Some ?'s on the Mini 14

[Badger Arms]

If your target will be wearing body armor you are talking head/neck shots i at 100yds - the Mini is capable, are you?

Frankly, if the guy is at 100 yards and wearing body armor and you still consider him a threat, I'd suggest you are in some DEEP CRAP and are probably being accused of commiting a crime yourself. IIRC, Randy Weaver's friend was carrying a Mini-14 and used it quite effectively in CQB to dispatch the guy that Murdered Weaver's son and his dog. Weren't the Jackbooted Thugs in this instance armed with MP-5's?

Sorry for that tangent, but that's the only similar situation I could come up with. Your typical home intruder will NOT be wearing body armor and standing at 100 yards.

 

[AZ Jeff]

Not only will your typical "home invader bad guy" not be wearing body armor, but even if he does, good old fashioned M193 ball ammo (the 55gr FMJ stuff) will go through the soft body armor no sweat.

The hardened plates used in most of the more sophisticated (higher threat level) body armor DON'T cover the entire torso.

Actually, this entire discussion of shooting at "man sized targets wearing body armor" at 100 meters is silly. The probability of such an event happening is about the same as Elvis being sighted at Graceland (alive).

 

[BerettaNut92]

Actually, this entire discussion of shooting at "man sized targets wearing body armor" at 100 meters is silly. The probability of such an event happening is about the same as Elvis being sighted at Graceland (alive).

Well, not that slim, but I'll put it under 'possible but not probable', as I like to tell my mother when she asks 'are you ever going to get a girlfriend?'

 

[Onslaught]

Get one.... They're fun!!! They tend to be 100% reliable, and they're fun!

If you want one for any other reason than that, get something else.

Anybody who says they can't be used in self defense has never seen the A-Team! Oh, wait, they never shot a single person in 3 years with 4 mini's and 50,000 shots fired... maybe that was a bad example.

 

[m.i.sanders]

I've got a blue ranch Mini. It's a fun little rifle that's fairly accurate, at least minute of coyote, and one that I'm not going to get rid of. Would I buy one now? Only if that was my only choice for a .223 semi-auto, otherwise I'd shop around. I really don't think that it's really worth the 500+ that I've seen them selling for. Just my .02 cents.

And yes I can hit a head sized target at 100 yards At 200 hundred, I can only hit the torso. Eyes aren't what they used to be.

 

[mrcr0603]

Sorry if I'm repeating the other responses ....

I was thinking about picking one of these up as a plinker and maybe a CQB weapon.

I'm an active-duty soldier, and I originally bought my Mini in order to keep in practice while I was on Recruiting duty, and because an AR was out of my price range.

It has served well for this purpose, and as a general plinker too.

I hear alot of different things about the accuracy, but maybe as a long term project I could work on that.

I've never conducted accuracy "tests", but for practice prior to an M-16 range, I'd shoot 100 rounds prone at a paper plate @ 100 meters, and the shots would stay on it with no problem.

And how hard is it to mount some type of holosight or EOTech on the regular and ranch rifle?

Here's my Mini with an Ultimak rail that I've just installed:

Fairly easy installation and even though the Reflex optic window sits a bit high, my cheekweld is just fine with no riser or pads needed.

I do like my Mini, but if you could get into an AR, I recommend that you do.

There's just alot more parts & accessories available for an AR over the Mini.


Chris

 

[SodaPop]

NOW THAT IS A LIGHT AND HANDY RIFLE!!

 

[benEzra]

mrcr0603, where'd you get that light mount? Is it part of the UltiMAK kit?

BTW, my mini also wears the Choate E2-style stock, which IMHO is perfect for the mini. Because I'm short, I shortened mine by an inch or so and added a custom-made buttplate that is slightly wider and more contoured than the back of the bare stock, and I also sanded down the checkering a little for better grip when wet.

Is the loop in the rear of the stock for attaching a tac-sling?

 

[mrcr0603]

Originally posted by benEzra :
mrcr0603, where'd you get that light mount? Is it part of the UltiMAK kit?

The rail and light mount, and the sight/mount too, are left over parts from my AR's.

The rail is the UFIR by GG&G, the light is a Surefire 6P handheld with a Z32 bezel that is attached with a KAC 1" light mount.

If you want to do something similar there are lower cost components to do it with.

Is the loop in the rear of the stock for attaching a tac-sling?

Not a tac, 3-point sling, but a standard, long GI sling that I rigged with a quick release up front.


Chris

 

[mrcr0603]

Originally posted by SodaPop:

NOW THAT IS A LIGHT AND HANDY RIFLE!!

Mini-14's might not be the *best*, but they are as you say AND mine has been 100% reliable to boot!

If you can't afford an AR, I think the Mini is great for most of us enthusiasts to take to the range.


Chris

 

[benEzra]

How did you attach the light rail to the stock? Drill through and rivet?

 

[mrcr0603]

Originally posted by benEzra :

How did you attach the light rail to the stock? Drill through and rivet?

Drilled the stock and attached the rail with the supplied three bolts/nuts.

I did have to do some creative countersinking with a handdrill on the inside of the stock in order for the stock liner the clear the protruding nuts.


Chris

 

[Kaylee]

I had a stainless ranch for a while.. light and handy yes.

PROS --
It shoulders quick, to me felt nice, and was decently accurate. Not great mind you... but that could have just been my discomfort with the sights and not the intrinsic accuracy of the rifle. Mounting a compact scope likely would have definately helped. Another neat thing is the dinky little rear sight can be folded down, letting you use the front sight almost like a shotgun bead. It lines up nicely with the scope mounting grooves in the top of the receiver and is VERY fast.


CONS --
If you're carrying it as a bumming around/ranch carbine and bring it to shoulder, it's quick. If you're thinking more in terms of keeping the rifle at low/high ready, never leaving your shoulder, it's noticbly slower than an AR. More weight out front, more inertia, slower to move.

More importantly.. the darn assembly of the things. To me the Mini is a GREAT idea poorly executed. Once I pulled mine from the stock and saw the coarse work on the internals, and the funky screw-together gas block.. yuck.

In short... it's not a good rifle for the money. If it was in the 300-350 range, about half that of a decent AR, it'd be a great gun within its limitations.. kinda like a SAR.

If Ruger cared to make it a GOOD rifle and redesigned the gas system, gave it a decent barrel, and but a little more work into polishing the operating surfaces, they'd have a good 600 dollar gun.

But right now they're trying to sell a beat up ol' nag for prime race horse prices.

-K

 

[Omega_7]

I bought 3 new over the counter mini 14s

In the 80s before Bill Ruger went kooky. One was very inaccurate and I traded it. The next one was a 3 inch at 100 yards gun, I use it for my truck gun with 30 rd US made Thermolds/Mitchell arms/Federal Ord mags, and several different side mount scopes (Night vision and illuminated reticle) It has a M14 style flash supressor and bayonet lug and Choate folding stock.

The last one is a tack driver. It is a 1 to 1.5 inch gun art 100 yards. It has the same features as the above gun but I rearely shoot it. The important thing about minis is the magazines. Get thermolds, Mitchell arms/Fed Ord or the horribly expensive Ruger factory mags if you can. Most of the rest are junk

All 3 are 100% reliable WITH THE ABOVE MAGS.

 

[Omega_7]

Here's my truck gun

With an Inova X5 and Tac Star mount. I like it mounted forward so that my thumb can momentarily hit the rubber pressure switch to ID a target:

 

[Omega_7]

Another view

*

 

[Omega_7]

One more thing

The mini's Choate M14style sights are regulated for 55 grain ammo. I had to file down my front sight (you can see it in the pic above) so that I could use SS109. With the rear sight maxed out I was hitting 6 inches high !

But if it's a post 1994 ban gun the flash supressor/sight is a no-no anyway. We don't want to make our Nazi Big Sister mad at us, do we?

 

[NewShooter78]

I like mine. I'm going to get a different stock once my tax return comes in and probably a couple of new mags. But for plinking it is a fun little gun. And it might be too pricy brand new, but who says you have to get a new one, or pay for it. You can always buy used, because they definetly don't hold their retail value, or trade for one.

 

[Omega_7]

Here's how I scope the minis

I have the same setup with a Weaver rail top and night vision scope instead of the dedicated illuminated reticle scope you see here. I can switch to iron sights or the night vision is seconds. It's no HK but it makes a very versatile truck gun