My first Mini

Mrknot

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Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
9
Location
Portland, Orygun
After 20+ years of shooting ARs and AKs, my dad finally talked me into giving the Mini-14 a try.
Found a smokin deal on a like-new Mini-14 Tactical and took it to the range for the first time yesterday. Have to say, I was pretty impressed. I've always heared and read about the Mini's lack of accuracy, and while it was not the tack-driver my AR is, I was able to ring a 10" steel gong at 200 yds with 19 out of 20 rounds after sight-in with a Leupold 1X4 VX-1...good enough for me. I am sure the one miss was all me as I wasn't exactly taking my time between shots :-)
Took the opportunity to try out some Tapco Mini-14 magazines as well, as I could not afford the rifle AND a good supply of $50ea factory mags, (the Tapcos ran right around $16 ea), and I was surprised by how well they worked as I am used to referring to their products as "Crap-co". Never had much luck with any of their stuff in the past...oh well, things change.
Started out using some steel-cased Wolf that my AR eats like candy, and that didn't go so well; lots of FTE and FTF malfs. As soon as I switched to American Eagle brass, it ran like butter.
The rifle only had about 200 rounds through it prior to yesterday though, so I will revisit the wolf in about 1000 rds after its well broken in.
Not going to give up the AR as my "primary" anytime soon, but the Mini is a sweet shooting little carbine!
 
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i love mine


here is some shooting i did last year...pulled the scope of my buddies rifle...first 2 shots on left were to warm the barrel...the 5 shot group on the right is my shooting...not bad with 1 flyer
 
I'm also a recently converted fan of the Mini-14. Like you said, my AR is still much more precise, but with what I've got in my handpicked parts, I'd expect it to be.

I like the wood stock because it reminds me more of an M1/M1 Carbine/M14...

If you want more factory mags, check out Armslist or other gun forums. Periodically you'll find people selling them at reasonable prices or even up for trades. I just swapped some AR mags for some 20 round Ruger mags.

RugerMini14_zps63863e0d.jpg
 
I really wish they took AR or AK mags. I'm vaguely interested but can't really justify getting into another platform with a whole new set of mags.
 
armaborealis said:
I really wish they took AR or AK mags. I'm vaguely interested but can't really justify getting into another platform with a whole new set of mags.
Always been one of the biggest complaints I've heard about the Mini...
Bill Ruger was no dummy, design a solid system with proprietary mags and you just get that much more revenue in sales...

The only complaint I have with the Tapco mags so far is that the ribs are so pronounced they can be a pain to slip out of the pockets in my vest, they get hung up on the edges and bungees...other than that they function flawlessly and are 1/3rd to 1/2 the price of factory mags...
 
I will acquire new mags for it one at a time...I've got three (I don't count the two five rounders) but there's no way I'm paying Ruger.com prices for 20 or 30 rounders. I like the factory metal magazines but I'd get TAPCO polymers over Pro Mags. I have one and don't like it...the metal around the hole that locks it in place will bend occasionally and the higher quality Ruger factory mags.

But...getting new ones isn't a huge priority. If I find a good deal like I did on that pair of 20 rounders, I'll jump on it, but like ya'll said, I'm reluctant to invest a lot of money in yet another type of mags.
 
do what i did. someone gave me a para mag with worn out feed lips. i bought a cheap 10 rd, cut the bad lips off and welded the two together to a length of 170mm, legal length in ipsc shooting. i can put 23 45s in it.

cut the top off a bad 30 rd mag, worn out and donated, and add a 5 rd to the top.

and could the mags or the mini be modified to take AR mags, AK-74 mags?
 
I still can't understand why this rifle exists.

- The rifle costs about the same as an AR-15.
- The rifle is not as accurate as an AR-15.
- The rifle uses expensive and uncommon parts and magazines.
- The rifle has inferior ergonomics to an AR or AK.

Isn't it just a .223 semi-auto for people that don't like the "looks" of an "assault weapon?"

If you don't mind the aesthetics of assault weapons, why would anyone get a Ruger Mini-14 instead of an AR-15 or AK in 5.56?

What is the driving motivation behind the acquisition of this gun? I've used them professionally in the past and found them to be a poor substitute for an AR or AK. I'm sure the agency got them (and their magazines) cheap but I'm sure they could have sourced ARs just as cheaply.
 
Picked up my like new Mini Tactical for <$500.
Ergos are, IMHO, superior to an AK.
AK reliability.
Proven track record of performance.
I put to you:
Why not?
 
Avtomat-Acolyte said:
I still can't understand why this rifle exists.

- The rifle costs about the same as an AR-15.
- The rifle is not as accurate as an AR-15.
- The rifle uses expensive and uncommon parts and magazines.
- The rifle has inferior ergonomics to an AR or AK.

Isn't it just a .223 semi-auto for people that don't like the "looks" of an "assault weapon?"

If you don't mind the aesthetics of assault weapons, why would anyone get a Ruger Mini-14 instead of an AR-15 or AK in 5.56?

What is the driving motivation behind the acquisition of this gun? I've used them professionally in the past and found them to be a poor substitute for an AR or AK. I'm sure the agency got them (and their magazines) cheap but I'm sure they could have sourced ARs just as cheaply.

I got it for exactly the reason it's NOT an AR or AK. I've been there, done that with both and I wanted to try something new. That's like saying Glocks and 1911s have such a proven track record so why buy any other gun. The Mini was designed Only ten years after the M16 and has been in production for forty years this year. Clearly it had some good points otherwise it would have fizzled out long ago.

The Mini 14 uses the same ammo as my ARs which was one of the top three reasons I dumped my AK for it. I didn't want to invest the money in 7.62x 39 that I have in 5.56 so It had to go. I'm not at all tempted to sink hundreds upon hundreds of dollars upgrading the Mini or customizing it, which would defeat the purpose of having a rifle I got brand new for less than $500 (traded a rifle that went up in value that I paid $4xx for).

I wanted to learn about the rotating bolt design. I like the sound of chambering a round and the "classic" look similar to the old M1 Carbine and later M14 era.

I, like many others, just wanted it. Which is why so many things exist out there.
 
11B3XCIB said:
Avtomat-Acolyte said:
I still can't understand why this rifle exists.

- The rifle costs about the same as an AR-15.
- The rifle is not as accurate as an AR-15.
- The rifle uses expensive and uncommon parts and magazines.
- The rifle has inferior ergonomics to an AR or AK.

Isn't it just a .223 semi-auto for people that don't like the "looks" of an "assault weapon?"

If you don't mind the aesthetics of assault weapons, why would anyone get a Ruger Mini-14 instead of an AR-15 or AK in 5.56?

What is the driving motivation behind the acquisition of this gun? I've used them professionally in the past and found them to be a poor substitute for an AR or AK. I'm sure the agency got them (and their magazines) cheap but I'm sure they could have sourced ARs just as cheaply.

I got it for exactly the reason it's NOT an AR or AK. I've been there, done that with both and I wanted to try something new. That's like saying Glocks and 1911s have such a proven track record so why buy any other gun. The Mini was designed Only ten years after the M16 and has been in production for forty years this year. Clearly it had some good points otherwise it would have fizzled out long ago.

The Mini 14 uses the same ammo as my ARs which was one of the top three reasons I dumped my AK for it. I didn't want to invest the money in 7.62x 39 that I have in 5.56 so It had to go. I'm not at all tempted to sink hundreds upon hundreds of dollars upgrading the Mini or customizing it, which would defeat the purpose of having a rifle I got brand new for less than $500 (traded a rifle that went up in value that I paid $4xx for).

I wanted to learn about the rotating bolt design. I like the sound of chambering a round and the "classic" look similar to the old M1 Carbine and later M14 era.

I, like many others, just wanted it. Which is why so many things exist out there.


Thank you. You answered my question. I wasn't being facetious. I did appreciate the lineage it shared with the M-14. It was easy to field strip and clean. (Thanks SgtMaj for all those drills in JROTC!)
 
most die hard ar15 guys wouldnt use a mini as a boat oar...yes NOW they are around the same price as some ars...however up until recently they were significantly cheaper...and lets not forget about the past AWB...im pretty sure the mini was excluded...some people like guns that go bang
 
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