Your thoughts on trading an M1A for 2 or 3 mini-14s

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Sheepdog1968

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I'm not trying to start a caliber war. I own plenty of rifles on plenty of calibers. If I were to choose a semi auto rifle (over my shotgun - let's not debate that either) it would be my mini-14 (please no AR vs mini debates either. I've been very happy with my mini) that I own and have used in Louis Awerbuck and Thu der Ranch classes. Lately I have been consolidating down to less different brands of firearms but more duplicates. My M1a has been fantastic and shoots 1 MOA or so. I don't take it out much and honestly it doesn't fit a roll for me. I have better hunting rifles and better precision rifles and better plinking rifles and better collector rifles and you know my preference above for semi auto self defense rifles. For the last six months to a year I've been thinking of trading off my M1a for two or possibly three mini-14s (have extra mags, stock, barrel, and several thousand rounds of mid 80s surplus Nato ammo is toss in for three mini 14s. It would be for the 580 or later serial number ones which are more than accurate enough for my planned self defense use. I would like have more mini-14s from a commonality of parts and depth perspective. What are your thoughts? Am I missing something? Not that long ago I traded shotguns and pistols to narrow on shotgun and pistol makes and models and didn't feel any regret whatsoever. Many thanks for your input.

Update as of 25 Feb
Thanks all for the feedback. I've been thinking. I will get other one or two more mini-14s. I won't trade my M1a for them. I feel some hesitation in trying to do the trade. I didn't have that with the other stuff I traded away. I will just save up for them.
 
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If I were ever to part with my M1A I would likely sell it and buy something else I wanted. However, I have no desire to sell it. Why anyone would want two or three Mini 14 rifles escapes me but do whatever trips your trigger. I have to agree with Art in that if you want a 223 rifle around the house for home defense the Mini 14 will likely work as well as anything else. Personally I don't use a long gun for home defense. I doubt you will find three Mini 14 rifles in one small pile waiting to be traded for a M1A but best of luck. I would sell the M1A and whatever ammo you have for cash and convert that cash to whatever trips your trigger and makes you feel good.

Just My Take....
Ron
 
I'd say keep the M1A. I've done the whole buying multiples of the same gun, and in the end I usually only shoot one of them ever, the other copies collecting dust. For the 580 series you'd likely only get two mini's for the sale of the M1A. I've got a mini, and I'd rather have an M1A.
 
I would also keep the M1A and just get a Mini 14. Would hate to part with an M1A that can shoot 1 MOA.
 
If you do get a Mini 14 make sure you get a 583 model and up. I've been reading a lot of complaints about malfunctions on 582 models.
 
I have met a lot of people over the years who have sold their M1A's or other M14 pattern rifles and then a few years later bought another one. You might not notice it now, but they scratch an itch that many people have for a nice, historical, long range, accurate semi auto that few other rifles can fill and it seems like the ones that sell them and never return were never into the platform to begin with (most were AR guys looking for a Garand action in something other than 30-06 or .223).

Personally, "Over my dead body" is what it'd take to get me to give up the M1A I own and I'd NEVER trade it for one, two, or three Mini14's... ever.
 
I don't own an M1A but I've shot one. If I had one that was a proven good shooter, I wouldn't let it go. Just because I don't have a use for it today doesn't mean I won't need it tomorrow. Life is funny that way.

But that's just me. When I meet a gun that is a proven shooter, I sort of fall in love.
 
I've had both, used a M14 variant for reals in AFg. I'm more of an AR guy al the way around, but I'd never trade a M1A for a mini or 2 or 3. But if that's what you really like, go for it.
 
I don't have an M1A, but I do have a CMP M1 rifle. I have owned a mini 14 in the past. Most of the guns I have sold, I have wished I would have just saved up and bought the new gun, the exception being the mini 14. In fairness, mine was an older model, but it was possibly the most aggravating rifle I ever worked with. It would definitely go bang every time, but it was anybody's guess as to where the bullet would land. I would never trade my M1 in for a stack of minis, especially if I already had one. YMMV.
 
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I've owned 2 M1A's, one was reliable, the other one couldn't seem to keep the trigger pack/trigger guard ckosed. Both were pretty accurate but not like a bolt gun or a well sorted AR with a free floated barrel. If I ever acquire another 7.62mm NATO battle rifle it will be a SCAR 17S, it does everything the M1A ever would and is lighter, more compact, probably more accurate, and much more optics friendly.

I've never owned a Mini-14, I've shot a few though and frankly compared to a quality M4 they're rubbish in my opinion. Mediocre accuracy on a good day, bleh trigger you can't do much to improve, and expensive non NATO magazines. Yeah, I'll pass on that.

Good luck with your decision OP, if you really like the Mini-14, spares are not a terrible idea.
 
Coal Dragger said:
I've never owned a Mini-14, I've shot a few though and frankly compared to a quality M4 they're rubbish in my opinion. Mediocre accuracy on a good day, bleh trigger you can't do much to improve, and expensive non NATO magazines. Yeah, I'll pass on that.
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And the OP said no AR vs Mini debate. But yet, if you even utter the word Mini, it never fails. Mini 14 questions, topics, and insight seem to be not welcome in these forums. Just another AR fanboy site.
 
Kame B. said:
And the OP said no AR vs Mini debate. But yet, if you even utter the word Mini, it never fails. Mini 14 questions, topics, and insight seem to be not welcome in these forums. Just another AR fanboy site.
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Try owning a Lee reloading press. Mention them and Dillon fanboys crawl out of the woodwork. Same thing.
 
I am not sure why you want 3 or 4 of the same thing unless you are doomsday prepping. It is a presently-made model with parts available and without speculating on the political climate, you can just buy another if it breaks, is lost, or stolen. Kinda seems like a putting all your eggs in one basket situation. Should you ever want or need a 1 MOA .308, it would be nice to have the M1A in the safe. It's at least as useful as a couple more redundant guns that'll likely just sit there.
 
Ljnowel,

I learned how to reload on a little Lee reloading press. It served a purpose for sure, until it broke. By then it had more than paid for itself, my dad probably loaded close to 15K rounds on it and I reloaded quite a few myself.

I'll admit to abandoning Lee equipment for fancier, more productive presses. Currently a Dillon XL650 and a Redding T7.
 
Kame B.,

Yeah I'm not a Mini-14 fan, not at all. If you're looking for a magazine fed semi-automatic carbine in 5.56mm NATO there are a ton of better options out there for the kind of money the OP is talking about. They don't even have to be M4/AR pattern carbines.

About the only mandatory requirements I would have for such a carbine are:

1.) Use NATO STANAG compliant magazines because they're plentiful, relatively cheap, and reliable.

2.) CMV 4150 barrel either hard chrome lined bore and chamber, or salt bath nitrided. The grade of steel, and bore treatments (nitriding does interior and exterior) are for maximum durability and logevity.

3.) Serviceable trigger, or the ability to install an aftermarket trigger of good quality. I'm a Geissele fan, and Bill makes trigger packs for several excellent candidates that are not M4's since the OP doesn't like them.

4.) Decent iron sights or the ability to easily mount them, and the ability to easily mount optics. I guess if you want to festoon the carbine with other crap that ability is nice too, I'll try to limit it to a good sling and maybe a scout light that can be dismounted easily.

Off the top of my head alternative candidates might include the Tavor, SIG 556 series, FN SCAR 16, perhaps a few others.

If this is strictly between the Mini-14 and M1A, well I'd take the M1A. At least they tend to be accurate, have good triggers, excellent iron sights, and are generally reliable in as close to GI form as you can get.
 
Lately I have been consolidating down to less different brands of firearms but more duplicates.
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I can relate to this in that I don't like seeing rifles sit in the safe unused. That being said, I'd hang on to the M1A since its the big brother/inspiration for the mini, and unless you have another .308 you prefer the M1A would be the ideal counterpart to the .223 mini. Those are my thoughts anyway.
 
im not a fan of anything from the M1 family of rifles, but what i can say is that with modern development in bullets you can get in 5.56 (such as 77 grain TMK bullets) theres a diminished need for .308 in my opinion as the wounding capabilities of 5.56 is much improved over military FMJ stuff.. that said, one rifle is enough, multiple of the same thing is unnecessarily redundant unless you plan to sell the other
 
I'm a bit of a Mini fan, but they're overpriced for what you get. A $1500 or so M1A for two ~$800 Minis isn't as fair of a deal as it might look, MSRP wise it works out but in my mind the Rugers are closer to 500 or 600 dollar rifles. I wouldn't take the deal.

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why you want more duplicates of the Mini. If you just want another rifle to gut for parts, I'd rather hang on to the M1A and pay out of pocket for a beat-up 180 model. No sense to get rid of a rifle that shoots the lights out for Donor Gun #4.
 
We use the stainless ones at work...they suffer abuse fairly well. I've had a blue one for over 25 years, but I'd go stainless if you can. They are a fine little utility carbine < 200 yds. Just make sure to get interchangeable series for parts swaps. You say you're well versed with the Mini so you know its virtues and limits. I've had several good aftermarket mags but only would bet on the factories myself. An older factory folder w/ bakelight pistol grip would be awesome!
 
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