Questions before I buy

Snakebite · 04-14-2006, 06:58 PM

Thinking about a Ruger Mini 14. The price is good and I have shot them in the past. Just never owned one.
Somebody here has to have one so I thought I'd get some input first. Thats unusual for me...I usually buy first and then ask!
Any problems with them? Reliable?
I Like the fact that ammo is cheap and available almost everywhere. The price is $585 new.
So, your thoughts? Its my tax refund and if I dont spend it on a new gun I will just waste it on food or beer

colt45 · 04-14-2006, 07:07 PM

well we have to eat and drink..........LOL
I have one in 7.62x39 i love it! my buddy has one in 5.56mm(.223) he also loves his. no problems with either. his is more accurate than mine (more an ammo thing) but we only shoot them around 100 yards. close in woodchuckers in the grape rows. as i remember one* was looking for a stock for an older modle that gave him fits, i had no luck finding him a stock or even anyone who could make him one. but if your getting a new one at that shouldn't be a problem. I always wished they would make one in 308. kinda of a mini M-14 would have been real close to the new socom by springfield.

Full MeTal Jack · 04-14-2006, 09:45 PM

Like Mr Colt 45, my inlaw HAD a mini 14. Now he owns the mini 30. He had Ruger change the barrel to a heavy barrel. He loves it.
He does say the mini 14 is reliable.
No personal experience.
What about changing your AR barreled upper to 7.62x39?

MosinDave · 04-14-2006, 11:40 PM

I've shot both the 14 and 30 and they aren't bad guns for the money. Only real gripes I have heard from owners are aftermarket mags suck and the factory barrels are too thin for extended rapid fire sessions. ( ie: barrel gets too hot too fast and shot groups go out the window ) It's no tack driver, but it's a fun shooter. Get one!

jellydonut · 04-15-2006, 12:19 AM

I've shot the mini-30 some. (7.62x39) only problem is sometimes the steel-cased Wolf ammo will stick. seems to have too-tight of tolerances for the cheaper ammo, but i think it was an earlier model. never had any feed problems, cept sticking in the chamber after it's been shot. (so not really a feed problem) shoots very accurately though. nice guns, very secure receiver lock-up.

MosinDave · 04-15-2006, 01:07 AM

Oh yea, that too. Try to avoid shooting laquered cases if you get the mini 30, as I have heard that they like to stick in the chamber when it heats up. I've heard the new Wolf ammo uses a polymer coating on the cases and it might not give the same issues as their older laquer coated stuff. Anyone have any experience with the newer stuff to relate to this?

myarmor · 04-15-2006, 08:29 AM

Nice gun, but I have heard many of bad accuracy issues with them. Here's just an example:
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/php...ic.php?t=88461

Snakebite · 04-16-2006, 12:57 AM

The Mini 14 followed me home today. It insisted.
Myarmor, I have also read stuff about accuracy with the mini. I've read more good than bad and that helped me make a decision to buy it. The link you posted also has guys that cant hit with some darn nice rifles. Makes me wonder if its the gun or shooter!
The new Mini has a new ghost ring sight and for $541 plus tax I couldnt say no. I've spent the day stripping it and cleaning it. Very clever engineering in the way it works! I've already mounted a scope and will try it tomorrow.
Thanks for the input. Hope its a shooter..I think it will be. I'll let ya know tomorrow.

Full MeTal Jack · 04-16-2006, 09:32 AM

Snakebite, did you buy it at Wal-Mart?

Snakebite · 04-16-2006, 08:58 PM

FMJ..Yes I did get it Wally World. That was my very first gun purchase at Sam's place. It wasnt a very pleasant experience either. I will gladly pay more at my favorite dealer instead of put up with the BS at Wally World.
Its a shooter all right. I only had 80 rounds. It took about a full box to get on target. After the wasted rounds for sighting...WHOO HOO! It is more than accurate. Its freakin astounding even with a cheapy Simmons scope.
I think this one may be the most accurate of the guns in the locker. I was truly impressed with it. That aint easy.

jellydonut · 04-17-2006, 12:59 AM

anything more specific than "[really] accurate!", Snakebite? people vary a lot in their definition of that :P and oh, MosinDave, my mini 30 has laquered cases stick (and some lower-quality brass-cased like greek UMC occasionally) when it's stone cold. it's just too tight a lock-up for some. that's probably why it's so accurate. (haven't shot it enough to tell exactly, but i easily got on the paper at 200 yds, but had to quit due to inclement weather) I haven't tried the polymer coated stuff yet (want to;havent seen any at the local gnu shop), but I tried a round of the the brass-plated-steel-cased HP Golden Bear (russian), and it DOESN"T jam. woohoo!
JD

myarmor · 04-17-2006, 06:14 AM

Good to hear you are happy with your purchase, thats all that matters anyway. Plus if it didn't shoot, I doubt you would of had a hard time getting rid of it. There are many out there that love these little guys.
Range report???

utahvarminter · 04-19-2006, 12:07 AM

Here's My 2 cents
Why not-
#1 Thin Barrel.
After a few hundred rounds on a hot day, the barrel will bend. Ever so slightly, but at 200 yds, 3 degrees of change can be a different point of impact.
#2 Irregualr Mags
To find a good Hi-Cap mag that is made of good metal, for a good price, is next to impossible. The run of the mill ones off the internet have bad feed lips. They'll bend. Good ones run $40+ (where as NEW TEFLON COATED green follower AR mags, current military ones, are less than $15 ea online. No kidding)
If you want that kind of rifle with a non-pistol grip stock etc, but that takes AR-15 Mags-- Beretta RX4 Don't know when they'll be in stores, or if they already are, but they were at last years Shot Show.

Copper · 04-19-2006, 03:43 PM

I've used the "it followed me home" routine before myself. My other personal favorite that I have used is how the owner of the local gun shop went off the deep end and was giving guns away before the men in the white coats led him away. I believe my wife gave me the standard eye roll, deep sigh and "whatever" response.

04-14-2006, 09:45 PM	#3
Full MeTal Jack Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 1,416 Trader Rating: (0)	Like Mr Colt 45, my inlaw HAD a mini 14. Now he owns the mini 30. He had Ruger change the barrel to a heavy barrel. He loves it. He does say the mini 14 is reliable. No personal experience. What about changing your AR barreled upper to 7.62x39? __________________ [IMG]http://img287.echo.cx/img287/63/9130110x100a4vb.jpg

04-16-2006, 09:32 AM	#9
Full MeTal Jack Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 1,416 Trader Rating: (0)	Snakebite, did you buy it at Wal-Mart? __________________ [IMG]http://img287.echo.cx/img287/63/9130110x100a4vb.jpg

04-19-2006, 12:07 AM	#13
utahvarminter Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 485 Trader Rating: (0)	Here's My 2 cents Why not- #1 Thin Barrel. After a few hundred rounds on a hot day, the barrel will bend. Ever so slightly, but at 200 yds, 3 degrees of change can be a different point of impact. #2 Irregualr Mags To find a good Hi-Cap mag that is made of good metal, for a good price, is next to impossible. The run of the mill ones off the internet have bad feed lips. They'll bend. Good ones run $40+ (where as NEW TEFLON COATED green follower AR mags, current military ones, are less than $15 ea online. No kidding) If you want that kind of rifle with a non-pistol grip stock etc, but that takes AR-15 Mags-- Beretta RX4 Don't know when they'll be in stores, or if they already are, but they were at last years Shot Show. __________________ My Photo Album

04-14-2006, 06:58 PM	#1
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,837 Trader Rating: (0)	Questions before I buy Thinking about a Ruger Mini 14. The price is good and I have shot them in the past. Just never owned one. Somebody here has to have one so I thought I'd get some input first. Thats unusual for me...I usually buy first and then ask! Any problems with them? Reliable? I Like the fact that ammo is cheap and available almost everywhere. The price is $585 new. So, your thoughts? Its my tax refund and if I dont spend it on a new gun I will just waste it on food or beer

04-14-2006, 07:07 PM	#2
colt45 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Occupied Territories of New York (Buffalo) Posts: 2,898 Trader Rating: (0)	well we have to eat and drink..........LOL I have one in 7.62x39 i love it! my buddy has one in 5.56mm(.223) he also loves his. no problems with either. his is more accurate than mine (more an ammo thing) but we only shoot them around 100 yards. close in woodchuckers in the grape rows. as i remember one* was looking for a stock for an older modle that gave him fits, i had no luck finding him a stock or even anyone who could make him one. but if your getting a new one at that shouldn't be a problem. I always wished they would make one in 308. kinda of a mini M-14 would have been real close to the new socom by springfield. __________________ "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity" -Sigmund Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis "If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective." - Ted Nugent "Self-defense is Nature's eldest law." -John Dryden

04-14-2006, 11:40 PM	#4
MosinDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 571 Trader Rating: (0)	I've shot both the 14 and 30 and they aren't bad guns for the money. Only real gripes I have heard from owners are aftermarket mags suck and the factory barrels are too thin for extended rapid fire sessions. ( ie: barrel gets too hot too fast and shot groups go out the window ) It's no tack driver, but it's a fun shooter. Get one!

04-15-2006, 12:19 AM	#5
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234 Trader Rating: (0)	I've shot the mini-30 some. (7.62x39) only problem is sometimes the steel-cased Wolf ammo will stick. seems to have too-tight of tolerances for the cheaper ammo, but i think it was an earlier model. never had any feed problems, cept sticking in the chamber after it's been shot. (so not really a feed problem) shoots very accurately though. nice guns, very secure receiver lock-up.

04-15-2006, 01:07 AM	#6
MosinDave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 571 Trader Rating: (0)	Oh yea, that too. Try to avoid shooting laquered cases if you get the mini 30, as I have heard that they like to stick in the chamber when it heats up. I've heard the new Wolf ammo uses a polymer coating on the cases and it might not give the same issues as their older laquer coated stuff. Anyone have any experience with the newer stuff to relate to this?

04-15-2006, 08:29 AM	#7
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147 Trader Rating: (0)	Nice gun, but I have heard many of bad accuracy issues with them. Here's just an example: http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/php...ic.php?t=88461

04-16-2006, 12:57 AM	#8
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,837 Trader Rating: (0)	The Mini 14 followed me home today. It insisted. Myarmor, I have also read stuff about accuracy with the mini. I've read more good than bad and that helped me make a decision to buy it. The link you posted also has guys that cant hit with some darn nice rifles. Makes me wonder if its the gun or shooter! The new Mini has a new ghost ring sight and for $541 plus tax I couldnt say no. I've spent the day stripping it and cleaning it. Very clever engineering in the way it works! I've already mounted a scope and will try it tomorrow. Thanks for the input. Hope its a shooter..I think it will be. I'll let ya know tomorrow.

04-16-2006, 08:58 PM	#10
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,837 Trader Rating: (0)	FMJ..Yes I did get it Wally World. That was my very first gun purchase at Sam's place. It wasnt a very pleasant experience either. I will gladly pay more at my favorite dealer instead of put up with the BS at Wally World. Its a shooter all right. I only had 80 rounds. It took about a full box to get on target. After the wasted rounds for sighting...WHOO HOO! It is more than accurate. Its freakin astounding even with a cheapy Simmons scope. I think this one may be the most accurate of the guns in the locker. I was truly impressed with it. That aint easy.

04-17-2006, 12:59 AM	#11
jellydonut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 234 Trader Rating: (0)	anything more specific than "[really] accurate!", Snakebite? people vary a lot in their definition of that :P and oh, MosinDave, my mini 30 has laquered cases stick (and some lower-quality brass-cased like greek UMC occasionally) when it's stone cold. it's just too tight a lock-up for some. that's probably why it's so accurate. (haven't shot it enough to tell exactly, but i easily got on the paper at 200 yds, but had to quit due to inclement weather) I haven't tried the polymer coated stuff yet (want to;havent seen any at the local gnu shop), but I tried a round of the the brass-plated-steel-cased HP Golden Bear (russian), and it DOESN"T jam. woohoo! JD

04-17-2006, 06:14 AM	#12
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147 Trader Rating: (0)	Good to hear you are happy with your purchase, thats all that matters anyway. Plus if it didn't shoot, I doubt you would of had a hard time getting rid of it. There are many out there that love these little guys. Range report???

04-19-2006, 03:43 PM	#14
Copper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Southern "Mizzeruh" Posts: 246 Trader Rating: (0)	I've used the "it followed me home" routine before myself. My other personal favorite that I have used is how the owner of the local gun shop went off the deep end and was giving guns away before the men in the white coats led him away. I believe my wife gave me the standard eye roll, deep sigh and "whatever" response.