Mini 14

[Sarp]

Mini 14's come in .223 and 6.8 SPC and the mini 30 comes in 7.62x39. How good are the mini 14's and mini 30's over all and which would be the best choice caliber.

I would use them for fun, pigs and varmint.

 

[M. Sage]

Varmints with a Mini 14?

I know it's not the answer you're looking for, but the AR-15 is a much better, more reliable, easier to maintain and accurate gun. It's also a bit pricier...

 

[viking]

The 6.8 ammo might be harder to find. The 7.62x39 ammo is out there, but will the mini 30 shoot it accurately I don't know(I would love to have one). I would go to with the 223. It works on hogs also. Check out my post in general chit chat.

My 9 year old boy, 8 at the time used the mini with a 64 grain winchester pp hand load. The hog (80-90lbs) was about 50 yds broadside. The bullet passed clean through, destroying the lungs on its way. I might add that mine does not like steel cased ammo.

 

[robocop10mm]

The Mini-14 is an entry level carbine. IMHO it is not even comparable to an AR. WTS, the accuracy seems to have gotten MUCH better of late. They used to be minute of barn door rifles. You should be able to keep 5 rounds in a pie plate at 100 with the newer ones.

Bite the bullet and get a decent AR and never look back.

 

[Bullseye Shooter]

I don't want to hijack the thread either, but I've owned both and prefer the AR; more accurate, easier to work on and lots more after-market add-ons are available. If you buy the AR, go with the regular stock; more comfortable to shoot, especially when hunting.

 

[cuate]

Mini 14 & Mini 30

I have both and assuredly at least the Mini 14 is not as accurate as the widely loved AR types. But the rifle is not near as bad as some would have you believe. Mine has killed deer, varmints, aluminum cans, rocks, and paper targets. It is not a minute of angle shooter nor a bench rest gun. That said, it is trouble free, easy to disassemble and clean and not terribly expensive to buy.

My Bushmaster AR (M4) is much more accurate, shorter and easier to handle, more hassle to clean, and what I would consider a top notch rifle.

And, my Galil/Golani, also in .223 with all the Century Arms bugs and shortcomings fixed and worked out is very accurate, easy to clean and
a bit heavier than the other two but on a Kalashnijov design and just super.

 

[M. Sage]

Wow, I did some internet price checking... Is a Mini-14 really $600+? That's really not much cheaper than a lower-end AR-15. If you're patient and good at finding deals, you can put an AR together for around $600 by buying lower, parts kit, stocks and upper all separately.

The 6.8 ammo might be harder to find. The 7.62x39 ammo is out there, but will the mini 30 shoot it accurately I don't know(I would love to have one). I would go to with the 223. It works on hogs also. Check out my post in general chit chat.

6.8 is quite expensive. I can't imagine a Mini 14 being less accurate in 7.62x39mm. The caliber itself is capable of as much accuracy as any other (I know people who've hand loaded the caliber to get MOA or better accuracy).

Then again... Mini 30 VS AK-47: Something tells me that an AK might be cheaper (Internets suggest that the Mini is going for around $700. You can find an AK for $400 again), and I can tell you that accuracy is usually 3 (+/-1) MOA. Plus, you'll be able to find mags that hold more than ten rounds... and work. And AKs are way easier to clean (when you get sick of watching it work dirtier than you can imagine).

 

[Texas42]

PS-look at a thread on AR's going for $600+shipping and tax.

About the same price you are going to get for a mini-14 new.

I wouldn't use the 6.8 spc unless you reload, then have at it. Just my opinion.

 

[pvtsnowball82]

Varmints with a Mini 14?

I know it's not the answer you're looking for, but the AR-15 is a much better, more reliable, easier to maintain and accurate gun. It's also a bit pricier...

I'm confused as to why you say the AR is more reliable and easier to maintain.

 

[Sarp]

Thank you for the input guys.

 

[Seabear1500]

Well, I am sure there are some very accurate Ar's out there, and even ones that are easy to maintain. I have nothing against them, and I am happy for theguys and gals that are happy with theirs. That being said, I am also aware of people who think they have a bad Mini-14, and a HUGE number of people that don't own a Mini that will tell you how bad it shoots. Now for some truth...I own an older Mini 196 series, with very little done to it ( trigger job, gap and torque gas block screws, add Flash hider/break, add Hogue overmolded stock, weigand rail with a nice mil-dot scope) and it will go bang every single time I pull the trigger and it will shoot MOA all day long.

I'm not knocking the AR's I just don't own one....yet. What I do know is the last three times I have been to the range I have seen someone trying to make theirs work. I have no idea which brand or any other info. I suppose it is like any other gun, if you set it up right and learn to care for it, it will shoot. Heck I know guys that can't clean anything they own.

I say get whichever turns you on. As a kid I always wanted a Mini, so I have one. Lately I have been liking the looks of the AR so since I "needed" a .22lr I bought the Colt M4 OPS .22lr but that's another story.

I would suggest digging through some excellent reading at perfectunion.com you can find lots of info on both rifles.

Here's a pic of my poor little Mini.

 

[viking]

Minis are great just don't expect too much accuarcy from them. I had an early ranch in the late 80's. Love, hate relationship. It worked all the time, but never shot the same place twice.

Now the newer ones are a different story in the accuracy department. Just as reliable although mine won't shoot steel. I had a colt ar-15 that shot steel, but I did not like the may it felt. The colt comp match 2 was not as accurate as I thought it should be. I will admit I never played with it much with loads.

The Mini's are great to carry, no pistol grip in the way, they feel like a rifle and that garand like action is it.

 

[M. Sage]

I'm confused as to why you say the AR is more reliable and easier to maintain.

Reliable - An AR won't screw up unless you do. Lube the bolt and carrier and it'll run without any issues. This is the mistake every newbie makes; they take it out of the box and shoot it while it's dry. Take some wheel bearing grease and lightly grease the rails on the bolt carrier, then a dab on the bolt where it rides inside the carrier and it's good to go for a long time. I've seen one AR have issues that weren't related to an ignorant owner or bad ammunition.

Easier to maintain - It's way easier to take an AR down for cleaning and service. It's simple to tear down, clean and reassemble.

Sure, you'll get more carbon in the bolt area, but you just hose it with Gun Scrubber and wipe it out. No big deal to clean, really.

I shot a lot of carbine matches in CA, and was the safety officer on many stages. Out of all the AR-15s that went through, most of them were as reliable as my AK (which is to say 100%). Out of all the Mini-14s that came through, I never saw one that made it through a 100 round day without a hiccup.

Seriously, if you think the Mini-14 is easier to maintain, I'm waiting to your response to this video:

YouTube - girl field strip Ar 15

I have yet to even hear of someone who can strip and reassemble a Mini that fast.

 

[SC-Texas]

I'm confused as to why you say the AR is more reliable and easier to maintain.

Private Snowball, I am confused as to why you think the Mini-14 is as reliable as an AR15 or an AKM?

the mini-14 is a reliable weapon, but they have never held up in trials when compared to teh AR-15, M-4 or M-16.

 

[brickboy240]

The Mini-14 was NOT designed to be a main battle rifle. It wa designed for a few quick shots on game or varmints at not too distant ranges. Basically...the role the Model 94 30-30 used to have. A pickup/saddle gun, if you will.

Where people get bent out of shape is when they try to turn their Mini-14 into a long range varminter or a high volume tactical shooter. Same happens when you take an average Winchester 94 30-30 and try to shoot deer at 300yds or take on moose. Again...not what it was desiged for.

And just because they make tacticool stocks with rails and all sort of add ons does not make the Mini a battle rifle either. In fact, many of the add ons do not work or detract from the Mini.

Want to do AR things? Buy an AR. Want to shoot prarie dogs at 300yds? Buy a 223 boltgun and a good scope.

That said, my 1976 Mini-14 does exactly what it was designed for. I can get 2-4 inch groups at 100yds with cheapo Remington Wal Mart ammo. Not stellar but definately "minute of coyote" at 100yds or less. Actually, I have shot a few basic ARs unscoped at 100yds (DPMS, Bushy) that did not group a whole lot better.

So yeah, for close in shooting and plinking...its not a bad choice. The only bad thing about the Mini-14 today is the fact that its not as cheap as it used to be. Back when a Mini ran maybe 450 bucks and the average AR was 800 plus...yeah...the Mini was more attractive to the casual shooter. Today, I have seen the new Minis running 700 bucks plus. Sorry, but at that price...I'd save a little more and go for an AR.

So all in all the Mini-14 is a mixed bag. Not entirely terrible but not the be all end all and getting to be too pricey for what it is. I like mine and would never sell it, but I'll be damned if I'd ever pay more than maybe 400 bucks for one.

Another good choice if you want a pig gun and plinker might be a decent SKS. They are decently accurate, tough, reliable, shoot a bigger round and cheaper to shoot than a 223 rifle.

- brickboy240

 

[Dust]

With this around

Bargain Bin, CMMG, Inc

The only reason to buy a Mini-14 is if you want to add the next step up in money wasting to your 10/22. Check out perfectunion. There is a guy who will accurize your Mini, and you can spend more money, or just buy an AR and be done with it.

I want a Mini-30 simply so I can have a scope on a x39 shooter. If the x39 AR mag problems gets worked out, the Mini dream will be no more.

 

[M. Sage]

Brickboy: Ruger did market versions of the Mini-14 to the LE and even military market. According to Wikipedia, Bermuda actually uses the Mini-14 as a battle rifle (hope they never have to fight!), and a few LEAs around the world use that and/or the AC-556 version. And you're right about adding the tacti-cool stuff to them - the worst Mini I ever saw had so much crap hung from it, you could barely recognize it. And it was basically a bolt-action rifle, it functioned so badly.

Want a scope on a 7.62x39mm rifle? Get a Saiga rifle in that caliber - the come with the side mount attached. There are websites around where you can get decent (if somewhat clunky), clear optics for AKs that will slide right on that rail. Best part of it? They come with built-in range finders (that beat the snot out of crap like Mil Dot reticles as far as being easy to use) and are ballistically compensated to that caliber and rifle.

And they're cheap. I got my 4x POSP scope for $125.

 

[brickboy240]

Yes, those Saiga rifles are a deal. They're also very well made for an AK variant and made in the original AK factory. My brother has one in 7.62x39 and its a great shooter.

I had forgotten about those LE configured Mini-14s. However Bill Ruger did not design it to be a high volume blaster so its no wonder it does not do well in that role. Yeah...I would not want to rely on mine for a main battle rifle...I have a custom built AK for that role! LOL

These days, with the rising cost of the Mini and 223 ammo...you're right...it does not make sense. Back in the mid 90s, when I got my Mini used at a gunshow for 300 bucks and 223 ammo was cheap...it made sense. But with the Mini hovering around 600 bucks and 223 not being as cheap as it used to be...yes... the Mini does not make sense as a good buy.

I still like mine, though. Its a good 2-3 shot close range varmint gun and thats about it. I kept mine pretty much stock, except for a muzzle break and 20rd mags.

- brickboy240

 

[M. Sage]

However Bill Ruger did not design it to be a high volume blaster so its no wonder it does not do well in that role.

Well, he was the douche who said that "no honest man needs more than ten rounds". Funny that he sold 20 round mags to the police, isn't it?

May he rot.

 

[viking]

I was wondering how accurate the original ar-15s were. The ones that had what a 1-12 or 1-14? twist barrel. The light weight barrels with the 3 prong thingy on the end. I wonder how reliable they were without a forward assist (remember those).

I think the concept of the ar was a light weight, spray and pray weapon that evolved into what we see today. It has had 40 plus years of tweeking behind it.

Now the Mini hasn't changed that much. If the same efforts were spent on the mini I wonder what it would be. To me the new target model with the harmonic balancer is what should be compared to the new versions of the ar-15, form an accuracy standpoint that is.

If we turn back the clock I would rather have a mini 14, then the ar without the f/a. We had m-16a1's that were semi auto with the sheriffs department back in ND. Guys had to use the f/a a few times while on the range. I thought of those poor guys with the earlier model without the f/a that were in vietnam. That had to be frustrating.

Mini's have kind of stuck to their roots, a light weight carbine with so-so accuracy that works as is.

I have owned 2 different ar's. A Colt competition hbar 2, and a olympic arms parts gun I use to own one of the earlier ranch rifles, reliable yes, accurate no. Now I own the newer ranch rifle. It works for me and the accuracy is good, not great. I did not buy it for shooting tacks and paper. If I want to do that I use a m-70 bull barrel 22-250. Now for close shots at running targets, hogs, deer, coyotes ect. it is hard to beat. Getting it out of a vehicle and putting into action is almost like poetry in motion. Clean lines, snag free, yep I am a fan of the mini.

I am not and don't want to start a pissing match. I am just relating my experiences with both.