Mini-14/30
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5,508 Posts
The f/a version has been issued to a whopping 600 soldiers throughout the world, so yea, it can be technically deserving of a place here.
Personally I think it's a total POS for the price. :xeye:
(CZ, I think you LIKE me bashing your possessions...but it's so damn easy with that thing.)
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3,216 Posts
You say this until your PTR roller bunk stops working in the mud bath and my Mini still keeps firing away :thumb: Envy sucks HK
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5,508 Posts
LOL. That was too funny...maybe you should try using steel cased ammo with mags not from Ruger and get back to me.You say this until your PTR roller bunk stops working in the mud bath and my Mini still keeps firing away :thumb: Envy sucks HK
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2,664 Posts
why would he wan't to do that if it won't work? :thumb:
thats just not sporting... lol
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3,221 Posts
The Mini-14 could be in this section.....
The grease gun was a military weapon too and we all know how durable and accurate they were....
The grease gun was a military weapon too and we all know how durable and accurate they were....
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15,797 Posts
The Ruger mini design is a really nice, light, handy commercial carbine. I like them a lot and they make sense for what I do. But I do not think you should confuse a commercial gun with a military gun.
The US military has used a number of commercial designs at various time when they needed something specific and they did not have the time to develop a suitable weapon.
I've seen military shotguns with chokes and spreader barrels, bolt and lever action rifles, and the spray and pray grease gun.
The current M-16 and M-4 are more of a general use weapon that can be modified and adapted to cover specific needs. This is a big step up from prior MBR designs that could not be modified easily by armorers.
In comparison, the Ruger is a modestly accurate defense carbine that generally shoots about 2 moa with good ammo. It acts and shoots a lot like an updated version of the Winchester 94 saddle rifle.
The US military has used a number of commercial designs at various time when they needed something specific and they did not have the time to develop a suitable weapon.
I've seen military shotguns with chokes and spreader barrels, bolt and lever action rifles, and the spray and pray grease gun.
The current M-16 and M-4 are more of a general use weapon that can be modified and adapted to cover specific needs. This is a big step up from prior MBR designs that could not be modified easily by armorers.
In comparison, the Ruger is a modestly accurate defense carbine that generally shoots about 2 moa with good ammo. It acts and shoots a lot like an updated version of the Winchester 94 saddle rifle.
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864 Posts
H&C, I usually agree with you but not in this case.
The newer Minis (580 series and newer) are surprisingly accurate. They are a vast improvement over the older Minis.
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30,610 Posts
I have Minis and I have an AR. In general, i find the Mini 14 to be a more natural experience to put on target, and equally accurate. They are relatively inexpensive, idiot-proof, easy to maintain, and very quick on target acquisition. One motion unfastens the trigger guard and you can crack it into its three function groups for maintenance or for storage in mere seconds. It can be packed with ease into a 6" dia PVC pipe and buried indefinitely.
I find the Mini to be handier and more intuitive for everything except changing mags.
The one area I would NOT trust the Mini over the AR is in fully automatic fire, as the AR-15 was originally developed to be a selective fire weapon and the Mini-14's selective fire version, the AC-556, has been known to reach higher barrel temps when sustained at full auto for considerable durations. But since I don't plan on requiring full auto, I will continue to prefer the Mini-14 as a QCB option, over and above the AR-15. Plus, for the price, I can stockpile twice as many.
I find the Mini to be handier and more intuitive for everything except changing mags.
The one area I would NOT trust the Mini over the AR is in fully automatic fire, as the AR-15 was originally developed to be a selective fire weapon and the Mini-14's selective fire version, the AC-556, has been known to reach higher barrel temps when sustained at full auto for considerable durations. But since I don't plan on requiring full auto, I will continue to prefer the Mini-14 as a QCB option, over and above the AR-15. Plus, for the price, I can stockpile twice as many.
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30,610 Posts
They are the natural successor to the M1 carbine. They do everything that the M1 Carbine does (except F/A), just with intermediate rounds, instead of plus-sized pistol rounds.
I Like the Garand action,but the magazine prices KILL the idea for me... I shot one guys Mini with a polymer magazine, maybe it was PMags, I dont recall. Either way, it jammed after every 4-5 round, it was obviously a magazine failure because when he loaded the factory 10 rounder, it fed like a dream. back to OP I feel because it has been used, and uses the "evil" high capacity magazines" and the even more evil "Semi auto" that it falls into catergory for this thread.
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30,610 Posts
I refuse to use after-market mags for any gun. The 30-round Mini-14 mags are $69.00 a pop only because enough people still remember when they were LE only. I get them for $29 ea., and they're worth every penny. I have never used anything smaller than the 30-round mags and I have never once had an issue with them.
It's funny you mention high-capacity mags, because Ruger usually sells them with 5-round mags to disguise them as auto-loading hunting rifles.
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3,221 Posts
Did you seriously just say that a Mini-14 is better than an AR-15?
This is quite possibly the dumbest post I've seen all day.
I had a Colt HBAR sporter that I recently sold. Never a single malfunction. I ran at least 3k rounds of Wolf through it.
Mini-14s are ranch rifles. They're good for what they do. A tactical carbine they are not. I wish people would just be intellectually honest about weapons.
An AR is not a perfect rifle either... which is why I don't own one anymore. However, comparing a Mini-14 to an AR-15 by a reputable manufacturer is like comparing a go-cart to a racecar.
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3,216 Posts
OK, This post is exactly why I started this thread....
The poster BB started off with a decent assessment... Just what is the Mini? And a "Ranch Rifle" is what he comes up with... That is no knock on any rifle! BB have you ever worked a ranch? Very dirty, very dusty, tools kept collecting this dust and dirt (along with mud) until they are called on... Then they are expected to work without fail! A predator eatin cows has to be dealed with NOW! Not after more cows are eatin!
Anyway, the poster BB started off well but the because the weapon is not something he considers fit for a job he belittles it as if it were a airsoft piece :xeye:
Does BB really think that there is THAT much difference between ANY semi-auto consumer weapon that is not class III on the market? Because I don't!
Does it matter to BB that many will dispute his claim that a consumer AR is more reliable than a Mini?
I have shot thousands of rounds down range with a Mini-30 and have NEVER had one malfunction of any kind unless it was related to aftermarket mags... But never one with factory mags, not one, not ever!
But still, I am perfectly happy with the notion that my M-30 is the modern day Win 94....
As a matter of fact, I think I'd take a Win 94 over a AR any day :thumb:
One thing though.... BumblingBear, when was the last time you owned a Ruger Mini-14 or 30?
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3,221 Posts
5 years ago. I sold it. I decided I'd rather have that style of weapon in 9mm which is why I eventually got a Marin 9mm Camp Carbine.
I never said they were worthless.
Look CZ, we all know you have a huge hard on for Mini-14s. I bet half your posts are either about Minis or starting threads about them.
You like them. We get it. I can even respect that.
But for people to say that they're a /better/ combat rifle than an AR is retarded and intellectually dishonest.
*Edit: I am not implying that you are saying that - but other posters obviously have.
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3,216 Posts
See it goes both ways though BB.... You posted in another thread that being a survivalist was NOT about battle...
Your exact quote "We are survivalists - not a conscript army. Water purification and spare food is far more important than ultra expensive tactical toys"
AND The fact that most people (I hope not you) fail to realize that a Mini with factory mags IS as reliable if not more so than ARs...
I have a friend that has a brand new $2800 POF
http://www.pof-usa.com/p308/p30816.htm
That has extraction problems... I laugh at him all the time as my M-30 has never failed...
Still I know he has a great weapon, just needs to iron the kinks out...
Point being, The Mini might not be a Assault rifle or even a Military weapon... But it is FAR from a go-cart that can't keep up with a AR or AK when the chips are down.
I'll post my 20rd 100 yard group again and remind you that I have yet to experience one failure of any kind to date with this M-30...
I'll take my "Ranch Rifle" over the assault and military wannabe's thank you very much :thumb:
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30,610 Posts
CZ and BB need a good marriage counselor.
FWIW, I certainly can't argue that the AR-15 would fare better in a sustained full-auto firefight. I just prefer not to engage in a sustained, full-auto firefight.
I have never been in a situation where I have ever had to shoot at anyone, but if I were, I would prefer that a bullet have someone's name on it, not be addressed: "to whom it may concern," so paying $20,000 for a true select fire assault rifle is out of the question for me. That keeps the Mini 14 and the AR-15 at parity for my needs. YMMV
FWIW, I certainly can't argue that the AR-15 would fare better in a sustained full-auto firefight. I just prefer not to engage in a sustained, full-auto firefight.
I have never been in a situation where I have ever had to shoot at anyone, but if I were, I would prefer that a bullet have someone's name on it, not be addressed: "to whom it may concern," so paying $20,000 for a true select fire assault rifle is out of the question for me. That keeps the Mini 14 and the AR-15 at parity for my needs. YMMV
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1,956 Posts
In all fairness, if we are going to exclude Mini 14s from this section then we can lump semi-auto ARs and AK clones in to the same group. Since NONE of them are military weapons - just semi-auto civi guns. Just cause your gun "looks" like a military weapon doesn't make it one.
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3,221 Posts
This post was not correct and rife with misinformation. Some civilians DO have fully automatic versions of military weapons as long as they were made in the 60s or earlier.
I never used 3 round burst on my M-4 in the Army unless I wanted to dump a bunch of ammo.
Internally and externally, it was exactly the same weapon as the Colt HBAR I used to own.
So for all intents and purposes, it was the same weapon.
Additionally, civvie versions of military weapons are far far more durable than most other weapons.
There is a big difference between a Marlin Camp 9 and an MP-5. Just like there is a big difference between a Mini-14 and an AR-15. Apples and oranges.
No weapon is worthless, but being able to be intellectually honest about a weapon and train around its shortcomings is crucial. For instance, with my Camp 9, I kept a couple extra buffer pads and replaced the factory buffer pad with a Blackjack buffer. I also replaced as many internals as I could with stronger nickel-plated parts.
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