Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ruger mini-14... Poor man's AR?

^^^ What Blue said!

They are fun to shoot and they are tough as hell, but they aren't accurate. I have one as a HD rifle (so they don't confiscate my AR and I avoid black rifle stigma IF god forbid I have to shoot someone in my home).

The AR is SO much more accurate out of the box it's silly. You can spend $1000+ with Accuracy International to attempt to make it shoot, but you are putting lipstick on a pig. Just get an AR.

I sawed the top half from the factory Mini stock, glued a piece of pine and shaped the stock as you see it. I then did the crinkle finish which worked out pretty well.

ASI did the action job and their proprietary bedding process.

The rest, as they say, is history...

DF

I used both types of rifles in the Marines. I prefer the traditional walnut stock and operation of the M-14 type action. That's why I own the Ruger.

I have two MINI's, one I bought in the '80's a 181 series and it shoot well enough that it's been a favorite rifle for calling. The other is a stainless and collapsible stock. It was given to me and it's only ever had iron sights on it. It too has been used on coyotes. The gas block is often the culprit of poor accuracy.

I also have a couple AR's. One an HBAR and the other an M4, the HBAR is quite accurate, the M4 will keep up the the old Mini. I prefer the mini-14, but used the M4 & M14 in the service. It makes little to no difference to me what's in my hands.

All the Tacticool people make me want to hide the fact that I own an AR.

I have a Colt HBAR Match Target rifle, and even with iron sights, it easily outshoots the Mini 14. I enjoy owning, and using both platforms. Every rifle I own has it's place.

When an AR was selling for $1000 and a new Mini was around $350 that was a true statement

At todays prices an AR is a poor mans Mini-14. The last AR I bought, a PSA, cost me right at $700 OTD. It came with a hard case, two 30 round magazines, a Picatinny rail, telescoping stock, cleaning kit, flash hider and bayonete lug. A Mini-14 with the same accessories would have been well over $1000 and still not shoot as well.

Ha!

My wife's Mini-14 had the rear sight fly apart in the middle of a High Power qualification match. (An entry level match shot specifically to meet the requirements to buy a Garand from the CMP in the old days.)

She was firing next to me in a prone stage when I sensed stuff flying by me. I looked and she was holding the rifle away from her looking at it with a puzzled expression. I thought the rifle had let go until she pointed to where the rear sight should be and asked what to do. I said there are no alibis so just get a good cheek weld and use the front sight. She did okay, all things considered!

It is my belief that the actual problem with that rifle was a bent barrel. It was bought used and the front sling swivel was bent from being forcibly yanked off the rifle. I figure a prior owner tripped over the sling or something and that we were raising the rear sight to where it was almost completely unscrewed in order to overcome the barrel being bent downward.

Accuracy issues aside, what are the common reliability issues? What breaks or fails? I have a newer model with less than 1000 rounds through it. Five and ten round magazines only, no problems so far. What do I have to look forward to.

The new ones are better than the old ones, but they're not the equal of a good AR.

The Mini-14 is not an M14 by a LONG shot.

You have to think of the Mini-14 as a fairly well made sporter, not a military rifle. It will not take the hard abuse of the AR design, and of course the accuracy isn't in the same league as the AR.

But it's a decent rifle that will do most jobs you ask of it. I've never missed anything I aimed at that was the fault of the rifle.

The traditional stock design of the Mini makes the rifle a bit more compact (height wise) than an AR. To me that's the most attractive element of the Mini-14.

But when you consider cost, it just doesn't make sense to buy a Mini 14 these days when the cheaper AR's will out-perform it in just about every category. For the price of a new Mini-14, you can find a Colt AR on sale, and the Colt AR will FAR out-strip the Mini-14.

Back in the day, I bought two Colt lower units from CDNN for $250 each. Still have them. One has an SSK .300 Whisper upper with can, the other a .223 Olympic Arms flat top upper. Both have aftermarket triggers.

DF

The mini was never intended to be a battle rifle.

Are there any AR's out there today that have the same style stock and fore end as the original M16?

While I have no doubt these modern AR's shoot well, to me they look like something out of a mechano set that a kid has put together and I much prefer the look of the original M16..

Pete,

The A2 configuration is as close as you'll get but they don't seem that popular.

It's a design when people thought it was okay to shoot a 4" group at 100 yards that grows as the pencil thin barrel heats up. Now a $350 Ruger American will shoot along with a custom rifle. The public's expectation of rifle accuracy has gotten a little silly and as a result the mini has really been left behind IMO.

They said they were going to "fix" the mini with the new design but it still won't shoot with an AR (even after ASI has worked on it). Frankly if you want a really light gun thats fun to shoot - get an M1 Carbine. Those point great and are a hoot to shoot.

I think you can get the retro style front grip - the tapered one that looks like a Vietnam era M16 - and someone makes one without a assist button as well - I've seen guys put retro AR's together.

Pete,
My agency was one of those who was able to benefit from the military DRMO program. Back in 2004, we got one order of M-16A1's and then one more for a total of about 300 rifles.

Some were packaged in foil bags and the lower receivers marked AR-15 and M-16. These had the triangle handguards and birdcage flash suppressors. All seemed to have forward assist, but had A1 configuration rear sights. They also had 1-12" twists and will only stabilize 55 grain bullets. Some had rubber buttplates and others had trapdoor buttplates which were designed to hold a cleaning kit.

During that time, I was one of three agency armorers, and was tasked with changing out the rear sight to an Ashley same plane rear with ghost ring, removing the auto sear and replacing the selector switch. Effectively, we removed the full auto function and installed a more user friendly rear sight.

My son happened to be out of school that summer and got to spend quite a bit of time with me at work, while we worked on those rifles. He came to like the looks of the M-16A1 and wanted one for his own.

I bought a Rock River Arms lower receiver and began searching the gunshows for parts. Eventually, I was able to piece together a replica M-16 with triangle handguards, trapdoor stock, slick sided upper and 3 prong flash hider. He still claims that rifle.

It shoots 55 grain Federal Trophy Bonded bullets very well at 50 and 100 yards. I wouldn't mind hunting deer with it, but just haven't made the time yet.

Maybe one day he will.

CT

well actually they were, sort of. many were sold to law enforcement, and i know they were sold into south america as select fire versions. I could have bought a select fire mini for about 3k a number of years ago, probably should of, but i was laughing too hard.