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Anyone have a Mini 14?
- Thread starter Savagemarksman
- Start date
buy the first few seasons on dvd....and thanks for confirming that i'm turning into an old fart.
...and thanks for confirming that i'm turning into an old fart.
Hahaha! Sorry for making you feel old TOP PREDATOR
Maybe we can revive this thread in about 6 months. I just purchased one at Accuracy Systems for them to do their Ultra Match package. 18.5" .750 barrel with 1-8 twist. I wasn't going into this looking for a match winner but 4 moa didn't work either. We'll see...if it splits the difference I'm ok with that.
I linked to ASI in one of the earlier posts in this thread. While I wholeheartedly believe in the quality of the work performed by ASI and the results that they obtain speak for themselves, its the cost-to-actual-value ratio that is way the @#$% out of whack for anyone looking for the "most bang for their buck" when compared to various other semi-auto rifle options out there. Again...if you like the Mini for any number of different reasons and money is of no particular concern/object...then the ASI conversions are a most viable option and arguably, the best for the Mini all round. I think that you'll be pleased with the end result, but for me personally, I'd be kicking myself in the ass for the rest of my days at owning/investing in a $1400+ Mini (conversion plus base rifle cost)!!
Several factors played a part in the decision. One, I have AR phobia. I've owned several and while one of them I'm sorry I sold (it would now be illegal or I would have to register it), it just doesn't point and shoot like a traditional rifle for me so the Mini seemed like the logical choice. I learned to shoot with an M14 in the Navy and just haven't been able to fully embrace the AR. Secondly, I like being difficult.
no sweat I just still have some butt hurt over the time and money I put into trying to make it group. its a shame the reliability is there and they look pretty good but the accuracy is horrible and you can get 2 ar mags for the price of one mini.
We here have access to an AC556 'Mini'. It is a fun little toy with it's folding stock, bayonet lug, and whatnot. It eats anything it's been fed so far, and makes a lot of noise, reliably.
That being said, it's only two reasons for existence in this locale, is for "spray-and-pray" playing at the private range/gravel pits, for newcomers to the sport, (we've yet to have anyone who doesn't think its fun to 'hose things down') as well as a redundant redundant backup redundant last-ditch-effort "it's either that or a Buck knife" fallback when the time comes where 'repelling boarders' is the call of the day.
If you plan on doing anything that is actually serious in shooting, get something ELSE that really and truly CAN be serious in shooting. They are about as viable as Spinners' on the landing gear of a Lear Jet.
That being said, it's only two reasons for existence in this locale, is for "spray-and-pray" playing at the private range/gravel pits, for newcomers to the sport, (we've yet to have anyone who doesn't think its fun to 'hose things down') as well as a redundant redundant backup redundant last-ditch-effort "it's either that or a Buck knife" fallback when the time comes where 'repelling boarders' is the call of the day.
If you plan on doing anything that is actually serious in shooting, get something ELSE that really and truly CAN be serious in shooting. They are about as viable as Spinners' on the landing gear of a Lear Jet.
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This guy named Rob said it best. I don't remember which forum I got this from, but I liked this quote so much I saved it to my email. Here's the ultimate statement of mini14 accuracy:
"I have a Mini14 I bought new in 1985 with the factory folding stock. It will go bang as well as any gun I own. Very reliable. For accuracy testing I take a Hula-Hoop and place it about 30 feet to my right on the ground. Then I shoot a ten shot group to 100 yards. Take the freshly fired upon target and compare it to the group of expelled brass in the Hula-Hoop. The brass generally wins. But it is fun to shoot!"
Rob
"I have a Mini14 I bought new in 1985 with the factory folding stock. It will go bang as well as any gun I own. Very reliable. For accuracy testing I take a Hula-Hoop and place it about 30 feet to my right on the ground. Then I shoot a ten shot group to 100 yards. Take the freshly fired upon target and compare it to the group of expelled brass in the Hula-Hoop. The brass generally wins. But it is fun to shoot!"
Rob
I have a Mini my Dad bought in 1985.He killed several deer with it. Now I have it and I have killed several deer with it. I have 20,30,and 40 round magazines for it. Damn thing just feeds and extracts fine as long as it's lubricated. I really like the iron sights and REALLY wish Ruger would of made the Mini-14 accept AR magazines. The Ruger magazines are expensive,and sorting out good mags from bad ones if you buy other brands can be expensive as well.
I'm not a common poster, However I bought new in 2006 a stainless/synthetic ranch.. Grew up with guns all around. Then I got out of army 11B in 02 stayed away from semi autos until I bought this Ruger. When I took it out to the farm to sight in I shot a 3/4 " 3 shot group at 100 yds. I was happy and have never shot at paper since. This ruger rides under the seat of my pickup, I clean it once a year maybe 2 years, that's also when it get oiled. I have shot so many Jack rabbits, coyote, skunks, everything with it. I can't even venture to guess an actual number. I think its a 1/8 twist but not sure. Now in addition to this one I have all kinds of firearms, my 2 LWRCI blow this mini away as far as accuracy but they should at more than 3 times the $. Just to add so that I can be flamed some, I hate direct impingement which explains why I have what I have. I have one DPMS in .308 but I just bought it out of boredom. I maybe have 40 rounds through it in 3 years.
I'm gonna take pics of my groups next time out and post them here. 580 series Mini-14 with Mo-Reaper brake/front sight blade, Tech Site rear sights (like M1A sights) and Accu-strut barrel stabilizer. Bill Springfield trigger job and recoil buffer as well. Super sweet shooter, now that I have a spotting scope I can do some real testing.
My mini has served me well. It holds my john boat in one place, even in gusty winds. It works great as an anchor and an oar!
WOW!! A functional, dual-purpose Mini!!! Job well done, Nuke Man!
Just a word of caution from experience...be careful not to use it for anchor duty on more than a 16' john boat because they are so light that they don't hold the longer, heavier boats...especially in any strong currents.
Seriously folks...while I think we can all agree that the Mini series rifles/carbines are highly reliable, the "phenomenal" accuracy folks are reporting, regardless of which particular model and vintage of Mini you are referring to and whatever "upgrades" or "modifications" have been performed, is the EXCEPTION and far from the RULE with respect to the entirety of the lineup and the millions and millions of them produced since the beginning of their entry into the marketplace decades ago.
My five digit serial number (2x,xxx) mini bought in 1979 at Montgomery Ward has a 1:10 twist barrel. The one time I used it in NRA high power competition at Camp Bullis, I shot sharpshooter scores with it at two and three hundred yards. I think I was using Korean 5.56 55 grain stuff. The rear sight didn't have enough elevation travel for the six hundred yard prone stage.
This is way too funny! Thanks for sharing it.
I shoot a Mini 30 and thought it was just me. LOL
I shoot a Mini 30 and thought it was just me. LOL
As I posted earlier in another thread, I was the proud owner of a mini that would shoot .25 MOA one shot groups all day long. Never could figure out the POI shift between groups though. I lost a ton of reloadable brass shooting that thing.
My brother and I have a standing joke about self loaders flinging their empty cases out into the underbrush. Now try finding the brass when you shoot it from a seat up in a tree or in an elevated box blind with all the windows open. I normally open all the windows because I am looking in all directions for deer.
That's part of what has kept me from using a self loader for hunting when I have a perfectly good bolt rifle. I hate to lose brass after uniforming the primer pockets, trimming to length, and flash hole deburring. At least on the range, I have a chance to find my brass.
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Now THAT'S a problem the Mini14 is NOT famous for. I had mine for over 25 years and the only times it ever had a "jamming" problem I was using an aftermarket mag. Only two jams I can recall. Yours must have been a lemon.
As far as groups, I reloaded for that thing for it's entire life and the best I EVER did was 1.5" at 50 yds. 3 MOA. I had decided early on that I needed to do accuracy testing for this gun at 50 instead of 100 until I got a good load worked up. Well, in over 25 yrs I never did get that good load worked up. But, like the quote I posted previously, it was about the most fun gun to shoot I ever owned.
I had an old one (1993) and it never jammed, not even once - with factory mags. Aftermarket (which at the time meant anything more than 5 rounds) were sometimes a problem.
I heard they were reliable prior to buying one. Mine was a stainless steel one and it probably been a excellent boat anchor had I kept it.
^ Bwahahahaha!
I've got a Mo-Rod on mine. Also have a Mo-Reaper for the front but haven't pinned it on yet. Using a GG&G top rail with a Burris PEPR mount and a Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24 scope. It has the V-Brite reticle, so I get a red dot if I turn on the illumination, otherwise it's normal crosshairs.
I was actually quite happily surprised at just how *accurate* this rifle was, from the first time I shot it. It's a 188 serial #. The person I got it from had purchased the Mo-parts but had never installed them, so I installed the rod and after being quite satisfied with the accuracy of the iron sights but wanting a better view I put the rail and scope on it. It's a fun little rifle to shoot. I gave up on finding the ejected brass quite a while ago. Toying with the idea of getting the spent-brass catcher for it.
I inherited quite a bit of different kinds of .223/5.56 ammo, and have had zero trouble shooting any of it with this thing. It just happily takes anything I feed it, without issue.
Have shot and like AR platforms. I've been "working on building up" my AR lower for...oh... 6 years now? That's more what I say though, in reality it's still a stripped lower and I don't have an upper yet. So I'm less "working on it" and it's more just a lower sitting in a box that I take out and look at every now and then.
My mini14 is just plain fun to shoot.
I could care less about sub-moa anything, because that's usually quite a bit of money, time, and energy for a tool/skill that I have absolutely zero use for.
It's like building models.... you wish just one other person would appreciate it, so that it doesn't feel like such a waste of time. Because for those of us who are non Military/LE, why does it really matter if you can put two bullets through the same hole?
I shoot because its FUN, pure and simple. Perhaps if the zombie apocalypse occurs and I need to sever a zombie's spinal cord from 100 yards in a single shot, then you guys can say you told me so.
But if that were the case, I'd just switch over to my Rem700 .300winmag.
I always find it interesting when someone says one gun or another is crap when they have 30 other ones in the closet but still can only shoot one gun at a time. Everything after the first 3 or 4 is basically masturbation anyway. And at that point, as long as your having fun, that's all that matters.
It's not a deer rifle, and it's not a chuck rifle; although I guess some might disagree. But neither was the original '14.
Is there a place for such a rifle? Must be, 'cause there are a lot of them 'out there'.
I think that if we can just step away from the BR precision attitude for a moment, we might find that place.
They are short, wieldy, maybe fairly suitable for close quarters, and they don't earn glares from the 'pistol grips from Hell' bunch.
They will digest 'el cheapo grande' 55gr, and give that wolf at the door some pause for reconsideration.
Anyone who might want to stand in front of one at 200yd or less is welcome to; I'd rather not.
That's a real place...
Greg
Is there a place for such a rifle? Must be, 'cause there are a lot of them 'out there'.
I think that if we can just step away from the BR precision attitude for a moment, we might find that place.
They are short, wieldy, maybe fairly suitable for close quarters, and they don't earn glares from the 'pistol grips from Hell' bunch.
They will digest 'el cheapo grande' 55gr, and give that wolf at the door some pause for reconsideration.
Anyone who might want to stand in front of one at 200yd or less is welcome to; I'd rather not.
That's a real place...
Greg
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I had a pre-ban Mini-14 I bought in CA for like $275. It would usually not go into battery, was a rattle trap, the stock didn't mate to the ferrule well, but it was lightweight and fairly handy.
I remember carrying it when I was doing ruck training in the Sierra Nevada's before I joined the Army. It gave me comfort when I heard packs of coyotes howling with bloodlust in the night. 30rd factory Ruger mags were the only hi-caps that worked, and I also had the 5rd Ruger mag. I also had the translucent Ramline mags that would shave pieces off the lips with each cycle of the action in both the Mini and AR15.
I eventually traded it for some AR15 accessories. For those that want a traditional rifle feel, there have been guys that have had the Mini-Grendel conversion done on a Mini-30. I've thought about it, but it seems a bit much to me to commit to, knowing that I only have myself to blame when the groups come out badly, after thousands of dollars have been wasted.
I always wanted a stainless folder though, for nostalgia's sake, right along with the 83 GMC black van with red stripe. My wife isn't feeling it...
I remember carrying it when I was doing ruck training in the Sierra Nevada's before I joined the Army. It gave me comfort when I heard packs of coyotes howling with bloodlust in the night. 30rd factory Ruger mags were the only hi-caps that worked, and I also had the 5rd Ruger mag. I also had the translucent Ramline mags that would shave pieces off the lips with each cycle of the action in both the Mini and AR15.
I eventually traded it for some AR15 accessories. For those that want a traditional rifle feel, there have been guys that have had the Mini-Grendel conversion done on a Mini-30. I've thought about it, but it seems a bit much to me to commit to, knowing that I only have myself to blame when the groups come out badly, after thousands of dollars have been wasted.
I always wanted a stainless folder though, for nostalgia's sake, right along with the 83 GMC black van with red stripe. My wife isn't feeling it...
+1
My mini14 (~23 yr Ranch) is ~2 MOA, feeds everything and would do fine if SHTF occurs. I do have 3 ARs in 5.56, 3 in 6.8 and an AR10. Do not think Ruger ever intended it to be a target gun. Because of its reliability, it is popular with many LEOs.
Not only the original M14, any current M1A in standard or Loaded configuration is a 3-4 MOA or 2 MOA gun. A battle gun is 3 to 4 MOA. An AK47 is lucky to be a 4 MOA, damn popular and proven lethal for its purpose.
Ruger Mini 30 ranch rifle SS . Replaced wood with syn. ,After market trigger set to 4lbs.,barrel shroud that stiffens barrel. Sierra 125 gr hand load new Starline brass . Right at 1" at a 100 once shot a 1 1/2 at 200 (luck) wanted to make it Better was told by Smith that was a Mini 14/30 expert "If you are telling the truth never take it apart again an just lube it " I bought my first AR the next day. Still have the 30 and have killed a bunch of Deer all under 100 yds .Great truck gun.
I had an old mini 30. It shot 8 MOA and the trigger group fell out of the stock when you fired it.
This will bring the groups down and probably worth the price if ya plan on keeping it, seems to be a lotta people with an opinion tuff crowd ! mini 14 mini 30
so do these har bar / accustrut / mo rods actually work? before / after install data?
i actually have a soft spot in my black heart for these minis, and actually wouldn't mind getting another in the future.
i actually have a soft spot in my black heart for these minis, and actually wouldn't mind getting another in the future.
I have a mini-30. My first center-fire rifle. I like it enough. As others have said, extremely reliable and ~3 MOA accuracy is good 'nuff for coyotes and deer. I had issues with aftermarket pre-ban mags back in the late 90's, but now have a coupe Ruger 20 rounders and they've worked great.
I got it for $450 or so if I recall. No way I'd pay any more than that. I think I saw a few in Cabelas for like $700 or $800 a week or two ago. Might as well get an AR.
I got it for $450 or so if I recall. No way I'd pay any more than that. I think I saw a few in Cabelas for like $700 or $800 a week or two ago. Might as well get an AR.
I just inherited two mini from my Dad. Ill probably keep one of em. they both have folding stock.
Therrin
How do you shoot that thing with your chin on the stock? The scope is about 6" over the bore.LOL
How do you shoot that thing with your chin on the stock? The scope is about 6" over the bore.LOL
I repaired one for a guy awhile back that was doing the same thing. All it takes is a little tweaking of the trigger guard. I'm guessing it's caused by someone getting a little too aggressive during disassembly.
Matt
I had a 581 series that was fairly accurate, I loved the rifle itself. If not accurate it'll fire every time you pull that trigger. Maybe it's my bias to the m1 style actions. But as much as it pains me I agree that the older style barrels are garbage.
BY ACTS238::::...
1 bed it see perfect union 20.00
2 trigger job see u tube nut-n-fancy mini trigger job -0 if you have a stone & a file 20.00 if not
trim springs -lower sear engagement- what you want is less sear- about half -take it down slow -keep reassembling till you get 3lb then STOP !
3 over sized op rod spring & undersized gas bushing see ACI -Perfect union 30.00 -40.00 cant remember
4 1911 buffers on both ends of op rod 8.00 midway usa
5 flash hider -not just for looks- adds weight at end of barrel -reduces vibration
mine went from 3moa to 3/4 moa
it was a ranch rifle with thicker barrel
1 bed it see perfect union 20.00
2 trigger job see u tube nut-n-fancy mini trigger job -0 if you have a stone & a file 20.00 if not
trim springs -lower sear engagement- what you want is less sear- about half -take it down slow -keep reassembling till you get 3lb then STOP !
3 over sized op rod spring & undersized gas bushing see ACI -Perfect union 30.00 -40.00 cant remember
4 1911 buffers on both ends of op rod 8.00 midway usa
5 flash hider -not just for looks- adds weight at end of barrel -reduces vibration
mine went from 3moa to 3/4 moa
it was a ranch rifle with thicker barrel
I love the m1 actions purely for the simplicity and reliability. I never thought I'd spark such a debate about a rifle tho.
TopPredator my friend has owned at least 20 to 25 mini's over the years and he is sold on the har-bar's and said they tighten the groups up a bunch and the only reason he keeps buying them is they do not have issues spitting brass out with hardly any issues with all his rifles over the years! Garand action is flawless,why Ruger can't put a true 100% full bull barrel on it is stupid ? I have a Target Mini! Have yet to get it tuned in yet but I also have a mini 30 that is sweet at 225 yds with peeps! tuff hitting round in close!
That is why they put high cap magazines on them !
That is why they put high cap magazines on them !
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Yeah, I fixed it too. Came from the factory that way, though. My rifle wasn't Ruger's finest moment.
The top of the stock is equal with about my jaw line. It's a tad over 4" over the bore. Maybe I have a long face!
I liked this optic setup because I can always pull it off the rail I put on my mini14, and clamp it down on an AR if I want. I'm fond of versatility.
You..... don't like..... my setup?
I thought The A-Team demonstrated the Mini-14's accuracy potential rather well
I have the stainless folding model that was used on the A-Team. Bought it used, years ago for almost nothing. I have never shot it either. It just sits there and keeps my house safe from the town bullies or drug lords. I wouldn't mind buying the full auto version AC556, think how safe that would make us. Wouldn't shoot that either. My AR's are too relialble and too accurate.
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