Are the Mini-14 bull pups any good or is that just for the wow factor?
There is a bit of the wow factor, but I also believe that the added maneuverability from moving the action backward does make it a reasonable purchase. Just look at kel-tec's ksg; not only do they have the 14+1 capability, but also the added benefit of a compact design which they boast added maneuverability. Finding a kit is difficult though; you have to do the research, some kits are solid, others are really shoddy.