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Niche market for those piles of crap.
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Hardly. While I'm not a fan of the stock on the tactical model shown above either, even though I have a light weight mid-length gas carbine for close and a scoped A4 I use to shoot apples at 400+yds with, I favor the compact lines and feel of the Mini-14, especially when set up like my M1A. The accuracy of the newer style, thicker barreled Mini-14s is significantly better than the original 'pencil barrel' versions.
As an example, my 583 Series is accurate enough to produce 1" groups at 100yds with my handloads and iron sights. That's as good as my RRA middy with irons can do. I use both to shoot at bowling pins at 200yds and both do a great job of knocking them down. I fact, at 300yds it becomes really a challenge to hit a pin and I'm better at that range with my Mini, even though I've had my AR over 3 times as long.
While my NM triggered RRA is a nice, lightweight, reliable AR carbine fitted out with an ADCO lightened and shortened barrel, custom pistol grip, and Magpul's CTR, Mags, and MOE handguard -
My Mini M14 isn't a slouch either with a few accuracy tweaks that in total, cost about what just a good custom trigger for an AR runs. I did all the teaks myself except the trigger job with simple tools and the accuracy tweaks cost me less than just the barrel work on my AR that increased it's accuracy. (That cost excludes both the front sight/FH install and the $200 walnut stock which I added recently to give it that M14 vibe but didn't help, or hurt, accuracy.)
That said, my NIB Mini plus all the changes as it sits below, even though it was purchased and tweaked some 11 years after my AR, actually cost me less with everything than my NIB RRA with all it's teaks as it sits above.
Both platforms are great examples of their type and both perform reliably and accurately. Both are great at the range. It's just that the smaller bulk of the Mini's more traditional design make it more comfortable to carry in the woods all day. Yes, I went through Basic with the M14 but had an M16 in RVN so I'm comfortable and proficient with both styles of carbines.