Why no love for the Mini-14 ?

[Darth AkSarBen]

Bill Ruger is supposed to have been quoted this about the Mini-14.." They are the worlds most expensive plinker".
Don't have any links to back that up, just what I have heard before. I can buy parts for my firearm, or get them off some other deceased firearm that is AK based. Most of the Ak parts fit from one to another. Need a firing pin? No problem. You could probably even make one.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Because I can shoot my SKS, and consider it and the mini 30 to be interchangeable in all uses, and with the difference I bought ammo (I now realize not enough)

And for those prices I can buy a Little Black Rifle..... If I was into that

 

[MCMXI]

I can buy parts for my firearm, or get them off some other deceased firearm that is AK based. Most of the Ak parts fit from one to another. Need a firing pin? No problem. You could probably even make one.

That's right, there aren't any parts available for the Mini-14 .... ... not to mention the fact that I haven't had to change/replace a single part on two of mine despite thousands of rounds sent downrange.

Midway
Brownell's
Accuracy Systems

This is easy folks, if you don't like the Mini-14 then don't @#$%ing by one and stop bitching about them. I like mine and yet I have a number of other rifles in my collection costing 10 times as much. I have two ARs that cost around $2,500 each with all the bells and whistles but I won't be getting rid of my Mini ... EVER!!

 

[jackdanson]

I kind of like them, but every time I'm about to buy one I think... "well two or three hundred more and I'll have a nice AR....."

 

[gunnutery]

On balance, I would say that the pros outweigh the cons. But there are two other factors which, while they are unimportant to knowledgeable people, are very important to many potential purchasers:

(4) not used by any major military;
(5) low coolness factor (doesn't look like a 'machine gun').

I do believe the Mini 14 was used by the Irish defense forces for a time. However that's not really a "major" military force.

I like my Mini 14 anyway. It's very simple to clean and maintain and it's inner workings are not overly complicated (which keeps in line with K.I.S.S.)

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The Mini-14 is a great $400-450 plinker/ranch rifle. My only problem with the Mini is when someone asks me to pay $750-800 for one or wants to use it outside of where it works well.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I only let my stainless ranch rifle go because the fellow wanted it so badly. He traded me a brand new Wby. Vanguard in .270 win. w/Aeotec scope and a NIB BHP P-35 Hungarian clone in .45 acp. he still has it and loves it! I gave my Mini-30 to my daughter because she loves it and can shoot it so well. I am seriously considering trading her my Bushmaster ES-15 AR for it back!

 

[DennyF]

Have a Mini 14 and a Mini 30. Don't have but about $650 in both of 'em, both bought used in mint condition. Both work fine, are very reliable and are fairly accurate, which is all I ask of a semi in either of those two cartridges. Both will do minute of multiple boogeymen at 100 yards and then some. I hope to never have to use them for such.

If I want to knock the eyelid off'n a woodchuck at 300 yards, or drop a whitetail at 450 yards, I have proven tools for those jobs, too.

Had a Bushmaster CMP for years, sold it. It also worked well and was very accurate. Spent more time in one week fussing with and pampering that AR, than I have on both Minis combined, in the past five years. Which is probably why I still have them?

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I bought a mini-14 earlier this week, got it sighted in today, did a 2.5" group at 100 yards, I'm happy. Its a neat gun, fun to shoot. Two or 2.5 inches at a 100 yards is what I has hoping for and it delivered.

 

[fatelk]

+1 1858

Some of you all really hate the mini, don't you? It almost feels to me that, by extension, you seem to loathe anyone who happens to like their Mini-14, and dare stick up for them.

Now, I'm sure you don't mean it that way, but it's almost how you are coming across.

Apparantly I lucked out and got a good one, that for almost 20 years has been consistent with descent accuracy and total reliability, and it's one of the early ones! I don't shoot it much anymore, but it has proven itself.

Not everyone wants an uber-tactical-decked-out-cool-looking gun. I'm not a soldier and I don't fantasize about being one. Personally I have absolutely no interest in owning a decked out AR with all the bells and whistles, and I really only need two magazines. I'll defend your right to own those kinds of guns, and I have nothing against them, they just don't do anything for me.

 

[Art Eatman]

If you're a hunter, the Mini is great. If you're a bench rester or target shooter, they're not. So what's the problem?

 

[NC-Mike]

If you're a hunter, the Mini is great. If you're a bench rester or target shooter, they're not. So what's the problem?

The claims of 1 MOA mini's and how great a self-defense weapon they make can be very annoying.

But you know what? Even Ruger agreed the mini needed to look more like an AR...

Look at what they did to it!

"Ruger Tactical"

To tell you the truth, I kind of like that one. That's about what I did to mine just before I sold it a few years ago. Cut down 16" barrel and pistol grip stock. All I was missing was an adjustable stock and some rails.

But the best thing my mini ever did was turn into my first EBR.

 

[Hammerhead6814]

Hammerhead I had a look at the dpms sportical. That one don't do it for me. No carry handle, no bayonet lug and no foward assist. I don't like the flattops.

I do like the lightweight 20. The only thing I would change on it was to add a chrome lined barrel. And naturally its out of stock. The 7.5 lbs weight is in the correct range. It was $725 or $757 with the chome barrel. Thats a fair price for me.

I read all the threads here about ARs. Particularly the one about whats the best AR to get. I thought DPMS was rated about second from the bottom over Olympic Arms. Every rifle that is recommended starts at a thousand bucks and goes up from there.

I still see minis around here for $625 to $700. My local GS has the blued, plastic stock with a flash hider on it for $679 + tax and he is normally a little high. The Academy finally got a blued/wood in but I didn't look at the price. Wasn't any point. I have mine and don't plan on buying another. I am always on the hunt for something new though.

There is a gunshow next weekend in dallas. I will be there with a pocket full of cash.

There is a forward assist version of the Sportical. It was on sale last weekend at the MVACA gun show for $725 dollars (same dealer had the basic Sportical for just $700, same as Show Me Shooters in Claycomo). And DPMS is a low-rated AR manufacturer? They've been winning awards from the NRA for years! Not the sportical mind you, but they do put out quality AR's .

I can't find a NEW Mini-14 for under $800 in Kansas City yet . There are a lot of used ones around for $600 dollars, but from what I've seen, a 20 year old Mini doesn't have a lot of life left in it (barrel wise) .

 

[riflenut]

mini 14 constant bashing

hey i own 2 so called bad rifles , according to alot of posts on here!!Ive been a member on this board since 2006, I have read so many negitive post on both rifles I OWN and wouldnt sell either one , there are keepers in my gun safe. I own a MINI 30 made in 1995. and a OLYMPIC ARMS PLINKER 556. AR -15. puchased it in 2006. both are very fun to shoot and have had no jam ups or any other problems with either rifle!! when i started looking to purchase the AR , PRICES were 900 on up i couldnt afford this for one rifle, so i ran in to this OLYMPIC brand new in 06 for 660 dollars at a local gun shop. and i bought my mini 30 used for 450 at the same time and put it on 90 day lay away. I enjoy target shooting with both at 30, 50, and 70 yards.

 

[Bishop.357]

My wife bought a newer Mini-14 for the simple fact that she is rather small,(5'2" and 105lbs) and she wanted a semi-auto that fit her better. We got it for a steal,well below market price and got a few HC mags thrown in with the deal. I'll admit,the new Minis' are more accurate then the older 90s' models,but I still think the only thing they'er good for is layin' down suppression fire while under attack from superior numbers. Oh yeah, .223/5.56nato is a crapy caliber.

 

[benEzra]

.223 is a bit loud for Home Defense. I would consider it "Home Deafness" as I would not hear anything again after firing one inside my house. A couple of .45 ACP I have handy will suffice to discourage the intruder(s). My 2 small dogs take off when I pull it out for shooting. They don't like the noise either, and THEY'RE INSIDE!....LOL.. btw, it's not a Mini. AK make great home defense rifles as well, but as mentioned, would not be the first pick to shoot inside a closed in space.

A .223 carbine is considerably louder than a .45 ACP carbine, but (surprisingly) is about the same peak loudness as a .45 ACP pistol. The frequency spectrum may be a little different, and the duration of the pressure pulse is probably longer, but the peak loudness is comparable. A 14.5" or 10.5" .223 would be an entirely different story, though.

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

Not sure if these figures are straight dB or dBA.

Table 2. CENTERFIRE RIFLE DATA
.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18 _" barrel.....155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel...........................155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel.........................156.0dB
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel.....................157.5dB
.308 in 24" barrel...........................156.2dB
.30-06 in 24" barrel.........................158.5dB
.30-06 in 18 _" barrel.......................163.2dB
.375 — 18" barrel with muzzle brake...........170 dB

Table 3. CENTERFIRE PISTOL DATA
.25 ACP...........155.0 dB
.32 LONG..........152.4 dB
.32 ACP...........153.5 dB
.380..............157.7 dB
9mm...............159.8 dB
.38 S&W...........153.5 dB
.38 Spl...........156.3 dB
.357 Magnum.......164.3 dB
.41 Magnum........163.2 dB
.44 Spl...........155.9 dB
.45 ACP...........157.0 dB
.45 COLT..........154.7 dB

Barrel length makes a huge difference.

That's right, there aren't any parts available for the Mini-14 .... ... not to mention the fact that I haven't had to change/replace a single part on two of mine despite thousands of rounds sent downrange.

Midway
Brownell's
Accuracy Systems

If you look closely, I don't think those are Ruger factory parts. Unless they've changed their policy, Ruger won't sell you a spare bolt, firing pin, etc. since they require the fitting to be done themselves; to get a spare bolt, you'd have to remove the bolt from your rifle and ship the rifle to them to install another, AFAIK.

It's good that the aftermarket has stepped up to the plate, though, but I still didn't see any spare bolts in there, whereas a spare bolt assembly for an AK or an AR are readily available.

 

[NC-Mike]

I had a Olympic Plinker and it was one of the early cast models!

That thing ran like a top but the cast receivers spooked me so I sold it. It was a good little plinker. Very accurate and very reliable.

There are some good cheap guns out there. Hi-Point 995 carbine probably tops that list.

 

[ThomasT]

Hammerhead if the sportical had the foward assist I didn't catch it in the photo. But just the fact that it was a flat top killed it for me. As for saying the DPMS is not as good as other ARs I was basing that one what other posters here have said about it. I won't comment because I have zero experience with any ARs.

It seems every one has a comment on the mini whether they have shot only an older gun or haven't shot one at all. Like the poster that said you can't judge ranges because of the tapered front sight. That comment invalidated his opinion for me because he has only shot the olded versions and none of the new ones. Its old, out of date experience and doesn't apply to the new guns.

 

[NC-Mike]

Its old, out of date experience and doesn't apply to the new guns.

You mean the mini-14 has a new front site?


Oh, OK...

 

[black_powder_Rob]

Yep NC-Mike and a heavier barrel too, and guess what mine doubles as a hunting gun and a "home defense carbine"

and I am not the only one i bet that this applies to. oh well guess you will just have to let it be.

 

[ThomasT]

Yes NC-Mike it has a new front sight. And a new rear sight. And and recoil buffer. And tighter fitting parts. And a barrel that is .620 at its smallest diameter instead of .520 at its thickest after the chamber area.

Its a different gun compared to the old gun.

 

[NC-Mike]

So you're saying this rifle that was designed in 1967 has finally been fixed?










Now if you could only buy good mags for 12.00 a pop, you just might have something.

 

[NC-Mike]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=465059

 

[black_powder_Rob]

"Now if you could only buy good mags for 12.00 a pop, you just might have something."

well it would be nice, but the few factory mags i have work well and i am trying out the pro mags, not 12 but still cheaper than the factory mags.

also i don't need 15 mags for one gun. as mentioned it is for hunting and if need be HD and for most situations that are likely to happen I think 2 20's and 1 30's and 1 5 rounder will be just fine. oh and i was lucky enough to get one of the 20's free and the other one at 29.99, so it is close to being 12 per a mag when i got them.

Does it really irk you that i like my mini that much?

P.S. i know you are just joshing

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I bought some USA 20 and 30 round mags for both my Mini-14 and Mini-30. The 20s worked great out of the package but the follower on the 30s didn't seem to lift upward at the front. A simple adjustment of the tang at the rear of the follower cured the problem. I don't recall what I paid for them but it wasn't $12.00. My daughter still uses the mags for the Mini-30(they are over 15 years old).