mini 14

[siloshooter]

friend of mine looking for recomendation to buy a 223 caliber rifle . has his eye on a mini 14 . found one in a retail store where he lives for about $750 blued model .
i am trying to possibly steer him toward one of the makes of black rifles . he said he simply liked the looks of the mini . was simply telling him he could get a pretty good grade ar for $700-$900 range .
trying to get him to look around a bit . my mini 14 of years gone by didnt seem particularly accurate , but they are a good gun overall. also i tried to get him look at the ranch model stainless if he goes mini.
he will use it for coyotes at 150-200 yards and some informal plinking .
seems maybe a nice flat top smith wesson m& p model or a windom arms might fit his need nicely .

 

[Adamantium]

Minis are not good deals as an overall package, based on their accuracy, longevity and cost of accessories compared to ARs in the same price range. However, compared to everything out there that isn't a black rifle, they are a pretty good deal. If owning something that isn't a black rifle is important to him, then a Mini is a good way to go.

If you wanted to sell him on an AR, I would suggest pointing out that a $500-600 AR, be it a S&W sport or a PSA (my favorite AR company) would allow him to start putting money toward a good optic as well.

 

[kilimanjaro]

Nothing wrong with the Mini14 for his intended use. If he wants one, he should get one.

 

[MJN77]

I bought a mini earlier this year because I wanted something to carry on the farm that wasn't an AR (I have two). I have not been disappointed. It is the 16 inch barrel (tactical) model. It is plenty accurate out to 100 yards (farthest I have shot it) and will fill it's role quite well. There is nothing wrong with the new Ruger minis except maybe the price.

 

[ttarp]

Why would you steer him away from it? Seems like it would meet his intended use just fine. By all means let him know an AR could do it all better for cheaper, but that doesn't necessarily make the mini a poor choice since it meets his needs.

 

[sirgilligan]

I would think a Mini-14 should be going for round $680.00.

 

[Ibmikey]

Every AR owner should have a Mini in the rack, however my Tactical spends more time in the rack while the AR's are out having fun.

 

[rickyrick]

It's american made blue steel and wood. Not too much wrong with them.

I'm not sure why they get compared to ARs. ARs they are not. No real similarities.
Closer to a garand for comparison

If it wasn't chambered in 5.56 we wouldn't have these discussions.
I like a mini because it's not an AR

 

[Regular Joe]

Things that broke the deal for me with the mini:
They MANGLE brass. I reload, so that's a big thing to me.
Accuracy can be a very hard row to hoe. Only accurate rifles are interesting.
Factory magazines are expensive.
You have to remove the scope to remove the bolt. I refuse to have to re-zero every time I clean my rifle.
No deal.
I recently put together an M-4gery from PSA. The 16" CHF, "double chromed" FN barreled upper was $400, with the bolt carrier assembly.
The complete blem lower was $120. Add $50 for the Magpul rear sight, since it has none, and you have about as good an AR as can be had, at any price.
I added some other Magpul stuff, and a scope, in a quick detach mount which added a few bucks, but with the Magpul forend, it's a simple matter to mount a light on an M-lock rail. It's a lot more difficult to prepare a mini for night shooting.
Then comes time to shoot bigger critters, like deer, antelope, hogs and the like. Switch the upper to 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel and carry on. For Elk or Bison, there's the .450 Bushmaster.

 

[Kosh75287]

"Accurate Mini-14"...

...need not be oxymoronic.

A lot of the inaccuracy of the non target model Mini-14s can be eliminated by clamping a piece of steel beneath and parallel to the barrel from where it extends beyond the gas "regulator" to just short of the muzzle. I used a pair of aircraft-grade aluminum accessory clamps to mount a piece of rifle barrel under mine.

While piddling about with it today, I shot a 5-round group I could cover with a Kennedy Half-dollar at 25 yards. 3 of the 5 shots could be covered with a dime (I'm willing to believe that I was the cause of the 2 fliers). Extrapolating, this means 2.5 - 3.0" at 100 yards. Hardly match-grade performance, but well ahead of the "Minute of Bowling Ball" precision that seems so synonymous with un-modified Mini-14s. I have $25 in the mounts and section of rifle barrel, and it increases the weight of the rifle by about 28 ounces. If the weapon is destined to be a "truck rifle", the additional weight is pretty tolerable.

Just a thought...

 

[Regular Joe]

25 yards with your carbine. Ouch! I was curious about how much difference there is between 4 different hand loads at 100 yards with the carbine I described above. Here it is:

This is with a 6x scope, firing off of the hood of my car. Except for the 60 gr. Hornady PSP, they all went just over 1 MOA, with 4 out of 5 going just under 1 MOA. That's how a carbine is supposed to act.

 

[rickyrick]

I've never noticed much difference shooting my mini from anything else I've owned.

I can get my bolt out with the scope on it. I haven't removed the scope since installation. I used the Ruger rings that came with it.

The mini doesn't need to be cleaned so much anyway.

I post this group many times to show that some certainly are capable of being accurate with good ammo

 

[GLS_1956]

My Mini-14 is an old one, around 30 years. Restocked in an E2 style walnut stock with an M-14 style flash hider. Reliability the gun is tops, she's never failed to go bang. The old mini's weak point is accuracy, I get 4 to 6 inch groups, using iron sights, at 100 yards. Better shooters have shrunk groups to 3 inches.

A friend has new mini, bought about 3 years ago, that gives 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards, his rifle is scoped, 4X fixed, and factory stock.

 

[Bamashooter]

My mini-14 shoots near moa and I have never had a piece of brass that was shot in a mini I couldnt reload. They are damn good rifles and is any rifle really worth what you pay for it? He will not be disappointed with the mini-14.

 

[tlm225]

I picked a mini-14 two months ago because I like it, sort of a supercharged M-1 Carbine. With the factory peep sights I'm getting 2"-3" groups at 100 yards, plenty good enough for my purposes. 5 20 round Ruger magazines set me back $125.00 but they will last how many years or decades?

 

[Kosh75287]

REGULAR JOE, I'm sorry for assuming that you knew I was shooting close-up initially, because I'd recently attached a big chunk of steel, under tension, to the underside of the barrel, which COULD alter point of impact to off the paper at 100 or even 50 yards. Silly me.

 

[rickyrick]

The ranch rifle honestly really shines in it's intended role. It will have a great cold bore accuracy every time if you zero it that way.

Incredibly reliable in the foulest of weather. Easy to check the chamber in pitch black of night.

As a nighttime varmiter it excelled for me.
I even liked the safety on it.

 

[Ignition Override]

siloshooter:
Your friend might want to read the multiple Mini-14 (and 30) forums at Perfectunion.
It's been over three years ago for me, but they had a forum just for the many aftermarket magazine issues.

The Ruger company did not sell their mags larger than five rounders directly to the (non-LEO) public until several years ago, for the Mini 14 or the 30.

Remind your friend that "factory mags" can be from any factory, and often are misleading advertising.
My Mini 14 was bought in '08, produced in 1990, and with its factory 20-rd. magazine had a perfect operation. The Ruger 20-rd. mag came with it because it was once owned by the "State Of KY", as the faded sticker on the stock stated.