Opinions on a Ruger Mini 14 please

mini's

there was a time when a Mini14 could be had used for $200 or less, and hardly anybody had an AR. With affordable Ar's now quite common, the asking price for a Mini, even a used one, seems unreasonable. I don't foresee the Mini on the market much longer, unless its PC factor keeps it alive in the troubled political future.

Ruger has been all over the map with twist rates, and that has a bearing on the Mini's accuracy, as well as the skinny barrel, and production tooling gettting worn after many pieces produced. Supposedly Ruger has addressed some of that, retooling (which may explain why they've kept it a bit longer, cost wise) and tighter twists.

I never expected more from the Mini than what it was able to produce, 2-3 MOA, rugged, and reliable. There was a period of about 10 yrs or so when the Mini was the agency rifle, and every example I shot, or saw on the line, was reliable, low maintenance and as noted, cheaper to acquire than an AR at the time.

Stay with factory mags.....all after market numbers are junk. Factory 10 rd......was there such a beast??? The flush 5 rd made for easy carry, and is what goes in my Mini30 when it hunts.
 
I had an older (series 183) Mini. The things I liked about it were its modest weight, its reliability with the right magazines and its aesthetics. What I didn't like was the poor accuracy.
 
How exactly is this rifle going to be used?
Without knowing how it's to be used and for what, it's hard to say if this rifle would fit your needs.
It would also be a real shame to reject it according to others opinions if they are assuming a different usage than yours.
 
I have a 582 series Ranch Rifle and like it. I prefer the AR but sadly it's not an option for you, flash. In that case I suspect you'll be pleased with the Mini-14, I know its stock would rise quickly for me if I couldn't have an AR. A .223/5.56 semiauto rifle is a great tool to own and the old school Mini-14 can fill that role quite well.
 
I owned a 180-something series around 1991... Stainless ranch rifle, but with a laminated stock of the same dimensions as a normal stock (not to be confused with the stock on the current target rifle). I put a nickel finished Bushnell 2-7X32 or 3-9 (it was a while ago).

I bought it because I loved the look, and wanted a hog gun for hunting in the swamp with a max range of 75-100 yards. It would give descent enough accuracy. I never bagged it and shot for groups, just sighted it in and used it.

It never jammed, and I was in absolute love with the stainless on laminate combo. Still am!

But, when you own a Jeep Comanche in college and the transmission goes out... And you know a local transmission shop owner who is looking for a stainless rifle for his offshore fishing boat, you do what you have to do...

In all these years since, I still think of that rifle often.

I own several ARs... 5.56, 6.8, .308... They all shoot pretty good by my standards... They are great rifles too! But I am a sucker for the M-1, M-1A, Carbine, and the Mini. Guess I will always be...
 
Sorry to hear that, flashhole. My condolences on your loss... Of accuracy.

Just kidding. I've enjoyed shooting one on a few occasions.
 
I'm not trying to say that it's useless. The one I fired was factory,untuned, and just scrappy overall. They were much better when I handled one decades ago. Better trigger and finish and he showed better accuracy. Compare it to an am instead of an article. Then, put a lot of effort into tuning it, and it will be much better.

It a
Was created to be what the are is now. A short range fighting rifle for civilians. I think it may be a better truck gun than an ar
 
Crappy trigger, rough casting and finish, not that accurate, and cost more than an AR. What's not to like about it.
 
My Mini-14 is my go to rifle when I'm playing cowboy on the weekends at the family farm/cattle operation.

Reliable, accurate enough for the occasional coyote, doesn't mind riding in spring clips on a Rhino or in a scabbard on a horse.

My only problem has ever been trying the right bleeping bleepity bleep magazines.

The Ruger factory ones work flawlessy and also cost three times as much as a PMAG does.

Grrr.
 
My bil put a very good Nikon scope on his, but imo, it's not right to put 9x power scope on it. I would have done a dot. At the ordinary useful ranges, for other than target work, the dot may serve you better.
 
scopes

Been my experience that a cheap scope will not hold up long on a Mini. Its slam-bang action will wean out delicate scopes in a big hurry. Even the ranch model, with its recoil damper, will trash a weak scope eventually.

My experience with a Mini30 anyhow.
 
I always mounted an old steel-tube Weaver K-4 on my Minis. On the one I shot the most, it held up just fine for over a thousand rounds.
 
My Mini-14 is a 581-94xxx Model 5858 built in late 2011. This model is supposed to have been a special run for Davidson's, I believe. Mine has the heavier barrel with a 1:9 twist.

This particular rifle had a red tag on it marking it as a factory blemish. There is a very small void on the heel of the receiver. They couldn't sell it as new because of the blemish, even though it was unfired in the box with the factory tags on it.

I bought it from the Gun Library at Cabela's during a special discount event in early 2012. I got it out the door for $461. I don't think I got hurt at all.


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I can bust clay pigeons at 100 yards with the iron sights on it all day long shooting 55 to 62 grain brass cased factory ammo. It does the same thing with my M193 clone reloads. That's within 2 MOA. I feel that is very acceptable for an iron sighted carbine, which is exactly what it is and what I want it for and use it as.

If I wanted to, it is possible that I could work up a special load for it that might do a little bit better. I don't really know what the point would be for me. I'm happy with it as it is.

YMMV.
 
Tad, very nice. The one I'm getting is Stainless and Synthetic.

I loaded up a variety of ammo today getting ready for the first range trip. Ten each of 8 different loads 40, 50 63, 68, 70, 75 grain bullets and a variety of powders. Hopefully one or two loads will show promise.
 
"...the target model..." Read a few "range reports" that said they shoot well. WAAAAAY too much money though. MSRP is $1259.00.
That pretty much says it for Mini-14/30's in general. Over priced and inaccurate(my M1 Carbine will shoot circles around any Mini), but great fun.
"...switching to a red dot sight..." Aside from having to sight in again and a scope only allows you to see the target better, dots are usually far too big. A 3 MOA dot will cover the entire black on a regular sighting in target at 100 yards.
 
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