Mini durability

[jtv3062]

i had the task of helping a friend return his mini to working condition after it spent many years at the bottom of a river. the metal looked like the surface of the moon. many parts were corroded and filled with river sediment so they were stuck solid. the gun got the wire wheel and cleaned as well as possible, and still flung grit out of it for 2 or 3 range trips with cleanings between. years under water and its running strong and has decent accuracy. its using its original springs even. ill tell ya, that bore is jagged as heck. but it seems to be as accurate as it ever was. ( mini 14s accuracy are known to be hit or miss but generally hold pieplate at 100 yards). that one still held pieplate.

the abuse they will take is dang impressive. they are rugged. they are reliable.

Could you give more details? how did the mini get in the river, how was it found after it was in the river?

[rue]

I'm talking about the mini 14. Bwiese's favorite rifle Most would say to sell the mini and buy an AR, but I will not sell any of my guns, not even my P.O.S. walther p-22. I have an AR, and I love it, but I also like my mini 14, and was wondering why it has a reputation for being reliable. Like I said, mine will shoot any type of ammo, and I have shot it dirty, but I have never buried it in mud or sand, and tried to shoot it.

Finally someone else who thinks the P22 is a P.O.S. I'm sooo tired of everyone telling me it's great and to change my ammo. My Raven .25 never FTF or shovepipes but the P22 can't cycle a full magazine without failure...Worst gun EVER tried every ammo avail. and sent it in 3 times to be fixed still a POS.

As far as the Mini 14 goes mine works fine and eats anything. I always wanted a mini ever since I was 10 and watched the "A-team" lol.
For all the people who hate the mini check out the Miami shootout the FBI agents got owned by a mini in that deal,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FBI_Miami_shootout

[bwiese]

For all the people who hate the mini check out the Miami shootout the FBI agents got owned by a mini in that deal,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FBI_Miami_shootout

They were owned because it was close range (no accuracy needed) and due to 223 vs pistol rounds.

All other things constant, if I had to pick up a Mini14 or AR15 for a quick response, I'm goin' for the AR.

[five.five-six]

in a free state yes i go for the AR, but i can drop hicaps with my mini without a tool, guess i will have to do a MM build, I have a U15 build, and that stock is NICE for a bench gun but a PITA on a C.Q.B. upper

[Mize]

I never wanted to turn this into an AR vs Mini debate. They both have a place in my safe. I always hear that mini's are super reliable and rugged, but I have never seen them thrown in a swamp, or buried in sand, like I have seen done with glocks, AR's and AK's. I think a Mini would take some serious abuse, it has a proven design, but I would like to see a video of someone putting it to the test.

[!@#$]

BOP CHP and many others have used the mini for years. they are good rifles.

accuracy is good enough for human combat. if ruger would make 10 round mags and sell spare parts the mini would not get half the crap it gets on this board.

that said i will take my ar or ak mabye even my para sks before my mini.

[five.five-six]

i love the look and wood stock on my mini so I baby it like my 10/22 which looks like new after 30 years and +5K rounds. you are going to have to ffind some one else. I would suspect that due to the fact that so much of the design was stolern from the M1A amd M14, that it would be very relyable in the mud

all that said, I rareley shoot it anymore becaus the AR is such a supiror platform and a lot easyer to clean

[rue]

They were owned because it was close range (no accuracy needed) and due to 223 vs pistol rounds.

All other things constant, if I had to pick up a Mini14 or AR15 for a quick response, I'm goin' for the AR.

Well I would agree and also that old saying about "a man with a rifle and a man with a pistol" about the Miami shootout.

Personally I don't see much of a difference honestly. My mini and new OLL build are both carbines and both shoot the same round. The only real advantage is the AR is modular. In a fight I doubt the recieving end would care about that. If you need an AR for the optic sight or accessories that's one thing but if you just need something to use in a hurry iron sights it's the same rifle and either one could do fine. I'm talking carbines here not 20" AR's.
I find it ironic the same people who dog the mini love the M1A's, M14's and Garands

[5968]

i had the task of helping a friend return his mini to working condition after it spent many years at the bottom of a river. the metal looked like the surface of the moon. many parts were corroded and filled with river sediment so they were stuck solid. the gun got the wire wheel and cleaned as well as possible, and still flung grit out of it for 2 or 3 range trips with cleanings between. years under water and its running strong and has decent accuracy. its using its original springs even. ill tell ya, that bore is jagged as heck. but it seems to be as accurate as it ever was. ( mini 14s accuracy are known to be hit or miss but generally hold pieplate at 100 yards). that one still held pieplate.

the abuse they will take is dang impressive. they are rugged. they are reliable.

Alright, I have to know what the rifle was doing in a river for three years.

[CRTguns]

I'm losing context from your post...

re: "Mini" - are you referring to a mini Glock, or do you mean a Mini14?

Yes, if you drag a Mini 14 thru the mud you might accurize it if enough debris accumulates in the chamber to tighten it up a bit

Easy Bill... you might offend someone.

I have done the 100 round rapid fire test in mine- with the green wolf ammo... no stoppages. I have not thoroughly cleaned my Mini in nearly 4 years. During that time I have entered 6 Three gun shoots, and a 4 day Front Sight rifle course. My cleaning consists of a boresnake 1 or 2 times, and some Eezox sprayed into the action, then I wipe off the black stuff that drips out. I HATE cleaning guns. It would be hard to beat a mini... wait, except with my Rock River of course.

http://www.geocities.com/precisework/Mini.html (on the bottom)
http://www.geocities.com/precisework/AR.html (right on top)

[Hoop]

I also like my mini 14, and was wondering why it has a reputation for being reliable.

Because it's a ripoff of an m14 which in turn was a ripoff of the Garand and since the Garand is reliable so's the mini

Most mini problems happen because you 1) have a crap magazine for it or 2) actually expected to hit something smaller than a cow @ 50 yards.

I love my old mini, but you could fill it half full of blanks and I doubt I'd notice the difference when I shot it.

[GuyW]

I'll prolly never get rid of my mini, as it was my first folding-stock gun (SS Ranch rifle with factory folding stock).

Now has an eBay Ruger OEM conventional wood buttstock to avoid AW characteristics...

No operational problems with it yet...

[weezil_boi]

next time you are at the range... ask all 3 guys to your right if you should buy an AR

[sloguy]

Alright, I have to know what the rifle was doing in a river for three years.

thats the owners story and ill let him chime in and tell it.

three years? i said many years.


ill see if i can find pics.

[TonyNorCal]

If you read posts over on Perfect Union you'll find that mini firing pins can be subject to breakage aftet a few thousand rounds. The problem is that Ruger won't send you a new one. Evidently you must send the bolt assembly back to Ruger for it to be fitted at the factory. (Some enterprising types over on Perfect Union order after market firing pins and after filing and fitting get them to work.)

So the rifle may be reliable, but when it suffers such a failure that renders it inoperable there is no quick fix. By comparison, one can get parts for an AR and have it up and running again.

I'd imagine that in a SHTF situation it might be tough to get Ruger Customer Service to work on your rifle.