…but knowing that they currently sell for $800+, at $600 OTD I felt I should bring her home. It came with a 5 and 30 rd mags and owners manual. I immediately swapped out the Tasco scope with a spare Leupold VX1 3-9. The wood is about 95% and metal 98%.
I don’t like Ruger Mini 14s…
- Thread starter CH4
- Start date
Funny. I sold a NIB Mini-14 (.223 caliber) decades ago, during the Clinton ban, for $700.00 
LVSteve
Well-known member
Nice score. Did it come from Emmalee's?
pantannojack
US Veteran
I had one 40 years ago. Stainless with a wooden upper handguard. Never missed a beat, it was good for area saturation fire on shot up old cars in the desert. I never could get it to shoot better than 3-4 MOA, traded it for a Ruger #3 in 45/70.
AJ
US Veteran
Same here had a couple of different Mini-14's about 30-40 years ago. Never as accurate as I was looking for so off they went to other homes.
Was the Tasco a Japanese made scope? If so was probably a good scope.
Was the Tasco a Japanese made scope? If so was probably a good scope.
Same here. In the late 80s I had three, two 14s and a 30. All three came with skeet chokes; I don’t expect this one to shoot any better. Will likely end up as trading fodder at the next show.
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SnidelyWhiplash
Well-known member
Mini-14s had a reputation for mediocre accuracy. It was traced to poor barrel harmonics. Once identified the problem was corrected…about 2005 when the rifle had been in production over thirty years.
I’ve never been able to warm up to the Mini. Some love them…I get that.
A colleague went to rifle instructor school back in the early ‘90s. He said students in the class had either a Mini-14 or an AR-15. He said by the end of the week all the AR-15s were still shooting and everyone with a Mini wanted to wrap them around a post due to malfunctions. They simply weren’t made for such heavy use.
Today..there are many clones of the AR-15…there are apparently no clones of the Mini-14. If Ruger had taken more in the design of the Mini…more substantial and designed it around the AR-15 magazine rather than an expensive, proprietary design…they might cut more heavily into AR-15/M4 sales.
I’ve never been able to warm up to the Mini. Some love them…I get that.
A colleague went to rifle instructor school back in the early ‘90s. He said students in the class had either a Mini-14 or an AR-15. He said by the end of the week all the AR-15s were still shooting and everyone with a Mini wanted to wrap them around a post due to malfunctions. They simply weren’t made for such heavy use.
Today..there are many clones of the AR-15…there are apparently no clones of the Mini-14. If Ruger had taken more in the design of the Mini…more substantial and designed it around the AR-15 magazine rather than an expensive, proprietary design…they might cut more heavily into AR-15/M4 sales.
Nice! $600 OTD? I would have hurt my self getting my wallet out.
RMFnLA
Well-known member
I got one when they first came out, $200 pus tax.
Ammo was cheap back then, too.
Ammo was cheap back then, too.
canoeguy
US Veteran
I just picked this one up from a pawn shop this week, a 2015 vintage blued model. Had been sitting in the pawn shop for months, priced "High as a Cat's Back", they finally got their mind right to deal on it.
A good utility rifle, accurate enough for shots inside 100 yards (with the iron sights, I'm sure it would do better with a scope). I'll carry it around on my ATV for a while:
A good utility rifle, accurate enough for shots inside 100 yards (with the iron sights, I'm sure it would do better with a scope). I'll carry it around on my ATV for a while:
I bought mine about 30 or more years ago for $90.00 at a car dealership. Some guy used it as a down payment on something. I later had Choate put a flash-hider sight on it.
I recently sent it to my brother in Texs.
I recently sent it to my brother in Texs.
dsf
Well-known member
Allow me to enable a bit of bad behavior -
The Mini comes in X39 chambering also.
And the new factory folder fits all Mini's except for the 180 series.
I have 4 Mini rifles, this one is pretty typical -
I usually lop off the barrel to 16" and thread for a brake or the Ruger FH. Arms LLC sells an an upper GB with sight. Usually change out the gas port to a .040 (IIRC) for lower orbiting of expended brass.
The Mini comes in X39 chambering also.
And the new factory folder fits all Mini's except for the 180 series.
I have 4 Mini rifles, this one is pretty typical -
I usually lop off the barrel to 16" and thread for a brake or the Ruger FH. Arms LLC sells an an upper GB with sight. Usually change out the gas port to a .040 (IIRC) for lower orbiting of expended brass.
DWalt
Well-known member
Never wanted nor owned one. They seemed to have the reputation of producing minute-of-barn-door accuracy. But at $600 it might possibly be worthwhile as a flipper. So what's so offensive about a Tasco? I have several, they are as good as anyone else's. I had a Tasco variable varmint scope on my .220 Swift FN, it performed fully satisfactorily for many years. Sharp as a tack and very consistent adjustments.
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Echo40
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I just picked this one up from a pawn shop this week, a 2015 vintage blued model. Had been sitting in the pawn shop for months, priced "High as a Cat's Back", they finally got their mind right to deal on it.
A good utility rifle, accurate enough for shots inside 100 yards (with the iron sights, I'm sure it would do better with a scope). I'll carry it around on my ATV for a while:
Why do you have 2 milk crates full of stones in the back of your ATV?
robvious
Well-known member
DWalt
Well-known member
I worked in several of the Persian Gulf countries in the oil business some 40+ years ago. The Arab cops or militia, whatever they were, roaming the streets often carried full auto Mini-14s. I never asked any questions about them, so I don't know any more than that. Ruger’s M16 Alternative: the Select-Fire AC-556
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I have a stainless Ranch Rifle mini I've had for about 20 years. Not the most accurate rifle I have, but I have great faith in it going bang when needed. I have an AR and other stuff, but the mini-14 is the one I keep loaded in the unlikely event some outside work is needed. 50 yards would be a long shot here in the woods, and I have a 2 & 1/2 x "shotgun" scope on it with a heavy duplex reticle. Suits me.
Since development began on the mini-14 in 1967, the AR was certainly around; but not the sure thing it has become, so I can see why it wasn't developed for an AR magazine.
Since development began on the mini-14 in 1967, the AR was certainly around; but not the sure thing it has become, so I can see why it wasn't developed for an AR magazine.
OutAtTheEdge
Well-known member
Gotta love the "American SKS"
Yendor357
Well-known member
$600 will buy an AR-15 that will shoot circles around the average Mini.
I had 3 of them. Glad they're gone.
I had 3 of them. Glad they're gone.
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