Mini 14

7tenz

7tenz

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Just bought a new Stainless Mini 14 last Friday for $600. Don't know what I'm going to do with it, but thought the price was pretty good. Might shop for a more macho looking furniture, new term I just learned recently. I heard Ruger makes a 10rnd mag now, but haven't seen it on their webpage.

This is my first Ruger since I sold my gas op 44 carbine earky nineties. I have the urge to kick myself for ever getting rid of it whenever I think about it.
 
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A lot of people seem to bad mouth the Mini-14. As for me, I am aware of its limitations (accuracy, magazines, etc.) although later models are significantly improved. It is still not a "Camp Perry" rifle...it wasn't designed to be.
To me, it is my SHTF rifle. IMHO it fits the purpose for which it was designed; an easily handled, durable rifle that can fit the bill in 99% of all situations where a .223 weapon is useful.

I have been more than satisfied with mine.
 
i have one.
can easily hit an adversary at 100 yards and never jams.
great terminal ballistics for an inexpensive, handy weapon.


we just thought the .30 carbine was the ultimate short rifle until this came out.
 
I had a 30 carbine, rebuilt model from Numrich arms. If you saw my target, you would have thought it was Ray Charles shooting it.

I haven't read any raves about accuracy on most any 223 auto rifle, except for the Colt. Seems they are what they are. The sights on the Mini 14 ain't all that great. I read a lot over in the Ruger forum and seems it is good accuracy, but far from target grade. Good enough for me. We'll see.
 
I can take my mini 14, with an after market Williams peep sight and keep all my shots on a 9" paper plate offhand at 100 yards all day long. Good enough for me. I have two after market 30 rd mags and 3 Ruger 30 rd mags. I also have 4 Ruger 20 rd mags that I bought last year but have yet to take out of the packages. If you want the 20 round Ruger Mags-send me a PM and I will sell them to you for what I paid (invoice is at the office) plus $5.00 for postage. The mini is a great gun for it's intended purpose, which is akin to the original .30 cal carbine. Not meant to be a precision target rifle, but you sure can't beat it for out to 100 yards with the peep sights. Scoping it , in my opinion is like scoping a Winchester model 94. If you want more acuracy-get an AR platform.
Whoops....sorry I didn't see where you were from-my bad.
 
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CAJUNLAWYER said:
I can take my mini 14, with an after market Williams peep sight and keep all my shots on a 9" paper plate offhand at 100 yards all day long. Good enough for me. I have two after market 30 rd mags and 3 Ruger 30 rd mags. I also have 4 Ruger 20 rd mags that I bought last year but have yet to take out of the packages. If you want the 20 round Ruger Mags-send me a PM and I will sell them to you for what I paid (invoice is at the office) plus $5.00 for postage. The mini is a great gun for it's intended purpose, which is akin to the original .30 cal carbine. Not meant to be a precision target rifle, but you sure can't beat it for out to 100 yards with the peep sights. Scoping it , in my opinion is like scoping a Winchester model 94. If you want more acuracy-get an AR platform.
Whoops....sorry I didn't see where you were from-my bad.
Click to expand...

Yep, can't have a folding stock either. Makes them evil.
 
Unmatched pair...

one blue Mini 14 and one SS Ranch Rifle. Pie plates at 100 yards is fine with me. They're a SHTF tough duty pair. Ammo better than .30 Carbine too.
 
I traded into a mini14 about 22 years ago.

Nice little carbine. Just never seem to get around to shooting it much.

I've put something less than 200 rounds thru it.
 
I've always preferred the Mini 30, but in any event the platform is the same, and it's a good one.

You can get all the accurizing info you need as well as furniture options, etc. here.

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Some of the accurizing tips are remarkably simple and cost free.

I can keep my rounds inside a 3" circle at 100 yards based on these tips.

Gas port torquing and a $60 trigger job go a long way with these rifles.
 
I had one for years. I sent it to Ruger years ago to see what they could do about its accuracy. It was a lot better when I got it back. I think that most of the accuracy complaints come from people who shoot it fast enough to overheat the barrel (easy to do). Mine was fairly accurate until the barrel heated up.
 
I have one and it's my shtf gun in a heartbeat!

FACTORY Magazines.
Watch out for grabbing that VERY hot Barrel.
 
I had a ranch rifle years ago that would do 1 inch groups at 100 yards. That was done by shooting one shot every 5 minutes. If you shot at normal speeds it would be 6-8 inches in a vertical string..
 
I bought one when they were priced at 248.00. I sold it for 500.00 once and had "seller's remorse" and asked to buy it back and my cousin was kind enough to sell it back to me. I put a folding stock on it and it helped me resist the AR craze. I don't shoot it much but I want it around. Who knows.
 
Quality control on the Mini-14s has seemed to be a spotty proposition through the years and I've seen folks send minute-of-washtub accuracy guns (and not just Mini-14's) to Ruger to be checked only to be told by the factory that it exhibited "acceptable accuracy".:rolleyes:

I lucked up. I bought a then brand-new 181 series years ago when they still came with wood handguards. Had a 'smith permanently install an M14 style front site and birdcage and pretty much did nothing else except shoot it and clean it. It's always shot as well as I could hold it and I have shot some pretty respectable 3 and 5 shot groups at 100 yards off the bench. But most guns, even heavy barreled guns will start to string shots when they get hot and the rate of fire approaches battlefield frequency.

Bottom line, old John Garand's design has been proven and enough has been written about the .223 and the Ruger's accuracy that anyone who buys one expecting a 300 yard match rifle should not be allowed to go gun shopping unless they are accompanied by an interventionist with more sense than they have.
 
I have a 16" barrel, NRA edition that I probably paid too much for when they first came out. It came w/two 20-round mags and I purchased two additional factory 20-round mags, and 500 rounds of Federal Milspec .223. I can barely see the target @ 50 yards, but I can "pie-plate" it! It's light and quick to the sholder. Thinking about adding a scope and sling. Nice little carbine.
 
My wife bought me the "Tactical" model for Fathers Day last year. Mine is pretty darn dependable and accurate enough for "The Road" applications if necessary. I like it very much.
 
I just recently traded for a very nice Mini-14 Ranch rifle made around '92, and I got 9 mags with it. I traded away a S&W made Walther PPK/S and some ammo. Since my eyes aren't what they used to be, I'm fitting it with a rail that mounts where the scope rings would normally mount. That cost me all of $16 shipped. The Barska red dot I bought off the evil ebay will be here tomorrow. Then it'll be off to the mountain to blast the beejeezus out of stuff. I'll let you know how things work out for me, Shoo
DSC08268.jpg
 
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