IIRC the reference was more about a utility gun that would run forever without a lot of maintenance and just OK accuracy.
Given the same ammo I guess the Mini-30 would be a closer fit.
The newer models with the shorter 16.2" heavier barrels (under the handguards) are good to go without the "accu-strut" (sp?)
The later 580 series with the tapered barrel and the subsequent series reportedly meet a 2 MOA accuracy standard. And that seems to be the case based on owner reports.
For the older series that generally isn't the case, for a number of reasons, most of which can be fixed.
My early 180 series Mini-14 shoots 2 MOA groups in its essentially stock form. The only change I made was a Tech Sights rear sight as the prior owner had replaced it with a scope mount. I also turned a new .043" gas bushing for it before discovering that the original was the same size.
Five shots (two in the slightly larger right hand hole) at 50 yards with iron sights and Hornady 55 gr FMJBT handloaded to equivalent M193 velocity:
Here's the practical accuracy, 20 shots sitting at 200 yards looking about 30 degrees off from a soon to be setting sun (the angle is obvious in the picture). Aside from the four obvious fliers (that are my fault), you'll note the group is displaced to the right due to the light conditions affecting the front sight picture:
Based on my experience with my more or less stock 180 series Mini 14, I think Ruger came close to getting it right, right off the bat.
Here are some of the reasons why I think that my 180 series Mini 14 is more accurate than the rest of the pre-580 series in their stock form:
- The 180 series isn't overgassed like every series after it;
- The operating rod is much lighter so it doesn't have the same reciprocating mass as the subsequent series; and
- There was is no potential confusion over the barrel twist (1-10").
I suspect Ruger started over gassing the Mini 14 with the 181 series to ensure reliable functioning with a wide range of civilian ammunition and bullet weights. Ruger then had to beef up the slide assembly to address the higher gas port pressures, with the result that they now had a lot more reciprocating mass that aggravates the harmonics of the pencil weight barrel, turning a 2 MOA rifle into a 4 to 5 MOA rifle.
Ruger also followed the M16A2 trend and switched from a 1-10" twist optimized for 55 gr bullets in the 18" barrel, to 1 in 7" twist barrels in 1987, before switching to a much better/more flexible 1-9" twist in 1997.
If you are buying used and you don't know the series and roughly where the transitions occurred, you don't know what barrel twist you have, unless you check. If a rifle is anywhere near the transition serial numbers, you definitely need to check. It was not a sharp transition as Ruger staff had a habit of grabbing whatever barrel was handy during the transitions so you see rifles significantly before and after with the "wrong" twist. Ruger was also very good about rebuilding rifles for law enforcement agencies at little or no cost, and those factory rebuilds will have whatever barrel was current at the time of the rebuild.
The end result is that accuracy suffers a lot with lower quality FMJ or bulk SP bullets in the lighter weight ranges (62 grains and under) in the faster 1-7" twist barrels. Conversely, accuracy at the heavier weights (over 62 grains) will suffer in the original 1-10" barrels, especially in cold weather.
The current 1-9" twist is a good compromise. It's near ideal for the 62 gr FMJ SS109 projectile used in M855, and works ok for just about everything from 50 to 68 grains.
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My 184 series Mini 14 was typical of one of the attempts to improve accuracy - reducing the barrel length to 16". The idea was that the shorter barrel would whip less and produce better accuracy. It didn't work. What does help is adding weight to the end of the barrel via muzzle device. The Choate muzzle devices that combine a flash hider with a new front sight have a good reputation for improving accuracy.
My 184 series Mini 14 (1-10" twist barrel) was shortened by a previous owner and shot 4 to 5 MOA at 100 yards when I bought it. I suspect that's why the prior owner sold it. However, with the short SOCOM version of the Accu Strut, a Choate Browning style flash hider, a .045" gas port bushing, shock buffer, and a Tech Sights rear sight it's now a very reliable 1.5 to 2.0 MOA rifle.
Before and after targets at 50 yards, iron sights:
Practical accuracy with iron sights and 55 gr FMJ at 200 yards (sitting) is decent (the low flier is my fault):
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My 187 series ranch rifle was surplussed by the NC Dept of Corrections. It had a 7 oz monstrosity of a muzzle device that included a long flash hider, a front sight, and a bayonet lug. It had a scope on it in NC service but it was not on the rifle when it was surplussed. I shot it iron sights and discovered it shot a full 8" low at 50 yards with the rear sight as high as it would go. Accuracy however was excellent with 3/4" groups at 50 yards.
I gave it the same accuracy treatment as my 184 series, including a tech sights rear sight, but scoped it.
It shoots a solid 1.5 MOA at 100 yards:
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In summary, the original 180 series Mini 14 had acceptable 2 MOA accuracy. Accuracy wise it was not quite on par with but still very close to the the 1.5 MOA accuracy typical of the 20" 1-12" twist pencil barrel Colt SP1 AR-15 of the era.
The changes Ruger made in the subsequent pre-580 series made the rifle more flexible in terms of ammunition, but reduced the accuracy, doubling or more than doubling group size to levels that earned the Mini 14 a reputation for poor accuracy. That accuracy generally got worse over the years as the tooling wore out, and it was aggravated in the 1-7 twist years (1987-1997) when used in conjunction with inexpensive 55 gr and 62 gr FMJ rounds.
Ruger made new tooling for the 580 series and there was some improvement in accuracy overall even with the skinny barrel. However, it took the heavier, stiffer tapered barrel to get it back down to a solid 2 MOA.
But I'm confident that most early Mini 14s and Ranch rifles can be made to shoot around 2 MOA or slightly better with the above mentioned accuracy improvements.
