Mini 14 or SU 16?

[Ulmus]

I am thinking about getting a semiauto rifle for my next rifle and I have it down to these two choices.

The Kel Tec is the "Bravo" model and the Ruger is the "Tactical" model.

Both have a roughly 16" barrel and 1:9 twists rifling.

The Kel Tec has a lighter and possibly weaker front stock, but the rifle will accept AR15 style magazines.

The Ruger has a stronger stock, but is heavier and I don't know if it accepts AR mags or not.  (Maybe someone can educate me.)

Whatever one I get will be used mainly for range plinking with a slight nod for after hurricane home defense since I live in Florida.

Here are the pics fromtheir prospective sites.





So what would you choose and why?

PS: I know people are going to ask, "Why not buy/build an AR instead?"  I just like the style of these better.

[Wheelgun Dunn]

Nothing against the Kel-Tec but I would choose the Mini 14.  The mini is well known for extreme reliability and durability as it is based on the venerable M1 action that saw battle in three wars.  The mini also as more after market accessories available so if you ever wanted to change it into a tactical gun with lights and lasers you can, or if you want to have it accurized into a long range coyote stomper you can do that too.  I also agree with you on the AR.  A great rifle no doubt but I like my Mini 14.  Also, the Mini 14 has its own magazines, it DOES NOT accept AR mags.

The Kel Tec concerns me a little and while I will preface this statement with the fact I have not shot the Kel Tec I have owned one of their pistols and I like them a lot but by their own admission they are only rated for so many rounds to be shot through them and that doesn't sit well with me.  I know, I know they are great guns and meet the needs of cc and a specific price point but for a rifle and a plinker I would avoid.  Looks more like something to have in a jump bag or a grab-and-go bag not a ard core shooter.  Now don't bust my chops too hard, this is just a precursory opinion based on my experience with their handguns  I like Kel-Tec but for your purposes I would choose the Mini.

Hope this helps!

Wheelgun

[billt]

but by their own admission they are only rated for so many rounds to be shot through them and that doesn't sit well with me.  Wheelgun

How many rounds are they "rated" for??  Bill T.

[1776 Rebel]

The SU 16 B is on my list of "hope to own" someday. The single most distinctive characteristic of the Kel Tec is its collapsible size. It is not intended as a main battle rifle for some nations army. It is very small, compact and light. It doesn't require a CCW. It can be thrown into a backpack, go bag or car trunk. It accepts AR mags because it is intended to be a flexible alternative using a commodity mag like the ARs. The cartridge moves you up the scale of impact from nearly any pistol round. If you can do with a pistol fine. But if you, for a variety of reasons, want a rifle cartridge and a longer barrel with the associated longer strike distance for survival, plinking or SHTF purposes I am going with the Kel Tec. Most of these scenarios are pipe dreams anyway.  I think the SU16B is a really fine firearm that meets a niche market requirment. Like most gun discussions they center around minor differences and folks understanding their very personal circumstances.

Now if anyone wants to buy me a Ruger I will be quite happy to accept. 

[PegLeg45]

I have a Kel-Tec collapsible in .40 S&W that uses Glock 22 mags. It is light, very accurate, compact, and reliable and I would recommend their products. I would like to have one of the SU-16's to compliment my Mini-14.

If I were forced to chose between the two, however, I would go with the mini-14 for the reasons stated previously by others. They are based on a well-proven design and are rugged and die-hard reliable (albeit to the loss of some long range accuracy).
I've had mine for over 20 years and it is still going strong.



Here is a good thread on the Mini-14:

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=1505.0

[Sponsor]

[Wheelgun Dunn]

Billt,

If you go to Kel-Tec's website and their FAQ section about midway down the page, you'll find this:

Q :    What is the expected life of a Kel-Tec firearm
A :    All Kel-Tec firearms have an expected life of 6,000 rounds or more

Again, I like these products I have always spoken well of Kel-Tec and even owned them and carried them, but this has to be taken into account when purchasing a rifle depending on the reasons for buying the gun.

Wheelgun

[Big Frank]

If you can't get both, I vote for the SU-16. How cool is it to have a carbine that folds in half and takes the same (mostly) inexpensive mags as an AR-15. Better yet get the PLR-16 pistol instead. 

[warhawke]

I would shoot for an AR-180B myself, but AmraLite doesn't list them anymore.

Of the two I would be hard pressed to make a decision as neither striks me as a serious social weapon. I would probably go for the Ruger, despite the magazine issue, the SU-16 just does not turn my crank.

[billt]

6,000 rounds does sound a bit limited. I've never heard of a gun manufacturer stating a round count life of a firearm like that.   Bill T.

[Ulmus]

I also read that ther Kel Tec don't like aluminum or steel cased ammo.  How is the Ruger in this respect?

The "Hurricane Security" aspect is a very small point for me.  I went through "Charlie" with just a revolver and never needed to pull it.  Odds of actually having a fire fight in Charlotte County was very low and even with population increase, I still see it as such.  I'd say the rifle I choose will be used at the range 99.5% of the time with a .5% for home defense.

I think I should add this to the mix.

Which is easier to clean?