Handy plinking carbine poll (M1 Carbine v. Mini-14)

M1 Carbine or Mini-14 for all-around plinker

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notorious

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Here's another fun poll for all y'all:evil::

I am looking at a little handy plinking carbine which combines low price, easy handling, tons of aftermarket support, plentiful ammo, and would be a great choice for anti-zombie excursions.;)

So far, I have got the following issues identified::scrutiny:

Mini-14 ($730 stainless ranch with flash hider): easy to mount scope, 5.56 cartridge gives more power than .30 carbine, modern firearm, new:barf:

M1 carbine ($500-600 depending on source): won't ever break, surplus ammo more plentiful, been through hell so can be beat up more:p

BTW, I live in California so those two are the only choices I can entertain without going to the neutered AR or AK copies which still cost an arm and a leg and require me to load bullets 1 at a time with the fixed mags.:eek:
 
Hmmm... this was post 223... coincidence?

Oh, I don't plan on doing too much other than a red dot or low power scope and a ching sling. I don't want it to look too evil.
 
None of the above.

Even the most poorly cared for $140 Chinese SKS will be lightyears ahead of either of the other choices you list to meet your criteria. Add a $40 tech sight and rock/n/roll

M1 carbine ($500-600 depending on source): won't ever break, surplus ammo more plentiful,
Click to expand...

are you still living in the 1980's?
 
The SKS would be on the order of $250 to 400 here in California and it doesn't have a detachable mag. I have thought about it.

As for the surplus ammo, CMP has a ton in right now for the M1 Carbine. I just got their mailer. In any event, it can't be harder to get than the .223 which is getting very expensive here. A box of 20 PMC is $8 for .223.
 
I can always "borrow" my dad's Winchester 1894 30-30 carbine. He has not taken his guns out of his closet for the last few... 14 years or so.
 
30 carbine all the way! the ruger is a nice gun. butt ugly, but still nice. the 30 carbine is not a whole lot prettier, but at least it is a military war veteran. lots of mil surplus ammo. besides, personally, i have always wanted 2. one rifle, and one in a pistol. i dont even know if anybody except T/C makes such a pistol. but it would be a great revolver. if the case wasn't so long, it would make a great semi-auto pistol too. but you'd have a heck of a time holding onto a grip that big.
 
Take your dad's guns out

and make sure they are all sighted in and then clean them up for him!

There, you get to have fun and not spend much money!
 
AMT has that AutoMag in .30 Carbine. Good gun. My buddy had one. Basically a long gripped 1911. You can probably find those things around without much difficulty.

Inspector, I am doing that innocuously. I already borrowed his field Mossberg 500A on the pretense of needing it for trap... and I cleaned it up for him, then I shot it right away... I have my eye on his Winchester for sure because it was one of the last ones before they became USRAC.
 
I own several of each. I voted for the Mini. The price difference that you listed is (I assume) for new vs. old. Buy a used Mini, it'll be cheaper than the Carbine. Ammo goes to the Mini, it's been a long time since I've seen surplus .30Carbine ammo. Buying in bulk you'll save if you go with the .223. Dependability is a wash, both are highly dependable. But in the event that something did happen to break, the Mini would be easier to find parts for. The Carbine parts are out there, but depending on what you need, it may take some searching through endless parts bins at a gunshow to find it. Although not an issue in Cali., high cap. mags are usually better in the Carbine. It takes trying a lot of mini mags to get a set of depndable hi-caps. For the carbine, buy 1 or 2 more than the number you want, try them all, you'll usually have 1 or 2 extra. Rarely one will not pass the muster.

Wyman
 
Several thoughts: If you want a handgun in .30 Carb, Ruger makes (made?) the Blackhawk in it and it is a WHALE of a lot of fun! You could score one for ~$350, probably.

As to the rifle question: I would imagine that you could find a nice used Mini-14 for a lot less than you'd find a .30 M1 Carbine, just because the market prices are pretty high on the Carbine. I can't recommend the CMP's program enough, though! They are awesome and an unbeatable bargain.

I'd still think you could find a Mini-14 a bit cheaper than the ~$595 that CMP is charging for the Carbines, but you'll probably have to shop a little.

Ammo is going to be nearly the same in price -- but shop around. CMP will sell you 500 rds. of Aquilla .30 Carbine for $155, so around $0.31 a shot. That's comparable to .223 prices, though ammo prices seem to be going crazy right now. In the long term .223 might be cheaper due to sheer volume of rounds produced (once the market settles down) but hard to say.

Magazines *that work* are easier to find for the M1 Carbine, but if you stick with Ruger factory mags for the Mini, this isn't really much of a problem.

Buy whichever suits you, really. They are a lot of fun!

-Sam
 
I voted for the M1 carbine with my wallet...I bought one two months ago at North Store, which is about 45 minutes from my house.
The price for a service grade Inland is $495, not $595.
Mine has a 6-digit serial, and came in an early I-cut stock with Ordnance cartouche on the side.
I shot it for the first time yesterday, and it worked perfectly, giving very good groups at 100 yards.
While I own an AR and an AK, I find the carbine to be much more suitable as a home defense weapon.
Besides, a carbine like mine would sell for more than $650 on the open market.
 

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Forget you ever heard of that SKS ... Ugh what a front heavy bent up piece of crap that is. I have owned about four of them, all shot poorly and you cant handle them for anything.

Given your choices, the mini or the M-1 are both good choices. The 30-30 is a great choice as well. Never let you down.

Just don't consider the SKS ha.
 
M1 if it is cheaper, otherwise the Mini-14.

I like them both. I know, wimpy answer.
 
Nice M1! Did it come with the GI bag and double mag pouch? I would definitely get a bayonet on that bad boy and complete the look!

I really dig that bayonet capability on the M1... but I have seen bayonet lugs that clamp on the barrel of a Mini-14 as well.
 
The mag pouch is a like new GI item from 1943...there are tons of them avaiable cheap, and it makes a handy reload with 30 extra rounds on the weapon. The case is a current repro...$19.99.
A bayonet would be a cool accessory, but they are a bit pricey for genuine GI...I will probably pass.
The bayonet lug front band is good to have on a shooter carbine, as it is said to increase accuracy.
The racjs at North Store were filled with nice carbines when I was there.
 
Mini 14 as you know I live in california as well and that is my choice... more parts available dependable while not a tack driver good enough... I heard the new ones are more accurate but at the same time mine is going to be used as a defense carbine/truck gun... maybe I will accurize it some day though... I have trouble down here in stockton finding ammo for my m1 carbine... thats prices dont rape me...
 
Surplus carbine ammo is pretty rare these days...not like years ago when I bought it in spam cans on strip clips in bandoleers.
However, PRVI, Magtech and georgia arms make soft point and fmj at reasonable prices. Winchester, federal and remington still sell ammo for somewhat more. Also, Aguilla. Then there is CorBon, which sells what seems to be a great load, unfortunately at an outrageous price.
 
The 30 carbine ammo has never been corrosive unlike the surplus 30-06 for the Garand which are corrosive until after the Korean War.

That was another plus for the GIs who shot the M1 Carbine over the Garands.

I miss the old days when there was a local store down the street that had crates of Garands for $200 and Carbines for $100... and M16 surplus magazines were $5 each sitting in two big 55 gallon drums, filled to the brim. People walked by them all day long. AKs were $200 each as well and SKS were $100 in the crate. Colt ARs were still $600 back then so they were relatively a high ticket item and when you think about it, the prices haven't gone up on them too much compared to the other stuff. Should've just sucked it up and picked up a few Colts, including the carbine, the H-Bar, and whatever other variants they had when Colt was still in the business of making guns. Oh I forgot... I wasn't 18 yet back then....
 
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I like the Mini 14 and 30, the .30 carbine AND the SKS. All will do what they were designed to do. All are very fun to shoot.
 
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