Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Mini 14?

Pffftt.

Get a bore snake in case you get water down the tube. Otherwise it's a non-issue.

Mini 14 has poor balance and is top heavy.
Second rate accuracy at best.

My first .223 was a Mini 14 and the son and I spent many enjoyable days plinking with it. The rocks, tin cans, water melons, and clay pigeons had no idea they were being attacked by such a POS weapon and died anyway. It's still in the safe, gets shot occasionally, and It's not going anywhere. It did take some work to get it to shoot reasonably accurate, but working on guns is a hobby I enjoy.

I had one of the earlier versions and wouldn't hit squat. I hope the newer ones shoot better cause they aren't cheap

^ This.

And cleaning the bore is pretty much a non-issue. Cleaning the chamber, even less of an issue.

I have one of the current series that I picked up cheap on the used market. It isn't a tack driver and won't hold a candle - accuracy wise - to a decent AR. But it does get usable groups with the dot sight at ranges I can see the target. 1.25" at 50 yds - not a problem. Haven't put any magnification on it to see what it can do, and don't really plan to, since it isn't here for that use. In stock form, it flung brass into the next area code, but an adjustable gas block fixed that. I suspect it also improved accuracy slightly. Some choose to go with a cheap and simple gas bushing change for the same results. The (stock) trigger on mine is better than the run of the mill AR. Reliability has proven to be perfectly fine with Ruger mags (all I have). Reports of problems with mags dropping free should be anyone's cue that the reporter doesn't know the gun. Not the gun I would choose to go to war with, but great for knocking about in the hills (five-round mags = easy to carry) or home defense.

The fair comparison to a Mini 14 should be the M1 carbine, IMO. Good luck finding one in usable condition for a comparable price, and good luck with accuracy, reliability, and ammo cost of same.

BTW - the current production of Tapco 30-round mags for the Mini (I don't have any, 'cause I prefer the 20 and 5 round mags) are reported to be reliable and they sell regularly for $17. Ruger 20-rounders can be found on sale commonly for $25, and sometimes less.

I used to have a Mini-14. It was a solid 4 MOA gun. There was an article in one of the gun rags, I think American Rifleman, showing how to accurize a Mini by glass bedding the action and the ferule. I carried out the instructions to the letter and thought I had done a pretty good job. Then at the range I put a 20 round magazine into a target and had a group that was 1.5" wide, and 12" tall. Ouch. I sold it and got an AR that will regularly put 10 shots into 1.5" with irons sights, and significantly better with a scope. Ruger was correct when they called the Mini "The World's Most Expensive Plinker".

If I lived in a state that tried to prohibit me from owning an AR-15, and I couldn't move, I would get a Remington 7615 (pump action, takes AR mags) before I would get another mini.

If I was going to buy a new Mini, or another used one, FTM - I would get the tactical model with the plastic stock and the 16" barrel. Reports are that the shorter and stiffer barrel suffers less from accuracy damaging vibration - and that's a big deal with that heavy bolt slamming back and forth. Besides, that just makes it all the more handy.

Well I found a 583 serial number Mini that an older neighbor had and didn’t want. He said about 200 rounds down the tube. $500 bucks. It looks like new.

What configuration?

if its a blue gun clean the barrel and look down the tube before you buy it, if he fired it and let it sit or fired some of the older ammo in it then the tube may be for chit. If you clean it and the tube looks dark don't buy it either. I had one of the operating rods rust to the gas piston once on a blue old beater I got from a local sheriff, I cannot recollect what I paid for it but after I beat on it for a while I sold it to the next rube cause it was cool and all with the folding stock. Of course if you live in a communist state you might have to buy one but when you live in a free state you can get a brand new PSA with a stainless barrel for $499.99 and I personally would take a DPMS Oracle everyday and twice on sunday over the mini 14, hell a Keltec would be better.... Here is a brand new stainless gun for a 1 penny less than your deal.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-stainless-mid-length-1-7-freedom-carbine.html

Blued, synthetic, 16”. The barrel is one of the newer ones with the slight taper next to the forearm.

Well, that's about $275 less than you're likely to find one new, and I assume it's off-paper, if that matters to you. Not a bad deal, if, as Jimmy above mentions, there has been no abuse. Unless it's been bugggered or in need of warranty work, I think you'll find it to be a better performer than most here would expect.

Don't buy one for it's accuracy. It is hard not to like the looks and feel but if I had to use mine for defense I would wait till they got close enough so I could bop them over the head with it. This is my second one and should be bopped over the head for buying another.

I saw some documentary on Federal Prisons and the guards were using Mini 14s from the guard towers. There was a riot and the guard actually shot one of the inmates. I am sure it wasn't the one he was aiming at. I thought if they all would spread out and stand still they would be safe.

I have decided to hang mine on the wall in front of all the other rifles as a public shaming until I can send it down the road.

Never again for me. Only accurate rifles are interesting.

I wonder what kind of groups Mr. Whelen accepted as "accurate"? It's been so long since I read any of his stuff that I can't remember.

So - this is the kind of stuff that always pops up when discussing the Mini 14. I won't dispute that the Mini is not the most accurate semiauto rifle, and in the case of the older pencil-barrel versions, maybe no more accurate in some shooter's hands than the average pistol might be for someone who can shoot (but with more power). But when I read a post with such hyperbole as this, I see little value in the poster's opinion on the matter.

Details about which series, which stock, which barrel, which sights, what kind of measured groups, and whether it has been determined if everything is in spec and proper adjustment would be more helpful for both the poster and the reader. There are probably some lemons out there, but it has been pretty well established that even the older Mini 14's can be made to shoot reasonably well, with little effort. Maybe not well enough to justify the price if price alone is the issue - but well enough to be plenty useful. Might I suggest selling the hated objects to someone who will put out that effort - rather than hanging them on the wall? It's a win/win situation.

The pencil barrel Minis. It's almost like swearing. The pencil barrel Mini's will forever doom the rifle to being considered a 3rd class pile of junk. Even though they were typically well put together and worked every time. I spent a lot of time trying to make a pencil barrel Mini accurate. The issue that most bugged me the most was switching powders and loads and having to re-sight in my rifle. (New Point Of Impact) Slow powders make it shoot low and fast powders made it shoot high. Not by fractions of inches but by full inches. Once I found a load whether it was fast or slow powder, it became reasonably accurate. But, change powders or bullet weights and I was right back to finding the bulls eye.

My last skinny barrel rifle was an early 580. Right after my rifle, Ruger started putting on the .625 diameter barrel with the flair at the gas block. I had access to a lathe and the barrel vices so I bought a .625" barrel from ASI in Colorado and I installed the new barrel. After working out the kinks and getting the barrel settled into the stock I was consistently getting right at or less than 1 inch at 50 yards. When I changed loads or bullets my POI barely moved. Slow powder to fast powder and back. Instead of 3 or 4 inches I was up and down to 1/2" or less of new POI. The secret in my opinion was out. Chamber pressure and powder burn rates dictated POI with the skinny barrel rifles. Change ammo or change powder and you have to start all over.

Unfortunately the design was 30 years old by the time Ruger put on the new style barrel. That means millions of Mini 14's with the skinny barrels are still out there somewhere. Still pi$$ing folks off about their accuracy issues. Ruger didn't do it to just themselves, they did it to those of us who like the design and the ergonomics of a traditional style rifle. The damage as been done. Reputations good or bad can be persistent.

kwg

Really, when it was light and handy, it wouldn't shoot.

Beef it up so it does shoot and it's no longer light nor handy...

You either love em or hate em.

Guess I can't entirely agree with that. Just under 7 lbs may not qualify as light these days, but the current Mini shoots okay and is definitely handy. Just maybe not $800 handy.

If Ruger had just used a different gas system, we probably wouldn't be having this largely negative conversation.

KYHillChick and I both have Stainless Mini-14's purchased new about 2000.

Other folks have problems with accuracy. We don't seem to have the problem at all. Hers is a Ranch version with a 3-9X40 scope. Mine is the standard version.

This is what I keep next to the bed for those things that won't stay close enough for the 12 GA auto. It does minute-of-miscreant just fine. My only complaint is that it throws brass all to hell and back.