A Ruger Mini

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poziovahim

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Apr 9, 2008
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Location
Espanola, NM
Hi All,
Brand new here :)
I trained with the M 14 back in "69" and loved that weapon!
When they singled me out of formation in AIT to qualify with the M 16, I knew where I was going and soon :(
Anywho, I did not fare well with the 16 at all!
So alas I am an M 14 lover but the price for one is outrageous and I came across a Ruger Magazine/catalog with an article about the Mini's. I was impressed and I think I want one real bad.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Many Thanks,
Dan
Espanola, NM
 
Try and find a LE trade in, mine was $400. I can build a new AR15 for around $650 without freight, so buying a new one should probably be a last resort if you ask me.
 
You will see a lot of naysayers on this forum (and all others) of the Mini-14. However you cannot doubt that it is extremely reliable and the new series are actually quiet accurate. (2 moa average) I have an older one (181 series, 1978 I believe) and it is an absolute blast. Unfortunately they are expensive and going used doesn't save you much money, so I would just have to say that "they cost what they cost". However, since you enjoy the gun and have fond memories of it, I don't think price really matters.

Go get your baby and have fun!

EDIT: For everyone saying you can build an AR for the same price, read his post. He doesn't like the M16/AR platform!
 
Welcome Poziovahim,
I love my Mini 14 and 30, some say they are not tack drivers.........either is my M1 Garand but it sure is one great rifle.
I hunt with both of [all] my rifles so shooting little black dots is not so important to me.
If you get one let us know how you like it.
Longboard
 
Thanks All !
Yeah, a REAL M 14 starts at around $2200.00. So Ruger's offerings really sounds inviting. I actually had a Mini 14 .223 in my hands at a gunshop a couple days ago and it felt really nice.
I have a Winchester lever action .44 mag carbine that I do like but that Mini's feel really floored me :)
Dan
 
I just bought a 580 series about two weeks ago. It has the straight taper barrel. I shot it for the first time yesterday.

I used the Monarch ammo form Academy Sports. Shooting off hand at around 90 to 95 yards i was able to put shot after shot into the same small area on the far side of a stock pond. I could easily have put every shot into a cantalope size group at that range off hand.

I am out of town for a while and hope to do some shooting from a bench in a couple of weeks with some of my reloads. My shooting buddy said this gun shot much better than the old mini-14 he used to own. I would buy new. Used ones aren't much cheaper.

Mine is stainless and wood. I paid $575.00 + tax for a new in the box rifle.
 
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You can get a poly M14 for around $900 or a used M1A for around $1200. I have M1A's and a Mini 14 and like them both but if you loved a M14 you'll like a mini and love a M1A.
 
poziovahim,

First Welcome to THR.

Second, The Mini-14 is a fun rifle. if you want one with any accuracu then get a newer one with a serial # of 580 series. They have a heavier barrel and are made to tighter tollerances as they were produced after they retooled the machine shop and production line.

Lastly,
I too love the M-14/M1A. I have a Springfield Loaded. I think it is the best value. They can be found for $1,300-$1,600.

I have M1A's and a Mini 14 and like them both but if you loved a M14 you'll like a mini and love a M1A.
Click to expand...
I completely agree with Ed...So...You'll like most of us will have to get both.

Which one first? Take you pick.
 
Poziovahim, welcome aboard. You will find a variety of answers to your questions here. Having said that, I must confess that I am one of those "naysayers" concerning the Mini-14. In the 1990s, I outshot a friend using a Mini-14 at targets located 100 yards away. That day I was using a Knight muzzleloading rifle. That particular experience turned me off to that particular gun.

Since then, I understand the newer Mini-14s are more accurate. This may be true, but that Ruger's poor performance is something I will not forget. To be fair, the Mini-14 is a reliable gun but it was not developed as a tack driver. I hope my honest appraisal does not offend, but I want to speak the truth as I see it. Anyway, welcome once again to the forums and I hope you will enjoy your experiences here.


Timthinker
 
love my 14,mines stainless, and wood, had it for over 20 years,no problems no jams. shoots everything,shoots well enough.I have a real 20 round mag too.loads alot nicier then the repo,and its a ruger clip.
 
x2 Check out the Mini-30s as well. I have had a number of mini-14 and mini-30s and I personally prefer the 30. It is my favorite gun for hog hunting. I have found the mini-30s to be more accurate that the 14s. But mostly I have a personal preference of the 7.62x39 round over the .223 for hunting and it is slightly cheaper to shoot.
 
it is slightly cheaper to shoot
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I haven't really checked the loaded ammo prices lately (I hand load) but I thought someone was telling me that 7.62x39 was getting more expensive due to reduced imports. As far as reloading goes, it is more expensive because the bullets are heavier/bigger. The 7.62x39 is a good round and much better for hunting larger game, but recoil is increased, ammo is heavier and you're losing a considerable ammount of effective range. Don't rule 7.62x39 out per say, but make sure you know what you want your rifle to do.

Alternate suggestion: You could look into 6.8spc.

I paid $575.00 + tax for a new in the box rifle.
Click to expand...

:scrutiny: From a gun store/show? That's how much my dad's rifle was in 1982...
 
There is a newer target mini that has a tuneable brake and is as accurate as any auto .223.

Wally world is where I purchased my K Mini synthetic Ranch. I like the scope as I'm blind. The rifle has had 1 failure to fire that was a squib from some military range drops , that I made a poor decision to buy, but other than that it has digested every thing I've fed it.
It field strips with 1 loaded round, down to the basic groups. It may not be a tack driver but for varmint control 2 or 4 legged, it excells!
 
7.62x39 ammo has gone up in price from the good old days, but it still won't break the bank. I can still pick it up locally for @ $250 per 1000 rounds. The recoil of a mini-30 is not that noticible. It is a tad bit more than my AR but less than my AK. I can shoot 100 rounds on this old shoulder with no soreness.
 
There is a newer target mini that has a tuneable brake and is as accurate as any auto .223.
Click to expand...

$900+ dollars, and FWIW, I read a review in a magazine that said accuracy was improved when the bbl tuner was in the right spot for the ammo it was shooting, but it still wasn't a benchrest-worthy rifle; still not accurate enough.

I can shoot 100 rounds on this old shoulder with no soreness.
Click to expand...

I wasn't necesarily pointing out that it would make you sore, more that follow up shots would be slower than with a 223 mini.
 
I would not say that follow up shots are any slower than my AR-15 or mini-14. Definitely faster than my AK and my M1. Of course I do have a muzzle brake and a tuneable gas block on it which help tame the recoil a whole bunch.

I guess my point is that when I am hunting hogs or whitetail down in the swamp, the AR, M1, and mini-14 stay in the safe and the Mini-30 or the AK goes on my shoulder.
 
As mentioned, the older ones weren't the most accurate rifles to come down the pike. But things can be done to make them better. All of 'em out there that haven't already been worked on by a skilled gunsmith could probably benefit from a trigger job. Even something as simple as adding a muzzle brake (flash hider, if you live in a place where those aren't an Evil Accessory) can take some of the "whippiness" out of the barrel, and start tightening up groups.
Likewise, an Accu-strut or Har-Bar can also reduce "stringing" of shots when the barrel gets hot.
They once called it "the world's most expensive plinker," but it can be more than that. :cool:
 
Although my experience with a used Mini 14 is limited (as with other guns), the buddy I went shooting with today has much more experience.

For what it might be worth, he was almost unable to hit a three-feet bright paper target from 50 yards with my powerful Russian Mosin Nagant 44 (7.62x54R), but hit it consistently near or above the bullseye with the Mini 14.

You might be aware that the Mini 14's after-market magazines work much better than some do in the Mini 30.
 
poziovahim,

Welcome to the forum! It sounds to me like you want the real deal, so I vote for buying an M1A. If that isn't feasible for whatever reason, the Mini is a worthy substitute. :)

dagger dog wrote,
There is a newer target mini that has a tuneable brake and is as accurate as any auto .223.
Click to expand...
According to one of the gunrags, the Mini-14 target model shot right about 1 MOA at 100 yards. That's okay, but not really very good compared to what a tuned AR can do, in my humble opinion. :) (All in the context of benchrest/match accuracy, of course.)
 
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