M1 carbine better then Mini-14?

[22/22mag]

I have read that the Mini-14 would not hold up as a war rifle but the M1 .30 carbine was fine.Not commenting of the .30 cartridge just the rifles.Comparing the 2 the Mini-14 seems a solid well built rifle. Any thoughts?

 

[whm1974]

A reason I would take the Mini-14 over the M-1 carbine is that .223 is much easyer to find then .30 carbine ammo.

On the other hand getting hi-caps is much easyer for the m-1 carbine.

-Bill

 

[yotesmoker]

I've got both.The carbine with iron sights shoots better groups than my mini does with a scope.The mini is a rock solid gun but I can't abide with the accuracy it gives.Going to dump the mini and start stocking up on 30 carbine ammo.

 

[Frog48]

M1A would be my choice over both M1-Carbine or Mini-14.

But strictly between M1-Carbine and Mini-14, I agree with the gentleman above... I'd go with the Mini-14 because .223 Rem ammo is incredibly easy to find.

 

[4fingermick]

Mini v M1

I've have carried the Mini 14 at work off and on for the past20+ years and have a real soft spot for it. It is a real good knock about rifle and is fool proof provided you keep good magazines in the rifle (never had a problem with Ruger mags). However, if I was about to crawl through the mud in Europe or the Pacific for a few years, I think I'd want a real milspec rifle like the M1 or Garand which was built to take the bad with the very bad and still come up operating. Mick.

 

[George S.]

On the other hand getting hi-caps is much easyer for the m-1 carbine.

Aftermarket hi-cap mags for the Mini-14 are widely available and at less cost than the Ruger factory mags. I have a number of John Masen and Pro-Mag 10, 20 and 30 round mags that work with no problems at all in my Mini-14.

The Mini-14 hi-cap mags are physically larger and heavier when fully loaded but they are definitely out there. Never paid more than $20 for any of mine.

I agree with the cost factor being in favor of .223 and you can find a variety of bullet weights and even some soft-points for hunting. Wolf .223 is cheap and works fine for general paper punching and plinking. There is also some match-grade .223 available.

As far as the rifle, the Mini would be an excellent truck gun but the M1 Carbine would be better suited to something like combat conditions. Some foreign countries did use the Mini for their military forces but I think it was the GB model and not the civilian version.

Police departments used the GB version of the Mini (TX Dept of Public Safety had them for a long time) and I think the CA Department of Corrections still uses them in guard towers at their prisons.

 

[Prof. A. Wickwire]

I own a Mini-14 Stainless Ranch rifle. It has never failed to load, fire, or extract/eject. While the accuracy does leave something to be desired, (I had to send it back to Ruger to deal with the 10"-12" groups) it is one of the most reliable rifles I have ever owned. I am looking for an M-1 Carbine to add to my collection for comparison (any offers?) and to keep my M-1 Garand company.

George S.

Like myself, Bill might reside in a state that does not trust it's subjects with over 10 rounds in new magazines. As a result, over 10 round magazines manufactured prior to 1994 are hard to come by and expensive.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Wickwire

 

[grimjaw]

Platform - M1 Carbine
Cartridge - Mini 14

jm

 

[Tom C.]

I have both. When I got the M-1 Carbine I tried it with Remington mil ball at 50 yds. 2.5”. Not great. I reloaded the cases with Sierra softpoints and it cut the group in half.
To get my Mini to shoot decently, I had to have it rebarreled. Now it shoots mil ball into 1.5 – 2 in. and stuff it really like into groups closer to 1 in.
Now that Ruger is interested in upgrading the Mini, it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

 

[yodar]

M-1 Carbine

Wouldnt you say that Tom's 50 yard scores are probably beyond the practical limits of the gun?

I treat the M-1 carbine and a long pistol with large magazine capacit for close in self defense.

Isn't that what the M-1 carbine was conceived for?

(I wasnt there)

Yodar

 

[dispatch55126]

The carbine was designed for tankers and truckers of the red ball express. These troops were not expected to be in sustained offensive contact but needed weapons heavier than pistols for defensive action. That being said, it was useful with paratroops and certain ranger companies that were ahead of the lines and needed a light rifle where you could carry extra ammo and had larger capacity with quicker reload.

 

[RH822]

Platform - M1 Carbine
Cartridge - Mini 14

IIRC that would be called an MMJ Spitfire.

I'll go with my Mini it hits harder at longer ranges than my M-1 carbine will.

RH

 

[carlrodd]

i think your question has been largely unanswered. round and accuracy comparisons aside, i think the mini 14 would physically hold up just as well as the carbine in a combat situation, assuming it was maintained, just as you would have to maintain the m1 carbine. it is extremely sturdy, and i think alot of people have an exaggerated idea of what a weapon would typically go through during combat. combat is typically rather static in nature, and there is plenty of opportunity to properly maintain a weapon. if your weapon, whatever it is, was to be sloshing around in muck with you at any point, you'd be obliged to clean it as quickly as possible, again, no matter what it is.

 

[GRIZ22]

I found the Mini 14 capable of taking some abuse. My agency used to issue them and had pool rifles at the range to qualify. These would go 500-1000 rounds or more without cleaning. We never had any problem with them until we had some starting to keyhole. Sent them to Ruger and they asked how many rounds we had thru them. Calculated by looking at the ammo book and so many shooters times so many rounds times so many quarters. They averaged 100,000 rds. This might sound unbelievable and I probably wouldn't believe it but I was part of the research process.

I never saw a Mini 14 that wouldn't group 3" at 100 but maybe I just ran into good ones.

I like the M1 but ammunition availabilty and ability to hit out to 300 yards would make me pick the Mini 14 between the two.

 

[357wheelgunner]

My mini-14 shot 2-3 MOA with iron sights, 1-2 MOA through a scope. This is from a cold barrel though, once the barrel heated up it threw a pattern. It was pretty bad, but good enough to hit a torso at 100 yards or a head at 50.

I liked my mini and will be buying a pair for my wife and I shortly......

 

[enfield]

My carbine is light and fast and accurate. However, as a battle rifle, the Marines at the Chosin Reservoir had a low opinion of them. They wouldn't drop the Chinese, and the Marines had to urinate on them in the mornings to get them warm enough to function.

Quick -- someone start a thread on Marine pee as a cold weather lubricant.