I have 2.  They are both fun to shoot.

Nope. Never owned or handled one.

I bought one of the new "retooled" tactical models when they came out.  Put a wood stock on it and took it to a 3-gun match where I was able to place 8th or 9th overall out of 80 plus shooters.  This range only has 100 yards to use but they put a handful of those tiny steel poppers  (MGM?) that reset themselves out there.  As I recall the front sight covered up those poppers.

I bought one in 93. They were back ordered and hard to find so I ordered one from a local store. After a few months of waiting I was out of town and found one so I bought it. Got home and mine had also come in so the first two guns I bought were mini 14s. They both sucked so bad the first two guns I sold were also mini 14s.

I have never owned or fired a Mini 14.

you should pick one up just so you can appreciate how completely wrong you are on everything that you said. I know that you think you’re being cute or clever, but your post is a perfect illustration of what everyone gets wrong about the Mini 14. You don’t own one. You admit that. Yet you repeat stupid lies and myths, that are so obviously incorrect. No disrespect to you, but people like you are the biggest problem with the Mini 14. You literally have no idea what you’re talking about, but you Assert your false beliefs With such profound confidence. The worst that can be sad about the Mini 14 is that it’s not as good as an AR 15, but that’s also true about literally every other semi automatic fighting rifle you can buy today. There isn’t one that is objectively superior to the AR 15. And you’ll have a hard time finding one that is objectively superior to the Mini 14 in any area other than your subjective opinion.

I had a 14 and a 30 in the 80’s

Got rid of the 14 on my own.

My niece’s teenage BF stole the 30.
I pity da foo!

Blued models. Gas system rusted unless barreled receiver was removed from stock after each firing, and given an oil-enema.

The 14 was my first centerfire rifle autoloader. I did enjoy how the 14 launched brass into near-earth orbit. Later, even the CETME couldn’t quite match for brass launching.

I forgot how badly the 14 slung brass. Made the mistake recently at the range of setting up to shoot offhand next to a guy with a new 14 at the bench to my left. He absolutely SMOKED me with brass!

There are a lot of guns I used to own, and that I would like to have again for NOSTALGIA. But I have a number of guns I haven’t even fired. I’ve run out of room to store any more. My side of the bed is already full. My wife refuses to let me store any unfired guns between the mattress and box-springs on her side. She already is chafing that I store ammo cans in her walk-in closet. Shelf-supports baby!

Maybe if I got TWO 14’s still in the box. I could incorporate them in the decor! Don’t need to shoot them, because I know what they’ll do. Maybe to clear fuckers to the right of me off the range…

Had a Nice GB shouldn’t have parted with it but oh well

my first NFA Title II item was a Ruger (K)AC-556

I have a stainless Mini-14 GB as well

I have a couple.

A Ruger AC556 was the first machine gun I bought.

1991 I think, $1250 from FJ Volmer out of Shotgun news.

I wouldn't mind if it wasn't stupid expensive, inaccurate as hell, and not magazine compatible.

Had one and sold it. Wasn’t accurate at all.

My Dad owned one for decades.  When it came time for me to buy my own I'm so thankful a friend steered me to the AR and away from the Mini-14...

GB here. Came with a full stock, added the Samson stock. I really like them, always have. I have a transferrable M16, was thinking an AC556 might be next.

First rifle I ever shot was a mini...I bought one at an auction that was identical to the one I had before...ended up selling it as I never shot it.

I bought this one in 2008 for $300. No plans to ever sell it.
It is somewhat better than the so-called "minute of barn" accuracy and has never failed to function properly. I don't use it for anything besides burning up ammo at the range, but it makes that fun, and fun is most of what I am looking for in life.

I have posted it here many times before.
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During the ban era I bought a police surplus stainless Mini-14 GB folder from some dealer who got a bunch of them and advertised them in shotgun news for $1000.

I had the Mini 14 GB for a couple of years and sold it for roughly $1700 in 2003-ish maybe a year before the ban expired as it was looking pretty favorale a new ban was not going to get into place.

I used the proceeds of that preban Mini-14 GB sale to fund the purchase of a AC556K (Blued 13" folder) from Scottsdale Gun Club for $2000.

I still have that AC556K, although I do miss that stainless GB gun at time.

I see Ruger basically re-released a stainless Mini14-GB-ish folder for ~$1500 retail and am tempted to get another one to replace it.

Nope, the only Mini 14 I’m interested in is an AC556.

I have an older SS mini 14 that I purchased used.  It is stamped "Holman Correctional Facility" a State prison in Atmore Alabama.  It was in a black stock, but I put it in a wood stock.  It's in great shape.

Can't remember the model number but it has the FS and bayonet lug.  

I also have a SS Mini 30 that I gave my father 25 years ago for fathers day, and got it back when he passed away.  

Just part of the collection.  Don't really shoot them much if at all.

Same deal. I ended up with my Dad's 181, my stainless GB, and I'm waiting for the paperwork to finish on the AC556, which I got from my dad when he passed.

So now I have both, an M16 and an AC556, full size.

Not personally.  But a friend did in the early 2000s.

Initially it produced the infamous “minute of barn” accuracy.

So he detail stripped it & cleaned out all the packing grease.

When he put it back together it produced pretty decent groups and was a really solid rifle.

Yes. It was terrible. I had to send it back to Ruger twice because it was failing to eject every other round. After multiple months of troubleshooting,
I traded it in eventually. Never again.

Walked into a Murphey's store in town in 1982 or so.  I'd had an M1A for about 4 or years and heard of Mini14's.  They had two on the wall rack.  A blued one and a stainless steel one.  About $10 difference in the price.  I asked the lady behind the counter if I could look at the shiny rifle.  She asked, "The nickel plated one?"  I told her yes, the nickel plated one.  $285.  Took it home with me not long afterwards that same visit to the store.

I spent a lot of time working up reloads for that rifle and never got it shoot what I'd call acceptable groups.  It's been in the gun safe or in a gun case for almost 40 years.  Last time it was shot I let my oldest son shoot it when he was about 8 or 10 years old.

My dad bought a blued one a few years later.  It won't shoot good groups either.  It hasn't been shot in about 20 years.  I gave him 500 rounds of factory ammo for it not long after he bought it.  I got most of it back after he passes away 12 years ago.  My brother doesn't shoot it either.  He prefers his AK47.

I don't own one but I think they are cool. If the barrel length laws go away I'd love to get a semi-auto Mini-14 set up like a AC-556k. The folding stock plus short barrel looks awesome.

i understand it's limitations, but I still like mine.  It's a fun 100 yard plinker.

Of course.  Grew-up on the A-Team in the 80's.

Had one.

I really think I could shoot better with a revolver at 100 yards than my mini.

I have two.  I keep meaning to grab an A team stock for the SS one.

No, never owned one. Always wanted to. I bought an SKS back in the 90s instead. Still have it, and roughly 7 bazillion rounds of ammo

I've never owned a Mini-14, but I did briefly own an AC-556 a little over 15 years ago.

Yep.  The dynamic was different.

My recollection in say, 1985 or so was-
A Colt SP1 or CAR-15 was like 500, with tons of relatively cheap mags.
A mini-14 was like 350 with mags a little more
An HK-93 was more like 650 with even more expensive mags
And the Chinese AK types we’re just starting to show up, maybe 300 bucks,  but mags and ammo were not here in inexpensive numbers yet.

Keep in mind say 400 bucks in 1985 for the typical young man was like a monthly car payment plus insurance on their 1985 Z28, Mustang 5.0, or V6 4WD Toyota US Hi-Lux.  Or their monthly rent.

Yep.

My dad went 50/50 on one with me for my 15th birthday (1986ish), same day I got my driver's license. That rifle never left my old ford truck, all through high school and a couple yeas after that.

loved that thing. Was a great little piece, and I abused the hell out of it.

To this day its the only firearm I have completely and totally shot the barrel out of. No idea on total round count but it was thousands and thousands.

BTW use caution shooting out of drivers seat, windshield damage will occur

My dream gun.

Bill Ruger was a commie so no.

Owned one. Constant FTE. It threw patterns, not groups.

Thus "owned," past tense.

Yes. Fun rifle. I gifted it to a relative in a non Free State who can't have an AR.

Unless you're a big x39 fanboy, you could probably sell a bunch of that ammo and rake in enough cash to buy some pretty cool stuff.

It's 50+ cpr now.

Don't have one, but I always wanted one because of the A team.

I own a stainless Ranch Rifle, and a blue Mini-30.  I like both of them.

The biggest problem I've had is getting decent .223 magazines for the RR.  There are a lot of shitty ones out there.

I had an AC556 for a while but never a mini 14.

I had a ranch rifle for a few years but sold it once i got into ARs.  I really want another one to have cut down to 14.7” and have it pinned and welded.  They are too expensive now though.

Don't have one, but only want one because of the above.

He's dead, Jim.  Modern Pro 2nd Amendment Ruger makes ARs and will happily sell you 30 round mags.

He’s still not wrong about most of that.

Allow me to go back 35 years. I had been using a Colt M16A2 as a National Guardsman for a few years and developed a fondness for it, having got past all of the SUBSTANTIAL negativity surrounding the M16/AR15 platform at the time. I wanted to buy a commercial model for myself. But it’s 1989, and some crazy retard just shot up a school playground in CA. So the military pattern semi-auto pickings are getting pretty slim. Colt ARs in particular. Olympic Arms ARs and Mini-14s are occasionally found, but I wanted the real deal. In the spring of 1990 Colt ARs start trickling out into distribution again and I finally find one on a dealers shelf, a R6550k, and couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough. For $800 + tax, it was mine. And what a joy it was and continues to be. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $2,000 today. Holy shit. But I never once questioned or regretted that purchase.

That summer a friend who was a bit more budget minded bought a Mini-14. They cost about $400 back then, so it seemed like a pretty good deal at half the cost of a Colt AR. I got to handle it and shoot it. It wasn’t a total POS or anything, but it was obviously far less accurate than the AR, it didn’t have the feel, handling or performance of more modern designs and the magazines, higher capacity ones in particular, were far less common and much more expensive. I had given them a little  consideration, but after that experience I never had any desire for one again.

People were customizing and accessorizing their guns back then, but nowhere near to the extent that they do now, so the aftermarket was kind of a wash between what was available between the two platforms. But there is absolutely no question about which one went on to dominate thanks to a modern, modular design that lends itself to modifications incredibly well.

Probably the biggest things in favor of the Mini are the classic design, traditional non-threatening appearance and retro factor. But these days with the Fightlite SCR and similar designs available that combine AR performance and modularity with classic design and materials, it makes more sense to go that route. Which, in fact, I did scratch that itch.

The AR market adjusted for the AWB, so after a short time the better option continued to be available. And I wouldn’t count on the Mini-14 not being included in another AWB.

I've had 3 of them iirc. All of them were very reliable and I can't recall ever having a failure with one.

Accuracy wasn't terrible, just kind of so so. I liked the rifles but they always got traded for something new and shiny and I miss them. They'll never replace a good AR but they're fun and sometimes that's all I need out of a rifle.

I'll probably buy one of the new versions when I find a decent deal on one.

Had one of the older ones with the skinny barrel. Under perfect conditions & locked down tight, it would throw bullets all over the fucking place at 100yds. Like patterning a shotgun with no. 1 buckshot, one pellet at a time.

I later tried again and bought a newer one with a 16.5" tapered barrel. It shot pretty well (~2moa @ 100yds with good ammo), and I modified it to look more like an M14. Came out nice, but eh...was actually kind of boring, so I traded it toward something or other, can't remember.

I owned (past tense) a very early model.  After glass bedding it and having a trigger job done it would shoot regular 5 shot groups into 1.5 inches at 100 yards...I should have kept it.

I'd buy that . An adjustable gas-block would be helpful . Ruger could take advantage of the Mini's beefier bolt and put the Grendel in it . That , and a single-stack big-bore option ...Socom ...bushmaster ....