My next rifle

[OVERKILL]

 I have decided I need an AR-15. I am leaning towards a 6.8 SPC with a piston system rather than the direct gas impingement of the standard AR. Any suggestions or comments.

[Thumper]

Well yeah can't go wrong with the AR Platform. I see this post is a little old. and its the latest post!!! what is that about??? Did you ever get the AR bud? what happened around here??

[OVERKILL]

 I don't know what happened Dude. Oh, and I still havn't picked up an AR yet either. I have been doing a lot of research on the subject though. I like the ergonomics of the AR-15 but have never been a fan of it for er uh "social purposes". I did like the 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC when I saw specs on them though. The great thing about an AR is that I can pop out 2 pins and have a completely different chambering. I can't find an AR set up the exact way I want and am thinking about a build.

[Idaho Sharp Shooter]

the key is ammunition availability.  223 is everywhere, and even at today's prices affordable.
it would be the only reason to buy a 9mm.  Even then, a 40 S&S is a better choice, as is 45 acp.
Next, a 308 aka 7.62x51 NATO.

If you can't feed it, it's a brick of a club on the Z-people.

Rich

[Condition1Kimber]

All about the ammo.  Those fancy .30 cal ARs are cool until you have to feed them.  Availability of ammo isn't too hot even now, besides being cost prohibitive to practice with.  I'll stick with my 5.56 and 7.62x39 rifles.  I do like the gas piston rifles though.  The down side is that if they break, parts are going to be impossible to find. 

[OVERKILL]

 The 6.8x42 is 27 caliber, not 30. I have 5.56x45 and 7.62x39 rifles, I just wanted:
 A) An AR-15, and
 B) a rifle chambered in 6.8 SPC

 I figured I could kill 2 birds with one stone but then decided an M1 Garand would be better.

[Condition1Kimber]

My bad, you're right about the caliber.  I didn't realize you already had a 5.56 AR.  I had the 6.8 bug when it first came out.  I wanted a 700 sps in 6.8  The price and availability of ammo got me over it.  Maybe if I was set up for handloading.  I ended up with a 5R in 308 and haven't looked back.

[OVERKILL]

5.56x45/5.56 NATO/223 Remington
7.62x39
5.45x39
9x19 Parabellum/Luger
22 Long Rifle
308 Winchester/7.62x51/7.62 NATO
7.62x54R

 If you shoot guns chambered in any other cartridge besides these, handloading/reloading will pay off in no time and if you shoot the last 2 at longer ranges or use the 308 for hunting it pays to reload.
 If you really get interested let me know and I'll try to point you in the right direction for the best deals on equipment, tools and supplies.

 On a semi related note to the topic at hand I put a Ruger Mini-14 in layaway. It will give me a chance to get my feet wet with the 6.8 and allow to put the Mini platform through the wringer as I've never owned one and only shot one very little.

[Condition1Kimber]

That's very much like my own SHTF kit. 45 ACP- Kimber, 9mm rated for +P (9mm NATO)- Sig 226, 7.62x39- WASR 10, 5.56- Stag M2, 7.62 NATO- 5R, 12ga- 870 & SBEII, 22lr/22wrm Single six convertable, a built 10/22, and a couple more.  My strategy was to keep with the most commonly available calibers.  A 45/70 and a 45LC are on my short list though.  I really likes 45s! 

Ever since I first watched the A Team series, I wanted a Mini 14.  I researched a lot and have handled and shot many.  As much love as I have for the handy little carbine, I couldn't pull the trigger on buying one.  They are slick and good handling, as well as classy looking.  They do have a few shortfalls that couldn't be ignored.  Accuracy quickly fades with rapid or repeated strings of fire.  I have personally seen point of impact vary wildly when they get warm.  The newer models come with better sights, but have crappy triggers.  Finding a reliable high capacity magazine is a challenge.  The last nail in the coffin was that they aren't chambered in 5.56.  Yeah, 223 and 556 are dimensionally identical, but the max allowable chamber pressure for 5.56 is higher.  I've seen run surplus 5.56 just fine, but they aren't rated for it.    If you load your own ammo it wouldn't ever be a problem.  It may never be an issue anyway, but I err to the side of safety.  My good friend put a lot of time into his and loved it, but eventually sold it and bought an AR.

[OVERKILL]

 I think you took the top part kinda wrong, I meant that if you have any calibers other than those listed it pays to reload. Sorry about that, I sometimes have a hard time putting thoughts and ideas into words others can understand, even though I do own guns chambered for all but the 5.45x39.

 I have to agree on the 45's. I absolutely love the 45 Colt and although I've never owned a 45-70 it's high on the wish list. If you get into casting bullets, it seems like it's easier to get the big bore moulds to cast better bullets faster.

 As to the Mini 14, Ruger has "supposedly" fixed most of those problems.
I noticed the one I picked up seemed to have a thicker barrel than ones I've shot in the past, but it could have been just bad memory.
 Ruger supposedly shut down production temporarily a couple of years ago to adjust and upgrade the machinery so that the rifles are "tight in all the right places" and increase accuracy while not sacrificing reliability. Some of the gun rags have had articles devoted to the "New Mini" raving about accuracy from the newer production rifles, but I don't think I've ever seen a bad review for anything in some magazines (GUNS&AMMO in particular).
 Ruger has also started making 20 and 30 round magazines available to the public although they are a bit expensive. I also think all but the Target Mini is rated for 5.56, but don't hold me to that with my memory, check Ruger's site.
 I guess I'll find out in 2 months.

[Condition1Kimber]

OK, I'm tracking now.  When ammo was scarce, a couple buddies and I used to all pitch in and buy bullets, power, equipment, ect.  We'd have little reloading get togethers.  It was nice splitting the cost.  One guy had the equipment, and 3 of us bought the supplies.  When you have 3 or 4 guys in an assembly line, you can crank out some rounds!  When I PCS'ed they got together and loaded me up a bunch of extra rounds as a going away present.  Those were the good old days.  A nice reloading setup is in my future, but it'll likely be a while.  

How about an AC 5.56?  That's what the A Team carried, of course they never actually hit a person with them, LOL.  I've seen them on GUNSAMERICA, but the whole NFA and tax stamp proccess is enough to dissuade me.  Not to mention the price.  It would be cool though.  I wonder if Ruger had won the contract over Stoner's AR, would the military still be carrying them? 

I still love minis, and now that I have a good SHTF kit, I could see myself getting one someday.  Of course that would be after I get a SAA and a 1895!  Accuracy Systems has some awesome parts and rifles, and they have a lot of info on Mini 14s.  If you haven't already, check out their page.

 http://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/index.php


* BTW we were only set up for and loading 223 and 45 Auto at the time.  All four of us had ARs and 45s.  

[OVERKILL]

How about an AC 5.56?  That's what the A Team carried, of course they never actually hit a person with them, LOL. 

 You know, the fact that the A Team never hit anybody, even with those guys being "crack commandos", may be the most proof of the inherent inaccuracy of the Ruger design. Then again nothing is all that accurate fired from the hip sweeping side to side the way they did.

 Thanks for the Accuracy System link. Sub MOA guarantees? Maybe it's not the system that's inaccurate, but Ruger's sloppy manufacturing (everybody keep your fingers crossed they really have tightened the manufacturing up). Have to say I'd go with one of the nonstandard calibers if I had it re-barreled. I have all the standard stuff covered and the oddball cartridges appeal to me more and more, I have as much fun tracking down dies and componets as I do shooting(well, almost as much fun).

[Condition1Kimber]

I've been thinking about that 5.45 round a lot.  It bothers me that I'm missing it.  Maybe I need a Polish tantal in 5.45x39.  It would make a good truck gun.

They do have a sweet selection of calibers at Accuracy Systems.  You could spend a lot of money there really quick.  They do have some cool ideas on how to set up your mini.  Lots of variations.

Do you have any optics or other pimp gear picked out for the mini yet?

[OVERKILL]

 I've not really given much thought to pimping or optics. I normally tend to pick out accessories as needed or desired or , like in the case of my AK, when things just come along. A friend got an M4 type collapsible stock for his and was getting rid of a side-folding stock real cheap. I didn't have much interest until I saw it was just a tad longer than the wooden standard stock. I have given some thought to a weapon light, can't shoot what you can't see, but don't really have a specific light in mind (any suggestions anyone).
 I'll probably keep the stock factory unless I add some length to it (I'm 6'7", most stocks are kinda short for me). I was brought up on "sporting" guns and the protruding pistol grip (such as on AR-15's and AKM's) feel odd to me for the most part. I have been looking for a fully encircled/hooded front sight ( like the Winchester 94, Marlin 336 and SKS, I just like the sight picture) for Mini 14's but can't find one. I made a hood for my WASR-10 from a piece of pipe, but the wings on the mini's sweep outward rather than inward. Looks like I may have to take up welding.
 I definitely am going to get some longer magazines. The mags, for those that don't know, "rock in" like an AK. The magazine has to be inserted at an angle with front of the magazine (the part facing away from you) going in first and then rockint the mag backwards and up to lock it in. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is for anyone who's never used a system like this, and my description is not the best, but it's not that bad in practice. That is if you have something to hold on to, the paltry 5 round magazines included with the rifle fit flush (which is good in it's own ways), and don't give you anything to grab on to. Ruger makes hi caps for all calibers except the 6.8 at this time, but I believe it's Promag that makes some 6.8 SPC specific mags in 10 and 20 round capacities. I always like having a few short magazines that fit flush with the mag well or at least don't stick out past the pistol grip for sighting in and accuracy testing off the bench and shooting prone. I also don't like really long magazines, I switched to the 20 round "tanker" mags in the AK even though they were more expensive than the 30 round mags I had, because I don't like them long to the point that they are unwieldy. 30 rounds in 223/5.56 and 20 rounds in 7.62x39 seems right, so since case diameter is pretty much right in the middle of those two, 25 round magazines in 6.8 should be about right.

[OVERKILL]

 I finally got my Mini 14 out last week, but haven't shot it a lot yet, still doing the shoot shoot clean deal and sighting it in as I go. I've been handling it quite a bit though. I have the five round magazine that came with it, a 10 round ProMag and 3 20 round ProMags. As far as handling goes I really like the 10 rounders best. They offer a bit more to hold on to when doing mag changes, but don't really stick out past the trigger guard. Recoil is still practically non-existant in the round, even with a substantial increase in ballistics over the 5.56 round. I hope to finish breaking it in tomorrow and give at least a bit of an accuracy report.