You can get into an AR for a lot less than $1K. I don't like Mini-14s at all. When I worked in LE, we bought 33 of them for patrol rifles and while adequate, weren't much fun. Not very accurate but that's been a few years ago; I understand they're better now.
Ruger used to hold onto their magazines like they were silver plated, but that's also opened up.
As far as offending others with a sinister black rifle, I didn't go around showing my ARs. No one saw it unless they were at the range where it didn't matter.
The agency I was associated with is upgrading to ARs. Everything is easier to get for an AR, including magazines, they're generally more accurate and aren't as subject to fouling as our Minis were. After firing Wolf brand ammo and then not cleaning the rifles' gas cylinder/piston very quickly, they would rust shut and had to be literally kicked open. Minis are a little trickier to take down, too.
Not a Ruger fan, as I said earlier.
