How Are the New Mini 14’s/ Mini 30’s Quality?

[mk70ss]

Years ago, I had a Ruger Mini-14 and no matter what load I used, it never shot as accurately as it should. Even at 50 yards, groups were in the 5-6 inch range. I always liked them, but inaccurate rifles are zero fun for me. How about the current models?

 

[rickyrick]

The mini14 I bought in 2009 has been amazing.

 

[Schlitz 45]

Years ago, I had a Ruger Mini-14 and no matter what load I used, it never shot as accurately as it should. Even at 50 yards, groups were in the 5-6 inch range. I always liked them, but inaccurate rifles are zero fun for me. How about the current models?

That’s why the A-Team could never hit anything they were shooting at

 

[jetinteriorguy]

I bought a Mini 30 from the first production run, took it to the range and at 100yds it was a 6” group at best. I was so disappointed I felt like throwing it on the road and running over it with my truck. So I went to the gun shop to discuss it with my advisors. I worked up a load with BlC2 and did a little work on the trigger. I polished the sear surfaces and cut 1 1/2 coils out of the spring for the disconnector to lighten the trigger pull. Worked pretty good, from that day forward it was a solid 2 MOA rifle and I killed a lot of deer with that rifle. To this day I regret selling it but since I quit deer hunting years ago I had no good reason to keep it. Dumb way to think. Now I have an AR47 that’s pretty much the same accuracy wise and just a treat to shoot, so still no need for another Mini 30.

 

[rickyrick]

I’m not a fan of how the magazine goes in and out.

 

[TBM900]

I picked up my first one up last year and so far I've enjoyed it immensely running a simple Leupold fixed 2.5x
Couldn't give you a measured group as I shoot "practical"
On my 8.5x11 plates and can easily keep all shots on steel out to ~200 offhand
With an expedient rest I can run it well past 300
It's run flawless using the same bulk 55gr

 

[rc]

The improvements didn't really make them all that more accurate. I would say you can expect 5 inch or under at 50. With a steel strut, groups closer to 2 inches will be more likely. Out of the box my 581 series rifle was probably about a 10 inch at 100 gun with typical ball ammo and open sights. It was a waste with a scope. With the strut and ghost ring adjustable tech rear sight I can reliably hit a 2 liter bottle at 50yards relibly. Not great but they are very reliable.

 

[rickyrick]

Mine is accurate enough with cheap 5.56 and .223.
It’s really accurate with hornaday ammo

 

[robert1804]

I bought a Ranch Rifle in 2015, a Mini 14 300 Blackout and a Mini 30 Tactical in 2019. All were bought new. No mods on any of them except a .045 gas bushing in the Ranch. The Ranch Rifle will easily do 1 1/2"-2" at 100 yards. The 300 Blackout and the Mini 30 can do 1" or slightly less at 50 yards, havn't tried 100 yards with either one yet. No problems with any of them. Cycling has been 100% except for a few loads that were too light to cycle the 300 BLK. My Minis perform as well or better than my expectations so I'm very satisfied with them.

 

[agtman]

The general consensus, if you read enough 'Mini' posts here and on other boards, seems to be that the newer Mini-14s are more accurate than their predecessors were, but are still less accurate than an 'average' AR as well as being spendier both for the gun and the mags.

 

[TBM900]

The improvements didn't really make them all that more accurate. I would say you can expect 5 inch or under at 50. With a steel strut, groups closer to 2 inches will be more likely. Out of the box my 581 series rifle was probably about a 10 inch at 100 gun with typical ball ammo and open sights. It was a waste with a scope. With the strut and ghost ring adjustable tech rear sight I can reliably hit a 2 liter bottle at 50yards relibly. Not great but they are very reliable.

Sounds like maybe you need to learn how to shoot better.
Everything credible I've read, everything I've watched, as well as my own experience via sample of one...
Indicates the new tooling made a huge difference in accuracy, and that it is FAR more accurate than your assertions.

 

[rickyrick]

Having owned my Mini14 for a long time, it was one of the first after new barrel design and retooling, it is on par with AR15s in the accuracy department.

The Mini14 is my favorite, I often bashed ARs in the past, but I now own several ARs; but over time, I’ve realized that ARs have a definite edge over the minis because of the utility and modular style.
I will never part with my Mini14, it’s a great rifle, I love how it shoots, looks and feels. Mini14s are incredibly reliable, you can get a decent hunting scope on it, but the real estate to mount a scope is limited. You can’t use many optics without making it look kinda hokey. Most aftermarket stocks make it worse.
Used as-is it is great.

It’s not an AR15 and and AR15 is not a Mini14.
If you buy one as substitute for the other, you will be disappointed.
If you like the Mini14 and you want one, you will be happy with it.

I don’t know how the Mini14s built 11 years ago after retooling compare to the guns produced today.

 

[COSteve]

rickyrick's post above is spot on. I've had my 583 series Mini-14 Ranch Rifle since I got it new some 5 years now and I love it. Like rick, I also have ARs, both a carbine and an scoped long range A4. They have their place, however, I really don't like them as they are too bulky with terrible ergonomics, and a terrible feel at the shoulder.

I'd heard of the old style pencil barreled Minis' accuracy issues so I stayed away until I happened to shoot a friend's 581 Series at our range. He'd done some cheap tweaks posted on PerfectUnion's Mini forum and with iron sights it was surprisingly accurate. First time out with it I was popping clay pigeons at 200yds with iron sights as well as I could with my lightweight RRA AR carbine. Best of all, it has the heft and feel of the M1, M1 Carbine, and M14/M1A that I have and love.

Anyway, I got a NIB, Birch, Blued, Mini14 Ranch Rifle and immediately found it a sub 2 MOA shooter out of the box. With the tweaks I did that totaled the same as a decent 2-stage trigger for an AR, and using my handloads, I found I had a sub 1¼ MOA shooter at 200yds with irons. That's plenty good enough to knock down bowling pins and shatter clay pigeons at 200yds with iron sights!! (BTW, a 2-stage trigger is absolutely a required upgrade to an AR to even hope to approach a 1 MOA shooter.)

Yes, I'm partial to the M1, M1 Carbine, and M14/M1A as I have examples of each so the basic design of the Mini suits me much better than the AR, I'll admit that. In fact, I went a bit nuts on my Mini, adding a real walnut stock, straight OE brand 20rd mags, and Choate front sight/FH to the other tweaks I did to give my Mini a real 'Mini M14' look. It now shoots even better and I love the look and feel. My ARs pretty much sit home unused now.

 

[FireForged]

I have owned 2 and find the quality and reliability to be quite high. That said, I didn't care for them for things you normally do with a rifle. I didn't care for the accuracy at 100 yards after the barrel heats up a little.

 

[mk70ss]

Thanks for all the replies, looks like I will have to keep my eyes open for a newer version of the Mini 14/30.

 

[Forte S+W]

The funny thing about the Mini 14 and all the bellyaching over its accuracy is that certain high dollar bullpup rifles have equal accuracy, but nobody ever complains about their accuracy. In fact, the only mention of their accuracy is either praise or playing devil's advocate by making nonsensical excuses that their OAL somehow affects accuracy despite bullpups having full-length barrels.

Like so many other firearms out there, the Ruger Mini 14 suffers from being an inexpensive firearm, meaning everyone harps on every little issue and writes them off for it, yet more expensive firearms with the exact same issues have folks playing spin-doctor for them 24/7 because they don't want to admit to themselves that they paid a premium price for something which really doesn't perform any better out of the box than the cheap workhorse guns.

Another great example is how a heavy double action trigger is the kiss of death for a cheap semiautomatic pistol, but gets praised on a high-dollar revolver.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

Oh man COSteve, you’re killing me. Every time you post pics of your Mini 14 it just makes me want one so bad. I’m pretty well set with all the guns I have but when I see this beauty I get the urge for just one more. So stop it. Just kidding of course.

 

[rc]

While there are plenty of big mouth trash talking internet ninjas here, I've never heard of a mini 14 or Mini 30 winning an accuracy competition. Those of us who know what to expect from a decent rifle can certainly tell you there is still an issue with accuracy in current production mini 14 and mini 30 rifles. That doesn't mean you shouldn't get one. They are fun, reliable short range plinkers and self defense rifles. Just don't expect too much when it comes to accuracy. Expect to spend money on some upgrades. rc

 

[TBM900]

While there are plenty of big mouth trash talking internet ninjas here, I've never heard of a mini 14 or Mini 30 winning an accuracy competition. Those of us who know what to expect from a decent rifle can certainly tell you there is still an issue with accuracy in current production mini 14 and mini 30 rifles. That doesn't mean you shouldn't get one. They are fun, reliable short range plinkers and self defense rifles. Just don't expect too much when it comes to accuracy. Expect to spend money on some upgrades. rc

There are many easily found reputable video/text reviews along with countless personal examples all showing the vast improvement and accuracy of the "new" model mini 14, that directly counter your assertions. None of which portray themselves as "big mouth trash talking internet ninjas" so let's not get all indignant, especially when smugly proclaiming "Those of us who know".

Take the chip off your shoulder, toss it in the bushes, calm down, take a breath and smile

 

[starnbar]

I don't know if it is the stocks or the type recoil springs but after working mine over i/e bedding and trigger new springs etc at 100 I can get 1 moa with gi brass and heavy bullets