The Mini-14.

[was_peacemaker]

Some love em, some loathe them. What is everyone's take on the Mini-14? My issues with it is that its a bit pricey for what it is, and the only decent hi-cap mags for it seem to be pretty pricey.

[Bluntforce]

Good for Wolf ammo. If needing to use it as a club in SHTF it is better than the AR, then again almost anything makes a better club than an AR even an M1 Carbine. Get a cheap AR unless you want to club someone to death. I'm a mini lover but money talks and it says buy an AR since minis are ridiculous.

[El Laton Caliente]

I've had two older ones. Series 180 & 181 IIRC.

I have .223 AKs that hold a tighter groups than the two Mini14s I had. The 180 you couldn't get a scope mount for. I always liked the design, but the older ones didn't live up to expectations. The newest ones are much better from what I hear, but you can get a more accurate AR cheaper.

[deth502]

bill ruger rallied congress to pass the clinton awb because he knew that banning the ar, galil, 223 aks, ect... would be the only way he would ever be able to sell his overpriced mini14's.

he tried to throw us all under the bus to promote his inferior product, not to mention the fact that he wold not supply hicap mags to civilians even without the ban in effect.

he may be dead now, and rolling in his grave with the direction ruger has taken lately, but its still the same shitty design he couldnt sell before.

as a footnote to this, i want to add that i have several rugers myself, including a mini14, so this is not coming from a random hater that has never even touched one.

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

For the price you can get an unconverted Saiga or several varieties of AK.

Those are every bit the carbine a Mini 14 is and have many more options for mags and aftermarket parts.

Unless you're in a place like California where the Mini is one of the only available choices in a .223 semi auto, I think you have better choices on the market. JMHO.

[FunkyPertwee]

If the quality steel magazines weren't so expensive, and/or it had an integral stripper clip guide for top loading, I'd probably get a newer "tactical" marine variety just because I like the way they look and feel. Also I wish they didn't use a proprietary scope mounting system.

[raxar]

for the price you can get a s&w m&p sport, which will do everything the average joe needs from an AR.

the mini made more sense in the 70's and 80's when ar's were "exclusive" and ak's not that common, but these days its something of a dinosaur

[gpwasr10]

As a Mini-14, AR and AK owner. I have to say that of the three of them, I'd be hard pressed to keep either of them over the Mini. Mine is a "580 Series"(Built on new tooling, Gas system a little less punishing, thicker Barrel, Better Sights then the older models) that is light, handy, clean shooting, RELIABLE and accurate... it is, simply put, a fantastic Carbine.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/dudemaestro/DSCN1061.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/dudemaestro/DSCN1062.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/dudemaestro/DSCN1063.jpg

It's accuracy falls somewhere between my AR (A3 20" H-bar Homebrew) and my AK (Arsenal SGL21-66) but it is far less picky in the ammo dept than my AR. I'd take my 580 Mini Tactical over ANY piston AR, any day of the week.

In my opinion... It's one of the top tactical rifles you can buy right now.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycagSJTvaJs

[gpwasr10]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fk84KLiaa4

[gpwasr10]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKPgJ_ec3Fs

[Focused Gunfire]

It’s a fun little gun, it just feels right in your hands. A friend of mine got one, and I was having fun just rocking the mag in and out. If I had to describe it in a word, nifty. All that said, everything it does can be matched or overcome be an AR/AK rifle. Price is another point against it as you said in the OP.

[Schuetzenman]

Had one that I got in 1990. It was aweful on accuracy, every 7.62x39 AK I had shot goups half the size the Mini did. It was light, it was handy, buttplate was plastic and slick, (that sucked) Sights were rudimentary and not ment to be change easily, you needed a bullet to change elevation or windage. New ones by all reports are vastly more accurate. That said it still suffers from; 1. rock in mag design and 2. no spare parts. Something breaks you have to send it back in to get repaired. Ruger does not sell spare parts as far as I know even now.

The AR platform is a much better choice in weapons if you want the .223 / 5.56 round in your collection. They can be light and handy like a Mini-14, just seems most are built with thick barrels. The AR is very modular really, a few tools and you can build and configure one EXACLY how you want it. Push two pins out and you can swap the upper receiver and barrel in 30 seconds, drop on a new one with different barrel, handguards, even sights attached and now you have a different weapon that can do a different role. Mags seat by shoving straight up and into the mag well, no rock in mags. Rock in mags can be seated wrong and then be a bitch and a half to get back out. I consider any rock in mag rifle design to be Old School and obsolete.

[was_peacemaker]

Oh wow...wonder why Ruger is like that with replacement parts.

[O.S.O.K.]

I think they're priced too high but then, the used ones are'nt and that's what I bought - a Nebraska State Police trade-in - or so they said at Bud's - it's a 90's stainless GB model - $500. I bedded the receiver and it shoots decently now - 2" +/- at 100 yards - plenty good enough for government work.

I have plenty of other carbines but I like my mini-14 a lot.

[Penguin]

I don't know a whole lot about them. They look to me like a scaled down M1A. I do like the M1A. The thing is from what I have heard the guns are real hit and miss. If you get a good one they are great. If not they suck. For a long time getting the higher capacity mags was a pain thanks to rugger. The whole AWB and Bill Rugger has more than anything else to do with my shying away from anything ruger sells. Granted those times have changed a bit but, my memory is long. I personally think there are better guns out there especially for the money. If you want one though I would say go for it just get one of the newer ones. From what I have heard the newer ones are decent and not real hit or miss.

[gpwasr10]

I don't know a whole lot about them. They look to me like a scaled down M1A. I do like the M1A. The thing is from what I have heard the guns are real hit and miss. If you get a good one they are great. If not they suck. For a long time getting the higher capacity mags was a pain thanks to rugger. The whole AWB and Bill Rugger has more than anything else to do with my shying away from anything ruger sells. Granted those times have changed a bit but, my memory is long. I personally think there are better guns out there especially for the money. If you want one though I would say go for it just get one of the newer ones. From what I have heard the newer ones are decent and not real hit or miss.

Quality of current Mini is spot on with any other manufacturer.

The way I figure it, with a 580 Series Mini for around $675.00 you get...
A rifle 100% made in the USA
AK reliability
Light weight
Clean Shooting Gas System
AR Combat Accuracy
Simplicity

And it's not the only Utility Rifle around that has to go through the manufacturer for parts.... of course this one is right here in the USA.

The current Mini is on par with any current SHTF gun, I'll put it up against any gun in that class, any day of the week.

[deth502]

I don't know a whole lot about them. They look to me like a scaled down M1A. I do like the M1A. .

hmm, like a scaled down m1a, you say? thats the same as an m-14. you your saying it looks like a "mini m-14" " ?? i wonder if theres a way to shorten that name........:think2:

[FunkyPertwee]

Quality of current Mini is spot on with any other manufacturer.

The way I figure it, with a 580 Series Mini for around $675.00 you get...
A rifle 100% made in the USA
AK reliability
Light weight
Clean Shooting Gas System
AR Combat Accuracy
Simplicity

And it's not the only Utility Rifle around that has to go through the manufacturer for parts.... of course this one is right here in the USA.

The current Mini is on par with any current SHTF gun, I'll put it up against any gun in that class, any day of the week.

I remember your Mini looking more tactical. Took it back to a KISS carbine setup, huh.

[O.S.O.K.]

IMHO, it's never been about the quality of these carbines. It's been about the design. Yes, they did use outsourced barrels to start with but after they started making them in house, it was all about the skinny barrel, gas port clamping, and stock bedding. The new design fixed all of that which is why they now typically give 2 MOA or less - consistently.

[gpwasr10]

I remember your Mini looking more tactical. Took it back to a KISS carbine setup, huh.

Isn't that what they always end up as? Well... the ones you like at any rate. LOL

[Schuetzenman]

hmm, like a scaled down m1a, you say? thats the same as an m-14. you your saying it looks like a "mini m-14" " ?? i wonder if theres a way to shorten that name........:think2:

LOL!

[Durangokid]

The little Ruger Mini is and was a flop. They are an outdated design and Ruger will drop them from their line. Ruger has now developed an AR platform. If the Mini was better than an AR Ruger would not have brought an AR to market.

[gpwasr10]

The little Ruger Mini is and was a flop. They are an outdated design and Ruger will drop them from their line. Ruger has now developed an AR platform. If the Mini was better than an AR Ruger would not have brought an AR to market.

So then... why did they recently buy all new tooling and re-design the Mini-14? (http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1572&cid=4) I am willing to bet money that Ruger sells more Mini's than their SR-556 by a large margin (Not that their AR isn't great), and that this classic design isn't going anyplace, anytime soon.

[Schuetzenman]

So then... why did they recently buy all new tooling and re-design the Mini-14? (http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1572&cid=4) I am willing to bet money that Ruger sells more Mini's than their SR-556 by a large margin (Not that their AR isn't great), and that this classic design isn't going anyplace, anytime soon.

That isn't much of a bet as the Mini has sucked for accuracy for nearly 30 years and it is still around. Granted it may be vastly better now, (I won't be getting one to find out) so it isn't hard to think that it will endure as long as people use rifles that shoot bullets and can own them.

[gpwasr10]

That isn't much of a bet as the Mini has sucked for accuracy for nearly 30 years and it is still around. Granted it may be vastly better now, (I won't be getting one to find out) so it isn't hard to think that it will endure as long as people use rifles that shoot bullets and can own them.
I got one, and couldn't be happier. But I understand being burned by a manufacturer. I still wont buy a Sig product.

[FunkyPertwee]

I got one, and couldn't be happier. But I understand being burned by a manufacturer. I still wont buy a Sig product.

What happened with Sig?

[gpwasr10]

What happened with Sig?

I used to have a 220, it was my first Semi Auto Pistol. Constant FTE's, sent it back to the factory, came back still had issues, called them, they told me to send it back, I did... came back with the same problem. Had my dad take it to a smith to fix it locally... three weeks later I was blasting away at the range when it started jamming... looked at the side and noticed the take-down lever was busted.

It's not common to get a Sig Lemon... and I KNOW they make a good gun... but the experience gave me issues.