I think the reason some people hate the Mini 14 is because it could have been a better rifle for only a little more money. A slightly better barrel would put the Mini 14 into a whole 'nother class of rifle.
I agree
1. Inaccurate. Thin barrel heats up after a few rounds.
I do not think the Mini is inaccurate. The barrel is thin tho, but we are not going into battle with this rifle. Inaccurate would be a 15th Century musket, try one, you'll see what I mean. One more thing, anyone who is fooling with group sizes is crazy. This is not a competition, or life or death struggle. These are fun rifles and plinkers. Hell, if I want tight groupings, I'll get a bolt-action and beat any other type of rifle, yes even a AR.
2. Sights are poor.
Sights are not poor on the standard Mini, they are only bad on the Mini ranch rifle. The ranch rifle has folding sights which break off. The standard Mini has rugged sights.
3. Fragile. They tend to break under heavy use.
A Mini, HELL NO! It is one of the most tough carbines in the market. The action is taken from the M1-carbine. You cannot go wrong. I shoot Wolf, Barnaul, PMP, Greek ammo and the rifle is still alive and kicking. I shot more than 2-cases of each. And as for field use I took-it to the mountains and desert to survive for two-weeks, It got wet, mud, dirt, sand and she still function excellent. I clean this carbine until I got home. Want more proof go try-it yourself. Those who say it is fragile are talking out of their asses and are mainly AR lovers.
4. They malfunction with most aftermarket mags, except PMI (which are hard to get and expensive).
This 1/2 the truth. "The ones who do not even try, do not suceed in life and wither and die". -Ed Chavez. I was lucky to get some PMI's. But I also got some USA's. Triple-K's magazines. Some did not work, but I made them to work. Bend the lips and install new followers and these mags work excellent. I am know to make Triple-K 10rd mags to function flawlessly. So if you try, you will suceed.
5. Mag changes are slow.
AR lovers posted this, because they love the way mag changes are done on their fabulous AR. Do not listen to them. It all takes practice and more practice. They told me once,"A SKS is worthless because it does not have a 30-round mag", I proved them wrong and tought them it is not the size and speed, but the skill of the shooter to handle their firearm.
6. They are loud.
Damm, tell them to wear ear protection. Any rifle, pistol, or shotgun is loud. Most carbines that have short barrels are loud, due to their barrel size and that their are shooting rifle ammunition.
7. The triggers are terrible.
This is another blame for accuracy. The trigger is fine. These fellas want a 2-3lb. trigger pull get a life. COME-ON!
I own AK's, AR's, Mini's, HK's, FAL's, SKS's and many more. Accuraccy, function, reliability, and life is all up to the shooter holding and shooting any firearm. As for price I get the Mini's for less than $400- OTD "new".
3) Bill Ruger requested the standard cap magazine ban.
Politics is another whole different ballpark. When I buy a firearm politics do not come to mind, until they want to ban the firearm/s. The companies out there are just trying to survive and are covering their asses, because gun people do not back them up, when they need help to fight-off anti-gunners and politicians. If we would of stick together since the begining we would not of even see this mess.
2) NO USGI magazines.
AR man, I can spot them a mile away, it is oK. I agree here, BUT since the Mini-14 is not an armed forces gun it has never had any USGI magazines.
4) It is not black + barrel band.
Make-it black. I bought a standard blued with woodstock Mini-14, I like-it it reminded me of the a M-14. But I wanted a so-called evil black rifle, so I bought a Hogue stock for the Mini and made-it evil. As for the barrel band it is real helpful, in the field obcourse. It is a excellent touch.
3) Bill Ruger requested the standard cap magazine ban.
Again it is all political. Bill Ruger is old-man and was covering his ass and his business, because no one else would help him. Anyways all the standard magazines(20-rounders and up)have been banned from importation and from being made anymore. So I do not see your argument about this.
Also, the fact that Ruger wouldn't sell their factory hicap mags to civilians is another reason. Hell, they don't even make 10 round mags for the rifle, and there isn't any good reason for that!
True. But all manufacturer cannot sell their newly made hicap magazines to no-one but LEO and the armed forces anyways. The magazines you and all of us bought that are hicaps are grandfathered and were made before 2000 or 1994. So I do not see your argument. As for the 10-round magazines, I am mad at Ruger for that, but they are still trying to keep their rifle from being put on the so-called Assault Weapon list, because the magazine would stick out of the rifle like the Tripple-K and Masen. I gave you a reason.
I like the Ruger Mini-14 it is a inexpensive, rugged, works everytime I pull the trigger, feeds all types of ammo, has lots of aftermarket accessories to dress up the rifle, and can be taken virtually in any situation, be it climate, or condition(except artic).
As far as people bashing the Ruger name and the Mini name it is their right to do so, but the person must experience the goods and bad of any rifle ever made. There is no such thing as a excellent, superb, non-malfuctioning, self cleaning, and accurate firearm. If the person say their rifle is the best, they are lying to themselfs and their are lying so much they believe themselfs.
Later-on fellas.
