M1 Garand vs Mini-14 vs M1 Carbine

Mosin... I like you from reading your posts. Just so you know, I think you're really mature for your age. Now that that's over with,

Of the 3 I would be torn between the Garand or the Carbine. I would NOT go with a Mini-14 because they just aren't accurate enough for me. I'm not an AK guy, either. If a rifle can't hold 2.5moa at a minimum then I'm not interested, and I get annoyed if it's over 1.5. That's just me and my standard. If you're happy with a minimum of 4" groups at 100 yards then go with any of these. If not, then cull out the mini from your consideration. You said you reload, so expense isn't as much of an issue except for the Garand. Powder gets to be an expense when you're dumping 48-52 grains in each cartridge. Not so bad when you're dumping 16-25 grains.

Another thing... the .30 carbine isn't a powerful cartridge by any stretch but it can be made to be decent. PLUS... and this is important... reloading for it with carbide dies will be super easy compared to a necked rifle cartridge.

I would be torn if I were you. You have a K31, which serves basically the same role as a Garand (other than you have to work the bolt). If I were torn between the mini-14 and the .30, it would be a carbine (a good one, not a century arms one). I would likely shy away from the Garand if I already had a K31, but that's just me.
 
I just don't think I'm going to get any of them right now. I have a K-31, which is plenty accurate. I think Im just going to stick with it. Thanks for the compliment, by the way. :)
 
The M1 Garand is an absolute riot! I've heard off the shelf ammo beats them up though, which limits ammo to milsurp or a reloading proposition as far as I'm aware. My newest hornady manual has a section just for the Garand.

The M1A is one damn fine rifle too. I bought my Dad a national match model & boy it shoots good! Of course for damn near $2K, it better.. Cheaper / more available ammo to boot.

Had an old mini14 when I was a boy. Makes a great blasting rifle for beer cans or coyotes or whatever needs dispatched. Cheapest of the lot far as I know & best ammo availability / price. I'm not a 5.56 person at the end of the day though.

My dad also has a M1 carbine. Fun little plinkster but probably the hardest to get ammo for. I found a stash of ball & tracers at an estate for pocket change so I jumped on it. Never counted it but should be a lifetime supply. Absolutely horrible trigger though & awefully pricey these days for no more than it's capable of.

For my uses, after shooting all of them, I bought an AK... :)
 
I got a Garand from the CMP at the beginning of this year (ordered last fall), and I completely love it. As far as "off the shelf ammo" beating it up, that can happen, but usually with the heavier bullet weights. That issue is for another thread though :D

If I had to pick between the two, I'd probably go with the carbine, for the simple fact it has a history. My FIL has a Mini, and he's told me about it's accuracy issues. I've never seen it as a rifle I particularly wanted to own at some point in my life. That, coupled with the fact I'm assembling parts for an AR build, makes owning a Mini simply irrelevant for me. I think the only reason I ever wanted one was seeing the Butler Creek "folding" stocks they sold in Cabela's catalogs during the AWB, and a folding stock was an awesome feature (in my mind).
 
Mosin-Marauder said:
That's the thing, you have to be in the club to order, and I'm in the NJROTC for my county but I'm not old enough to order. I wish my dad could just order it for me but apparently that's a No-No.
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Why is that a no-no? It is legal to buy a firearm as a gift.


ATF FAQ said:
Q: May a parent or guardian purchase firearms or ammunition as a gift for a juvenile (less than 18 years of age)?

Yes. However, possession of handguns by juveniles (less than 18 years of age) is generally unlawful. Juveniles generally may only receive and possess handguns with the written permission of a parent or guardian for limited purposes, e.g., employment, ranching, farming, target practice or hunting.

[18 U.S.C. 922(x)]
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If this is an option, and your Father is willing to jump through the hoops, you should do it sooner rather than later if you ever want to get a M1 from CMP. They are not making any more of them...

The reason for CMP requiring club membership is probably a holdover from the days they only sold rifles to people who were going to compete with them. When I got mine, you had to actually shoot a match.

It is also a wonderful feeling to have what General George S. Patton called "The greatest battle implement ever devised" shipped directly to your house from a US Army Depot. :D
 
those guns aren't shipped directly from a US army depot.
they are shipped from depots to the CMP where civilian armorers run through them with a fine toothed comb and replace any parts that are not serviceable. only then do thy ship them to customers.
 
I own both an M1 Garand and a Mini-14 (581 series). The main advantages to the Mini over the Garand are magazine capacity (the Mini could be 5-30rds) and the ability to mount a scope on the Mini. I love both rifles, they are both a lot of fun to shoot. That being said, the Garand is definitely my favorite of the 2 rifles.

For practicality's sake the Mini is probably the way to go. Ammunition is going to be a whole lot cheaper, you can pick up some 20 or 30rd magazines for it, you can scope it easily (something I wouldn't even consider with a Garand). However if you can lay your hands on an M-1 Carbine for no money that's definitely worth considering and I personally would jump on it.

Stu
 
of the rifles i have shot , i dont like the m1 garand personally (childhood issues):D
m1:its a functional rifle and high caliber, also accurate.And very easy to get a hold of in this modern age as a NEW gun (same with the m14/m1a)


of the ones youve shown , id say the carbine or the mine14 would be a good rifle for you to look into

another rifle to look at which is a popular platform is a scout rifle
http://ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/models.html

accurate , takes magazines and isa bolt action. so the battery of arms when loading is similar to what your used to, and allows you to practice magazine loading
 
those guns aren't shipped directly from a US army depot.
they are shipped from depots to the CMP where civilian armorers run through them with a fine toothed comb and replace any parts that are not serviceable. only then do thy ship them to customers.
Click to expand...

Hmm, pretty sure mine was shipped from Anniston Army Depot, back in 1999 I don't think CMP South really existed yet.

Regardless, they will run out of M1s at some point, so if you want one, get on it.
 
M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, and Mini-14?

Three very different things, and only the carbine and the Mini-14 are even remotely comparable.

Ruger designed the Mini-14 as a replacement for the M1 Carbine. A rifle of similar size, but with more range thanks to the .223 round. There were, at one time, hopes of getting a military contract, but that never materialized, so the Mini went on the civilian market.

Neither the Mini, nor the Carbine are in the same class as the Garand.
 
Look, kid, you're fourteen, and in the next fifty years you will acquire all three of these weapons. Right now, your Grandfather's M1 carbine is 'free'. Snap it up and be quick about it.
 
I generally say, "This worked for me," as opposed to giving advice. But this time, I strongly ADVISE glomming onto that carbine. Period. Exclamation point. Totally foolish not to.
 
He's not going to sell it. I can't get it now. I can wait a few years until he gives it to me. He knows I love that gun immensely, he's not going to sell it, due the fact that he and I are the only ones who know he has it.
 
I bought my first Garand two weeks ago, from a reliable dealer at our range. He also sells M14 Carbines. I can have the dealer P.M. you if you want.

You can also call Mark, from James River Armory, who sells M1's, M14's, M1-A's, AK's and 1903 Springfields --- who also test fires his guns at AGC at Marriottsville, Maryland.
 
If he doesn't want to give it to you yet, he's got a reason for hanging on to it. My grandpa just gave me a DPMS AR-15 for my 19th birthday. He bought it two years ago during the gun panic at inflated prices because he thought they were going to ban them and wanted us to be able to have one before it went. He gave it to me when he thought I was ready. If it stays in the family, it will make its way to you
 
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