Mini 14 vs AR15 reliability

[Roadking Rider]

Last year (2011) I bought my new 580 wooden Mini 14 Ranch rifle for $549+tax out the door at Classic Pistol in Bucks Co. Pa. I believe you can pick them up at Tanners GS also in Bucks Co. Pa for abought the same price.

 

[Jeff White]

ApacheCoTodd asked;

That's an interesting observation. What generally tends to "go south" on them in the carbine class environment?

Failure to extract mostly. I don't think they respond well to getting really hot from extended strings of rapid fire.

I had a mini years ago. I really enjoyed plinking with it and I regret selling it, but I wouldn't want to use it really hard. Mine was a 181 series I bought new. Even then the accuracy really dropped off as the barrel heated up.

 

[Kyle M.]

Please show me a local gun store that still sells Minis for $550 new.

The cheapest price I see anywhere these days is $667 at Wallyworld.

My bad $573.00 my lgs sells rugers at 25-35% off depending on what there paying. The owner gets between 35-45% through his distributor, so if he gets 45% off msrp he sells at 35% off if he gets 35% off he sells at 25% off.

 

[Skyshot]

I like them both, I give the accuracy edge to the AR but the new 581's are pressing on the AR's heels. Both my AR and Mini will go 1.5 MOA if I do my part. I don't have any reliability issues with either. I don't shoot Steel bulk stuff and I'm sure that helps. Ruger factory mags are the way to go for the mini. As far as cleaning goes, it is what it is. You break-em down and clean, no big deal they just come apart differnt. My wife and kids and grandkids prefer to shoot the mini though, hands down.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

ApacheCoTodd asked;



Failure to extract mostly. I don't think they respond well to getting really hot from extended strings of rapid fire.

I had a mini years ago. I really enjoyed plinking with it and I regret selling it, but I wouldn't want to use it really hard. Mine was a 181 series I bought new. Even then the accuracy really dropped off as the barrel heated up.

I wonder if some chamber treatment might not resolve that?

Seems like most every gunshow I went to in the 90s would have a couple-three fellas looking for bolts from either breaking an ear off or wanting a spare for fear of breaking an ear off. Was that mythology or a valid concern that's since been addressed?

 

[RatDrall]

I don't think they respond well to getting really hot from extended strings of rapid fire.

I put 400 rounds through a (newer) mini-14 in a long afternoon shooting session. It did not malfunction once.

 

[Jeff White]

I put 400 rounds through a (newer) mini-14 in a long afternoon shooting session. It did not malfunction once.

Were you shooting drills like "rolling thinder" that would heat things up quickly?

 

[MachIVshooter]

First, $1700 is $322 over MSRP on the Armalite M15A2 National Match. Second, those rifles have 2.5lb two stage match triggers, screw in aperture match sights, and free floated triple lapped barrels. The dampener on the Mini 14 Target is there to counter the barrel vibrations imparted by the reciprocating mass of the op rod. If it can overcome the lack of free floated bbl, the stock trigger, and the stock sights that's a miracle. I'm extremely skeptical.

Big +1

Methinks he was spouting stuff from posterior orifice.

 

[Art Eatman]

Looks like this horse is sinking fast.

From experience with several ARs and several Minis, and from reading about them at TFL and THR for fourteen years, I can't see a nickel's worth of difference between them for reliability--stipulating decent magazines.