Educate me please re: Ruger Mini-14's

[Robert]

I have my dad's mini that he bought in the 80s. It is accurate enough for my needs. Very reliable and pretty stinking accurate. But it does not like getting hot. Over heat the barrel and the groups open up wildly. It sits in my safe because my AR does everything it can and more.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I have a 580 series mini 30. Bought it in 2005. I love it. I need to get some bigger mags for it. Simmons 3x9 and we can do just fine getting food on the table.

 

[Speedo66]

Thanks to all for their contributions. I agree Mini’s are pretty spendy, but I’m just tired of the whole AR debacle. The Mini will probably do 90% of what an AR will do without all the drama.

I have an AR I bought as a political statement. Tried it, but no real attachment, I carried an M-14. If I wind up buying a Mini and like it, the AR will go and fund part of it. 5, 10, and 20 round mags and I should be gtg anywhere.

There’s a show tomorrow, I’ll see what I can see.

 

[Kame B.]

Thanks to all for their contributions. I agree Mini’s are pretty spendy, but I’m just tired of the whole AR debacle. The Mini will probably do 90% of what an AR will do without all the drama.

I have an AR I bought as a political statement. Tried it, but no real attachment, I carried an M-14. If I wind up buying a Mini and like it, the AR will go and fund part of it. 5, 10, and 20 round mags and I should be gtg anywhere.

There’s a show tomorrow, I’ll see what I can see.

Once a month MidwayUSA will run a one day sell on Ruger mags. They will go as low as 20 bucks. Check the gun shows also. I found some old police 20rounders for 15 a pop.

 

[LoonWulf]

Thanks to all for their contributions. I agree Mini’s are pretty spendy, but I’m just tired of the whole AR debacle. The Mini will probably do 90% of what an AR will do without all the drama.

I have an AR I bought as a political statement. Tried it, but no real attachment, I carried an M-14. If I wind up buying a Mini and like it, the AR will go and fund part of it. 5, 10, and 20 round mags and I should be gtg anywhere.

There’s a show tomorrow, I’ll see what I can see.

Good luck! Hopefully you can find a good one!

 

[drobs]

I had one during the AW ban that was horribly inaccurate. I bought it use and quickly sold it.
Picked up a new Tactical a few 7 years ago. It shoots just as well as my $500 AR15's. Paid a little too much for it but figure if I found a 2nd one for less I could average the the price down.
Only minor downside to the Tactical is the flash hider. While I have no plans of a road trip to California, a standard Mini-14 w/ 10rd mags and no FH would be good to take on a trip like that.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I got a 180 series Mini with a scope, aftermarket stock, and one of those faux-silencer flash hiders used for $450. Couldn't say no to it for that price.

It doesn't shoot the greatest, but a Mini had long been one of my "irrational want" guns, and the whole fake sniper rifle setup looks sweet. I love it for all the wrong reasons. Wish I had pics.

 

[Speedo66]

I think I've set my sights on a later model with the heavier barrel in stainless with a wood stock. Being this specific will no doubt impede my finding one used. I saw a new one like this for $789 on Gunbroker, not sure I want to spend that much, plus shipping and FFL charges. We'll see. On Armslist, most of the used ones seem to be the same price as new or more.

When I was at the gun show yesterday there was only one Mini-14 for sale, a new blue with wood stock. This was the first one I had ever picked up, and to be honest, I was surprised how heavy it was. Like to try one on with a full magazine and red dot and see what it feels like.

 

[LoonWulf]

They aren't particularly light. I think mine scoped, and loaded with 10rnds, was almost 8lbs. The scope I had added about a pound tho.

With a small red dot and 5-10rnd mag it should probably end up around 7-7.25.

 

[dh1633pm]

I have a Mini 6.8 that I got a while ago. It has a full custom treatment from ASI. It is not the lightest, but it has a new barrel, gas system, and pilar new bedded stock. It has a 1-4 CMR Scope. Its a shooter. Keeps me out of trouble with the unsafe act.

The place for all things Mini 14 is perfectunion.com.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

I have a series-180 that was part the very first 1974 production run made available for public sale (serial# 180-008XX). It has the 10/22 style gold bead front sight and a fully adjustable M14 style rear sight- a feature that was quickly ended due to cost. I have ZERO complaints about accuracy.

His early Mini-14 was one of the few guns kept by Jeff Cooper until his passing.
He was not a fan of inaccurate guns.

Mine is close to yours at 007xx. The bead makes a much better sight than that huge wide blade they came out with
and walnut just makes for a nicer looking stock.
The carbine is plenty accurate for me.
This Mini has a preference for 50 gr. Sierras over the 55gr. version though.

I love minis. Yes, because of the A-team

Thanks a lot 1k!
I was just getting to the point where I could handle the gun without humming the theme song.
Now it's back in my head all over again. Dang!

JT

 

[.455_Hunter]

Mine is close to yours at 007xx. The bead makes a much better sight than that huge wide blade they came out with and walnut just makes for a nicer looking stock.

The build quality on these first run guns is impeccable. Nothing loose and floppy like some later Minis.

 

[Sistema1927]

I had a 1974 vintage Mini-14, and it was minute of coyote accurate. Good enough for head shots on West Texas 'yotes with a Weaver V-9 which allowed me to pay for a couple of semesters of college.

I had another in the 1980's, and it wore an Armson OEG optic.

Both were good enough for what I needed.

 

[.308 Norma]

This thread has got me interested in Mini-30's again. So after church today I stopped in Sportsman's Warehouse to look at them.
Can anyone tell me what that round, button-like thing is on top of the gun, right under the large (objective) end of the scope? I asked the salesman in Sportsman's, but he didn't know either.
Anyway, I'm curious. Thanks!

 

[Count Les Neins]

Learned the hard way there are a lot of older Mini-14s out there with folks trying to sell them for what they
think they are worth. While I would only buy one new, if you want to try used, go for 581- or higher serials,
because of the better barrel, and get a decent discount over new, if you do. What's the point of paying new prices for a used gun?

Also, be very careful to only buy Ruger brand (factory) mags.

 

[ThomasT]

I have a 580 series Mini and it has the heavier tapered barrel. I also had an earlier 580 series with the straight barrel. It was a fine shooting rifle itself but I sold it. The newer tapered barrel model weighs 3/4 pound more than the straight barrel so the tapered barrel is definitely a heavier barrel.

My 580 series gun also had a smaller port than the first gun. It only throws brass about 10 feet from the gun in a nice little cluster. makes it easy to find your brass. My gun groups between 2-2.5" at 100 yards with open sights and shooting cheap Monarch ammo from Academy Sports. I also have 9 20 round Pro-Mag magazines that have all functioned perfectly. They cost more than AR mags but like the factory mags are made of hardened steel instead of thin aluminum. Worth every penny to me.

I have an AR and have only shot 80 rounds through it. I much prefer the feel of the Mini stock over the ARs pistol style grip. I could sell the AR. The Mini ain't going nowhere. They may cost more than you think they should but clean and oil them and they are a lifetime friend. Funny how some will spend a $1000+ dollars for an old M-1 Garand or an M-1 Carbine but choke on a new Mini for 700-800 dollars. I paid $675 IIRC for my wood and stainless several years ago and consider it one of my smartest buys. I just wish I would have kept that straight barreled gun also.

 

[Rogue909]

View attachment 790221

This thread has got me interested in Mini-30's again. So after church today I stopped in Sportsman's Warehouse to look at them.
Can anyone tell me what that round, button-like thing is on top of the gun, right under the large (objective) end of the scope? I asked the salesman in Sportsman's, but he didn't know either.
Anyway, I'm curious. Thanks!

Its not a button; it's a door. It' to give you access to some of the internals...
I can't recall exactly what it gives you access to. You can remove the trigger group, pop the stock off, and slide the door down.

Look up garand breakdowns for more info

 

[LoonWulf]

The "button" on the handguard is where the clip that pinches onto the barrel is located. Removing the minis handguard just requires lifting the back up.

The door gives you access to the bolt hold open latch/ejector. It has to be remov d to pull the bolt.

The button at the top of that actuates thr hold open allows you to lock the bolt open without a mag.

 

[.308 Norma]

The "button" on the handguard is where the clip that pinches onto the barrel is located. Removing the minis handguard just requires lifting the back up.

The door gives you access to the bolt hold open latch/ejector. It has to be remov d to pull the bolt.

The button at the top of that actuates thr hold open allows you to lock the bolt open without a mag.

Thanks guys!

 

[LoonWulf]

You guys are seriously making my life hard right now....I just.got an sks, and built another AR....no I want another mini.

 

[drobs]

I think I've set my sights on a later model with the heavier barrel in stainless with a wood stock. Being this specific will no doubt impede my finding one used. I saw a new one like this for $789 on Gunbroker, not sure I want to spend that much, plus shipping and FFL charges. We'll see. On Armslist, most of the used ones seem to be the same price as new or more.

When I was at the gun show yesterday there was only one Mini-14 for sale, a new blue with wood stock. This was the first one I had ever picked up, and to be honest, I was surprised how heavy it was. Like to try one on with a full magazine and red dot and see what it feels like.

You could always get a stainless with a poly stock and add a wood stock later on.

This one is expensive but it's exactly how I would outfit a 2nd rifle with Tech Sights and an Accu-Strut:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/770644081

 

[Bushpilot]

This thread has got me interested in Mini-30's again. So after church today I stopped in Sportsman's Warehouse to look at them.

Yeah 308Norma, it has kinda rekindled my interest as well so I dusted off my Mini 14 and wound up ordering a Trueshot Technologies Barrel Stabilizer.. It's very similar to an Accu-strut or a HarBar but it's much less expensive... about half the price... Now I'm looking forward to taking the Mini 14 out to the range and see how it does... I haven't shot it in years... ever since I started getting into AR's...

 

[drobs]

I should've bid on this one - Stainless Steel Mini-14 Tactical that sold used for $515
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/771146277

 

[Speedo66]

A threaded barrel is one of those things copycat states or municipalities either like to ban or decide having one constitutes an assault weapon, so I'd prefer not to have it. My current state is very gun friendly, but who knows what the future holds when individual towns and cities are promulgating their own gun laws.

 

[BSA1]

In the 1990's and early 2000's I spent a lot of trigger time with the Mini-14. Enough that I developed a strong opinion about it. (That is Old West Cowboy talk. Cowboy fans will know the real meaning).

The Mini-14's in my Department got a lot of range use training new officers and annual requalification of the others. In all of those years I neve saw one jam or malfunction. However the Department always used new factory ammunition. I rarely saw one shoot a tight group. 4" at 100 yards was usually the smallest and that was rested. I brought one for my personal use and never warmed up to it's poor accuracy. (Mine was during the Clinton years, Enough said why). I eventually sold it.

Then about 5 years ago it occurred to me that I have a large G.I. surplus can of leftover new .223 ammo but no gun shoot so I brought a Saiga Sporter carbine for a really low price. Like the Mini-14 great reliability and same lackluster accuracy at 100 yards. Plus I don't like the Saiga sights as well and it dings the fired cases from hitting the charging handle. So I would have been better off just keeping the Mini.

A close friend loves his Mini-14 and level of accuracy. He likes it's minute-of-man 100 yards groups and it's reliability. The Saiga carbine serves it's role for my anti evil black assault weapon look so it is very unlikely I will ever get a Mini-14 again.

As Robert commented my AR can also do everything a Mini-14 can and more. My budget build AR easily outshoots the Mini and was much cheaper to build. I built mine for only $430.00. (I splurged and spent $30.00 on a Magpul ASAP endplate with sling swivel). In fact Palmetto State Armory keeps running complete rifle build kits on sale for $350.00 (and with free shipping). Add a $40.00 Anderson stripped lower receiver and you will have a much more accurate rifle.