Honest groups with a 582 series Mini 14

[David Hoback]

It certain does all that...especially gets rid of the casings. I had one for years and finally asked myself why I kept a gun that shot groups 3X as poorly as my worst AR and threw my brass where it could never be found....in fact, I suspect NASA could use a mini-14 to put brass onto the moon if they tweaked it just a little more. Somewhere out there is a Lagrange point where all my 5.56 brass is orbiting together.

LOL!

Someone posted It’s more of a 50yd Gun?? Well ok..., but the problem with that is it’s using a several HUNDRED yard cartridge! You can buy a Keltec Sub2000 in 9mm that will compete with it within 50yds!

To those who have had one forever, inherited one or picked it up for a song & dance... COOL! However, brand new they are selling for $800-$1000. To buy one is overspending by several hundred dollars, when compared to its performance.

Just call it what it is. If ya want to spend the overpriced doe on one, of course that is your business. But just say it’s because you like how it looks, or feels. That is fine. But to insinuate it’s performance is anywhere CLOSE to an AR is insanity. They don’t even compete with CHINESIUM ARs, let alone something like I build.

Even an AK will match or surpass its accuracy, dependability & toughness. For many hundreds less.

But hey, we do LOVE wasting money & making excuses of why it’s worth it, LOL!

 

[mustanger98]

I remember some range trips with my old Mini-14 and whatever flavor of 55gr SP's and FMJ's... clay birds on the 100yd berm, because that's all the club had. Standing and wrapped in, I'd bust the clay birds, then go to work on the fragments.

Yeah, finding the brass could be a problem... find cases 5 or 6 benches over sometimes. Good thing the brass hounds weren't sitting there waiting to Hoover it up. If you can recover your brass, IMR3031 works pretty good.

 

[desidog]

My skinny barreled Ranch Rifle would walk up the target as is got warmer, about six inches higher and two to the right, IIRC.... cold barrel zero vs. hot barrel zero were a compass point away.

I once went to a range with about six folding tables positioned on the firing line. The first, Left side, was open. the others were taken.... So, trying to be practical and polite, I went down to the Right end and invited the gentleman shooting there to to the empty station at the far end. Maybe I could have been more descriptive. I just said that my gun has a strong ejection, so it would be best for everyone on the line that I be "downwind" of them. He politely declined to move, as his gear was all set up and spread out. So, I went back to the left end, broke out the SN#183- Ranch, and one the second shot, the casing (apparently the more accurate projectile from the rig) flew into the ear muff or temple of the gentleman at the far end. we switched spots.

 

[Crosshair]

Being overpassed has nothing to do with accuracy. AR carbines are the most overgassed rifles made. Yet they have no problem achieving exceptional accuracy.

But once again....tell yourself whatever ya need to to justify the purchase. Doesn’t affect me.

You are simply incorrect. Putting in a reduced gas bushing CAN, not always, have an impact on accuracy of a Mini-14. Especially the pencil barrels.

An AR that is overgassed to the degree that a factory Mini-14 is will simply not run. The extractor will jump the extractor rim or tear through the rim. A Mini can be tuned with the factory or extra power recoil spring and a pack of gas bushings. An AR can require swapping out far more components to tune. Due to the wide variance in component weight, gas port size, spring strength, and gas system lengths.



The bushing on the right is the factory bushing. It is .085" in internal diameter. The ones to the left are the Accuracy Systems reduced gas bushing. Pretty much any Mini-14 will cycle with Wolf just fine on the .050" or .045" bushings. Quite a few will cycle with the .040" and a minority will work with a .035". If you don't care about cycling with Wolf then the .040" and .035" ones will have a much higher success rate.

 

[daniel craig]

I mean, think about it, it’s about as accurate as an AK which was its main competition at the time.

 

[mshootnit]

My skinny barreled Ranch Rifle would walk up the target as is got warmer, about six inches higher and two to the right, IIRC.... cold barrel zero vs. hot barrel zero were a compass point away.

I once went to a range with about six folding tables positioned on the firing line. The first, Left side, was open. the others were taken.... So, trying to be practical and polite, I went down to the Right end and invited the gentleman shooting there to to the empty station at the far end. Maybe I could have been more descriptive. I just said that my gun has a strong ejection, so it would be best for everyone on the line that I be "downwind" of them. He politely declined to move, as his gear was all set up and spread out. So, I went back to the left end, broke out the SN#183- Ranch, and one the second shot, the casing (apparently the more accurate projectile from the rig) flew into the ear muff or temple of the gentleman at the far end. we switched spots.

Good point, they should mark that right bench "Semi Autos"

 

[mshootnit]

I mean, think about it, it’s about as accurate as an AK which was its main competition at the time.

I mean it has to be hard to take a Garand design and make it inaccurate. Gov. arsenals pumped out North of 4 million of them 2 different iterations, which almost all could shoot.

 

[danez71]

But to insinuate it’s performance is anywhere CLOSE to an AR is insanity.

Most people are saying 3 moa from the newer series.

Are you claiming that isn't anywhere CLOSE to an AR or.....?

But just say it’s because you like how it looks, or feels.

I think that people that have said they chose the mini is saying that.

What are the posts that say otherwise?


You keep claiming that if someone wants a mini14 that it's fine by you but then you insinuate people are making claims that dont seem to appear in this thread.


Can you point out the posts you're vaguely referring to?

 

[daniel craig]

I’d say this sums up the Mini14 nicely

I mean it has to be hard to take a Garand design and make it inaccurate. Gov. arsenals pumped out North of 4 million of them 2 different iterations, which almost all could shoot.

It’s based on the the garand design but made smaller and lighter. I bet making it lighter probably impacted the accuracy.

 

[David Hoback]

No, 3moa is not close to any AR I build. The cheapest, slapped together with all CHINESIUM parts, POS AR will better 3moa! LOL!

I stick to what I said. It doesn’t affect me in the slightest. My “OPINION” is they are a waste of money to bye new. And they certainly aren’t doing the 223 round any service.

But there was a time in my younger years, I looked at the Mini as a handsome piece.

 

[danez71]

Ok.... but to be clear, you can or can't point to posts that say all those things?

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The traditional ejection pattern of the Mini14 is a plus feature (design intent or not): it protects your left front flank against intruders.

The ejection pattern of my CZ vz 52 pistol with robust surplus7.62x25mm ammo would protect my left rear flank from intruders, but that's a subject for a different thread.

The Mini14 ranks high on reliability, maintainability, and "traditional" looks, but mediocre on accuracy, in general.

I have not seen the newer Mini14s with stiffer barrels than the original. Quite frankly, on the family property in the mountains, it was hard to find 65 yards clear to set up targets, so 3 MOA (Mini14) vs 2 MOA or better (commercial AR15) was not a deal breaker/deal maker if reliability, maintenance, and looks matter too or matter more.

To me the practical plus for the AR15 is the universal supply of interchangeable parts from multiple suppliers.

The minus to me is the fact that the AR design is so tall vertically, it would not fit my existing gun cases that easily accommodate my M1 Carbine and presumably a Mini14. I do have loan of an AR M4gery with tactical carrying case from a family member and it seems a nice gun especially since he loaned me his tactical carrying case.

The French national police adopted the Ruger Mini14, with a French designed stock and some design modifications; I would be intrigued by an accurate replica of that configuration.

 

[David Hoback]

I’m not “pointing“ to anything. I’m simply airing my thoughts on the subject. I’m not arguing. You are doing a fine job of that. I’m not even asking you agree. Remember you quoted me in dispute, and asked a question. I answered your question I thought relevant. Was the end far as I’m concerned. But you again resumed with enticement to argue. I’m not doing that. Cheers!