Ruger Mini 14 opinions?

coctailer · Aug 30, 2009

I haven't shot that one or either of the GBs yet.

dario541 · Aug 30, 2009

JUSTIficatioN asks about the mini-30. I'll try to help. Although I have never shot a mini-30, I believe that all of Ruger's products are well made and function well. However, Ruger has not shown the foresight to make a high capacity magazine for this rifle. I'm sure that the factory 5-shot clips will function fine. If there are any feeding problems with this gun it is probably caused by using after-market high capacity magazines, which are the only ones available. I personally am not interested in a semi-auto rifle that has no factory 20 or 30 round clips available. Therefore I'll pass on the mini-30 until Ruger wakes up!

aflineman · Aug 30, 2009

Like Coctailer says, the newer tapered ones seem to have better accuracy than some of the older ones. My BIL uses his scoped Mini14 to hunt coyotes and does very well. Mags are not cheap, tacticool items are not as easy to get, and the prices that I have seen in the rifles has been climbing. All in all though, there is nothing really wrong with the rifle at all. I prefer an AR15 because that is what I like to shoot. I would not feel bad though if a Mini14 was all that I could get.

9mmMike · Aug 30, 2009

I have a mini that has been worked on by John (aka GunDoc) in Salem. It now shoots moa and I love the way it handles quickly and has a slightly less than Military look. I put a 2-7 Leupold withh QR Warne Mounts on it after he worked on it and can now carry excellent groups out to 250 yds. Another notorious Mini G-Smith in this area always says, scope it, bed it, and trigger job and the Mini-14 becomes a completely different rifle. Also, I have had very good luck with the Pro Mag 20 round metal mags. I have many factory mags, and the new Promag metal ones look and function as well as the factory mags.

Mike

fred c. dobbs · Aug 31, 2009

the funny thing about the AR - 15, it reminds me to much of the m-16, which was a real joke in vietnam, talk to anyone who was in nam , someone who was there with an M- 14 in 308 of course, then to swith to an m-16 , was not happy, as for the mini 14, it shoots the same weak .223 which could not even cut through the jungle, if i want a round to realy do some damage, it's a 308, or 7.62x39, or 30-06, the mini is a plinker just like the AR, sure you can hang more toys on it, just don't get it dirty, or wet, as far as i am concerned a true always reliable battle rifle is the AK 47, say what you will about it negatively, unlike the AR, drop it, get it muddy, burry it in the sand, it will always fire, try that with an AR, not to mention the diference in ballistics.

coctailer · Aug 31, 2009

The M16 is an AR-15, that may be why it reminds you of it.

M16 is just the military designation of an AR-15..........exact same gun.

coctailer · Aug 31, 2009

9mmMike said:
I have a mini that has been worked on by John (aka GunDoc) in Salem. It now shoots moa and I love the way it handles quickly and has a slightly less than Military look. I put a 2-7 Leupold withh QR Warne Mounts on it after he worked on it and can now carry excellent groups out to 250 yds. Another notorious Mini G-Smith in this area always says, scope it, bed it, and trigger job and the Mini-14 becomes a completely different rifle. Also, I have had very good luck with the Pro Mag 20 round metal mags. I have many factory mags, and the new Promag metal ones look and function as well as the factory mags.

Mike

Sweet looking rifle Mike.

Did he shorten the barrel, or did you start with the NRA rifle?

JUSTIficatioN · Aug 31, 2009

thanks for all the opinions guys, it really helped me out a lot. the mini 14 shall be my next purchase. i'll put up a range report when i get it if ya'll are interested

JUSTIficatioN · Aug 31, 2009

oh and thanks to all for posting pics, 9mmmike, your mini is something i dream about at night!

Chee-to · Aug 31, 2009

the mini is a plinker just like the AR, sure you can hang more toys on it, just don't get it dirty, or wet, as far as i am concerned a true always reliable battle rifle is the AK 47, say what you will about it negatively

I'm a big AK fan also, but if you're trying to say the mini won't function dirty or wet you're waaaaay off base..........:nuts:

Silver Fox · Aug 31, 2009

coctailer said:
I like shooting my Mini-14s a lot more than my ARs.

The newer ones with tapered barrels are a lot more accurate than the older skinny barreled ones. Even the older ones can be made dramaticly more accurate with some minor tweaking.

Get a 580 series and you will love it.

Pick of mine:

Coctailer, That is a funny looking rifle on the far right of your Mini-14 collection... tell you what I will buy two brand new Mini-14's and trade you that ugly, disgusting, piece of junk you have. I am so sorry you have that thing in amongst your fine Ruger collection.

SF-

coctailer · Aug 31, 2009

Ya, that is by beater trunk gun.

The Minis stay in the safe.

CEF1959 · Aug 31, 2009

Dang, that is a gun, isn't it? When I first saw the photo, I thought that was a Transformer, but now I see the resemblance...

9mmMike · Aug 31, 2009

coctailer said:
Sweet looking rifle Mike.

Did he shorten the barrel, or did you start with the NRA rifle?

Yes, the barrel is at 14.5" with the comp blind pinned in place to make it 16.25" total. As you are probably aware, the barrel harmonics in Mini's is what kills the accuracy. By shortening the barrel and adding the weight of the comp., he was able to find the sweet spot (IMO). I've heard great things on Pefect Union about the barrel strut (as one of your mini's has) on factory length barrels minimizing the harmonics and providing great accuracy results. I wanted a shorter fast handling gun as I use a wheelchair to get around, and this gun fits the bill. I had thought about changing to a different aftermarket stock such as the ATI or others with adjustable stocks (and ability to mount a light), but really want to keep it looking not so much like an assault rifle. I have a brand new Specter Gear Tactical Sling and butstock mag holder I need to put on it to finish this one off. I'm swaying between another Mini, or getting an AR or .308 cal semi auto as my next project.

Coctailer,
Your Mini collection is awesome. Looks like you've got every concept I've thought about all in one collection. I'd love to shoot a GB some time, and purchase one if possible, but aren't they only sold to LE organizations?

Sorry for the long winded response.

coctailer · Sep 5, 2009

Ya, the GBs were only sold to LE.

They can be found on the second-hand market. Police departments trade them in for more modern guns sometimes.

speelyei · Sep 5, 2009

I had a Mini 14 Ranch for a couple years, and I would buy another one if I found a good deal.

Pro's: easy to clean, easy to assemble/disassemble, robust construction, always fired, never jammed, sold it for more than I paid for it. Lightweight, compact, durable little rifle.

Con's: Throws brass so far you may never find it, and dents the cases in the process. The rear sight on the ranch model is a little flimsy, and the stock felt a little short to me.

My Mini-14 shot accurately enough for me when fired from prone, standing, and kneeling positions. I did put a scope on it and fire it from a bench, and no, it wouldn't hold MOA, but I don't believe the rifle was designed for that.

There are a lot of aftermarket accessories, the only one I ever seriously entertained was a tuneable gas block, that would eliminate the lost brass.

I sold the rifle because I handload, and it seeme silly to handload for a semi-auto that won't hold MOA. Also, since I don't hunt anything that a .223 is appropriate for, I used it for plinking and target shooting. It seemed even more ridiculous to waste prepped brass and handloads plinking at paper plates and stuff...
When I listed the rifle for sale, I had a buyer within ten minutes of posting the ad.