need help deciding Mini-30 or Mini-14?

[stinger 327]

For those suggesting the AR instead of a Mini: The OP is a California resident and yet another round of gun control laws were just passed that makes owning a California legal AR pointless.

A featureless mini (meaning no pistol or protruding fore grips, no threaded muzzle, and a few other things) can still take advantage of a standard mag release and be legal in CA. An AR can no longer even use a neuter button and the only current work around means breaking the rifle open to reload.

But once you move out of California Isn't it just a simple modification to get rid of that bullet button feature to return it back to factory stock?

 

[danez71]

But once you move out of California Isn't it just a simple modification to get rid of that bullet button feature to return it back to factory stock?

Yes, true.

But while living & using an AR in CA, you essentially have just a few choices.

1) Use the new super bullet button that effectively turns their AR into a 10 round break open action rifle in order to remove the magazine.

2) Use the original bullet button and register it as an AW.

3) Use a featureless semi auto and not have to modify it or register it as an assault rifle.

 

[stinger 327]

Yes, true.

But while living & using an AR in CA, you essentially have just a few choices.

1) Use the new super bullet button that effectively turns their AR into a 10 round break open action rifle in order to remove the magazine.

2) Use the original bullet button and register it as an AW.

3) Use a featureless semi auto and not have to modify it or register it as an assault rifle.

Exactly what I thought.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I don't live in California, but would that Ares SCR stock be California legal? Would that be a "featureless semi auto"?

 

[danez71]

I don't live in California, but would that Ares SCR stock be California legal? Would that be a "featureless semi auto"?

Yes. That's fine. I was seriously thinking of getting one about 6-9 months ago and I probably should have.

But I'm thinking maybe of getting a mini 14 myself. I used to have one (I think a 183 series) and sold it because I just wasn't shooting any center fire rifles.

In hindsight, that may be the only gun I've sold that that I probably shouldn't have and just let it sit in the safe. But at least the newer ones are better.

 

[Ignition Override]

In '08 I bought an old '95 Mini 14, and months later bought a (2004 series) Mini 30. My only real complaint was with the very thick front post sights.
And once every 60-80 rds. or so in the Mini 30, a round of Wolf or Monarch (Russian also) needed a second primer strike.

In stark contrast, the really old Mini 14 (silver sticker said "State of KY" on the stock) ran a perfect operation with its Ruger factory magazine using Silver Bear or Wolf ammo. No second strikes were needed.

Is the OP planning to use steel-cased ammo with these harder Berdan primers?
Do the newer Mini 30s function better with it, or will the gun only be used at the range etc where it won't matter?

 

[Sheepdog1968]

If hunting is an option I'd go with a mini-30. If hunting isn't an option, I'd be inclined to get a mini-14 as I'd prefer 30 round mags over 20 round mags. Assumes you live in a state where that is a possibility. If you live somewhere that limits you to 10 round mags then I'd want a mini-30 as more energy. This is my rational. If someone had different drivers for their choices that would be fine.

 

[hdwhit]

...is there any other real compelling reason to choose one over the other?

When I bought my 181-series Mini-14 it was only available in .223 Remington. 36 years later it is still accurate enough to do head-shots on turtles (an invasive nuisance animal on a catfish farm).

In my opinion, the "compelling reason" to choose the Mini-14 over the Mini-30 is that in the domestic flood of AR-style rifles, both are niche rifles and that affects the availability and sometimes price of accessories such as magazines with the ones for the Mini-14 seeming to be being more readily available.

The state I live in and the state where I own land both allow the .223 Remington to be used for deer hunting. If it did not, but did allow the 7.62x39, I would choose the Mini-30 and put up with the frustrations you will find in getting magazines and the like.

 

[illinoisburt]

Mini-30 is better choice for hunting (heavier caliber). The issue with hard primers in steel cartridges is easy to fix with a wolf hammer spring upgrade.

 

[RecoilRob]

The issue with hard primers in steel cartridges is easy to fix with a wolf hammer spring upgrade

But if you really investigate it....you'll find the normal Wolf primers aren't any appreciably harder than CCI 34's or other rifle primers and isn't the root cause of the misfires. It does seem that many have found some relief with the extra-power hammer springs, but Ruger swears that the stock spring is plenty strong enough to set off ANY primer...so something else is at work when they misfire. And that is headspacing being a bit different with CIP and SAAMI ammo.....with the Mini being chambered for SAAMI.

Have you ever heard of a Mini misfiring with SAAMI ammo? I know I've not...and would like to hear of someone experiencing a light strike because my 180 Mini crushes the primers right nicely. But CIP 7.62x39 will drop deeper into the chamber than SAAMI ammo will...hence the light strikes. Take a minute and look at the cartridge drawings to see the difference in shoulder angle along with the datum point where the headspacing is dimensioned and you'll see what I mean. I don't know why, but people seem hell bent on thinking it says '7.62x39' on the box so it SHOULD work! Maybe will....maybe won't.

 

[flashhole]

I went through the same thinking ,,, 223 or 7.62,

I am already geared up to handload 223 so that was my choice.

Bought this 583 series Mini 14 last week. Learned the factory iron sights are too crude for load comparison so I put a scope on it. It's shooting much, much better than the masses led me to believe it would. One piece of advice I thought was good - put a few hundred rounds down the barrel before you do load development.

 

[socalbeachbum]

My last Mini-14 was scoped and did very well with high quality .223 ammo, but was all over the place when using cheap reloads and the steel cased stuff.

I'm kinda leery about this info about Mini-30 problems, and so will probably go with another Mini-14 in SS / synthetic

 

[flashhole]

That would be an excellent choice. What good taste you have in firearms.

 

[8ring]

I can't tell you about the Ruger 7.62 x 35 20 round magazine. However, all Ruger 5.56 Mini 14 magazines (5, 10, and 20 round) have been completely reliable.

 

[stinger 327]

Yes, true.

But while living & using an AR in CA, you essentially have just a few choices.

1) Use the new super bullet button that effectively turns their AR into a 10 round break open action rifle in order to remove the magazine.

2) Use the original bullet button and register it as an AW.

3) Use a featureless semi auto and not have to modify it or register it as an assault rifle.

I don't know if the Mini-14 in California is on the list of assault weapons to be banned in January 2017

 

[danez71]

I don't know if the Mini-14 in California is on the list of assault weapons to be banned in January 2017

The normal 'ranch rifles' are fine as they don't have the features that suddenly turn it into an AW under the new CA law.

Here's the list, as it stands today, with the features that would turn it into an AW under the new CA AW law.


https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB880

30515. (a) Notwithstanding Section 30510, “assault weapon” also means any of the following:

(1) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that does not have a fixed magazine but has any one of the following:

(A) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.

(B) A thumbhole stock.

(C) A folding or telescoping stock.

(D) A grenade launcher or flare launcher.

(E) A flash suppressor.

(F) A forward pistol grip.

(2) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.

(3) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has an overall length of less than 30 inches.

(4) A semiautomatic pistol that does not have a fixed magazine but has any one of the following:

(A) A threaded barrel, capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer.

(B) A second handgrip.

(C) A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel that allows the bearer to fire the weapon without burning the bearer’s hand, except a slide that encloses the barrel.

(D) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip.

(5) A semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.

(6) A semiautomatic shotgun that has both of the following:

(A) A folding or telescoping stock.

(B) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon, thumbhole stock, or vertical handgrip.

(7) A semiautomatic shotgun that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine.

(8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.

(b) For purposes of this section, “fixed magazine” means an ammunition feeding device contained in, or permanently attached to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without disassembly of the firearm action.

 

[jmorris]

It's been a number of years since my Mini 14 has seen daylight, I guess if I were to buy one today it would be the 30. Almost all of my .223 AR's will out shoot the 14, maybe the 30 would have a chance to out shoot my AK's.