Mini-14 pistol vs M-1 carbine/pistol

A

Apple a Day

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I saw somewhere that someone is going to start making more M-1 carbine pistols. An updated 'enforcer' pistol might be fun especially with an arm brace but then it occurred to me, why not a Mini-14 pistol? A Micro-14? Nano-14?
If AR pistols are popular then why not?
 
I built myself a .223 pistol using a virgin receiver and 8.5” barrel, it is neat although the size of a sub machine gun. Muzzle blast and noise are a bit more but he shooter will be less concerned than those about him, firing in an enclosure is not recommended for those reasons. My pistols are fun to shoot and hit a man sized target at 100yds every time if the shooter does his part.
 
Sharkbite said:
It must be made as a pistol from the maker to be legal
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To be more concise, it will be subject to the NFA, as a Weapon Made From a Rifle. A Form 1 must be submitted, the transfer tax paid, and the tax stamp received prior to beginning construction.

Sharkbite is probably referring to the fact that there's no paperwork involved in going from a pistol to a rifle, which is why items like the Beretta Neos Carbine Kit and MechTech Glock Carbine Conversion may be possessed without a tax stamp. However, a Weapon Made From a Rifle is specifically subject to the NFA, and since (AFAIK) no factory Mini-14 pistol exists, you have no choice but to go this route.
 
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A Mini-14 pistol, manufactured AS a pistol, would NOT be subject to the NFA. It would simply be a pistol.

I have a stainless Iver Johnson Enforcer pistol and it's a fun gun. I even carried it in my car when I was in the jewelry business. A couple of manufacturers have started making the Enforcers again.

Mikey- is your pistol an AR-type?
 
Naturally, I'm talking about a from-the-factory pistol but I can't find any reference that Ruger ever made one. They did appear to make some rifles with shorter barrels, folding stocks, and the happy switch but no true pistol versions
 
I think shortening the gas system and keeping a mini-14 reliable would be interesting if the barrel was also to be shortened.

By interesting I mean a nightmare.
Kept full length I don't think the balance would be good at all. I have a mini with folding stock and the balance is atrocious with stock folded.
 
elusive

The whole arm brace, AR/AK/Enforcer, and now Mini pistol thing (?) eludes me, but some guys are all about it. I try to maintain the stance that Elmer KEITH once put in print ...." I'm for any shooting that burns powder"...but those pistols (chopped carbines) in rifle cals hold no interest for me. The AR pistol, with the buffer tube sticking out the back seems particularly lame.....but, again, different strokes.....

If ones into it, I'd think the .223 would be easier to acquire ammo for, and thus be more affordable to shoot. While I'm throwing opinions around, I doubt Ruger would ever produce such a critter. I don't want to sidetrack the thread, but with the abundance and affordabililty of AR's, I don't think the Mini is long for this world in any configuration.
 
Bama ranger, AR pistols have a mystique all their own, are they practical? Not in my opinion, but are they fun to shoot? Yes definitely I use my 300 Blackout Pistols As plinkers and with an arm brace can hit a man sized target consistently at 100 yards. If they are so much fun for me why not have one? Besides it is just one other way to develop the very versitle AR platform so I encourage others to build their AR’s in any configuration they choose.
 
I've seen a full-auto transferrable Mini-14 that was shortened to pistol length (not sure on barrel length; but shorter than an AC556K - something like this: https://coffeeandspentbrass.tumblr....ay-what-you-will-about-the-ruger-mini-14-this) with a folding stock and a big tank muzzle brake on it. It was surprisingly controllable on full auto with a red dot. No trouble running either. Like most 5.56 pistols, loud and giant orange fireball that would blink out the red dot.
 
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If youre on the fence about the AR pistols (or anything similar), or even if you think they are a waste, Id HIGHLY suggest getting one and spend a little time with it. I put one together a couple of years ago, and now I have 4.

With a brace attached, they are basically a SBR, and now that its legal to shoulder the brace, I dont understand why the stocks arent OK. Still, the brace shoulders and shoots just like the stock, and has the same LOP as my 16" rifles, so everything still "feels" right when you shoulder and shoot them.

All of mine have 10.5" barrels on them, mainly because AAC doesnt, or at least didnt at the time, warrant anything shorter for my suppressor. With the suppressor on, the gun is as long as my 16" guns. Without the suppressor, the blast isnt to bad, and not near as obnoxious as my sons 7.5" gun.

Accuracy is on par with my 16" guns. Offhand headshots on photo silhouettes at 100 yards is not trouble at all, add the suppressor, and even easier with the added weight. 200 yards is probably a realistic expectation of a limit, not that you couldnt hit farther. I look at the 16" guns being a 300 yard gun due to the round losing its ballistic advantage around that point, and Im guessing the 10.5" barrel lost it somewhat sooner. Not that I have any actual eveidence of that.

As a very handy, closer range "rifle", they work very well, and I consider 0-100 as their sweet spot.

Although Ive owned three over the years, Ive never really been a fan of the Minis. If it floats your boat, call Ruger and bitch. Probably wont do you much good, but you never know. A modified factory side folder (or something similar aftermarket) with a brace would give you your "stock".

Theres one other thing with the AR's that you dont have with the Mini's that is actually lacking in their case, and thats the buffer tube. You can easily shoulder gun with just the tube, and use it as a stock. You dont need a brace. Or you can just use it for a cheek weld. Both work OK, but shouldering the tube does work better, especially if you add a rubber table leg cap to it.

Ruger would be smart to go that route, and at least offer it, but knowing how they are, it probably wont happen. Never know though. Mossberg and Remington have seen the light with their 14" shotguns that are hot now, so maybe Ruger will wise up.
 
Ruger is highly unlikely to make a Mini-14. It is a politically-incorrect firearm.
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Bill Ruger died a long time ago.
pistol, carbine, intermediate, rifle.
The mini is overgassed by design. That is why it throws brass ten yars or more in covering a 90* arc. I have one modified with different gas bushings and it still operates fine with the smallest and a barrel cut to 16.25(mine is from before Ruger made that length factory).

"pistol" by federal law can be any length barrel, so sure you can make a "pistol" and it can run fine.
A manageable, can be shot by one hand firearm has a significantly shorter barrel though. About 10". I don't think getting the mini to run well with a 10" barrel would be at all simple.

What is really an SBR, but by federal law a "pistol" would be easy, of course.
 
Ruger never sold Mini-14 actions and you would have to buy an action to make a pistol. Gas port hole will have to be bigger and pressure will drop faster because of the shorter barrel. That's where some experiments will have to be done because you don't want the bolt to be slammed back too fast (crack the receiver anyone). I think a buffer is good too (so Ranch Rifle with buffer action > Mini-14 action) for this project.
 
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