Mini-14?

[RJ]

Have had mine since 1985 or so. A few or five thousand threw her ,lol.
She's been very reliable,can even hit a barn from the inside

[DYNOMIKE]

Originally Posted by oddcarl

I appreciate relevant information, such as personal experiences being shared. People disagree, I understand that, and expect a little of that. I don't appreciate having people start an argument about the motives and actions of Bill Ruger, which is somewhat, but not directly relevant. I really don't appreciate it, when it takes up half a page. Maybe the troll comment was out of line, if so here's your free emoticon beer. As long as we can keep the needless argument out of here, I really don't care.

What I was expecting, and I suppose I should clarify, is:
-Personal experiences with the rifle, good, bad, ugly.
-Anything I should be particularly aware of (possible malfunctions, failure etc.)
-Particular ammo or aftermarket accessories that work well with the rifle.
-Stuff like that ^

Fair enough....

[JasonB]

Originally Posted by oddcarl

What I was expecting, and I suppose I should clarify, is:
-Personal experiences with the rifle, good, bad, ugly.
-Anything I should be particularly aware of (possible malfunctions, failure etc.)
-Particular ammo or aftermarket accessories that work well with the rifle.
-Stuff like that ^

Had one what was early-mid 90's production.

-The accuracy sucked. If you get a good one, all is well, but the bad seems to be more common. The newer ones are much tighter (mine made an AK seem to have tight tolerances) and the accuracy seems to have improved on those in most, but apparently not all of them.

-If yours has the slick as snot plastic buttplate, that can easily be stippled with a wood burner or even a nail and candle.

-If the 30rds mag is Ruger, PMI, or (sometimes) Thermold (or maybe some others by now?) you should be in good shape. If it is unmarked, USA, or Ramline you probably don't want to take it to the range prior to getting what I assume will be the 5rds Ruger mag unless you like clearing malfunctions.

- If you should happen to want to refinish it for better rust resistance, removing and reinstalling the gas block isn't difficult.

- haven't been paying real close attention when looking at sights, but from what I can recall replacing them doesn't have a really good cost to benefit ratio. The stock sight picture isn't that bad anyway.

- Not sure what your twist rate will be, but there at quite a few good .223 bullets for deer size game if your barrel will handle them.

On the accuracy, while not 5.56, Shooting Times once did a review of a Mini-30 when they were relatively new. The greatest thing ever in 7.62x39 mm to read the article. Strangely enough, the author included a results from a Chinese SKS in the accuracy test side bar and the less than $100 carbine shot smaller groups than the more than $400 carbine.

[AZ Dave]

I like them ok. I've had many through the years. Accuracy is not great but they go bang every time and are at least in my opinion as accurate as an AK and probably as reliable. I have never had any kind of failure of any kind in the probably 7-8000 rounds I've fired through them. I dont like the 180 series as parts are drying up at Ruger according to them. The 181 series is a good one. Factory mags are available again and that's good. Enjoy it....

[ByronF]

It'll probably respond well to an action bedding job because the stock fit is usually sloppy. Some guys are reporting decent accuracy improvements with cryogenic treatment of the barrel (though they likely stuff the whole barrelled action in it). Trigger jobs seem to help the shooter do their part more accurately, too.

[DYNOMIKE]

Here's an old thread of mine I bumped up the other day after I called RUGER RE: Twist rate.

There is some good info here as well:

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139592

[BUFF]

I remember when Ruger started selling them. They were advertised as "The World's Most Expensive Plinker." They are certainly great for the intended purpose. The Mini-14 opened up a much bigger market for semi-auto .223/5.56 rifles. About all else that was available at the time was the Colt AR-15 at a good bit higher price. The Mini series got a lot of shooters into semiautomatic military-style rifle shooting.

[JasonB]

Originally Posted by BUFF

I remember when Ruger started selling them. They were advertised as "The World's Most Expensive Plinker." They are certainly great for the intended purpose. The Mini-14 opened up a much bigger market for semi-auto .223/5.56 rifles. About all else that was available at the time was the Colt AR-15 at a good bit higher price. The Mini series got a lot of shooters into semiautomatic military-style rifle shooting.

Get the mini functioning at the same level as the AR and see what happens to the price. For that matter, get a decent stash of magazines for each and the price begins to narrow quickly even now.

[BUFF]

"Get the mini functioning at the same level as the AR and see what happens to the price. For that matter, get a decent stash of magazines for each and the price begins to narrow quickly even now."

Yeah, but that was then and this is now.

[JasonB]

Originally Posted by BUFF

"Get the mini functioning at the same level as the AR and see what happens to the price. For that matter, get a decent stash of magazines for each and the price begins to narrow quickly even now."

Yeah, but that was then and this is now.

Depending on when then was, it was even more costly to get the Ruger mags vs. quality M16 mags Accurizing a mini has always been a costly effort.

[Deltaten]

Gee...
THis thread reminded me.. I was looking for the mini-14 posting that showed the M-14 style conversion AFA the fake gas tube, ala' FR-8.
I wondred if the additional weight attached tho the skinny bbl would act like the counterweight shown above??

TIA

[zetabird]

Originally Posted by oddcarl

I definitely need to wear a ball cap when I shoot it though. It ejects brass blazing hot, and throws 'em right on top of my head.

alittle off topic but I've got a Universial m1 carbine that dose the exact same thing, scared the crap out of me the first time I shot it, I take it this isent normal??

[HD Bee]

Originally Posted by zetabird

alittle off topic but I've got a Universial m1 carbine that dose the exact same thing, scared the crap out of me the first time I shot it, I take it this isent normal??

The Ejector Spring is weak, replace it.


http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/...0B&catid=11882

[IRONWORKER]

Originally Posted by wolfspotter1

There's some good Mini 14 information at http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/

Good info about minis & PURE bull$hit about FALs.......

I hadn't been on that site in yrs & after clicking on your link i found a post under the FAL scetion "What's your tightest group" amazingly most are shooting around inch groups but some of the real nice ones (the best of the bunch seems to be a L1A1 on a T3) are 1/2MOA shooters

[ByronF]

True enough. Seems to be the JV team of enthusiasts but there's always hope they'll straighten up once they grow chin hair. There are some guys who know shit from putty, though. If you want to talk Mini it's the place. But not much else.

Originally Posted by IRONWORKER

Good info about minis & PURE bull$hit about FALs.......

I hadn't been on that site in yrs & after clicking on your link i found a post under the FAL scetion "What's your tightest group" amazingly most are shooting around inch groups but some of the real nice ones (the best of the bunch seems to be a L1A1 on a T3) are 1/2MOA shooters

[randy762ak]

Wolf-beautyful Rifle -- NICE!


RJ -- I was going to photo my Mini and post a pick--Now I dont have too==You have exactly the same set up I have -- How do you like it as far as accuracy ?



Bill Ruger is/was a Judas to our kind and always will be in my mind. YMMV... but I am a simple man and I know when a man goes against his kind and the people that made him successful in order to protect his own welfare.... And that crap just doesn't sit too well with me.


WELL SAID My friend -well said -!

[Kyle88]

Originally Posted by IRONWORKER

Good info about minis & PURE bull$hit about FALs.......

I hadn't been on that site in yrs & after clicking on your link i found a post under the FAL scetion "What's your tightest group" amazingly most are shooting around inch groups but some of the real nice ones (the best of the bunch seems to be a L1A1 on a T3) are 1/2MOA shooters

Lol... My l1a1 will shoot 1.5-2 MOA across different types of ammo consistantly, but no better... I can barely get my Savage varmint rifle to touch .5 moa at 100... So the FALs these people own are more accurate than the arguably most accurate, out of the box, mass production bolt rifles made..?

[wolfspotter1]

I'll admit, sometimes I estimate groups with my glasses off

This past winter, I worked up a load that my fal seemed to like. Powder didn't have a lot#, just marked pull-down.
Sorry for getting off topic

[IRONWORKER]

Originally Posted by Kyle88

Lol... My l1a1 will shoot 1.5-2 MOA across different types of ammo consistantly, but no better... I can barely get my Savage varmint rifle to touch .5 moa at 100... So the FALs these people own are more accurate than the arguably most accurate, out of the box, mass production bolt rifles made..?

That's right Kyle, Topshot ain't got shit on these boys!!!.... Not only are their FALs incredibly accurate they have trigger skills that would rival anyone


They are true BADASSES

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by wolfspotter1

I'll admit, sometimes I estimate groups with my glasses off This past winter, I worked up a load that my fal seemed to like. Powder didn't have a lot#, just marked pull-down. Sorry for getting off topic

Makes me proud I have some WC846 laid in. Why the Mag primer though?

[Kyle88]

Originally Posted by wolfspotter1

I'll admit, sometimes I estimate groups with my glasses off

This past winter, I worked up a load that my fal seemed to like. Powder didn't have a lot#, just marked pull-down.

It happens! Pretty solid shooting though. My l1a1 seems to really like the monarch .308. Because it does I figure there isn't much need to reload for it.
I kind of want to get into reloading though...

Originally Posted by IRONWORKER

That's right Kyle, Topshot ain't got shit on these boys!!!.... Not only are their FALs incredibly accurate they have trigger skills that would rival anyone


They are true BADASSES

lol, I bet they are call of duty pro's too!

[wolfspotter1]

Timber Wolf, I like to use magnum primers with ball powder, especially in cold weather. A friend of mine used to work behind the gun counter of a sporting goods store before they went out of business.

He had accumulated quite a few reloading components when they closed and later sold them in a yard sale. I stocked up on small and large magnum primers for $8/1000.

[STGThndr]

Is that powder burns on that those targets?... oh, wait, my screen is dusty!! Good shooting there! Doubt I could hit like that on a good day...

[fire for effect]

Here is a Mini 14 for you.

[wolfspotter1]

Fire for effect, details please...that's a fine looking piece!

[Deltaten]

M-M-m-m-m-m!
[size1] add Homer drool[/size1]

That's the one I was lookin' fer!
Whatizzit? An m-14? M-1 op rod glued to the original with a standard cylinder/FS/GB added to the MIni?

[fire for effect]

Originally Posted by Deltaten

M-M-m-m-m-m!
[size1] add Homer drool[/size1}

That's the one I was lookin' fer!
Whatizzit? An m-14? M-1 op rod glued to the original with a standard cylinder/FS/GB added to the MIni?

Shilen barrel, contured to match garrand profile. Garrand Gas cylinder, and front half of Garand op rod mated to back half of Mini14 op rod.

[fire for effect]

Originally Posted by wolfspotter1

Fire for effect, details please...that's a fine looking piece!

I built my first one back in 1979. It started off as a way to attach a bayonet to a Mini 14; a requirement to shoot in the Soldier of Fortune three gun match in Los Vegas. After rebarreling the mini, and attaching the Garrand gas cylinder to the barrel, I saw how close the geometry of each gas system aligned to each other. I decided what the hell, instead of fussing with Rugers gas system I went with the Garrand. It works great!!! Only problem now is that the Garand parts are getting expensive, and I really winch at cutting up a Garrand op rod.

What actually took the most time was machining the nose cap

[ArtBanks]

Still keep the old 181 from 1978 hanging arround. After reading an article on accurizing the rifle in the early 80's, I shorted the barrel by 7/8 of an inch, recrowned and added the Choate M14 type flash supressor. Took it from 3 to 4 min shooter to 2 - 3. A lot of deer have jumped into my freezer in the last 30 years trying to get away from the mini. Great utility weapon in my opinion.

[lawdog]

I found my Mini-14 to not be nearly as accurate as I wanted it to be. I considered taking steps to accurize it, but decided that it was not worth the investment in time or $$, given that there were other rifles out there that would easily best it for less money and time invested after it was all tallied.

I do agree that there are some likable attributes such as size, weight, aesthetics, and reliability. However, if you aren't happy with the accuracy, it will eventually gnaw at you and make all of the other points seem not worth it.

In my opinion, life is too short and ammunition is too expensive to waste it on weapons that don't perform up to a certain standard (accuracy in my case). It was okay to just blast away for effect when I was a young man just getting into shooting, but now I am more focused on hitting smaller things (making shots count). Parenthetically, I have a house full of stuff that I bought when I was younger (and poorer), that I find I no longer use or that is no longer just "good enough". It takes a long time to sort through all of that stuff and to weed it out.

Granted, my test sample is a range of 1 rifle thus I can't paint with a broad brush. Others here seem to have shot hundreds of Mini14's and are thus entitled to speak for other all other Mini-14 owners, when they say that we must be full of crap or "mini haters" when we talk about a disappointing personal experience with them. I haven't quite been able to get my hands around that one yet as to how everyone everywhere who was disappointed with their Mini is automatically labelled as a "mini hater", but oh well. I suppose that if you can't refute others' personal experiences, then name calling is what passes as good argument for some. Me, I move on if something doesn't meet the bar that I alone set, plain and simple. If others have a lower bar, I'm happy that they are happy.

[Deltaten]

OK... So, is there something inherently *wrong* with the Mini?? Other than the wimpy bbl...which seems to have been rectified...and pricey mags; what's bad about it?

Does the miniature Garand/M-1A bolt make it inaccurate? Does the locking system make it inaccurate? Howzabout the gas system? THe trigger and housing/stock-lock seem to be a problem with some series and some in particular; so perhaps a tweak here and there would be necessary.

Fellas here and elsewhere seem ta worship the Garand and it's progeny as the end all/be all of riflery. If it weren't for the glaring bbl troubles, the Mini *should* rate right up there with those old war horses.

Just how tough is it to re-barrel? Screwed, pinned, pressed? If that jacket system wasn;t so spendy, it'd bear a look ta sort the MIni!

Guess I'll hafta go over to weaponeer or summat ta see what the latest results are?? Breakin' mine outta the safe later ta suss it out.

[TOWS220]

Originally Posted by Skilter

Bill Ruger is/was a Judas to our kind and always will be in my mind. YMMV... but I am a simple man and I know when a man goes against his kind and the people that made him successful in order to protect his own welfare.... And that crap just doesn't sit too well with me.

+1
Of course he is only human and he did many great things, but he also spearheaded a mag ban when the rest of the gun rights community was ready to fight. Maybe things turned out ok, we are certainly no safer from gun grabs because of it though. One bad action can ruin a reputation forever.

Sorry your thread got hijacked, but once you post it it isn't really yours anymore. It is a conversation in a community, I think you received a good deal of information anyhow. And maybe it is uncouth to sidetrack a thread, but there is a difference between hijacking a thread with a heated argument and trolling someone.

[Illurian00]

I second what lawdog said.

Delta, I asked those same questions years ago. At that time, when I was in Mini research mode, much of the problem seem to center around the bbl. (i've got a post on the first page you might take a look at)

One thing about the bbl. I remember reading is that the original contour (pencil) bbl. was turned to shape at a high rate of speed, greatly stressing the steel. The thought occured to me at that time, why not turn the lathe down a bit, which would result in a somewhat heavier , less stressed tube. Even allowing the same amount of 'turn' time you would have stayed within production specs. Apparently the thought never occured to Roojur. They perhaps could have spent a little more time fitting the gas block as well.
I'll repeat, the 'new Minis' are supposed to have addressed these and other issues. I've seen a few on racks in fun stores, have yet to see, let alone try one one the hoof.
Again, I like the essential design concept of a light handy .223 semi,,,but if it can't perform to an (albeit ) arbitrary crterion for minimum accuracy, it's a fail.

[ByronF]

Delta,

My late model "tactical" (which it certainly is not) shoots better than I expected. For practical accuracy (off-hand, 200yd, shooting gongs) it hangs with my old-timey retro AR15 carbine. I still have to bed it to a Boyd walnut stock because it liked to poop out the trigger group, but that's not Ruger's fault. In the factory synthetic stock if stayed locked up just fine. I can explain the issue if anyone is interested, but I anticipate betting will fix it. In fact, I may have already fixed it without bedding but I have Accraglass and clay so I'll do it anyhow. It's a semi-inletted stock and it took some messing around to find out what needed to be massaged.

Some guys are cryo treating their pencil barrels to help with the residual stresses. So far I haven't seen reason to do that to mine. I'm actually very happy with my Mini and I used to be a hater. It think they did a find job with the late model rifles.

That said, the price of Mini is not insignificant, and the price of AR15 has never been lower (but getting higher as we approach the election). If someone has an AR and is considering adding a Mini I would not wave them off. If they are looking for their first 5.56 rifle I'd recommend an AR15 first.

Byron

[dondone]

Just thought I'd throw this in: Don't know if it still applies or not, but some jurisdictiions do (or did) not allow hunting with a rifle of ".22 calibre."

As I understand it, the way some laws were written, that would include all .22 rimfires, .223, .224, .225, .22-250, and any other cartridge that was nominally .22 calibre.

Like I said, I'm not sure if those laws have been revised or not, but if you plan to hunt with it, make sure it's legal in your area.

[FALEN]

That is a cool looking older Mini-14.......


I have always been looking for a great deal on a mini-14, even though these can have some accuracy issues.....

The barrel and small gas block are the main issues that cause the accuracy problems..

here is one site that I have heard good things about, and You can make your uber-reliable Mini-14 very accurate by using the conservative barrel package listed here:

http://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.co...ini_prices.php



it also includes a trigger job and all the other work needed to get the rifle to shoot sub 1.5 MOA groups. Remember that there are a lot of mid-range AR's that won't do this without finding their pet-load, so that is pretty darn good....

and in saying that, You will probably be able to best that number of 1.5MOA by finding the pet load for the Mini-14.....


Good luck and don't believe all the hype.... most of the problems are in the gas-block, barrel whip, stringing from heat, etc....