Ruger Mini-14

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P-990

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Okay, so I keep kicking around ideas of maybe getting another firearm come birthday/Christmas time. Not sure exactly what to get, but that's why I'm writing this.

I've thought at times that a Mini-14 might fill the same role as an AR-15 as a fun .223/5.56mm range plinker rifle that could be pressed into more serious duty if needed. I've got a match-ready AR-15 that will drill little groups any time, any place.

I'm looking for a semi-auto plinker like the SKS my dad used to have, or the AKs a couple of my friends have. But I'm not a big AK fan; don't like the ergos, don't like feeling all of the parts moving around as I shoot, don't like the magazine changes, don't like the awkward safety, don't like the non-hold open on the last round, not a huge fan of the "indifferent" accuracy... should I go on? ;)

Mostly I'm concerned over the reports of wandering-zero when hot with the Minis, though I am a little shocked at the prices on Gunbroker.

I'm not thinking of machine-gunning, but fired rapid-fire style, say a shot every 1-2 seconds, how bad does a Mini really start to wander? I want to be able to lay a mag or two into a couple of paper plates, or steel gongs, or rocks out to 100-200 yards and know that rounds not hitting at 100% me, with no trace of doubt pointing at my rifle.

Basically, I want a plinker with reasonable accuracy, reliability and ease of maintenance.

And any other suggestions?
 
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Bigfatts

New member
Definately check out the site above. Good info. There are alot of things you can do to make Minis more accurate. Add a couple of flashlight mounts to the barell and run an aluminim rod between them. That adds rigidity to the barell and will help disperse heat, two big causes for wandering groups with Minis. Also a muzzle break and recoil buffer will help. I hear the new models are supposed to be alot more accurate, I haven't shot one yet though. I bought an older one from a friend a while ago and love it. It is plenty accurate for a hunting gun for my wife to use. In fact I took it to the range yesterday and it put 20 shots in a 2.25" group at 50 yds with surplus SS109. If I was really trying I could have done better. My friend replaced it replaced it with the new model and absolutely raves about it.

For plinking and genral tooling around, the Mini can't be beat. Plus, anything based on the M1 action is a winner in my book. Simple, reliable, rugged, good to look at... Need I say more?
 
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Big-Foot

New member
Mini lovers and haters both should read this review. It surprised the heck outa me.

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NEWMini14.htm

The handloads grouped into one and one-quarter inches. This was with the first load tested using Hodgdon’s Varget powder. I intend to fine tune this load for accuracy, but I am fully satisfied with the accuracy already exhibited. Most of my deer rifles will not do as well. The Winchester Supreme varmint ammo shot into one and one-half inches at one hundred yards.
Click to expand...
:eek:
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
If you're looking for a general screwing around rifle, go with an SKS. Or, better, an M-1 Carbine.
Mini-14's are over priced, inaccurate, junk. MSRP for a plain jane Mini is $750. They don't shoot well enough for that kind of money. Hot barrel or not. Two to 3" with good ammo is considered good accuracy if you're lucky enough to get one that will shoot that well. My Plainfield M-1 carbine will shoot circles around any Mini-14 with my handloads.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
every one is different

Some people tell of Mini's that are virtual tackdrivers, and others tell of their Mini's that can't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. Posters here seem to love or hate them.

I have had a couple, and oddly, never grouped either on paper, so I can't really say about their accuracy, I just have fun with them. The always hit close enough that I could think the miss was me, so I never really though about their "paper" accuracy.

No light barrel high intensity rapid fire rifle is going to hold perfect POI when it gets hot, and Mini 14s get hot fast. It is not an HBAR. Don't hold it against it that it isn't something that it is not. That is not logical. My Mini's have been reliable, flawlessy (or nearly so) running through ammo that jammed in my AR.

I like Mini 14s. I don't think they are over priced (but then, I don't buy new at retail) They certainly aren't junk. I've owned a lot of Ruger guns over the last 35 years, and none of them were junk. Some weren't as good as they could have been, but none were junk. Most were better than more expensive guns. Don't ask the Mini 14 to be more than it is, and you won't be disappointed.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
The Mini-14 is a Mini-14. It's not a good AR-15 replacement/stand-in. If you want to be able to shoot a lot and not have the zero wander, you don't want a skinny barrelled semi-auto with a stock that bears against the gas-block and a couple of pounds of op-rod banging around underneath.

It's just what it is and as far as that goes, it's a handy little gun. I'm thinking of picking one up if I run across a good deal.

If you want a Mini-14 then buy one. If you want something else, DON'T buy a Mini instead.
 
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Qwiks draw

Moderator
Why not go over to www.rugerforum.com and search the threads already there or search the archives? This can give you a little more on the Mini14. I admit to owning a Mini 14. I have it as a varmint and defense rifle for the homestead. I will not be attacked by waves of fanatical enemies or large mobs. If I am I better have many friends armed to the teeth. 100 yard zero gets me 2.5 inch groups. I have rapid fired the rifle and have not seen the stringing or the total wandering of the shots as related by others. My rapid fire was not a total magazine at a time nor was it machine gun fast. I have no need to do that. It might be fun to do but I don't reload nor could afford to do it that often. If high power competition or firing many rounds as fast as you can is a neccessity for you than the AR series might be for you. Finding an accuracy load did take some research. My Mini likes Silver Bear 62 grain loads. Winchester and Remington 55FMJs are also what the Mini shoots well. Some people who have posted here before on other threads liked the Keltec rifle and swear by it. So, good luck on your choice. www.unitedforeums.com has a number of forums that are semi auto related by make. Check them out.
 
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TimboKhan

New member
I enjoy shooting my Mini-14, but as far as a "combat" arm goes, I prefer the SKS by a large margin. Why, you ask? Well, better cartridge for one, and I think it is a more reliable rifle than the Mini. The Mini does have some positive things going for it though. It is light, very handy, and quite pleasant to shoot. Ammo is cheap and readily available, and you can buy replacement magazines with a fairly large capacity. Also, much like the 10/22, the Mini is open to customization. Accuracy Systems Inc. in particular will customize your Mini, and in some cases they guarantee sub-MOA accuracy. Personally, I like my stock rifle just fine and have no intention of spending money to upgrade it past things I can do myself (stock, gas block, etc..), but if you like the basic rifle and want to spend the money, you can turn them into very, very nice rifles.
 
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P-990

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If high power competition or firing many rounds as fast as you can is a neccessity for you than the AR series might be for you.
Click to expand...

Highpower competition is EXACTLY what my AR is setup to do. It weighs a metric ton! (Subtract my X-ray shield... I mean, lead weights, and it's only half-a-metric ton.) But it IS rock solid and reliable. It shoots POA hot, cold, clean, dirty, slung up, over sand bags, awfulhand, no matter what.

Basically I'm thinking knock-around rifle that's good at putting holes in stuff, kind of like that old SKS, or an M-1 Carbine (one I hadn't thought of yet! ;) ). Something that won't make me cry if I drag it over some rocks and scratch it a little.

Looks like back to research. The M-1 Carbines I've handled and shot have been wickedly fun to shoot little rifles. That SKS was nice too, for what it was.
 
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Bill T

Moderator
"Mini-14's are over priced, inaccurate, junk."

That is my opinion as well. Ruger has a lot of nerve charging that much for a gun as innaccurate as the Mini 14 is. For just a couple hundred more you can buy an AR-15 that will shoot rings around it. Mini 14's don't group, they pattern much like a shotgun. Ruger claims to have "retooled" the entire Mini 14 assembly line in hopes to improve the terrible accuracy problem. From the reports I've read it hasen't done a damn thing. The gun is still an inaccurate $600.00 piece of crap. Forget getting any truthful information at the Ruger Forum. If you say anything about how bad the Mini 14 is you'll end up getting banned from there. They tend to have major issues with the truth regarding Mini 14's. That place is nothing but a mutual admiration society for Ruger lovers. Bill T.
 
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22-rimfire

New member
Say what you want to about the Mini-14. It shoots every time I press the trigger. It does not jam. It does not require cleaning between every shot. It handles military surplus ammo just fine. It is accurate enough to hit a soda can at 100 yds without scope. I don't need any more with a rifle like that.
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
What is "zero wander"? I've never before heard that term.

If the zero "wanders", something is wrong with the sights. That's pretty much been true for me since 1950, anyhow.

Minis, because of the slender barrel, won't give tight groups after they heat up. That's around the third or fourth shot. So, a three-shot group is about the best you'll see. Heck, those pencil-barrelled Weatherby Mark Vs aren't any better...

I've yet to read a post from somebody who doesn't like Minis who's stated that the first shot from a cold barrel varied much from the previous first shot from a cold barrel. For shooting jackrabbits or coyotes, that's as good as is needed.

One thing about the Mini: If you have decent magazines, they're as reliable as any semi-auto ever made. I used to scare off a neighbor's goat herd by burning through one or two 30-round mag's worth. Never, ever, had any failure to feed or fire.

I dunno if anybody remembers the jackrabbit population explosion in northern Nevada and southestern Idaho, back around 1980 or 1981. A buddy of mine and I took our Minis out, a bit southwest of Winnemucca, and parked above a marshy area. We killed over a hundred jacks in not much over an hour. Hot guns. Happy coyotes. We were just too dumb to know we had inferior equipment. :D

Art
 
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Bill T

Moderator
Remember one thing. When Ruger brought out the Mini 14 back in the early 70's it wasn't for sale to the general public. It was "designed" for law enforcement. They didn't want it for the same reason most don't want it today. It's overpriced, unreliable, and inaccurate. So when Ruger couldn't sell it to the cops, they then decided to sell it to the public. Most all police depts. use some form of AR-15 / M-16 rifle for urban and rural law enforcement, not Mini 14's. There is a reason for this, and it isn't because the Mini 14 is such a wonderful weapon. Bill T.
 
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dfaugh

New member
Buy an SKS (or 3 for same money as a Mini)...

Most say they're innacurate, but lots of that is because they (and I) shoot them with cheapo ammo. But with good ammo they are roughly as accurate as a Mini-30. Mine (I have 2) are more accurate than any AK I've seen, although you won't win any benchrest competitions with 'em;)
 
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rugmar

New member
Anyone who says the Mini-14 is junk doesn't know what they are talking about. Period. It's not the most accurate rifle out of the box that's for sure and Ruger could fix this but for some reason they choose not to. For about 100 to 150 bucks you can have one that shoots into a couple of inches at 100 yards and thats about as good as it gets for most although some have done much better.

I paid 459.00 brand new for mine so I know that by puttting even 250 or 300 dollars into it, it is still cheaper than an AR and shoots just as good.
If I wanted an AR, that's what I would have bought. I just don't like the looks of them. As for dependability, it does not get any better than a Mini-14. You do have to use good mags but they are fairly easy to find an not too bad expensive.

You'll get lots of opinions on this topic but I have to say, everything I've heard and read seems to point to the newer mini's being a little more accurate out of the box. Most people seem to be paying around 575 for a new gun these days but I see used ones all the time for around 425.

Check out this site sometime. Lots of good info on the Mini-14.

http://www.perfectunion.com
 
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P-990

New member
$575 for a new Mini!!! Holy smokes! I can buy an AR-15 around here for $700 (DPMS 16" with collapsable stock), so that isn't as great a savings as I was thinking. Used ARs still go in the high-500 range to 600 too.

I see used Minis all the time up at one of the local shops. Don't often check the prices. If it will hold pie-plate with a hot-barrel, it's a contender if the price is right. Might have to go check that out.

Just kind of want something different than the ARs and AKs everybody seems to have too. SKS's are cool too, and not too common. And my girlfriend has said "I've shot one of those before. You could probably get me to shoot one again." :cool:

I'll keep thinking and looking and researching. Plus a range trip with a couple of old standbys is in order! ;)
 
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JR47

Moderator
Remember one thing. When Ruger brought out the Mini 14 back in the early 70's it wasn't for sale to the general public. It was "designed" for law enforcement. They didn't want it for the same reason most don't want it today. It's overpriced, unreliable, and inaccurate. So when Ruger couldn't sell it to the cops, they then decided to sell it to the public. Most all police depts. use some form of AR-15 / M-16 rifle for urban and rural law enforcement, not Mini 14's. There is a reason for this, and it isn't because the Mini 14 is such a wonderful weapon. Bill T.
Click to expand...

Now, that's interesting, as the AC556 series, and the Mini-14GB were all introduced well AFTER the Mini-14 hit the stores. Could you, perhaps, in the course of your next tirade, provide us with some factual information to back up that quote? Heck, how about some facts to back up your entire paragraph.

The Mini-14 has a reputation for mediocore accuracy. It doesn't, however, have a reputation for unreliability. The price is the price. It's neither too high, or too low. It's less than an AR from a store.

There is also a pretty good reason for the Police's use of the AR, and it has little to do with the MIni-14. Prior to the onset of the Iraq/Afghanistan/Terror fight, many Departments were receiving AR/M16 rifles from the government, FREE. Other Departments were forming SWAT type teams, and were issuing the MP5/M16 combination that larger departments had formalized, many of whom had been staffed with former combat vets, who were used to the M16 type. Attempting to enter into that small a market, highly driven by a small cadre of Teams, is virtually impossible. Good system or not.

There are a number of smaller departments around the country that authorize the Mini-14 rifle as an officer's car gun. There are still several Penal Systems that have the Mini-14 for riot control, as well.

You sure have a convoluted understanding of the Mini-14. Have you ever owned one?

For those who say that their personal weapon, with handloads, will outshoot any Mini-14, obviously with factory ammo, so what? Apples-to-oranges. Remember, the Mini-14, like the AR, has changed barrel twist-rate over the years. Before you rail about lousy accuracy, perhaps you're using the wrong ammo?

We have 2. One is an all-weather SS version, the second is an early 1980's Ranch Rifle. Our two teen-age daughters like them. Both rifles, fired by teen-agers, will shoot up CD discs at 100 yards, with iron sights. A CD is 5" in diameter, and they are firing off-hand. They take turns, and re-load the 5 round mags between firing. The CDs are suspended by monofilament line 6" below the target stand. They will usually shoot two magazines before the disc is shattered enough to be less than 1" in diameter. Warm CDs don't shatter well, either. They use up about 450-500 rounds per outing doing this. Neither of the weapons is modified beyong an add-on muzzle brake. Neither weapon has malfed, for any reason, in thousands of rounds.

A Mini-14 isn't an AR HBAR. It isn't designed to be one. Yet, it is reliable, affordable, and reasonably accurate. You don't buy one for High Power competition. Then again, you don't see many people lugging a 14# AR through a woods, either.
 
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