View Full Version : Thoughts on a Mini-14?
I have a blued/wooden stock 580 Series mini-14. It's a fun rifle and a great range toy. I'm about to be given a Satinless/wooden stock 185 series mini-14. I originally wanted a stainless mini but ended up with the aforementioned blued one.
Any thoughts on the stainless 185 series stainless mini-14? Any upgrades you guys would do to it? I live in California so 10 rd mags is the most I can get. But I would prefer to stick to the 5 rd factory mag.
A friend of mine once told me that if he had a mini-14 he would take two inches off the barrel length, put a muzzle break and bed the action. Any thoughts on having that done.
Thanks,
Louis
We ran an extensive thread on the Mini a year or two ago.
Sum: Reliable but not durable. Predicatable failures at 2500-5000rd intervals. Minimal armorer and user support outside the factory. Excellent service from the factory. Keep it wet to keep running. Accuracy is sufficient for most uses. Use only SAAMI-spec, .223 Remington ammunition. Use only OEM magazines, preferably 20rd magazines. Shortening the barrel and reinstalling gas block helps accuracy and consistency. Bedding isn't worth the bother. OEM stock is too long for many/most.
Suboptimal choice, but a serviceable option if it's what you're limited to.
Thanks Skintop911. That kind of surprises me. I was under the impression that Ruger makes guns that can last a life time if decently maintained. I own a 10/22, PC9 and MkII, they've all been great. I was actually thinking of buying a GP100 but got a 686 instead.
I think Ruger makes great guns. BUT, over priced for what they are. It took me a year to think about spending $500 for my PC9. But its a very fun rifle to shoot and I never had a problem with it.
I've always wanted a mini-14 as a range toy. Not for anything serious, such as taking a rifle course or depending my life on it. But this kinda makes me wanna buy some wolf .223 and shoot the crap out of it.
Thanks again.
Texas Patriot
08-09-09, 13:51
I've got 3 mini 14's and love them all. I would add a trigger job to your list of things to do to it.
I have to disagree with the previous poster that says minis have failures at 2,500 to 5,000 rounds. One thing I have noticed is that the Ruger Mini 14 has a major strength in being dependable and reliable. Accuracy on the older models needed some help, which could be accomplished with less than $75 or so. I did it to mine, so I know it can be done.
The Mini platform is dependable, reliable and can be made to have reasonable accuracy. They will run when dirty, much more so than the AR platform. I've never heard of the Mini OEM stock being too long. Lots of folks change out the original stock just because there are lots of fun aftermarker stocks to put them on. Ruger finally figured this out and is no offering pistol grip stocks and other variants as original factory equipment on newer models.
If you get the 185 series, bed it, cut the barrel, put a brake on it, test different types of ammo (as they are ammo sensitive) and do a trigger job. You will be very happy with the outcome.
Don't listen to the scoffers.
I am a former members of a special forces unit which was prosecuted for a crime we didn't commit. We went underground as mercenaries for hire helping others who have also been wronged. And while cruising around in our custom van the weapon of choice is the Mini 14 GB folder.
Granted we don't hit a lot of the folks we shoot at, but when we see action this is the best firearm for shooting from the hip on the run.
Heavy Metal
08-09-09, 14:43
We ran an extensive thread on the Mini a year or two ago.
Sum: Reliable but not durable. Predicatable failures at 2500-5000rd intervals. Minimal armorer and user support outside the factory. Excellent service from the factory. Keep it wet to keep running. Accuracy is sufficient for most uses. Use only SAAMI-spec, .223 Remington ammunition. Use only OEM magazines, preferably 20rd magazines. Shortening the barrel and reinstalling gas block helps accuracy and consistency. Bedding isn't worth the bother. OEM stock is too long for many/most.
Suboptimal choice, but a serviceable option if it's what you're limited to.
The Mini-14 will safely shoot 5.56mm ammo. It has a true 5.56mm spec chamber.
ThirdWatcher
08-09-09, 16:34
Everyone I ever knew that had a Mini-14 ultimately traded it in on an AR-15. I'm not bad-mouthing the rifle because I've never fired one... just an observation I've made. :)
Thanks Skintop911. That kind of surprises me. I was under the impression that Ruger makes guns that can last a life time if decently maintained. I own a 10/22, PC9 and MkII, they've all been great. I was actually thinking of buying a GP100 but got a 686 instead.
The Mini-14 is a commercial/sporting grade gun that most folks won't shoot a whole lot. In that role, it will indeed provide a lifetime of service with minimal maintenance.
I've always wanted a mini-14 as a range toy. Not for anything serious, such as taking a rifle course or depending my life on it. But this kinda makes me wanna buy some wolf .223 and shoot the crap out of it.
In that role, it will be fine for you.
I have to disagree with the previous poster that says minis have failures at 2,500 to 5,000 rounds.
Certainly, experiences vary.
Those numbers are the interval in which certain parts can be expected to fail, especially the firing pin and extractor. That's my own experience, and that of a number of armorer colleagues maintaining their guns. That interval is also a topic of discussion at the Mini-14 AC, if you get the chance to attend.
I've never heard of the Mini OEM stock being too long. Lots of folks change out the original stock just because there are lots of fun aftermarker stocks to put them on. Ruger finally figured this out and is no offering pistol grip stocks and other variants as original factory equipment on newer models.
Sport/rec/hobby shooters won't really notice. If you're going to fight with the gun, it's more of an issue.
Most OEM stocks offered by manufacturers are too long. People just don't know what they don't know.
The Mini-14 will safely shoot 5.56mm ammo. It has a true 5.56mm spec chamber.
While users have reported having 5.56mm chambers, and Ruger has reported producing them, guns seen in the field, classes, and chambers castings from them demonstrated otherwise.
When Ruger is asked about their chambers, 5.56mm is the least consistent answer from them.
One particular agency deploying the Mini used 5.56mm NATO ammo exclusively. When they showed all the usual signs of tight chambers, Ruger told them to stick to .223. Reaming a Mini chamber removes quite a bit of material.
Sum: Not a POS, not unserviceable, but it is what it is.
I would partly agree with what some others have said, but I am of the opinion that the Ruger Mini-14 series rifles are both reliable and durable. In my home state, this series of rifles is used by the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, one of the largest Sheriff's offices in the United States.
The rifle has been used in numerous shootings successfully and would not be in current service if it was deemed un-reliable.
I have personally owned (2) Mini-14 rifles and (1) Mini-30 (7.62X39) rifle and have found them to be both reliable and dependable. My current rifle is a 188-series Ranch Rifle .223, which I have owned for approx. the last 15 years. I don't know how many rounds that I have fired through the rifle but it is well in excess of 5-6K. There have been no parts failures and the rifle has been proven to be quite reliable. With a Leupold VX-II 3X9 variable it shoots around 2-3 inch groups at 100 Yards, depending on the ammo (shoots Black Hills 55 gr .223 best) sometimes less.
As a hunting rifle, I find to be light, accurate enough for varmints (jack rabbits/ coyotes) out to a couple of hundred yards and easy to carry. The manual of arms is easy enough to train new shooters on and the gun is compact enough to fit most people.
Is it as reliable or accurate as an AR pattern rifle? No. But it was not initially designed as a combat weapon or a target rifle. That said, I would have no quams about using the rifle for self-defense purposes. Because, a round of Hornandy .223 TAP from my $700 Mini-14 rifle would be just as deadly as one from my $3,000 Noveske.
SkiDevil
P.S. For some good information on the Mini-14 series rifles, a great reference book written By Duncan Long is "The Mini-14/ The Plinker, Hunter, Assault, and Everything Else Rifle. It covers the development of the rifle, magazines, acessories, and modifications to the gun.
By Paladin Press: ISBN#: 0-87364-407-7
I have an old mini that my dad got as a commemorative from his agency in the 80's. Not very accurate and too hard to clean to even bother shooting. I should probably run a patch of CLP down the bore, but unaccurate rifles don't interest me.
I've got a tapered barrel 580 series ranch rifle, excellent arm. Typical Ruger toughness and dependability, and it is chambered .556. I have no plans to trade it in. Runs great on the 30 round mag or the 20 rounder. Brass cased Remington or steel Wolf- both run equally well....A really fun arm!:D
i found a mini i'd forgotten i even had... it was just out kicking around my then-messy garage, rusting up.
cleaned up real nice... got $500 for it about two days later.
if you have ARs, the only purpose a mini14 serves is to reduce the accuracy of rounds sent down range
cronus5116
08-29-09, 23:48
for self defence the mini is great I dont know what some of these guys are talking about, mine is accurate enough not a match gun (duh) but if there is a man size target 50 - 75 yards away it had better start praying, comparing it to an AR is not fair, not even in the same league
for self defence the mini is great I dont know what some of these guys are talking about, mine is accurate enough not a match gun (duh) but if there is a man size target 50 - 75 yards away it had better start praying, comparing it to an AR is not fair, not even in the same league
comparing em to ARs is relevant.. this is M4carbine.net.
i ditched mine because i have ARs.. if i didn't have ARs, or some other accurate semi-auto sport gun, i would have kept the mini. if all you have is the mini, then the mini is a useful weapon. if you have other more durable/reliable/accurate weapons, the mini14 is totally needless. that's not to say someone is foolish for having one anyway, or anything like that- i'm just saying there's absolutely nothing a mini can do that an AR cant.
mine was kind of fun.. i got it when i was in the Army, and i didn't own my own AR. Wolf 223 was only $85 per 1000 (yea, you could get .223 for less than 9 cents a round a decade ago), so you could afford to just blast away with abandon. now that sending 1 magazine down range costs me $12-$14, blasting TVs and shooting from the hip and crap is a thing of the past.
daddyusmaximus
08-30-09, 00:32
Newbe, but here goes...
I had to qualify with a mini for ten years. (Dept issue) Mini-14 + cheep red box ammo = rounds hitting targets sideways at 25m. I did own one, but I had it barreled by ARS in Texas With a 24" walther barrel bedded in a laminated stock = 1 hole groups. I miss it, and it was cool, but you can get better accuracy from other platforms for less money. If I really wanted a small carbine like the Mini, I'd get a .30 carbine M-1 and shoot soft points. However, in Commiefornia, the 15/30 round mags mean getting some custom cut down. A tanker Garand might fit the bill.
1. Move
2. Go with the AR platform, or M-1A, or Garand.
30 cal slut
08-30-09, 09:28
Don't listen to the scoffers.
I am a former members of a special forces unit which was prosecuted for a crime we didn't commit. We went underground as mercenaries for hire helping others who have also been wronged. And while cruising around in our custom van the weapon of choice is the Mini 14 GB folder.
Granted we don't hit a lot of the folks we shoot at, but when we see action this is the best firearm for shooting from the hip on the run.
somebody owes me a new keyboard. :p
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/01/ateam_6.jpg
I've got a tapered barrel 580 series ranch rifle, excellent arm.....and it is chambered .556.
How did you determine it is chambered in 5.56? Verified?
variablebinary
08-30-09, 21:45
I'd buy one :D
http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/d/d1/RugerAC556folder.jpg/500px-RugerAC556folder.jpg
In the mid -90's, I had a Mini-30 that I spent a metric ton of cash to try and get it to work right...no dice! It went back to Ruger who claimed everything from I had used surplus 7.62X39 ammo (wrong American Eagle NIB) to unauthorized mods to the gun (el wrongo again, nothing aside from cleaning it was done to it) Ultimately, I gave up on trying to get the gun to run even as a plinker and traded it for an Post Ban AR. Fast foward to a year ago, my old neighbor was given a Pre Ban Mini-14 with a fixed stock and a bunch (25) of factory mags. He knew zero about guns but wanted to keep it and learn about it, shoot it etc. He had it checked out by Ruger certified 'smith who gave it a clean bill of health (yay). Well, after a frustrating day at the range for both of us, he decided to sell the Mini because of horrendous accuracy and reliability. He was upset that no matter what he tried 5 or 8 rounds later a malfunction would occur. With that I got him to purchase a Colt 6920 and he really loves it. I had heard that if Mini-14/30 works right from the get go keep it, if not you will be frustrated from day one...:confused:
the only problem i had with mine was a bent extractor due to some gay failure to feeds due to some GAY KKK 30 round mags. Apparently KKK actually makes some decent stuff these days, but man they made crap back in the day.
that and the best group i ever got was about 5MOA
It belongs in a museum!
The M1 garand, M14 and M1 carbine belong in a museum too, but at least the USGI versions work well, one of them even makes a ping sound like an old typewriter and doubles as a baseball bat.
NCPatrolAR
08-31-09, 09:13
I was recently at a patrol rifle course where several Minis were in use. They were decent, but had major feeding issues with aftermarket magazines. All sight adjustments were done on the rear sight also.
It belongs in a museum!
The M1 garand, M14 and M1 carbine belong in a museum too, but at least the USGI versions work well, one of them even makes a ping sound like an old typewriter and doubles as a baseball bat.
Man...I'll put them all in my personal museum.
No respect for real battle rifles. Have you ever shot an M14 or M1 Garand and/or hunted with one??????? I was in Montana last year and put down a mule deer at 500M with an M1A. Went to my 600 yard zero and bang!!!!! The mule deer took four or five steps and fell over dead....have you seen the size of mule deer!!!!! God damn double lunger. Missed the heart by three-four inches but tore through the superior vena cava. It went through two lungs at 500M. Bullets were handloaded 180 Nosler BT's.
An AR-15 pill would have bounced off the hide!!!!!!
Oh yeah....Mini-14's are not very accurate. I got a real nice one in a trade for a S&W 6906. I traded it to sell, but shot it anyway. Three-four MOA is all it could do and the sights were poor quality. The AR-15 is a vast improvement over a Mini-14. Not even a reasonable comparison.
variablebinary
08-31-09, 17:48
Oh yeah....Mini-14's are not very accurate. I got a real nice one in a trade for a S&W 6906. I traded it to sell, but shot it anyway. Three-four MOA is all it could do and the sights were poor quality. The AR-15 is a vast improvement over a Mini-14. Not even a reasonable comparison.
The Mini is sorta known for being inaccurate, and I've always wondered what about the design hampers accuracy.
Is it the sights? Or the thin barrel? Is the action inherently gimping the guns accuracy?
Littlelebowski
08-31-09, 18:19
Man...I'll put them all in my personal museum.
No respect for real battle rifles. Have you ever shot an M14 or M1 Garand and/or hunted with one??????? I was in Montana last year and put down a mule deer at 500M with an M1A. Went to my 600 yard zero and bang!!!!! The elk took four or five steps and fell over dead....have you seen the size of mule deer!!!!! God damn double lunger. Missed the heart by three-four inches but tore through the superior vena cava. It went through two lungs at 500M. Bullets were handloaded 180 Nosler BT's.
An AR-15 pill would have bounced off the hide!!!!!!
Kinda hard to hunt with an M14 in the US, since civilians can't own them and all so I assume you mean the M1A. Are you confusing caliber with design when you are trying to cast derision upon the AR or what? I own an AR in .308. It shoots circles around any comparably priced M1A or Garand and outshoots those that cost twice as much.
Better tell all of those dead insurgents that they weren't killed with "real" battle rifles.
cronus5116
08-31-09, 19:25
well like I said before shouldnt compare them to an AR's, m4carbine.net or not, its not known for its accuracy like an AR but in my opinion ( and we all know what's said about opinions ) its not as picky as an AR you can drag it though dirt, sand, and whatever and it probably wont give you as many problems as an AR will, but thats just my own experience with them.
well like I said before shouldnt compare them to an AR's, m4carbine.net or not, its not known for its accuracy like an AR but in my opinion ( and we all know what's said about opinions ) its not as picky as an AR you can drag it though dirt, sand, and whatever and it probably wont give you as many problems as an AR will, but thats just my own experience with them.
you realize you just compared them to ARs, right?
my experience with ARs is that if you have a quality specimen, you can do anything to it that you can do to any other gun, and it'll probably out-run the other gun.
pound for pound, mini14s, being made by the same manufacturer, probably are more reliable than ALL AR15s- because most AR15s are made by DPMS and bushmaster and M1S and etc. but pound for pound, mini14 against LMT, or mini14 against Colt, or mini14 against BCM... no contest.
cronus5116
08-31-09, 22:13
you realize you just compared them to ARs, right?
:o Yea I know. Guess I walked right into that one. But when it comes to accuracy, I had a friend who spent a little cash and got his to shoot 1/2 in groups at 100 yards, he had his sent off to some place in texas ( i think ) and they shortened the barrle and did some other stuff, so now at least its more accurate that other rifles similar to it like the ak, sks, and so on, I shoot deer with mine 25 - 40 yards head shots, never had a problem hitting them...yet
The Mini is sorta known for being inaccurate, and I've always wondered what about the design hampers accuracy.
Is it the sights? Or the thin barrel? Is the action inherently gimping the guns accuracy?
Biggest culprit seems to be barrel harmonics. Cut the bbl down and/or add a muzzle brake/flash hider and groups improve significantly. Ensure the gas block bolts are properly torqued & throw in a trigger job and groups can shrink by half (personal experience w/a new 580).
Tomac
Shortening a Mini barrel to 16" is an easy way to improve accuracy and consistency. Reinstallation of the FS should be done by a machinist able to ensure it's aligned to TDC. It's also a good opportunity to use a GB-type sight.
SBR'ing a Mini is also an interesting idea, if allowable in your AO and you prefer or are stuck with a Mini. Watch your gas.
I was sold on the barrel shortening after shooting several and seeing the difference. Seeing the personal Mini of a Ruger employee so modified also helped.
If you're doing barrel work, remove it. It's a great time to ream the chamber to 5.56mm.
The newer series is better than the old in accuracy and consistency. The bolt and the receiver appear to be status quo, but time will tell. Data isn't trickling in as fast as it used to, because few are using them with intensity anymore.
If you're opposed to permanently modifying the Mini barrel, and want to improve accuracy and consistency, the stainless are better than the blued. You might also look into the various barrel stablizers like the Accu-Strut. An Accu-Strut equipped series (186?) Mini showed a 1/4-1/3 group size reduction with various load.
If using an Accu-Strut type device, be advised that they can have a tendency to move themselves, especially in harsher firing drills.
The Mini is not an AR, and comparing it to one is too complex. Many might also have the inclination to liken a Mini to a low end AR. This isn't fair to either as well.
The Mini is what it is. Get a new manufacture one if you can.
How did you determine it is chambered in 5.56? Verified?all conventional wisdom says that a .556 chamber is safe to fire .223 in, but the opposite is not true, due to case neck dimension differences. If Ruger says either one is okay in their products, then they must be .556, or Ruger would be recommending an unsafe practice with their arms, which I doubt very much. The talking heads that answer phones at any company usually are not too well versed in the nuances of every product, call 2 different ones and get 2 answers, etc. If anyone reading this is a talking head, sorry.....the owners manual states either one also....
all conventional wisdom says that a .556 chamber is safe to fire .223 in, but the opposite is not true, due to case neck dimension differences. If Ruger says either one is okay in their products, then they must be .556, or Ruger would be recommending an unsafe practice with their arms, which I doubt very much. The talking heads that answer phones at any company usually are not too well versed in the nuances of every product, call 2 different ones and get 2 answers, etc. If anyone reading this is a talking head, sorry.....the owners manual states either one also....
Many manufacturers routinely lie, deceive, or obfuscate with customers. Many manufacturers routinely publish erroneous, incomplete, or dangerous information in their product manuals, armorers manuals, and the like. Examples abound here and elsewhere. They get away with it because most folks don't know the difference or blindly trust them.
Ruger isn't in the top ten on that list, but on the subject of their chamber dims, user experience from the field with their product states otherwise.
What you shoot in your gun is up to you, just go in with both eyes open. And as always, trust but verify.
From post #8:
While users have reported having 5.56mm chambers, and Ruger has reported producing them, guns seen in the field, classes, and chambers castings from them demonstrated otherwise.
When Ruger is asked about their chambers, 5.56mm is the least consistent answer from them.
One particular agency deploying the Mini used 5.56mm NATO ammo exclusively. When they showed all the usual signs of tight chambers, Ruger told them to stick to .223. Reaming a Mini chamber removes quite a bit of material.
RAM Engineer
09-02-09, 12:10
RUGERS ARE sorta known for being inaccurate...
fixed it for you. It's not just Mini-14s. It's ALL their long guns.
I was recently at a patrol rifle course where several Minis were in use. They were decent, but had major feeding issues with aftermarket magazines. All sight adjustments were done on the rear sight also.
Thats because with RARE exception the only reliable Mini-14 mags are the expensive factory ones.
cronus5116
09-02-09, 20:42
All fourteen of the thirty round mags i bought have no feeding problems at all now the twenty rounders, well they are crap I threw the three I had away... total crap
In the mid -90's, I had a Mini-30 that I spent a metric ton of cash to try and get it to work right...no dice! It went back to Ruger who claimed everything from I had used surplus 7.62X39 ammo (wrong American Eagle NIB) to unauthorized mods to the gun (el wrongo again, nothing aside from cleaning it was done to it)
oh. really? you spent a metric ton of cash trying to get it to work right but when Ruger claimed mods to the gun all you did was routine cleaning? sorry. my brain doesn't process quick enough to figure that out.
also, what kind of mags were you using in the gun? I'm guessing the problems you and your friend had was some aftermarket mags as the Mini is almost stupid proof with factory mags.
Man...I'll put them all in my personal museum.
No respect for real battle rifles. Have you ever shot an M14 or M1 Garand and/or hunted with one??????? I was in Montana last year and put down a mule deer at 500M with an M1A. Went to my 600 yard zero and bang!!!!! The elk took four or five steps and fell over dead....have you seen the size of mule deer!!!!! God damn double lunger. Missed the heart by three-four inches but tore through the superior vena cava. It went through two lungs at 500M. Bullets were handloaded 180 Nosler BT's.
An AR-15 pill would have bounced off the hide!!!!!!
Oh yeah....Mini-14's are not very accurate. I got a real nice one in a trade for a S&W 6906. I traded it to sell, but shot it anyway. Three-four MOA is all it could do and the sights were poor quality. The AR-15 is a vast improvement over a Mini-14. Not even a reasonable comparison.
so was it a mule deer or an elk?
My bad.....mule deer. I am not from the Mountain West, being a native Kentuckian. I get them confused. All we have down south is deer and hog. We were just a bit southeast of Great Falls.
Freakin' mule deers are huge, well compared to white-tail!!!!!!!!
Stainless Mini is a great gun to throw in the trunk or behind the seat of a truck. Use ONLY factory twenty round magazines.
Use ONLY FMJ ammo
Stainless Mini is a great gun to throw in the trunk or behind the seat of a truck. Use ONLY factory twenty round magazines.
Use ONLY FMJ ammo
GTG until the last part. How'd you arrive at that?
Someone gave me a box of Hornady ballistic tip stuff with the red plastic tips. Most of the tips broke and failed to feed into the chamber.
Federal 50 grain hollow point bulk stuff suffers some bullet setback.
The Mini does not have feed ramps as does the AR. It's 100% with FMJ but you may have problems with other configurations.
I've often thought about the mini 14 in a sorta academical way. As in, what if I lived in a Cali, etc. The mini would probably be my choice, even with it pit falls.
Shorten the barrel, add a flash suppressor, shorten the stock,
if its a ranch rifle, GG&G has two mounts available, one a picatinny, the other for mrds's, both will put the optic toward the front of the receiver.
Brownells has a gas block cap, with rails on either side of it, to add a light a side swivel. I believe properly torquing this part also enhances accuracy and reliability.
maybe some XS sights
Unsure of the durability of the system, as compared to say a 6920, but in my imagined scenario, not sure if there is much else.
There is a web site, perfectunion(?) that is pretty much dedicated to the mini 14 with alot of good info.
Had one once. Got an AR and traded it for a Para and didn't look back. The price of an AR isn't much more than Mini.
Dan
oh. really? you spent a metric ton of cash trying to get it to work right but when Ruger claimed mods to the gun all you did was routine cleaning? sorry. my brain doesn't process quick enough to figure that out.
also, what kind of mags were you using in the gun? I'm guessing the problems you and your friend had was some aftermarket mags as the Mini is almost stupid proof with factory mags.
The Mini-30 has a solid reputation for being unreliable even with factory mags. Sorry, it's not "almost stupid proof with factory mags," at all.
I have 3 GB folders that were surplused out by a local prison when they went to M-16s years ago. They came with a bunch of factory mags in the deal. They seem reasonably serviceable, though I likely just sell them when the next ban comes around. The local hicks still pay top dollar for any kind of Mini because, "They're better than them 'spensive AAARRRREEE-15s any day o' the week."
buddyhoohaw
09-05-09, 19:27
Here is my mini-14 factory folder that I had chopped to 14" and permanently attached the break. I don't think I have pulled it out of the safe since the pic was taken in '04.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/buddyhoohaw/100_0030.jpg
I also have a stainless Mini-14 GB that was from the Louisianna Dept. of Correction. My dad bought it at a gunshow for $250.00 and all it needed was a new stock as the old one was badly dented from leaning on the rail.
Cheers
if you had your choice of a mini 14 or 30 carbine, what would it be? is one better than the other?
if you had your choice of a mini 14 or 30 carbine, what would it be? is one better than the other?
Mini 14 over the Mini 30 hands down any day. I have (along with a few friends from it's early days) an old 181 series (bought new) that still shoots outstanding and have had ZERO problems with it (must have got the good one). It has taken more than it's fare share of coyotes and ground hogs over the years and still good to go. It's also chambered and stamped for 5.56 ammo. I've lost track of the thousands of rounds through it over the years. Reliable in all weather extremes sub-zero or hot/humid and runs clean or filthy dirty. NEVER EVER did any ammo dumps and over heated the barrel,probably why it still is a great shooter today. I'm not one for over heating any weapon barrels doing mag dumps. If you can't hold the barrel with a light pair of gloves on for more than a few seconds after shooting, IT'S GETTING TOO HOT.
I will admit the newer Mini's seemed to have gone down hill,although still reasonable shooters with the right ammo. But as we all well know,a weapon is only as good as the shooter behind it and the person taking care of it.
The Mini went down hill shortly after they came out with the Mini 30 Ranch Rifle (no balls). We wanted a true 308- 7.62x51 and Ruger handed us a "pup".
We also asked for a different twist (1-8 or 1-9) than the 1-10 on the 18.5 barrel in (at the time) 223/5.56 Mini's. Back then the AR's had a small following like the Mini's and most of "us" went the H&K route when they came on the market.
A handful of our group has also just jumped on the SR 556 piston model.
Now. ...being the M-4 style MSR's have come of age and in any flavor you can think up or want. Our "old" shooting group has modernized with the times. But we also still have all our "old antiques" and still shoot them too.
Maddmax I am getting old as I remember the anticipation waiting for Ruger to have the Mini 14 in 308. I am still waiting.
Maddmax I am getting old as I remember the anticipation waiting for Ruger to have the Mini 14 in 308. I am still waiting.
It would have been a little monster for it's size:sarcastic: but would have got one in a heartbeat. They do have a Ruger SR762 now
Mini-14 users should gauge or cast older guns to make sure they are safe for 5.56 ammo. The 580+ series are credibly reported to be safe. The newer Minis have better accuracy and consistency than the older due to the shorter, beefier barrel. The rest of the gun remains largely unchanged for better and worse.
The Mini-14 is viable for its type, caliber, and design purpose.
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