Does any one have a Ruger mini14 ifso let me know if there worth the money.

[SturmMackRuger]

Im thinking of buying a mini 14 from walmart for a little over $500 i've heard that the only real draw back is that really humid places like where i live in Oklahoma have a habit of rusting the gas operating piston or something like that and causing it to jam alot. Now if i do buy it the first thing i will do after i shoot it a few times is disassemble it and clean the gas piston or whatever it is and oil it up real good and leave the bolt open about 1 inch or so to let it dry.

 

[aka108]

I owned a Ruger Mini 30 for 15 years in FL. No problems, just oiled it every so often. Never had it hang up a round but sold it since it was the most inaccurate piece I ever fired. Heard the new ones in 7.62 and 223 are more accurate than the older ones.

 

[JESmith]

I have owned a Mini 30 ranch rifle for many years. If you are worried about rust, go for the stainless models. They are about $30-40 bucks more I think. Even still, the blued models will be just fine if you keep them oiled and lubed. The mini's accuracy is not very good. They are decent out 100-150yds. A quick Google search will bring up a myriad of ways to improve the accuracy some. But by the time you there ... you could have bought a decent AR

 

[ArmedBear]

Get a stainless one, especially in a humid area.

I like mine.

 

[TIMC]

I've had mine longer than I can remember, well over 2 decades. I have never had rust problems an it doesn't get much more humnid than here in South Texas. Their biggest issue has always been accuracy. If you get a 4" group at 100 yards your doing pretty good. other than that they are fun rifles.

 

[glockman19]

YES I have a new #580 series Mini-14 and love it. It's built like a tank and can take a beating and still shoot straight. The Iron sights are right on. I have 2 AR's and I like the action better on the mini. The AR's are fun but I've NEVER had the mini jam.

And, don't let others tell you they're not accurate. Ruger retooled teh production line and the barrels onteh NEW #580+ series rifles are thicker and more accurate than the older ones.

 

[socal44]

I have a mini 14 ranch rifle. Bought it about 5 years ago. I think I paid about 500 +/-. It has always been completely reliable and a whole lot of fun to shoot.

 

[bartsimpson123844]

The old ones are disgustingly inaccurate. If you are going to get one, at least get one of the newer, more accurate, minis.

 

[RNB65]

I had two.

I sold two.

I now own two AR15's.

I'm much happier.

 

[socal44]

The old ones are disgustingly inaccurate.

I hear that quite a bit. At least with mine, thats not correct.

 

[Gunz]

I bought one at Service Merchandise in 1985 for about $300.

I only shoot it under 75 yds. I get about a 2 inch group. The sights are so small I can barely see past 75 yds. Hell, even 50 yds is a stretch. I use only facoty 5rd mags, and have had zero problems. I also have the factory 30rd mag, and it is ok. I like the beatabilty factor of the rifle. I would not buy a new one. These days, there are better rifles for the price range. Back then, it was ok.

 

[raginrednek]

mini 30

had a mini 30 stainless, sks is far superior in accuracy and reliability.
lots cheaper too.

 

[Triple S]

I had two.

I sold two.

I now own two AR15's.

I'm much happier.

Ditto.... I have had two Ranch (purchased new) rifles within the past 8 years. While both were reliable, fun to plink with, and handy, there accuracy was much to be desired. Neither would hold a 6" 3 shot group at 100 yards. After shooting all types of ammo and scoping them both with quality optics (leupold), I decided to get rid of each of them for AR's. I have not found a reason why I would want the mini over the AR. Is it worth the money? Well it depends what your expectations are. If you just want to plink, blast ammo, possible HD, and carry in a truck for less than an AR, yes it will be fine. However, if you expect it to shoot like an AR, then it won't unless you spend the money and have it upgraded. Think about what you want do with it and then decide if it is worth it or not.

 

[hqmhqm]

I prefer the AR15. It is easier for me to shoot accurately, and I like the ergonomics better than the Mini14. It is also more fun to add 3rd party doodads to the AR15.

 

[Ash]

I've a GB model and like it very much. I also own a Bushmaster AR. The Mini is more accurate than any SKS I've shot and is very reliable. Overall, I would rather use it on the farm for bad critters because it slings nicely and fits better behind the seat of a farm truck. However, the Bushy is certainly more accurate.

Ash

 

[wcwhitey]

I know this had been said before but my Mini-14 was a great rifle for 300 bucks. For 500, I see no point personally. I have a DPMS low pro classic that I paid 500 bucks for (sure it is more now) that shoots sub MOA. An Olympic Arms 16" post ban would be better at close to that price. Not looking to beat up the Ruger, they are OK, just not a $500 gun. JMHO Bill

 

[SturmMackRuger]

I mainly want it for fun plinking like a bigger version of the 1022. And also for deer hunting because i've already checked and it is perfectly legal to hunt deer with .223 caliber firearms in Oklahoma plus i've hunted with a .223 NEF before inOklahoma. Thinking of putting a good scope on it perhaps a sling and a few hi capacity mags (for plinking i will use 5rd mags for hunting). thanks for the input BTW would it be an alright deer rifle.

 

[Jason_G]

If you want to hunt deer, I would at least get the mini-30 in 7.62x39 Russian. Of course, then you would really get a much better value by going to a Yugo SKS.
7.62x39 ammo would be a much more effective cartridge for deer, and ammo is about as cheap as you can get for centerfire rifle cartridges.
Niether of the Mini's are great values IMO. I looked at them hard for a while. I really liked the way the Mini-14 felt, much more so than any AR's I'd shot, but the accuracy just wasn't equivalent. The Mini-30 would be better for deer, but like I said, the best value would really be an SKS.

Jason

 

[jaholder1971]

I've owned 2 Mini's The absolute best groups I ever got out of them was 6". Bill Ruger knew it was a problem and pretty much said that as long as ignorant rednecks want to spend half a grand on a rifle to take potshots at tin cans he'll sell the Mini 14 as is.

Even the target version, with a price tag as much as a good AR, will only do 1-1.5 MOA "with certain ammunition" if you can find the ammo it likes and keep the dampener from moving on the rifle.

 

[kcmarine]

If you want something that is just as well made, more accurate (but not guaranteed to be), has high- capacity magazines readily available, more options, and costs a third of the Mini, look at the Saiga in .223.

 

[Sunray]

"...would it be an alright deer rifle..." No. They're not accurate enough and the .223 is unsuitable for deer sized game with factory ammo. Most factory ammo is loaded with varmint bullets that are designed to expand rapidly upon impact with little penetration.

 

[Triple S]

SturmMackRuger:

Try the following factory loads for deer. They will work very well and I will be suprised if you find the bullet. I have shot many deer with all of these either from a .223 or .22-250 and in most cases, the bullet exits.

Federal
60 grain Nosler Partition
55 Grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw

Corbon
53 & 62 Grain Barnes Triple Shocks

Winchester
64 Grain Power Points

Black Hills
60 Grain Nosler Partition

These are all tough bullets and if your gun will shoot them, will drop deer very effectively. Shot placement is critical, heart, lungs, or neck, but these bullets will do the job. Is a .223 ideal for deer, NO (there are better calibers), but these will work very well if you are to use .223.

 

[def4pos8]

I'm giving my AR-15 to Son #2, so I recently purchased a stainless Ranch Rifle to provide work for my .223 dies. I'm enjoying the thing. You've got to realize that its design is more like the M-1 CARBINE than the M-14 rifle. It's NOT in the same class as the AR-15 or M1A but that doesn't mean that it can't be useful or fun. Cleaning is SOOOOO much more easy and it's a much more "handy" piece.

I have added an Accuracy Systems adjustable gas block. I can reduce system pressure to the point that it's a "bolt" gun or keep the brass somewhere in this county. A Hogue Overmold stock feels much better than the factory piece, especially in the forend.

Accuracy is adequate. I've only tested three loads, the best of which is about a 2 MOA round. With a few more tweaks, I think it'll do about 1.5 to 1.7 MOA. That will work for me!

 

[lee n. field]

Im thinking of buying a mini 14 from walmart for a little over $500 i've heard that the only real draw back is that really humid places like where i live in Oklahoma have a habit of rusting the gas operating piston or something like that

The gas valve can get crudded up, making the op rod stick. I had this happen once. I had to use a rubber mallet on the op rod to get it open.

Just make sure to clean the gas valve when you clean the gun.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I bought one at Service Merchandise in 1985 for about $300.


Got mine in 1990 for 340.00

It is AMAZING what they want for these things--new and 2nd hand.

If it was under 400.00 in today's dollars--I'd say go for it.

It was (to me) a question of a new ar-15 being near 1000 at the time. Now---you can lay hands on a nice AR for the same price as the mini. Something to really think about.

And, if it is filling a role akin to the .30 m1 carbine--CMP has those for the same price range.


Bottom line I guess, it's pretty reliable and rugged for the most part and it functions like a m-14 and similar to a carbine .30 or M-1 Garand. That is why I keep mine--I like the bolt set up.

Rust has been a minor problem--the bolt face once 'froze' closed and had to be tapped with a rod and mallet. My fault--it had been stored dirty.
Accuracy--Ruger talks a good game these days and actually pokes fun at the inaccuracy of the older models in their new ads---didn't make me all warm and fuzzy.