[crossedcannons45]

We are getting my wife a new laptop for school and she wants to get (me) a new desktop as well. The desktop I have now works (sort of) but it is ancient as far as computers go and upgrading it is a great idea.

Now we add another element: Guns. I do not have ...and therefore need a rifle for HD/SHTF/Collapse of society/Zombie attacks etc.

I may be able to talk her out of the desktop and into letting me get an AR ( or mini14...I'm undecided) but I'm not too sure I want to since I do need a new computer.

 

[Xd357]

Man go to Dell outlet for the computer. Than you'll have mney left over for the AR.

 

[sand_man]

www.pricewatch.com

 

[JMS39339]

Just my opinion, but skip the Mini-14. In the long run you'll be a lot happier with the AR. Computers... are throw away items after 3-4 years. I've been in the business for about 20 years and people that I know always want my opinion on what PC to buy. My answer is "the cheapest thing you can find that will get you by." If you're mostly a surfer and not a gamer, think cheap. I found a case some years ago that I liked and I mostly just swap out the motherboards, etc to satisfy my desktop needs. Your situation may be different though. Check out Tiger Direct. They may have something that would work for you as well. I've used a ton of their stuff over the years and never had any issues with it.

 

[Rw]

Id go with the ar over the mini 14 too, never have liked that weapon.
As for the pc. you cant beat newegg for prices most the time, tiger direct on the other hand ... i have several horror stories about that company.

 

[jbpmidas]

AR!!!!!

 

[sidroski]

If you find one that's gotten something broke in it but is otherwise ok, I can get parts for nothing, everything but the HD.

 

[TankerHC]

If you want to go cheap on a desktop, I was at Best Buy today and they had an emachines desktop with keyboard, mouse and monitor for $299. That should leave plenty for your AR, assuming your budget isnt $300. lol

 

[crossedcannons45]

my budget is roughly $800

I am entertaining the mini 14 idea because its setup just like a garand/M1A which are purchases I intend to make once I make journeyman and the wife gets out of school ( read as: "when I can afford a $1400 rifle) and it is a little cheaper than an AR. OTOH there is the "tinkerability" factor with the AR

Oh my...I believe I have compounded my difficult decisions even more

 

[Brutus]

@ crossedcannons45

Really the only "problem" with the Mini was that it was NOT designed to be an infantry rifle and the AR was.

The older, thin barrel Mini's would heat up real fast and start putting rounds all over the place when you fired more than three or four shots in rapid succession. The barrels just didn't have the "meat" in them to deal with the heat well.

The Mini was designed to be basically an expensive plinker, farm gun, whatever-you-wanna-call-it, for taking an occasional shot here and there at a coyote, wild dog, or whatever.

I don't know about the newer, thicker-barrelled ones. Never have shot one. Like you, however, I *DO* love the Garand-style action.

 

[Leopardcurdog]

Don't know much about 'puters, but I love my mini 14. Very accurate with stock sights out to 350 yards. That's as far as I've shot it. Absolutely no problems with it. Most folks that don't like em have never fooled with them much. They just heard from other folks that have never fooled with them much that they are no good. But to each his own. You can build a nice basic AR fairly reasonable again now.

 

[jakeg823]

Fooled with a mini quite a bit here and I'd take a crappy AR or the cheapest walmart computer you can find over one. I mean they're pretty reliable...accurate though? The newer ones maybe.

Thats just me though. I've shot both an AR and a mini and the AR will win hands down everytime. If you like the mini's platform then pull out the big $$ and get you a m1a, or get a Garand for around the same price as the mini.

 

[Leopardcurdog]

That's every ones line, "the newer ones maybe", "I haven't played the newer ones", "haven't shot one in 20 years", etc. I'm not defending Ruger, or trying to sound like a Ruger cheerleader. They can do their own marketing and advertising. My definition of accurate may differ from most folks, and my expectations for that type of weapon are probably different then most too. It works for my little world.

 

[jakeg823]

It works for my little world.

Well that's all that matters...

But compared to an AR, unless you buy one of the more competition ready models from ruger, the accuracy of the mini cannot hold up. That's all I'm saying. Yeah it's fairly accurate, but not to the degree of any AR ive ever fired. So for the price, FOR ME, in "my little world" I'd rather have a AR, a good dpms will run you about the same as a mini

 

[Mrs. Hammer]

go cheap on the puter getting only what you need to get by with and then get the gun that fits the purpose you need it and want it for

 

[jkpz28]

Yeah the dell outlet has great deals on refurbs. Got my last two laptops through that and have had 0 issues. And AR btw, lol.

 

[Brutus]

Your typical Mini-14 is at least as accurate AND RELIABLE as your typical AK and people act like the AK was handed straight to mankind from Heaven.

Go figure.......

:eyeroll:

 

[crossedcannons45]

I'm still leaning toward the mini14 just because once I get my other rifles ( a M1A and a Garand) I will be able to pick any of them up and "operate" them without having to think about which rifle I have in my hands first.

I ran the idea past my wife the other day and she gave me a dirty look, sighed and changed the subject...we still havent discussed it further... funny thing is that I thought it was a good time to bring it up. I guess thats what I get for "thinking"

 

[jakeg823]

I'm still leaning toward the mini14 just because once I get my other rifles ( a M1A and a Garand) I will be able to pick any of them up and "operate" them without having to think about which rifle I have in my hands first.

for that reason then go w/ the mini. like someone else said, the mini is meant as a ranch rifle more than anything, do not get my comments earlier wrong. its a good rifle! just the older ones really were thin barrelled, and by older i mean last 5-10 years. they're good the first mag or so, and after that you're gonna be all over the place. I hear WONDERFUL things about the newer ones though.

i would not mind a newer ranch model! but a old one i wouldnt touch, just because my experiences w/ them have amounted to holes in the paper everywhere except the my POA! but then again, w/ my eyes and my shakey hands, that coulda been all me!

i do looooove my ar though! but for a "expensive plinker" the mini is a good gun. just love the availability of ar parts, but the mini has developed quite an aftermarket following in recent years

really no going wrong either way

 

[KGraham]

Well like TankerHC I went to Best Buy and found my wife a laptop HP Compaq for 299.00. It will do anything she needs, facebook, printing pictures, internet, and her scrapbooking. Plenty of money left to get the AR. I love my AR. I have the .22 LR upper and if I want to run 200 or 300 rounds through it just plinking it want break the bank. I got the AR last year and a TC Pro Hunter this year. Just save the pennies and get both. Blame it on Obama!