Mini-14 ?????

My mini isn't a tackdriver, but it is an ok shooter out to around 100 yards. I bought it with 2 nib 20 round ruger mags and 3 5 round mags. I can do 2 inch groups at 100 yards with 69 grain Sierras. The same loads in one of my AR15s is between 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the bench. The mini is fun to shoot, but so is my AR. Would I buy it again? No, not after learning of Bill Rugers politics. It is cheap though.
 
My experience with the Mini-14 has been strange in the extreme. The last one I bought gave me perfect keyholes at 50-yds with standard 55-grain paramilitary ammo! I had never seen that before from any rifle. I got Ruger to rebarrel the gun, and found that it didn't keyhole anymore, but would not reliably keep 3-shots on a piece of typing paper at 100-yds. At this point I was about as disgusted as one can get, but thought I would try one more time. However, this time I tried my own load with Sierra 69-grainers, and to my great surprise achieved 1.5-MOA!!! Now from the bench I have little difficulty knocking over the 400-meter turkeys at the silhouette range. Don't give up on those Mini-14s unless you have to shoot the 55-grain paramilitary ammo!
 
Having traded a Mini14 Ranch for a Bushmaster HBAR (at roughly twice the cost), I'd have to say that Mini wins in the placement of the charging handle and weight. AR wins on sights, accuracy, safety position, ease of magazine insertion.

As for intimidating hunters...all you need is one lucky idiot/drunk to punch your ticket. Why not summon the local police to help? My own view is that I'd be friendly as possible unless I were beyond their rifle range and could call in arty.

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Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
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Randy's experience with the Mini14 wasn't uncommon. The California Dept. of Corrections experienced the same problem and Ruger sent a tech out to Calif. to examine the guns. He learned that they were, like yourself, using 55 grain bullets which didn't work well with the 1-7" twist then in production. Ruger realized that many LE agencies weren't like the military and going with the heavier and newer 62 grain bullet. In response, Ruger changed the twist to the current 1-9" which works better for the 55 grain (and concurrently for heavier bullets). Unfortunately, the Mini14 barrel is still too light for sustained firing.

Regarding the intimidation factor, I wouldn't worry if some bozo wasn't scared of a Mini14. Instead, I'd worry about his buddies not scattering after he's shot.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
On ranch defense and 223's...

A friend and I were asked once to zap some prarie dogs and 'yotes on a ranch in exchange for some grazing time for the friend's horses. We set off with heavy coats (january) and rifles on horseback to defend the ranch from offending vermin.

I'm told when we returned hours later with frost in our beards swaddled in scarves and wool blankets with our rifles arcoss the saddles we looked like "extras from red dawn" pretty darn menacing.

No doubt the 223 ak in the crook of my arm added to the effect. (wish we had taken pictures)

I have shot the mini 14 and the AK 223 side by side and while the mini handles easier I'd say the ak looks a LOT more intimidating. My AK also shoots a LOT better than my dad's mini with 55 grain ammo. (about a 3-4 inch group at 100 yards with iron sights) Of course the I wouldn't feel comfy looking down the barrel of EITHER.

Truthfully though for "ranch use" predator control, deer hunting etc a mini 30 or ak in 7.62x39 would be a better bet. A 7.62x39 hits about like a 30-30 and in soft point trim is a viable game-getting round.

150 yard iron sight shots would NOT be a problem with either gun.

still whatever you purchase remember that "home defense" does NOT mean chasing off tresspassers with a magazine full of hot lead in MOST jurisdictions. You don't want to end up in court because you overstepped your bounds as a landowner.

Stay safe, stay legal,

Dr.Rob
 
I can't say that I'm very fond of the mini. Shot my first one in '91 after my dad bought it (I was 10). At first I thought it was a decent little gun. Shot well, until the barrel warmed up, handled well, recoiled like a .22. Then about a year later I got my Colt HBAR. I haven't shot the mini since then. Then, last year, I got my Springfield SAR8 (HK 91 clone). Haven't touched the mini or the AR since then. If I want another .223, I'll try to find an HK 93. I just really like that particular pattern of rifle. But, that's just me.
 
I have had several mini14s, and accuracy has been nothing to brag about, maybe 4" at 100 yds on a good day. If you want target accuracy look elsewhere. The mini has several good points, however, it is cheap to buy, very reliable, and heavy duty. It is typical of a lot of Ruger firearms, solid, lots of metal, very utilitarian, but nothing outstanding in the technical or accuracy area. I wish I had not sold the ones I had, they are great for an afternoon of chewing up cans.
 
If you can manage to throw $500 out the window, for a modified boat anchor, why not just spend another $250 (not 6X) as the Toolguy said) and get a Bush Shorty carbine. (They're all HBAR's) You'll find the AR much easier to take down and clean; work on; change barrels on; free-float the barrel on; find parts for; shoot accurately; shoot a lot of times without a jam, etc., etc. Besides that, Bill Ruger is, in my opinion a duplicitous buttskerball for his support of the 10-rd. mag limitation.
 
Walter, enough awready. I am getting tired of your "boat anchor" comments.

As for Bill Ruger, did you and every other detractor stop to think that we may have had a 7 round mag limit without him?
 
Get a Russian SKS. Best value in the market on intermediat size rifle. Plus it's gas operated, and surplus ammo is cheap!

Keep the stock ten round box mag and buy 50 stripper clips, and 1000 rounds of Wolf ammo with money you save not buying those stupid 30 round mags.

All this for less than a price of a mini-14, and It will out shoot the Ruger.

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The new guy.

"I'm totin, this pistol because my dang SKS won't fit in my holster"
 
In addition to this thread, try a search here on "Mini-14." I did this yesterday and came up with 243 hits! You'll learn more about this rifle than any gun rag editor will ever know.

To recap my experience with the weapon: I have a Mini-14 SS Ranch Rifle with the plastic stock, sighted with a Leupold 3x-9x x 40. It will shoot 55 gr. FMJs, Georgia Arms, into 1 7/8­2 moa from a cold barrel. The second 5-shot group opens by 1 inch. The third, by another. The fourth, by another. You get the idea. From what other poster say, I think I was lucky to get a copy that shoots this well. Just don't figure on using it for protracted gun battles. Of course, if you're in that situation you either really messed up to begin with or you needed a good battle rifle from the start. The Ruger is a great rifle to have for shots up to 150 yards, for up to about 10 rounds. At that point, you've either neutralized your target, or someone got closer, or you got the heck out of there. The Ruger should serve for any of those.

Would I rather have an AR? You bet. But buying the Ruger allowed me to buy a Kimber (that doesn't malf) and a LOT of .223 practice ammo for the price of a good AR. The trade-off worked for me.

By the way, the Mini-14 trigger pull is gawdawful, and the LOP is reminiscent of a child's BB gun. It will still shoot, though.

Precision Mags work best for me, 20 and 30 round. I've had good luck with others too, but it's riskier and more expensive to shop around too much. The functioning of my rifle has been flawless, except for two mags that were clearly causing some malfs. I have rapid-fired full 30 round mags, repeatedly, until the gunstock began to give off burning plastic aromas. It wasn't much good for shots past 50-75 yds., but didn't malfunction once.
Good luck however you go.
 
And here I came on to ask you guys if I should trade my Mini-30 for a Mini-14 because the accuracy of a Mini-30 is TERRIBLE! 5" at 100 yards BEFORE the barrel gets warm! So PLEASE, don't get a Mini-30. The .223 has a flatter trajectory for a longer range than the 7.62x39. I do own a Bushmaster Carbine with a 10 1/2" barrel, and it'll shoot 2" groups at 100 yards until I run out of bullets. Oh yeah, and that SKS thing, or as I like to call them "the Redneck Assault Rifle"... while I will admit that the SKS is more accurate than my Mini-30, it's still a 7.62x39. Remember, the Russians switched too, right? And as for the Mini-14, I'm not sure, but doesn't the LA police force have the AC556 (full auto Mini)? I'd also like to mention that I've NEVER found a hi-cap magazine that works like the flawless 5rnd factory, but then I've never found PMI either. The Choate stocks are MUCH better than the old wooden factory one, and they're not too expensive ($60 from most places). I don't know how much this helps... I mean, after all, I still can't decide whether to trade my -30 for a -14, or sell it and get something altogether different!


[This message has been edited by Onslaught (edited November 23, 1999).]
 
One more thing... I KNOW you said you didn't wanna spend much, but buy an AR-15, my preference would be a Bushmaster or DPMS (NOT COLT), and you'll FEEL so much safer. PROMISE!
 
Heavy bullets seem to work a lot better in the mini. Get the muzzle cut flat or have an 11 degree "target" crown put on it. Then it becomes a shooter. Must use a quality magazine also.
-Mike
 
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