Surprise! — This time I went for the current version

[bushmaster1313]

Like many on this august and wise Forum the guns I accumulate just for the fun of it tend to be relatively old. Almost all of my guns are more than 50 years old, many were made before Pearl Harbor, and some of my favorites were made in the 1920’s.

This time, however, I was presented with the choice between an older and a newer Ruger Mini-14. The Mini 14 being my first rifle over 40 years ago I was tempted to get an old one. However, the old ones were known for very poor accuracy at 100 yards, a problem fixed in the newer models.

So a newer one is what I got. Pleased to report that the nostalgia is still there, only more precise!

 

[robertrwalsh]

Sounds like a good decision to me. Enjoy.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I concur with your decision

 

[Protocall_Design]

What year did the newer ones start?

 

[bushmaster1313]

What year did the newer ones start?

I do not know the year but if they have a 540 or more prefix they are the newer model

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I owned five blue & stainless Minis in the 180 prefix range. With a scope, the best I ever got was 2" @100 yards, off a rest, from a blue full wood stock. The worst was 5" @ 50 yards, with scope and rest from a stainless with factory folding stock! I also had one that didn't count! 24" @20 yards. Blue with folding Choat stock. It was a "Truckers Friend" during the truck strikes in the early 80's. The barrel had been cut and a flash disburser welded on to make 16 1/8" barrel length. It was intended to be used one handed to shoot at people trying to run him off the road! (It worked for its intended purpose!)

By the mid 90's I got rid of the last of my Minis and bought my first AR. I was a Bushmaster AR-15-A4 (full size, 20" barrel, detachable carry handle.) Scoped & on a rest, and using the exact same batch of ammo as the Minis, it got 1/4" @ 100 yard groups scoped!

I'm glad to hear that current Mini-14's are getting better than "Minute of Trash Can" accuracy!

Ivan

 

[BB57]

What year did the newer ones start?

The new retooled Mini 14s came out in 2005 with the 580 series. In 2006 they got the new heavier tapered barrel mid way through the 580 series in 2006.

 

[BB57]

The original 180 series Mini 14 had a lighter slide along with a trimmer gas block and stock. It also had a smaller gas port bushing (0.520”). As originally designed and with the original 1-10” barrel twist they were solid 2 MOA rifles with good quality 55 gr ammunition and were positively reviewed and regarded by Jeff Cooper.

Unfortunately Ruger developed the select fire AC-556 not long after intended for military use. It had a much heavier slide and slightly heavier bolt, accommodated in a deeper stock with a deeper gas block. They also opted for a .080” gas bushing that left it badly over gassed. Between the increased slide weight and velocity barrel harmonics and accuracy went south.

4 MOA to 5 MOA accuracy was the norm, and it got worse when combined with the subsequent 1-7 twist (1986-1997) barrel and bulk or surplus 55 gr FMJ ammo.

Eventually Ruger switched to a more appropriate for the type 1-9” twist, which helped but by that time the tooling was starting to wear and accuracy still wasn’t inspiring.

My 180 series Mini 14 (center) is true to form with 2 MOA accuracy with Hornady 55 gr FMJ.

Both my 187 series Ranch Rifle (bottom) and 184 series Mini 14 (top) are 1-9” twist rifles and are 1.5 MOA accurate with the same ammunition. However to get that accuracy they both got an accu strut as well as an .045” gas bushing and a Choate muzzle device.



Both shoot as well with 55 gr FMJ as my Colt made M16A1 upper and my A1 style Colt SP1.

 

[bushmaster1313]

The used Mini-14 I got turned out to be a dud. The action froze open after only 3 rounds of quality factory ammo.

Not a comment on Mini-14s in general and my local gun shop took it back for full refund no questions asked.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

That is a shame. Rugar usually does a better job than that.

Ivan

 

[A10]

Are the top and bottom factory stocks? I've not shopped for a Mini in some time, but I've never seen them.

 

[Walter Rego]

I have never owned a 5.56/.223 rifle and recently decided that owning one wouldn't be a bad idea. A Mini-14 had always appealed to me. When I started looking around I found that retail gun shops that had used ones were asking almost as much as a new one and after a little homework I learned that the older models were for the most part 4 M.O.A. rifles.

Local private party sellers seemed to be offering a lot of guns that had been monkeyed with in some kind of attempts to make them tacticool and that seemed to be an unwise purchase. So I just ended up buying a new production Ranch Rifle.

The issue now is ammo prices are skyrocketing and brass, suitable powders and component bullets are scarce. The days of $5/20 for a box of surplus military ammo have gone the way of the dodo bird. I have a few hundred rounds of assorted 5.56 and .223 ammo in 55 and 62 grain weights and hopefully some of them will provide acceptable accuracy. I just won't be going out and blasting a couple hundred rounds at a time.