Ruger Mini-14

[getsome]

I have an itch for one of these rifles for general range and target use and would like to ask what you folks think of these...The only center fire rifle I currently own is a Marlin 30-30 lever action which I love but I'm starting to have some shoulder pain due to old age and thought a lighter kicking .223 rifle might fit the bill...

I'm not sure why but the AR-15 and other black plastic rifles just don't seem to interest me as much as blue steel and wood does...I really like the looks of a Mini-14 and everything I've read so far is good as far as reliability goes with only a few complaints about accuracy but they were talking 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards which if I could do that I would be proud and happy...

I can always trust and appreciate you folks opinions and was wondering if anyone has any experience with one of these...My LGS can get one with a 5 round magazine for $699.00 cash out the door...What do ya'll think?...As always thanks to all....:yo:

[Chief Joseph]

I'm really salivating for the tactical version. Saw one at a local gun shop a week ago, felt so nice to hold. But, can't justify the expense right now. So going to have to wait.

[yqtszhj]

I have AR-15's but I still have the itch for that mini-14 too for the same reasons you mention (wood and steel).

[nikon]

I have the stainless, polymer version...only about 200 rounds through it..all tulammo. Haven't had any problems with it, prefer the look of it to my friends ar's. Being stainless its a great boat gun too.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Bawanna]

I have the stainless, polymer version...only about 200 rounds through it..all tulammo. Haven't had any problems with it, prefer the look of it to my friends ar's. Being stainless its a great boat gun too.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Keep a life jacket tied to it. Many members here have lost a lot of guns in boating accidents.

[jocko]

Yup I lost my Browning Clitori that way, course it was tied to my now deceased wife . Just sayin

[JohnR]

When I was researching, the Mini 14 came up a winner. But I wanted a more effective caliber and got the Mini 30. Be aware that these tend not to like cheap Russian ammo, so ammo cost will be up there. Some seem to do fine, but even the manual warns against it.

[Bawanna]

Most of the Russian ammo is 311 versus our domestic 308. The Russian is a little tight in the Mini 30 and our ammo is a lot sloppy in the SKS's and AK's.

I too like the 7.62 x 39 round much better than the 223.

[nikon]

Oh ya, don't plan on being cheap with magazines. Factory mags are the only ones that reliably work with mine. The tapco mags were designed for the older 14's and won't cycle in the newer ones.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Shark1007]

I've done a fair amount of research and agree the tactical is the answer. I have handled both the extendable stock and the standard black stock with recoil pad and like the standard better, the extendable stock has too much wiggle for me. The extendable has a better rail/foregrip set up, but I like the other.

I donated my AR15 to my local small police dept. since they didn't have an "assault" rifle.

I'm more comfortable with the mini cuz I'm more familiar. I went to Sniper School with a modified M14 called an XM21 and can clear a malfunction more easliy on the garand style action.

The latest research also indicated for home defense, a 5.56 round might just be the answer, if you use the right hollow point, it penetrates less drywall than a 9mm or 40. The 7.62x39 just penetrates way too much for my taste. I also like the Kel Tec PLR16 pistol.

I have a pair of electronic earmuffs over the gun safe, if there's any chance of firing a mini in a house, I'd highly recommend them.

Mini tactical, yes!

Ruger magazines are a must have, I agree. CDNN has the blue tactical for 599.

[JohnR]

Oh ya, don't plan on being cheap with magazines. Factory mags are the only ones that reliably work with mine. The tapco mags were designed for the older 14's and won't cycle in the newer ones.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Same with the 30, not that there are as many choices. I bought three extra, total of 4 20-round mags.

[Shark1007]

They were unreliable with the old style too and I've seen that the new 30's are less reliable than the 20's

[Planedude]

The Mini 14 is no match rifle and an equal built (same $$ spent) AR15 will out shoot it. That said the differance would only matter at a NRA Match and then only out past 300yrds.
I have seen an old blued and wood Mini 14 take a young coyote at a mesured 285yds while trotting away... One shot, one dead coyote.
To get the Mini to be a match grade shooter requires a hefty, free floating barrel, bedding the stock and lightning the trigger. having held a mini with $1300 worth of "match work" done to it, I find I like them stock just fine. I would have never taken that 285yrd shot myself, but at 150yrd his pelt would have been mine.
They don't call the Mini 14 the "Ranch rifle" for nothing.

[Rio Vista Slim]

I bought a Ruger Mini-14 when they first came out. It was a fine rifle, and I had alot of fun with it. Later I moved on to a Colt AR15, then much later to a Bushmaster version of their semi-auto M4. Strictly from a personal stand-point, I could never quite warm up to ARs.

The newest versions of the Mini-14 (with the thicker barrels) had intrigued me for some time, so I recently purchased a Ranch Rifle with the wood stock.

I have been very pleased with this rifle. It came with a 20 round magazine, and I bought two 30 round magazines from Ruger. All three function perfectly.

While this rifle is distinctly heavier than an AR, and not as pin-point accurate as my old Colt, it is a fun rifle to shoot, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a viable option to the AR platform.

[Popeye]

I've never been a big fan of the black rifles either. To old to change I guess.?? About a year and a half ago I bought a new 580 mini 14 ranch rifle. I was just shooting it last week and I can honestly say I have over 400 rounds through it and have never had any sort of problem with it. Some of those 400 rounds were 20 to 60 round burst. In it's straight out of the box stock configuration it not a tack driver but it's plenty real world accurate and can reliably pump alot of ammo down range if called apon to do so providing you use the Ruger mags. Other brand mags I can't speak for, but the 20 round ruger mags in the mini 14. work amazingly well.

Good luck.

[Bawanna]

I dug my 183 series (wood stock with tupperware handguard) out last night with thoughts of offering it up but after holding it again I'm not sure I can do it. I too never warmed to the AR even though I ride herd on 45 of them at work. Had my own Match Target Colt for a long time, seldom shot it. A cool rifle for sure but still didn't gel with me.
Been pondering an M4 carbine size but it's still a 223. Really want a Scout Squad M1. Should have bought when I first got the want right before the big scare last election when they doubled in price.

[mcbowflex]

I have a mini 14 that came with the ATI collapsible folding stock. As far as the rifle goes, I like it. Reliable, it can handle 5.56 ammo(except one model. Target, I think), you can feed it cheap ammo. I do have a few issues with it, though. The ATI stock will eventually be replaced with either a Tapco, or a Hogue traditional rifle stock. The ATI stock is kinda cheapy, and the picatinny rail on the top pretty much makes the iron sights useless. The other two issues are optics mounting, and magazines. Optics are possible, and if you get one Ruger should provide scope rings, but if you want to put a red dot on there you'll have to buy a mount made just for the mini. My stock will allow for a red dot to be mounted up top, but it is pretty far away from your face which I think would be awkward. Mags are as much as an issue as they had been. Fortunately, Tapco has made reliable and cheap mags. It used to be paying full price for factory mags was the only reliable option.

[jeepster09]

Using this scope mount iron sights stillwork.On a Hougue stock.

[Micha2u]

For years I wanted to get a Mini-14.

A few months ago I saw a video that Hickok45 put out on the internet and he commented that he decided to buy the Mini-14 Tactical that he was shooting/testing from Ruger.

After thinking about it, I decided to purchase a new 582 series Mini-14 and I really like it. It is the tactical version with high capacity magazine, black synthetic stock and flash hider. Using the iron sights, the factory trigger and my older eyes, I am getting about 2-3 m.o.a. groups at 100 yds.

I agree that the Tapco 30 round mags work great and I have a few of the more expensive Ruger factory mags for backup.

My Mini-14 shoots the same ammo as the AR but it is cleaner because of the gas system and it's a lot of fun to shoot. It seems to work with any ammo that I throw at it no matter if it is steel from Russia, brass factory loads from the USA or my own reloads.

I'm glad that I got it.

[Popeye]

I didn't much care for the plastic upper handguard so I reconfigured one from an M1a.
6488

[jeepster09]

Looks very nice,good job!

[nmkahrshooter]

The mini-14 would be and is a great rifle! I own one of the newer ones and have never had a problem.

[Chief Joseph]

After seeing what's going on in Sydney, I may have to buckle and get one soon. We can't be far behind.

[Popeye]

Looks very nice,good job!
Thank You jeepster it was a fair amount of work to get it to fit properly, but I like it. Some of the older mini's used to come with the wooden upper hand guard but ruger doesn't make them anymore. I looked all over to buy a used one without much luck. A friend gave me a plastic one from and M1a to see if I could reconfigure one to fit my mini.
6526
That turned out to be no problem. The wooden one turned out to be a lot more work than I originally thought. I like it though and without the scope on it at first glance many people think it's a M1 carbine until they take a longer look at it.
The Mini gets a bad rap and maybe rightfully so with the older models. I can't speak for them, but these newer models with the thicker barrels and refined recievers and bolts are fine with me.

[Bawanna]

I was looking on gunbroker the other day and was surprised to see so many with the wood forearm. That was the 180 series, some pretty nice ones too.

I have the one like yours, mine is a 183 with the plastic. Still great guns but they look better with wood.

[Popeye]

Those woooden upper hand guards are harder to find then a local GS that wants to sell High Point Pistols. I was hoping to find one as I thought it would been easier to fit to the newer 580 model then trying to converting an M1a upper. All things considered it was a nice little project and I think it turned out pretty well. It did take a little experimenting with a couple different colors of stains to come up with a color that was close to the Ruger stock. Saving the cut off pieces from the M1a hanguard came in handy to use as test pieces for the stain. Mounting the clip that holds it on the barrel took a little thought but a little creative thinking and a 3/8" poprivit took care of that. The plastic M1A plastic handguard in that second pic doesn't look to bad either but the mini 14 plastic cover is god awful and does nothing for the classic looks of what is a fairly nice looking rifle otherwise.

Getsome --If you are having shoulder pain from recoil and you like classic looking wood and blue steel rifles I think you'll be pretty happy with the Mini 14. The weight (about 7 lbs empty for the ranch rifle.) is not bad the overall balance is good and reciever doesn't seem to get to dirty even after shooting say 50+ rounds through it do to the fact that the burnt gases that cycle the action never make it back to the reciever. I'm a big fan of the M1 Garand, M1a,and the M1 carbine, so the mini14 was something I knew I'd like from the start. Good Luck.

[xb12s]

After seeing what's going on in Sydney, I may have to buckle and get one soon. We can't be far behind.

What's going on in Sydney?

I also have a mini-14. Just picked it up new a month ago. My sights need a bit of adjustment, but otherwise I'm happy with it. It took brass, russian, steel, whatever. A Texas DPS friend had recommended the 20 round magazines (Ruger brand) and only load with 18. They found issues with 30 rd mags more often than the 20s. They also found less issues when only loaded to 18 than fully loaded.

[Chief Joseph]

What's going on in Sydney?

I also have a mini-14. Just picked it up new a month ago. My sights need a bit of adjustment, but otherwise I'm happy with it. It took brass, russian, steel, whatever. A Texas DPS friend had recommended the 20 round magazines (Ruger brand) and only load with 18. They found issues with 30 rd mags more often than the 20s. They also found less issues when only loaded to 18 than fully loaded.

The muslims are raging there. They're out of control.

[xb12s]

The muslims are raging there. They're out of control.

I can't understand them at all. Their hatred is so misdirected and insane. I don't understand whey their insanity and violence is tolerated by governments anywhere.

I hadn't seen any news about Sydney. I'll look for it.

[Goldstar225]

I carried an M-16 for almost 20 years, an AR on patrol for a few more. I know that the AR is more accurate ( though the Mini is accrate enough for my purpose). I still prefer the handling of the Mini-14. Dunno, it just feels more natural to me.

[Popeye]

Have to agree the Mini 14 is a sweet handling well balanced rifle. I'm not fond of anything over the 20 round mag in them though. For me anyway it seems to make them to bottom heavy. JMO.