Ruger Mini-14

[rbwhatever1]

I've read a lot of blogs about the accuracy of this rifle over the years of production so my father called Ruger and they guarantee 2" at 50 yards today.
Anyone have some personal experience they can share about this rifle? Model, ammo used and groups at 50/100 yards if you have it.
I'll be picking it up in November during a muzzle loader hunt and would like to know what I can "really" expect out of the box with quality ammo.
I'll not be "accurizing", modifying or adding a scope to this rifle.

Thanks

http://www.ruger.com/products/mini14Ran ... /5817.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cheezit]

Been along time but both the mini 30 and mini 14 were great wepons. I would love to find one of each. I think the statement of sub 2" is more then fair.

[johncanfield]

I had a stainless steel Mini-14 probably made in the 70s or 80s that was real accurate out to maybe 10 yards . The sights were adjusted as far as possible and still couldn't dial it in, local gunsmith "wouldn't touch it". I believe that era was a low point for Ruger where the bean counters took control of production and the barrels (as the story goes) were substandard. I'm sure they are significantly better now.

[philip964]

In the 1986 Miami shoot out with the FBI one of the bad guy bank robbers had a Ruger Mini-14. I believe it had a folding stock. Two FBI agents were killed five were wounded. The FBI afterwards upgraded their service weapons.

[Rex B]

I have been looking at those for years. As I understand it, the 1st gen guns were made up to around 2000 (?) and were good to "minute of coyote". The 2nd generation guns were more accurate, possibly 1.5 MOA.
Much money and time has been spent getting the early models to shoot as well as a cheap AR15.
There is a forum devoted to Mini14s. More info than you probably want:

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[anygunanywhere]

I have two. I have a stainless standard and a blue ranch rifle. I bought them before I caught the AR bug.

The ranch rifle is broke and needs work. When it was shooting it was a pleasure to shoot but like all Minis they are not sub-MOA. It would do 1.5-2 inches at 100 yards but I seldom shot it at that range. It is a truck gun.

The stainless one I had sent out to http://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/index.php and had them do a new barrel, tunable gas block, indexed the stock and a trigger job. I picked up the rifle cheap after Katrina so in the end I had spent about the same as an inexpensive AR. What I wound up with is a tough, stainless steel little rifle that rocks and rolls and does not throw brass all over. The trigger job and tunable gas block helped accuracy a lot. The stock gas block allows the action to hammer the rifle and is known for destroying optics.

I keep the stainless one loaded and ready for back yard encounters. I have a Burris Fast Fire mounted on it and it works great.

I do not plan on ever buying another one and I would not fault anyone for buying one. I think the newer ones are better from what I have heard and they do have a place in your harem. There is room for both ARs and a Mini 14 in your life.

Now I gotta go get my ranch rifle fixed. Thanks for the reminder.

Anygunanywhere

[MechAg94]

I have always admired the rifle as I shot one a bit growing up. However, I have the AR and a 223 AK covered and can't justify spending the money.

[Seabear]

I have a '96 model . It's sitt'ting in a Hogue overmolded stock with an Centerpoint 3-9X illuminated reticle. It has an after marker flash hider/break, I don't recall which brand. It will take 'yotes and hogs out to 300 yards with no problem't . I have a couple ARs, but they are more of a CQC weapon the way I have them set up. I don't think I will ever cut the mini loose. As stated above, nothing wrong with having both.

[rbwhatever1]

Thanks for the information everyone. A 2" group at 100 yrds is all i'm looking for and a Ruger Rep said the last 4 years of production have been very good with sub 1" groups using quality ammo. He also said if I had any issues to call him. The M4 with red dot sight is not a viable truck gun for me but this little carbine is perfect for it's intended purpose. I will be joining the ranks of "Anygunanywhere" in early November with a 223 "truck gun" to go with the other 223's in my hoard.

My father will be shipping the trigger group to Accuracy Systems as soon as he groups it at 100 yards early next week to make sure all is well. Thanks for that link Anygunanywhere. Lot of good info.

Range report soon...

[TheDude]

The M4 with red dot sight is not a viable truck gun for me

Just curious as to why the Mini is viable and the AR is not. Not questioning your decision just wondering what made you pick one semi-auto .223 over the other.

[TEX]

I have one of the older Mini-14s and out of the box it was not very accurate - barley keep on a sheet of typing paper at 100 yards with repeated shots. The first 2-4 would be pretty close together (half an index card size), but subsequent shots would string high and right. Had the barrel and receiver cyrogenically treated and although it didn't seem to make the first few shots any more accurate it did stop the stringing as the barrel heated up. Putting the gun in a synthetic stock seem to help also as did a decent muzzle break. I have toyed with the idea of installing a device that resembles the lower gas tube on a real M-14 (M1A1) that is supposed to stiffen up the barrel, but mine shoot well enough now for what I need. It would be unusual for me to keed to engage anything beyond about 125-150. The newer Minis, due to thicker barrels and supposedly tighter tolerances are supposed to hold better groups anyway - supposed to have better adjustable rear sights also.

I did find that my older model does not like the heavier 62 grain ammo, but shoots really tight groups with Corbon DPX all copper hollow point round.

[TEX]

to The Dude,

I know it was not my question, but their are several reasons "I" prefere the mini over the AR platform even though there are not as many accessories available for them.

If a mini has a failaure to extract jam (double feed), I can pretty much clear it just like a pistol (fairly quickly), not so with an AR.

The sight line is not well above the line bore. If I sight the mini in at 50 yards (1st zero), she is pretty much dead on from 1 foot to 300 feet and I am not likely to brang a concrete wall tilt pieing around it. With an AR if you are trying to place a careful shot between the eyes of a goblin at 10-15 yards, you better aim at the high forehead.

I don't know about others, but I can point shoot (shotgun style) the mini better than an AR

Mini doesn't have the evil black gun look that many anti-gunner are afraid of.

All of this fits my particular circumstances, but it may not fit yours Mine is for urban defense 0-150 yards

[rbwhatever1]

My M4 is sort of top heavy with the red dot sight and doesn't really "slide" in and out of my truck smoothly. It doesn't slide anywhere smoothly and doesn't even fit in the hard case anymore with the red dot sight. I wouldn't give it up for anything, it just doesn't work inside my truck very well. The Mini-14 is perfect for close targets using iron sights.

The Mini-14 is also the same caliber as my M4 & M77 and that adds more utility for me. It's streamlined, lightweight and won't snag very much in my truck. It's home is in the truck and if I really get addicted to it I will buy one for the house. One can never have too many 223's!

[anygunanywhere]

My M4 is sort of top heavy with the red dot sight and doesn't really "slide" in and out of my truck smoothly. It doesn't slide anywhere smoothly and doesn't even fit in the hard case anymore with the red dot sight. I wouldn't give it up for anything, it just doesn't work inside my truck very well. The Mini-14 is perfect for close targets using iron sights.

The Mini-14 is also the same caliber as my M4 & M77 and that adds more utility for me. It's streamlined, lightweight and won't snag very much in my truck. It's home is in the truck and if I really get addicted to it I will buy one for the house. One can never have too many 223's!

True!

Anygunanywhere

[glbedd53]

I have a 180 series mini-14 that I bought new in 1976. For sure it's not as accurate as either of my ARs, probably just as reliable. If I found myself is survival mode I would take my AK over any of them.