Why Don't you just buy a Mini 14/30?

[hunterb]

And why would any freedom loving patriot bow to the whims of our overlords in Excremento? Own an AR for the simple reason of pissing Excremento off and giving them a big FU.

This is the BEST reason I've heard so far.

[hexrob]

Because it's a Ruger. I know he is dead, but i just can't forget Ruger's letter to Congress asking them to ban high cap magazines.

[donnrcp]

M1A

I like the way you think!

[donnrcp]

[QUOTE=Crazed_SS;19795796]Way ahead of you man...


What did you feed the Mini-14 on the right?

[23 Blast]

The "Mini14" on the right became emo (dressed all in black) and gained some weight because it eats only 7.62 now.

I owned Minis before I ever owned an AR, and before either I cut my teeth on milsurps. So for me, the profile of a Mini14 is more comfortable. I like my Mini14 (580 series) and also like my M4gery (actually dressed up to look like a faux-XM177E).

I think Minis were popular back in the day when they cost only half or even a third the price of an AR15 (we're talking like 20-25 years ago), and they were sort of the "poor man's assault rifle."

Nowadays with basic, bare bones AR rifles being even cheaper than a Mini14, (with all the advantages of modularity, upgrade options, ease of mounting accessories), a Mini is kind of a "why?" rifle.

If I lived in a state where we could own ARs and 30-rounders without restriction, I seriously doubt I'd ever own a Mini. That said, I DO live in a state with restrictions on ARs, and so for me a Mini is a decent alternative to an AR.

[23 Blast]

Also, my reason for owning a Mini14 wasn't because I really wanted an AR, and found to my dismay that they were not accessible in their natural form for me. My path to Mini14 ownership was rooted in my yen for an M1 Carbine. I thought the M1 Carbine was a perfect "do-everything" gun. Plinking, home defense, light hunting - and all in a compact, lightweight, highly ergonomic package.

I then found that genuine M1 Carbines were more expensive than I wanted to spend, newly manufactured ones had a problematic reputation, and the ammo was relatively expensive and harder to come by.

The Ruger Minis, despite being called a "Miniature M-14", actually share more in common with the M1 Carbine in terms of operation and "Philosophy of Use" (haha Nutnfancy). So, to me, a Mini14 isn't a bastardized AR wannabe, it's a latter-day M1 Carbine, in a much more powerful, much more available caliber.

[TMB 1]

I think the original intent of this post was to point out that the mini-14 in it's stock configuration has an incredible amount of firepower versus the CA compliant AR's in their bastardized versions which are not even close to their original design. I own both and will take my mini in a heartbeat.

I think the original intent was to point out the Mini is more accurate than the internet BS would lead you to believe and more comfortable to shoot than a lot of the CA featureless ARs.

If you ask about the Mini on the net, you'll get a lot of people telling you the Mini is lucky to hit a 10" paper plate at 100yds, but it's pretty easy to hit 12oz soda cans at 100yds with my old Mini. Most the time it'll shoot 2 to 3 inch groups sometimes better.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I prefer my Ares SCR.

We all want one and when they release some more I will be getting a Lower Assy to convert my existing AR, however I will probably also put together another Flat Top Upper with a chrome 20" bbl. and a VX-R Patrol, later on, so my Bushmaster Upper will go back on it's existing lower.

I expect all this current CA BS will be repealed by then. I was promised this by Chris Cox in person and on camera.

Randy

Update: as of 12:45 PM,,,, Got One!!!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I think the original intent was to point out the Mini is more accurate than the internet BS would lead you to believe and more comfortable to shoot than a lot of the CA featureless ARs.

If you ask about the Mini on the net, you'll get a lot of people telling you the Mini is lucky to hit a 10" paper plate at 100yds, but it's pretty easy to hit 12oz soda cans at 100yds with my old Mini. Most the time it'll shoot 2 to 3 inch groups sometimes better.

Finally, someone got it, yes the operative point here was "Internet BS!"

Randy

[mif_slim]

^ my experiance between the 14/30 is that I couldnt hit paper at 100 yards. I like their design, but accuraccy was so bad I sold em off. A other thing I like about the mini is you can kill someone with the spent brass. Mines flew some 30 yards across the benches. I had to shoot far right to not kill anyone. Haha.

[kcheung2]

I think the original intent of this post was to point out that the mini-14 in it's stock configuration has an incredible amount of firepower versus the CA compliant AR's in their bastardized versions which are not even close to their original design. I own both and will take my mini in a heartbeat.

The "firepower" would be the same. Same ammo, same 10 round limitation, same semi auto operation, and with a featureless setup same way to drop mags. I guess if you count the way Minis fling brass sideways you can say they have more firepower.

Even in free states, there aren't many ARs that are close to their original design. And that's a good thing. Customization is good.

[Standard]

The OP's question can be answered easily. People prefer the AR-15 over the Mini-14 because it is scarier looking and makes more of a visual impact to non-gun house guests who you want to impress as an edgy, tough, faux-mad max prepper.

The Mini-14 does not photograph as well as an AR when posting faux-operator shots mugging into the camera for your Facebook Friends.

The Mini-14 is inaccurate, says the guy who uses Wolf ammo exclusively, plinks beer cans at 25 yards and does magdumps from the hip at dirt piles 25 yards away while yellling "GETSUM!!!"

The Mini-14 is not as easy to accessorize for the Barbie-rifle fans.

It is harder to find schwag items such as Molon Labe bumper stickers, Murica ballcaps, and cold dead hand t-shirts that feature Minis instead of AR-15's.

Mini-14's and magazines are too expensive, says the guy with an unzeroed ACOG on his DelTon upper / plastic lower frankenrifle.

I tried to watch that inrangetv drivel and couldn't bear it. I guess the ultimate plateau for gun blogger and vloggers and talking heads is to land a corporate sponsorship, a fat budget, and then just go about wrecking firearms on camera to prove to the world that the guns are garbage. It is so much more innovative and intellectual to wreck stuff than to produce or build something useful.

I happen to own a newer M1A, and it runs perfectly. All day shoot in the desert with lots of fine sand and dust had no effect on the weapon. I suppose I could have dumped loose debris into the action and caused the weapon to malfunction, but people tend not to do those things when they are off camera and shooting weapons that they personally own.

Maybe someone should take their otherwise reliable car and pour sugar in the gas tank. When the vehicle quits, they can post some unwatchable trash on youtube about what a POS car it turned out to be.

Please tell me that consumers are not really being reeled in by this garbage...

I want to take a second to appreciate these overlooked gems.
It's like you took the words out of my mouth.

[Kowan]

Had a broad side of the barn mini 14. Sold it to buy a M1A. It, my Garand and AR15 fill any need I have.

[The Gleam]

Most people who don't understand these guns and have succumbed to the internet BS about how they are not accurate enough Blah Blah Blah.

Depends on what level of accuracy you want. Not everyone is looking to have a mere ranch-rifle shooting lousy groups at 100 yards, and simply happy to hit something other than air outside the target at that same distance. You can disregard it as "blah, blah, blah" but there are more than that available through tests, results, and proven targets - including by Ruger, the very makers of the gun. Is their own opinion on the matter just one blah or three?

First: the newest guns are by far the best ever made and will usually deliver sub 2MOA accuracy with decent ammo. (NOT Russian swill.).

No - they will not - not all of them. And "usually" is never usual enough to make your claim above. Generalizing on accuracy with a Mini-14/Mini-30 for all Mini-14s and Mini-30s would be in error. That Ruger finally came out with AR platforms and that those Ruger AR guns have far surpassed sales of their own Mini-14 and Mini-30 conveys clearly they even RUGER knows which is the better "platform".

For shooting games which don't require sub MOA accuracy they are as viable as any AR made, and they are much easier to run.

You just answered your own question. Majority of the time, unless you're a hack rancher or need a "trunk-gun" that just needs "a tool" of a rifle for close range, a gun consumer is absolutely most always keeping accuracy on their mind. It's rare anyone buys a gun knowing accuracy is crap; it's not even a selling point. Regardless, you can now get an AR at a lower cost than a Mini-14/Mini-30, which is also inevitably more accurate than a Mini-14/Mini-30.

They are reliable guns, no question about that. But accuracy in its truest form is not even an inherent reality in the Mini-14/Mini-30. Your experience may be limited to believe this, and the question is - more accurate than what? A Marlin Camp Carbine? The old Sears & Roebuck Japanese made bolt action you found in the garage? OK.


So I ask why not stop hemorrhaging over making your AR CA compliant, and just take the bolt out and store it in the safe,,, and go out and have fun with a Mini14. There is no need to get worked up about all this BS. it won't stand.

Randy

I don't know Randy; that last paragraph sounds like the kind of argument the gun-control types might say in order to "persuade" gun owners to get rid of their malicious "military style" rifles.

Wrong audience if you think you'll get many takers here.

Not everyone wants to drive a 1983 Chevy Citation, when they can just as easily afford a 2016 Corvette Stingray, just because "both will get you from A to B".

[The Gleam]

I think the original intent was to point out the Mini is more accurate than the internet BS would lead you to believe and more comfortable to shoot than a lot of the CA featureless ARs.

If you ask about the Mini on the net, you'll get a lot of people telling you the Mini is lucky to hit a 10" paper plate at 100yds, but it's pretty easy to hit 12oz soda cans at 100yds with my old Mini. Most the time it'll shoot 2 to 3 inch groups sometimes better.

The problem is that production of the Mini-14 has always led to irregular results that vary, whereby they may look identical, but one WILL shoot 2 to 3 inch groups, while another, maybe even made the same day, will ONLY be lucky to hit a 10" paper plate at 100yds.

Their quality control has always had a wide berth, never fully filled.