Mini 14 bashing - what gives?

[Crosshair]

Take that $600 dollar Mini 14, add a couple magazines and a barrel from accuracy international, and you have a rifle almost as good as a CMMG bargain bin AR for twice the price.

Add an Accu-Strut, Mo-Rod,or Har-Bar and you have a gun that shoots just as good as any AR in non-bench shooting. Go out and plink pararie dogs with a Mini vs an AR of similar weight and the only way you'll notice the difference is if you use a 12 pound AR.

You only have to buy Ruger mags once. My Factory Folder came with a 30-rounder from when the gun was new (1985) and is still chugging along despite being heavily used in the owners non-folder Mini.

It takes a lot for me to defend an AR and in this case, the AR is better in every aspect. Accuracy, practicality (lighter, more fixable, less complicated, etc) and for the money, you're getting a lot more.

The major problem with the AR is a poor magazine design. (In the middle of a fight is a bad time to find out that you're magazine went bad.) Originally made for straight 20 round disposable magazines, this was found to not work well. It now has to deal with "bent" 30 rounders and being continually reused. 40 years of R&D have resulted in decent magazines, but even P-mags don't stack up to a Ruger factory mag. (I've accidentally broke two AR P-mags, 0 Ruger mags.) AK mags are in a league of their own.

Ironically we have forced this bad magazine design on half the world.

I co-teach a firearms class and I've never seen a Mini-14 go through our classes without problems.

What goes wrong on the Mini's? Genuinely curious.

 

[Art Eatman]

"You really don't need a scope on a MINI, you can't focus on the cross hairs any way, 'cause your eyeballs will still be BOUNCING around in their sockets, from the slam bang of the op rod against the receiver..."

Lordy! Don't ever put a scope on an M1-A! Or on any bolt-action that recoils in any serious manner...

Funny, though. That slam bang problem never happened with my Mini and the K4 on top. I just kept on killing a bunch of jackrabbits that morning...

 

[Skans]

FWIW, I saw a used stainless Mini that was slightly "blinged out" (fancy flash hider and stainless barrel shroud) for $600 or $650 (can't recall) at Gander Mtn. yesterday - eventhough I already have an AC556, I was tempted - it looked sweet.

 

[Osageshooter]

Mini 14 bashing

I have a SS rifle from the early 80s. Not all that accurate, but not as bad as some say here. I could always hit a soda can at 50 yards.

I was in the Army at the time I got my mini-14. The AR at that point in time did not have the undying affection that it has today. I would guess that Bill Ruger saw an opportunity to fill the need for a "reliable" rifle in a cartride that was low in recoil, relatively cheap to shoot, and could serve a self defense role. The sales figures at the time showed him to be correct. There were still a lot of death from AR malfuntion stories out there at that time. A lot of platoon sargents were telling the troops to use their ARs to capture an AK if there was another war.

I do agree that todays ARs are superior, and maybe always were. I shoot my AR and my Sig 556 a lot more than the old mini.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Quick question: Does anybody know which military trials the Ruger Mini-14 was even submitted to? I keep seeing the assertion that the Mini-14 is a viable military rifle; but based on the record of military usage, that doesn't appear to be the case.

I'm curious if even Ruger thought it was viable in that role. Looking on the Ruger website, I can find them announcing major contracts and trials (like TACOM buying 5,000 Ruger P95 pistols in 2004); but I can't find anything for the Mini-14. Given that Ruger developed the SR-556, I'm curious if even Ruger thinks the Mini-14 is a military rifle and how often they've even tried to sell it as such?

 

[Skans]

I believe that Bermuda's army (or national guard, or whatever it is) was outfitted with AC556's - full-auto Mini-14's.

If the Ruger would have made the AC556 with slightly heavier, chrome lined barrels, a slightly more robust selector switch, and an AK-type magazine catch, they would be fine for military use.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Yes, I know the Bermuda Regiment of the British Army uses Mini-14s. I was just curious if Ruger had tried to sell the Mini-14 to any other militaries lately. It seems to me that with the development of the SR-556, Ruger has pretty much given up on selling the Mini-14 as a military rifle. I'm just curious how long ago that happened or whether my impression that they have given up is even correct.

 

[SPEMack618]

Well, I know from an anecdotal account of a friend, whom is an Embassy Marine, that some Embassy detachments issue the Mini-14 in lieu of the M-16A4 because is presents a less threatening appearance.

I know that the Georgia Department of Corrections and some Troopers carrying the Mini-14, but alas they are para-military in organization, not a military unit.

 

[novalty]

I have a blued Mini-14 Ranch rifle handed down from my Grandfather when he passed. I have noticed that the barrel heats up fairly quick, and that accuracy starts to deminish as more and more rounds get fired through it. But it is one of my favorite guns to shoots, and for its intended purpose as a varmint rifle, I think it lives up to it's purpose quite well. My grandfather got his last deer with the rifle, so it has a lot more sentiment to me than most of my firearms.

 

[Skans]

if Ruger had tried to sell the Mini-14 to any other militaries lately.

I'm sure that it has not. Ruger has officially stopped supporting the AC556 - it's not producing them any longer, not making parts for them and not servicing them.

 

[2damnold4this]

issue the Mini-14 in lieu of the M-16A4 because is presents a less threatening appearance.

One of the folks that posts here did a study involving mock juries that compared the results of a homeowner using a Mini and an AR among other firearms in a defensive shooting. http://www.astcweb.org/public/publication/article.cfm/1/21/5/Weapons-Issues-and-the-Fears-of-the-Legally-Armed-Citizen It seems the Mini was less threatening to jurors than the AR.

If so, that would be one of the few advantages over the AR for someone using the Mini for home defense.

 

[zombieslayer]

I have 2 ARs, an AK, and 2 mini's. I employ a Mini-14 base model with a 20-rounder full of Federal ss109 62gr. And a 357 K-frame in the headboard cubby-hole.

 

[skoro]

I've had one of the "new" Ranch Rifles for a year now and I like it a lot.

As for the bashers; well, the probably have their reasons.

 

[mgh]

Think about this:

The Mini-14 is Bob Lee Stagger's carbine of choice.

If that's not an expert endorsement, I don't know what is.

 

[Harmless Drudge]

The Mini 14 has several endearing features:

1) It disassembles without tools.

2) It can be field stripped in 15 seconds flat.

3) It can be stuffed into a 6" dia PVC pipe and buried for decades.

4) They are so mechanically simple that they appear next to the word "reliable" in the dictionary.

5) They are small enough for women and young teens to shoot comfortably.

6) They are light and handy.

7) You don't need an engineering degree from MIT to operate them.

8) They don't appeal to mall ninjas.

 

[Katophract]

"4) They are so mechanically simple that they appear next to the word "reliable" in the dictionary."
It appears in the Antonym section. Someone asked what went wrong with Mini's during carbine courses? One jammed at least once per magazine, another the slide kept sticking, not locking back and one that I think it was the extractor because brass kept getting stuck in it.
Maybe I've just seen and shot lemons. that's quite possible. But for me I have no faith in them. They were a good concept (take an M-14 and scale it down) that was botched. Ruger needs to realize that good guns need good barrels. And Ruger needs to realize that options are a good thing.

 

[edrice]

It's interesting to watch those that boast of the economics of an AR vs the Mini and then turn right around and brag about parts and modifications they can personally do to drain themselves of gobs of bux. I could not be less interested in building, customizing, modifying something that does everything I need it to do right out of the box. My Mini is stock and intends to stay that way. Except for the occasionally trigger-job or sight change, most of my firearms will remain stock. If they weren't what I wanted initially, I bought something else. It may come as a surprise to some that not all of us intend to sit around the kitchen table making mods solely for the purpose of status or bragging purposes for boosting our self-images as wannabe warriors. Further the Mini doesn't have useless appendages hanging off of it that only have any value on a full-auto weapon. I had the M16 in Vietnam and that was suitable for that type of combat environment, but I now have greater appreciation for the sleeker compactness of a semi-auto and don't need the look of an AW to delusionally improve my image as a wannabe warrior.

Sorry guys, but I've watched a number of these Mini-bashing threads and it's more than evident that a most of the fuss comes more of an inward need to subconsciously boost self-esteem by putting others down, so they've really got their work cut out for those who don't see themselves through the eyes of others. It's not so much a failing of the Mini as substituting for something that's missing inside. Look in the mirror guys. You know who you are.

So, WVfishguy, that's what gives with the Mini bashing. Probably not one of them could give a valid reason or need for a weapon that will do better than 2 or 3 inches at 100 yards when it will never have a scope on it anyway. As Osageshooter said, if I can hit a soda can with it at 50 yards, I am good-to-go for HD purposes, and don't have to be bothered with all the appendages hanging off it or sit around the table working on it when I could be hiking in the mountains. The Mini is a backup to my 590 anyway.

Ed

 

[Harmless Drudge]

Kathphract said: It appears in the Antonym section. Someone asked what went wrong with Mini's during carbine courses? One jammed at least once per magazine, another the slide kept sticking, not locking back and one that I think it was the extractor because brass kept getting stuck in it.
Maybe I've just seen and shot lemons. that's quite possible. But for me I have no faith in them. They were a good concept (take an M-14 and scale it down) that was botched. Ruger needs to realize that good guns need good barrels. And Ruger needs to realize that options are a good thing.
_________________

Yes, the barrels on the original Mini 14's were questionable, from what I understand. I've never fired one. I have "Ranch" versions and "Ranch Rifle" versions. None of these have ever jammed on me, except that the one I bought new jammed twice in the first 25 rounds. After it was fully broken in, I have never once had a jam.

My criteria may be low because I live in a wooded area. I can't fire more than 100 yds without hitting a tree. But the accuracy has been very crisp on all of the ones I have owned.

I think the Mini-14 hate may be a vestige of the issues with early specimens. YMMV.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Sorry guys, but I've watched a number of these Mini-bashing threads and it's more than evident that a most of the fuss comes more of an inward need to subconsciously boost self-esteem by putting others down

and don't need the look of an AW to delusionally improve my image as a wannabe warrior.

You must have a really well developed sense of sarcasm and irony. Either that or I'm very sad for you... not sure which.

 

[SPEMack618]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but did Ruger ever attempt to market the Mini-14 as the end all; be all tactical weapon platform? I mean my first exposure to the Mini-14 was it's use as the favored weapon of the "A-Team", but after a little research I was able to convince Pops that it would be a handy weapon to have around, which in my belief it is.

I've never had a problem with mine, but mainly because I don't expect MOA at 200 yards from a carbine, nor do I run various tactical shooting courses with it.

If I'm going to have to go play Soldier, the Georgia Army National Guard has issued me a very nice M-4A1 with an ACOG on it that will do that job just fine, however, if I'm out riding the fences, looking for whitetail around the house, or chasing after coyotes, I'll keep my handy dandy ranch rifle.

Further more, I can throw that thing across the gun rack in the back of my truck and nobody bat an eyelash, but put an AR clone back there and people might get a little squeamish.