Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
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Notes -
The problem with the Mini-14 is mostly that it's a design from the 1930s. It's the best the 1930s had to offer, mind you, but the design still hails from that period. The thing's just a more refined bolt-action conversion.
The AR-15 is the best the 1960s had to offer, and in some ways it does pretty clearly show its age (magazines were a compromise from the start for a magwell that wasn't made with 30-rounders in mind, the bolt's too small, the design doesn't lend itself to some important modern mass-manufacturing techniques... yet is very CNC-compatible, so you can make the entire gun on a single machine, which is part of why everyone and their dog makes one).
I'm kind of unfairly hard on this gun because it's basically a heavy pistol on a stick, and most PCCs being just Sten guns in a different form factor. If it's all you can buy (and this is true of the Mini-14 as well) it's not necessarily overpriced, since Ruger knows that, and it's what the market will bear... but that thing can't cost more than a couple hundred to make. And yeah, being able to get 15 round mags for it makes it a bit better.
It is if you're looking at 150-dollar PSA complete lowers, but you're also buying a 100-dollar unique bolt carrier with the lower set (which you'd have to replace in whatever upper you buy, unless it's bufferless in which case it doesn't matter).
But any upper, even the PSA ones, would be fine for this. Even better is if you can get the ones without charging handle or bolt carrier, since you can buy the bolt separately and you'll want an upgraded charging handle anyway, and the 350 bucks it'd cost will go a bit further.
With the Mini-14 being the best of 1930s tech and the AR15 being the best of 1960s tech, what equivalent rifle should I be looking at for the best of post-2000 tech?
A while back, I would have said there wasn't one; small arms technology arguably peaked at the ar-15. In terms of form factor and general operation, I'd say that's still roughly the correct answer. Lately though, we're seeing more and more experiments with extremely high chamber-pressure cartridges and special bullet constructions that allow significant increases in performance, particularly against hard armor. I'm skeptical whether that increase is significant enough to represent the sort of improvement one sees between the 30s and 60s, but if you're looking for edge in terms of weapons, that'd probably be your best bet.
More generally, drones are legitimately revolutionary.
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