR or BushMaster than a Colt and a lot of times you will find them priced that way... I seen a used Bushy for 1500 dollars because it had some duracoat on it and right below it was a colt 6920 NIB for 1100
The bushmaster sold.:(
I am waiting for a 6920 to come up for sale for a rock bottom price its only takes time..
i like what ur build Some day I’m sheer ill built a nice upper from the ground up as well. Here I Cali I can’t have a bushmaster or colt lower so I’d have to buy a kit from them in order to have a similar gun, but I can’t buy a complete. The few makers that are cal legal that do completes are out of my price range and are more military orientated.
I don't buy the whole "cops won't like it" thing. There are zillions of legal AR rifles in California. Most every cop I know is up to speed on looking for 10 round mags and bullet buttons and nothing else. The bull barrel will be a pig to lug around, with no real benefit. Especially for your intended use.
$75 for stripped lower
$60-100 for quality LPK
$25 for bullet button
$100 for reciever extension/buffer/spring/stock
$500 or less for quality (BCM etc.) upper and BCG - Shop around!
$40 - 100 for rear sight
$40 for 2 blocked PMags
$840 plus tax for a top of the line CA compliant rifle that is way more capable and upgradeable than a Mini 14.
Badshot,
You CAN buy a Colt in Ca now. G&R Tactical has them. Complete with bullet button. Complete rifle is just over $1000. Tax, shipping, and DROS should have you somewhere in the $1200 range. That's an excellent price for probably one of the best rifles around. You can go a little cheaper by buying it in halves when you find deals.
No offense, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say you don't really know how to wrench on a gun. So buying all the parts seperately is probably a bad idea.
And don't worry about what they look like. Legal is legal. You probably need to learn that first. But basically, 10 round mags and a bullet button. Everything else is fine. Go to Calguns.net and check out their FAQ. That should help.
Don't waste your money on a Mini 14 at Big 5 or a crap AR. Pay attention to what we're trying to tell you. It's worth the few extra bucks to get a quality AR the first time. Your kid's kids will be shooting it. If you buy a cheapie AR, it'll cost you more in the long run.
Have you considered a Saiga?
I do not believe there are any CA restrictions on these, It would also most likely be a more reliable rifle than a Mini or sub-par AR while costing hundreds less.
http://www.riflegear.com/images/product/large/803_1_.jpg
http://www.riflegear.com/p-803-saiga-rifle-762x39.aspx
Where in CA are in located?
Go to http://www.crossroadsgunshows.com/calendar.php and check out their schedule. To hold/see/feel it in person will give you a better idea on almost everything.
Whether you are in NorCal or SoCal, there should be at least 1 gun show every 2 month.
[QUOTE=Dunderway;1145720]Have you considered a Saiga?
I do not believe there are any CA restrictions on these, It would also most likely be a more reliable rifle than a Mini or sub-par AR while costing hundreds less.
yes i have i like them cheap and i can get them in 5.45 for really cheap ammo. im getting one some day but the ar is a project of mine its not going to done in a week it may take me a while. ill buy a cheap kit them part by part make it a good tool. im really just looking for input on the kit what ull think ill group if any one know what parts may give trouble is there a kit u own for around that price that u used and how it did stuff like that thank you
[QUOTE=Inuvik;1145693]I don't buy the whole "cops won't like it" thing.
ok you dont buy it cool let me put it a different way i think it would be idiotic to carry a straight M4. thats just asking for attention, no mister ranger im not guarding a pot felid I’m just checking on my cows. if you disagree fine but dont write it up like a insult. do you even live in California?
philipeggo
11-17-11, 21:16
Grammar and basic spelling are also his friends . I would wait till black Friday and see if any of the online shops run sales.
[QUOTE=Inuvik;1145693]I don't buy the whole "cops won't like it" thing.
ok you dont buy it cool let me put it a different way i think it would be idiotic to carry a straight M4. thats just asking for attention, no mister ranger im not guarding a pot felid I’m just checking on my cows. if you disagree fine but dont write it up like a insult. do you even live in California?
No one is trying to be insulting. But no one is gonna stroke you either. You asked a question and apparently don't like the answers you're getting. Truth is, the Mini and the kit you're looking at are crappy at best. We're trying to help you not go down the road some of us have been on with buying crap and thinking it's as good as anything else.
For the record, yes, I live in Ca. And I'm a LEO here. You will not have any problems with having an AR just because of it's looks. Those days are long gone (thankfully).
Buy quality and you'll buy once. Buy crap, and you'll end up spending more to fix it. Again and again. Or worse, it'll fail you when you need it most.
Our advice is free. Take it or leave it. No one cares. Just don't cry about it.
And yes, some grammer and punctuation makes reading your posts so much easier. Some of what you typed was difficult to understand. This isn't like texting on a phone.
[QUOTE=Inuvik;1145693]I don't buy the whole "cops won't like it" thing.
ok you dont buy it cool let me put it a different way i think it would be idiotic to carry a straight M4. thats just asking for attention, no mister ranger im not guarding a pot felid I’m just checking on my cows. if you disagree fine but dont write it up like a insult. do you even live in California?
No insult intended. I was making a general statement about avoiding the fear of "Evil Black Rifles". I work in a regulatory capacity, and I hate nothing more than those who add their own bias on top of the law (I am referring to regulatory officials, not you). Legal is legal, the law is the law, no more, no less. Your rifle will either be legal, or not, depending on how it is configured.
Yes, I do live in CA, and have spent a considerable amount of time over the last two years researching, and making sure I am not breaking any laws while building my firearms.
warlord260
11-17-11, 22:55
Have you considered a Saiga?
I do not believe there are any CA restrictions on these, It would also most likely be a more reliable rifle than a Mini or sub-par AR while costing hundreds less.
http://www.riflegear.com/images/product/large/803_1_.jpg
http://www.riflegear.com/p-803-saiga-rifle-762x39.aspx
convert that fracking thing
convert that fracking thing
He's in CA.
Thread hijack/rant warning!
I think you can find a pretty decent AR in the 600 to 700 dollar range nowadays due to the economy. Just keep your eyes out..
For some reason here in Utah people would rather have a RR or BushMaster than a Colt and a lot of times you will find them priced that way... I seen a used Bushy for 1500 dollars because it had some duracoat on it and right below it was a colt 6920 NIB for 1100
The bushmaster sold.:(
I am waiting for a 6920 to come up for sale for a rock bottom price its only takes time..
Tell me about it. Its the utah way for rra delton dpms and bushy. Between get sum in slc, the vault in cedar and dixie gun and rowdys in st george all recommending the crap brands its enough to drive a guy mad. I leaped for joy when sw picked up colt. Too bad they're a little high priced though...
Ok rant over
I agree with whoever said get a Saiga as well. Can be had for 299$ brand new. I know it would be more reliable than a crap AR or mini14. The only ammo l've ever shot or seen shot out of anyone elses is cheap steel case or 20 year old surplus and these things never choke (l've seen one guy have ftfs but he was using pro mags which are a known issue) try that with a cheap AR or mini14.
Accuracy with Saiga will be better than a mini14 as well, the AR might be better there. My saigas are pretty damn accurate not as good as my colt, but the colt has access to all the fine 223/556 being manufactured and even my handloads. Whereas, the saigas are fed nothing more than cheap russian or surplus (not exactly held in high regard for its accuracy).
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