I did a swap at the LGS for my NIB Mini-14. I picked up one of kkina's Accu-Struts (which helps a lot) and sent off the trigger group to Accuracy Systems, Inc. for a trigger job - much, MUCH better trigger now.

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I have a 10 year old mini 14 with probably close to 10,000 rounds down range. Not one single jam or problem ever.

And the crazy thing is... With iron sites, I can outshoot ANY of the 10+ AR15 rifles in my safe. I cant explain it, but I can shoot the hair off a nats ass with my mini 14 and open sites. Its my go to fun rifle with open sites.

Cant say I would use it for self defense uses as I just have way more time on the AR platform rifles. But it absolutely would work fine for that.

I would get one of the "Tactical" models with the 16" barrel and birdcage flash hider, but the normal style rifle stock.

After that, Tech sights if you're an irons guy, or an Ultimak rail if you're a red dot guy. Accu-Strut because it's awesome, and that's about it. I'm a younger guy, and love the looks I get when smoking people at a local 2 gun match with a Mini-14.

I had an older one, a 183- serial number IIRC, many years ago. I don't recall it ever failing to function as long as I stuck to Ruger magazines, and with a scope it was accurate enough to centerpunch a fat ground squirrel at ~80 yards. That was with a handloaded 52gr HP.