Mini 14. To buy, or not to buy?

[Aggressive Perfector]

I think everybody has at one time flirted with buying one at the very least, but more than likely bought one and "hated" it. Why on earth would I want one?
Truth is I'm shopping for my wife. She wants a semi auto rifle that shoots 5.56 (she really likes the lack of recoil and slinging lead quickly). Though I'm trying to convince her to stick to AR's for a list of reasons, she likes the Mini. She's more of a recreational shooter than anything, she doesn't care to thumb her nose at liberals, and as a range toy a Mini would serve her just fine I'm sure. It is a much prettier looking gun hands down but for the money a Mini costs, I'm absolutely baffled by why she wouldn't just have an entry level AR. She may not be very SHTF conscious, but that rifle will need cleaned some time. So why not buy a weapon she knows how to strip and clean (and as a bonus find spare parts a dime a dozen)? I understand why a Mini14 would appeal to her, but mags for it are shitty and not nearly as common, why not stick with a platform we have mags for? Maybe if I can get my hands on one of these wall hangers to take to the range for a day and show her what a piece it really is I can talk her out of it.

[Schuetzenman]

Well They are light but then again an AR15 can be had just as light. They use older style rock in magazines and by contrast to the AR / M16 rifle stuff in mag design, the Mini magazines are hard to insert and lock in. The Ruger factory mags are still the best but they run 3 to 4 times the price of a comparable quality AR15 magazine. The built in sights are inferior by contrast to A2 Iron sights. Ruger has improved the Mini so that they actually can hit a target now, but still that's no reason to get one if you already have AR platform rifles.

She is probably use to handling all these medium to heavier barreled AR rifles that come in at 8 to 9+ lbs. With a 16" light barrel profile rifle you can easily get to the 7 Lb. range of rifle weight. Also now with the Sig brace thing a Pistol in the 5 lb. range of weight can be had. I'm building one with a 10.5" barrel, but a 12 or 14" barrel could also be used.

[was_peacemaker]

Well They are light but then again an AR15 can be had just as light. They use older style rock in magazines and by contrast to the AR / M16 rifle stuff in mag design, the Mini magazines are hard to insert and lock in. The Ruger factory mags are still the best but they run 3 to 4 times the price of a comparable quality AR15 magazine. The built in sights are inferior by contrast to A2 Iron sights. Ruger has improved the Mini so that they actually can hit a target now, but still that's no reason to get one if you already have AR platform rifles.

She is probably use to handling all these medium to heavier barreled AR rifles that come in at 8 to 9+ lbs. With a 16" light barrel profile rifle you can easily get to the 7 Lb. range of rifle weight. Also now with the Sig brace thing a Pistol in the 5 lb. range of weight can be had. I'm building one with a 10.5" barrel, but a 12 or 14" barrel could also be used.

Bingo! This right here is every reason to get a basic AR platform over the Mini-14, that and along with your own compare and contrast statements Aggressive Perfector.

[was_peacemaker]

Show her this video and compare and contrast it to a AR for her.

[Helen Keller]

Yep $30-35 a magazine vs $9 magpuls' is good enough reason.



I liked mine so much I gave it to Raxar.

[raxar]

I liked mine so much I gave it to Raxar.

Well thanks, I hadn't mentioned that on the gubmit monitored forums yet. I'm sure my file just got another tick mark.

But since the cat is out of the bag I will throw in my highly edumakat3d opinion.

Stick with the new model, the sights are pretty decent now. Fuck the old ones, they are for obese trailer park denizens wearing stained wife beaters.

As the receiver says they are "ranch rifles". As an all around beater you can keep in the truck or by the back door in case its needed they are great. If you expect the paratroopers to be falling out of the sky tomorrow than probably not.

[l921428x]

I like mine but THEY ARE A PAIN TO CLEAN.

[raxar]

I like mine but THEY ARE A PAIN TO CLEAN.

How so?

[alismith]

A-P, if you love her and she loves you and shows it, then just man up and get her what she wants. Obviously, she's not worried about SHTF (she has you around and you have all the serious guns if the need arises, plus, she already knows how to use them). She just wants a rifle she can, occasionally, take to the range and have fun with. That's all she wants.

I'm sure you have, or have had, a few guns that were for nothing but fun plinking, or you just liked the looks of them. Obviously, that's what she wants.

So, just make her happy and get it for her. You never know the benefits that might arise from catering to her whim...

[FunkyPertwee]

The tapco magazines are affordable and now come with metal locking tabs.

[davepool]

What alismith said. it's always a good idea to keep mama happy, if she likes the mini and will enjoy shooting it, then do it.

We all know that there are better rifles out there, but women think differently than we do.

My wife likes to shoot my FN 5.7 pistol, not because of it's accuracy, not because of the 20 rnd mag, not because of the low recoil, but because she thinks the little bullets with the blue tips are "cute". There is no way i'm going to try and educate her about this, after 34 yrs of marriage i have learned when to shut up and just enjoy our time shooting together.

[l921428x]

How so?

sliding panels, small and larger springs, lots of things, pieces, to keep up with.

[Helen Keller]

sliding panels, small and larger springs, lots of things, pieces, to keep up with.

guns like this are lincoln logs compared to shit in my garage laying around .

Well thanks, I hadn't mentioned that on the gubmit monitored forums yet. I'm sure my file just got another tick mark.

You've been fucked since you openly confessed you owned a jennings.

[l921428x]

guns like this are lincoln logs compared to shit in my garage laying around .











You've been fucked since you openly confessed you owned a jennings.

yep on both statements. but I really do like the rifle.

[Starvin]

While I've always kinda wanted the A-Team gun, the urge has never been strong enough to actually "pull the trigger" as it were.

One of my friends got it in his head he wanted a Mini-14. I explained to him ad nauseam about why an AR-15 was superior in every way on multiple occasions.

He ended up getting the Mini-14 anyway because it was what he wanted. I didn't give him shit for it, I just told him that was as good an excuse as any.

Less than a year later he sold it and told me I was right all along. I knew I was, but I wasn't going to rub his nose in it.

Let the wife get the Mini. If she enjoys it then you've got another gun in the safe and a happy wife. If she doesn't then you can sell it and get something else. In which case you will have another gun in the safe and a wife appreciative of your understanding.

[l921428x]

starving, you did not say why he got rid of it. he might have found jesus, he might have needed the money or have swore off carbines. momma might have told him to get rid of it.
or..........

[was_peacemaker]

While I've always kinda wanted the A-Team gun, the urge has never been strong enough to actually "pull the trigger" as it were.

If you gotta go 80's style A-Team then you have to get the stainless.

[Helen Keller]

Stainless GB series ,but have somebody bring a boom box to provide the full auto sound effects.

[El Duce]

I currently own two. One of them was the first semi auto rifle that I had ever owned. Keeper. I have another that I got a good deal on. It is one of the new ones with the sliding/folding stock. Shoots like a dream. Even with the crappy 40.00 red dot on it. She wants one. Get her one. If only I could get my wife interested in shooting.

[Starvin]

starving, you did not say why he got rid of it. he might have found jesus, he might have needed the money or have swore off carbines. momma might have told him to get rid of it.
or..........

I actually didn't ask. My guess is that once the newness of the rifle wore off he realized the AR he already had did everything he needed, and did it better than the Mini-14. Once he realized this, it was only a short logical trip for him to conclude he had other priorities in life he'd prefer to address with the money he had tied up with the Mini.