M-1 carbine vs. Ruger mini 14.

[Tarvis]

Both are great, fun rifles. The question you have to ask? Do you want history, or a "poor man's AR"?

Owning an AR doesnt necesarily mean you own a piece of history. Now, if you owned an M16 that saw combat in VN, then yes, you do. But then again thats not an AR. Like I said in my first post, the AR is based off the M16, mini off the M14. Both are civilian rifles. Yeah yeah, Colt makes better firearms than Ruger. But owning an AR doesnt mean you get a placard on the wall saying "Thank You for Preserving History. You're a good guy." My mini symbolizes the M14's used in combat around the world just as much as your AR symbolizes the staple of the United States military. Both were made for civilians based on a military weapon platform.

In closing: Buy both. If you don't like one of em, sell it, keep it in the safe, or blast it into space *wink*

 

[Keith Wheeler]

Owning an AR doesnt necesarily mean you own a piece of history...

I was referring to the original question of M1 Carbine vs. Mini-14...though I will disagree on something that is often repeated online. Yes, the Mini-14 is "based" (I would say "inspired by") on the M-14. No parts exchange, but it's a similar system. Also similar to M1 carbine and M1 Garand. The AR-15 isn't "based" on the M-16. It's the same bloody gun, minus a couple of parts, a milled area in the receiver, and a hole in the lower. I've built ARs from forged blanks that could also be used to build an M-16. Same "gun", different parts.

 

[lencac]

Travis tell me something I DON"T know. Gees this thread just keeps going on and on and on and on and on ...... kinda like the energizer bunny

 

[jpwilly]

I've shot the M1 Carbine (my Fathers) very fun wouldn't call it accurate. Haven't ever shot a Ruger Mini so I'm not help with that but the DPMS AR-15 I have is a very nice rifle and shoots great too. I personally prefer the AR rifles in .223

 

[silverlance]

^^
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see above? see what I mean by chainsmoking dull eyed goth? no vibrancy, no warmth, no silky goodness. she will get you your fix then kick you out.

Silverlance, are you suggesting that we trade the Mini-14 for the PC9? Or should we shoot the PC9 behind the Mini's back?

heh- the now-discontinued PC9 is like the wife's hot 18 year old cousin. you flirt with each chance you get, and all the guys at the range want to talk to you when you bring her out. no kidding. each time im at the range with the pc9, everybody wants to shoot her. she's a little rough on the edges, and the trigger pull is the absolute wierdest ive ever seen in a firearm, but there's a certain virgin charm to shooting 9mm in a rifle that I dont get anymore in any of the rifle calibers since Ive shot them all so often.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

Oh, real AR-15s are made by Colt, not Bushmaster or whoever

I thought "real" AR-15s were made by ArmaLite?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If you notice your posts missing, then it was either because you were attacking the person and not the argument. Please take the hint for future conversation.

 

[Tarvis]

I was actually attacking his opinion. How about putting the post back on and deleting the last line?

 

[Ed Ames]

Aren't people sort of missing the point of the question? The original poster wanted a wood stocked and more or less traditionally-styled rifle. Doesn't matter how snazzy a DPMS, Colt, or whatever is unless you can fit a conventional wood stock on it.

I was basically given a mini-14 a while ago. It's not something I would've purchased but hey I'm not complaining. I had kind of dismissed them as not accurate enough or special enough to be worth paying over $500 for. And it isn't all that accurate (though it's not my least accurate either). It has been completely reliable so far and it's a lot of fun against reactive targets.

I'd rather have a M1 carbine for the history.... but if you want a fun gun the mini-14 is a better choice. If you want a practical home defense gun the mini is a better choice. For economical plinking a major factor is that you can get .22lr conversion for the mini-14 for less than the price of most semi-auto .22lr rifles and you can't say the same of the m1 carbine. $150 wil buy you the converter and 1000 rounds of .22lr. That makes the mini a far more practical "economical fun" gun than any of the other options listed so far.

I like the mini-14 more now that I've owned it than I ever thought I would. That doesn't make it my ideal rifle by any stretch but it's got a lot going for it in this context.

 

[Ignition Override]

Thanks very much for all of your observations and sincere advice. Pardon me it this topic is beating a dead horse.

Again, I have very little experience with any guns except for the old single-shot .22 bolt action (1930's?) Savage which I inherited from a grandfather.

Having just bought a brand-new Auto Ordnance M-1 carbine (had an identical bb-gun as kid) and with no exposure to semi-autos, am also wondering why a round often jams after about 6-7 rounds, from the standard (included) small magazine.

This is the only other gun I've ever owned or bought! Might buy a 'mini' in the future. Could not justify the money for an FN FAL.

Should the small and large magazines also be oiled, in order to help the springs?
The gun was left with the store where I bought it just before firing it again, and they lubbed it with the 'white stuff', whatever that is.

As for beating a dead horse, so to speak, instead of that (with lots of target practice) I would not mind being with a very conservative guide (modest price?) and one day hunting a wild pig somewhere in central Tennessee (or northern Arkansas)-preferably NOT on foot (!). No kidding. But maybe this is not for relative beginners? Too many questions.....na ja/oh well.

 

[Sunray]

"...does very well with fmj bullets but not good with either soft lead or hollow-point..." Absolute rubbish. Properly loaded HP's or SP's work just fine with IMR4227.

 

[Snapping Twig]

My preference would be the Mini 14. You can accurize them for little $$ with a gas block adjustment and an Accu-Strut. The gas block is no cost do-it-yourself and the Accu-Strut is under $100.

Once done, you have a more powerful and equally accurate rifle.

Reason for my selection - a more powerful round that is readily available at low cost.

That and the fact that the Mini is current production by a major manufacturer with low cost parts availability.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Having just bought a brand-new Auto Ordnance M-1 carbine (had an identical bb-gun as kid) and with no exposure to semi-autos, am also wondering why a round often jams after about 6-7 rounds, from the standard (included) small magazine.

Field strip it and make sure that the gas piston nut is tight.

The magazine may be bad. Also, what ammo are you using?

 

[lencac]

Is the type of jam from the previous spent case not clearing the action and getting jammed up with the next round from the magazine? Or is the spent case clearing the action ok and the jam occures when trying to feed the next round from the magazine? And what type of ammo are you using at this point? Things to look at: magazine, cleaning and lubrication, short throw gas piston operation, extractor in bolt (can be very finicky due to it's very pettite nature).

 

[ArfinGreebly]

History Tidbits

For what it's worth . . .

Armalite built the AR15. The "AR" doesn't stand for "automatic rifile" or "assault rifle" as some seem to think. It stands for . . . Armalite.

Check out Armalite's new pistol. It has an "AR" designation.

The AR15 is a scaled-down AR10.

The M16 is the full-auto and/or select-fire rifle developed from the AR15.

The AR15 is not the "semi auto version" of the M16. It's the other way around.

The AR15 came first (well, okay, after the AR10), and it came from Armalite.

The M16 is the full-auto (or burst) variant of the AR15, made after Colt got their hands on it.

This information, by the way, may not be available at your local gun shoppe. It is, however available in books and (heaven forbid) on the intarwebz.

I have friends with ARs. I don't have one. I DO have a rifle in 5.56 NATO, but it's not any of the ones being discussed.

I don't have a PC9, but I DO have Marlin's Camp 9. And, for what it's worth, it is, hands down, the sweetest-shooting, most fun, easiest to hit with rifle that I own (inside of 100 yards, of course).

And you know what? It's not part of the discussion topic.

Neither is my brand of .223 rifle, either.

So, considering that NOTHING I WROTE ABOVE is really on-topic, can we get back to the actual topic?

Anyone?

Bueller?