I'm an AK guy (but I shoot 5.56).  I'm curious what you guys think about the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical?

Accuracy should be on par with your AK. Don't expect a tack driver, for sure.

For what you pay for a mini-14 even the tactical model for a bit more you can have an AR15 the 5.56 platform that everything else in the caliber is measured by.ARs are in my opinion more durable and reliable under hard use especially when you have a top quality one.Magazines are cheaper for an AR and theres plenty of support for parts and accesories not to mention its way more common with military,law enforcement and civillian use.

Im just looking at prices now for between $850 and $900 go AR15 theres no way id pay that money for a mini-14 when you can get a Colt SP6920 for a bit more or a BCM or Spikes AR15 in that same money category.

A Mini-14 will go BOOM every time you pull the trigger, even with cheap, steel cased ammo. As noted before, accuracy isn't great. Personally, I'd pass up the tactical and get a Ranch Rifle. Your choice of wood or synthetic stock. I ended up going with an SKS of the Mini. It was cheaper and has a bayonet on it.

I hope your not trying to say that a mini 14 is more reliabale then an AR.  I haven't had any trouble shooting Wolf, or Brown Bear, or Running Zebra.  Once I got my AR built my mini 14 went down the road within a month.

Do as the poster above said and get a Colt 6920.

Is this AR discussion or mini14 I am confused .... I think you should post this in the armory portion to get better info.

In before moved!

I've read a few reviews on the Ruger Mini line up lately.

American Rifleman tested the 6.8SPC version and got very good accuracy. 1.2" IIRC.

This was attributed to Ruger's new hammer forging machines for all of their barrels.
The Mini barrels are also a bit thicker now as well.

I had one back in the late 1980s and while I liked it, it wasn't very accurate.





Bill

The Tacticals are a match for most AR's. The M-1 action with it's large extractor and ambi-safety is quite reliable.
Accesories for the Mini are fewer.
I have an old Series 181 and a 189 which would not shoot on par w/AK
It took several $100 but the 223 now shoots MOA in tacticle dress
If I were to spend that kind of money ($850 Plus) I would get a SS Tacticle Mini 30, maybe the most over looked semi out there (If it's still made) but your still stuck w/expensive magazines.
PS steer clear of those funky, black plastic, folding stocks, they will break

Would only be worth it if Mini-14s were closer to AK prices instead of AR prices

I didn't try to say that. That is exactly what I said. And, I will stand behind it 100%. The AR is a great platform, but as with anything, it has his downsides. One of them, is a lot won't shoot cheap, low powered ammo. This comes from a bit of first-hand experience. I have had every gun that I own jam due to sand being blown into the chamber except my SKS and buddy's Mini-14. The SKS jammed one day because of a overly thick poly coat on some surplus ammo. The Mini, well, the cheap just wouldn't fire (bad batch). I am glad that the cheap steel ammo works in yours, though. But, not in the many I've fired.

If you think the AR is the most reliable gun there ever was, you need to study some more firearms history. Is the AR a great firearm? Damn straight it is. If I was a soldier, would it be my first choice? Not at all. It would be an early '70s Russian AKM (unmodified, full auto of course). On the other hand, as a marksman, I love the AR. It is a shooter's rifle. I even have some AR parts getting picked up for me today. But, there's a reason farmers and ranchers use Minis, SKSs, and lever actions; and not ARs. They want a gun that will fire each and every time. Hence, the name "Ranch Rifle". For a "working" gun that's going to stay behind the seat of a farm truck year round, the AR is not a good choice. For a plinker, target, competition gun; the AR is the way to go.

BTW, on the farm (where we shoot), it's sandy fields/pastures with at least 20 mph wind from the South 75% of the year. Not the ideal conditions for any gun, no matter what it is. But, it is a great proving ground for real world civilian use of guns.

I like my Mini, but I got i used for just under $400.  There is no way that I would pay what the going rate is for a current model, especially given the price of the magazines.
The good news with Minis is that there are always great deals on used Minis from people who hardly ever used them and then upgraded to an AR so if you shop around they can be a great budget gun.

I am a fan of the mini-14, even more so of the newer models. As was posted, ruger spent some coin upgrading the barrels to a much higher quality than was standard on the mini in years past. The only thing about the mini I dont like now is the expense of the mags as opposed to AR mags, and the lack of optic mounting options as compared to an AR. Oh yea, and the price. At the same price point as the mini there are lots of AR options that can take cheaper, more easy to find mags and have more options as far as upgrading the trigger yourself, mounting optics, etc.

That said I would own another mini in a heartbeat if I found a good deal on one.

No collection  is complete without a Min-14 IMHO.

There is a section for Ruger discusion right here on arfcom too.

+1.  Best advise.

Thanks for the thoughts Gents.  The reason I am asking is that I have a proposed trade for a Mini-14 Tactical for my SAR-3 (AK in 5.56).  It sounds like the Mini is a pretty good weapon.   My SAR has a 2x Red Dot and 4-30rd mags, and 1-10 mag.  His Mini has a traditional scope and 2-20 rd mags and a 100 rd drum (Korean I think).  

About the only reason I am entertaining a trade is to have something different.  What do you guys think of a trade like this?

Get both. Seriously if you can get both do it.

Of the two my preference is toward the Mini because of the ergonomics. Tuning them up is within the realm of the do-it-yourself-er.
An Ultimak Scout Rail gives optics mounting choices and stiffens the barrel too.
Mags are sore spot though. Ruger factory mags are the best but expensive. Careful hunting sometimes turns them up for under thirty bucks a pop for the real deal. I hear good things about Tapco Gen 2 mags but have no experience.

I bought one in 1995 and was able to kill a pheasant with it at 150 yards with one shot. It seems to shot well.

I guess I have just never ran into a problem, personally, with the AR's I have shoot jamming because of cheap ammo.

It looks like it could be fun, but as mentioned, don't expect much in the way of accuracy out of it.

tlwest, I'm happy you haven't had any trouble. Any way to save money and have fun is great. I should make clear, all the cheap ammo I've used in ARs has been through carbine stocks. Never tried it with a rifle stock. I hear they're a little bit more forgiving. When I get my rifle length, you can bet I'm going to try the cheapest stuff I can find. But, I know a common complaint with AR is it hates the low powered plinking ammo. The guys that have A2s that I shoot with use mil-surp, match, or hunting only for better accuracy.

This would be a good trade assuming the 20 round mags are Ruger factory and the scope is a good one and not some Chinese POS.  I haven't heard much on the Korean drums and their reliability.  Stick with Ruger factory mags in either 20's or 30's and you will have no issues.  The later mini's have the heavier barrels with enhanced accuracy and have more options for mounts.  They are a quick handling little carbine with the 16" barrel.

Some ARs are kind of fickle when it comes to cheap/steel cased ammo. The Mini isn't. The older Ranch that I had, would eat anything you put into it under any conditions. It went boom everytime I pulled the trigger. But as stated, the accuracy is kind of lacking...

Some AR's may be fickle, but the two spikes, bcm, and RRA rifles I have owned shot anything and everything. I have also tried to justify a mini-14 several times, and in the end I never could.

For something different it is worth it. I have a dozen AR's but also a old type GB and new Tactical model.

The new Tacticals are a handy little carbine esp in a folder. The new price for them is rediculous but reasonable deals on used ones can be found. Not as accurate as AR but the new heavy short barrel is better than old mini. The old mini accuracy would just wonder off once the barrel got hot the new ones it just kinda stays put, not an outstanding group but consistant.....

Ok, so how do I go about this?  I have an FFL dealer I can use, as does the other gent.  But I guess my question is how do I know he is going to ship his Mini-14?  How much does all this typically cost?

There is so much fail in this I don't know where to start. I guess I'll start at the top. If an AR doesn't function correctly, even with shitty ammo, there is a problem and it can be corrected. It's usually as simple as exchanging the blue insert and extractor spring for a black insert and extractor spring. A lot of companies make ARs so some of them may skimp on parts or QC. Thankfully, the rifle is easy to work on and fundamentally reliable. While I have experienced stoppages with every rifle I own, I had WAY more problems with the Mini I had than any of my ARs. I've also had problems with my AKs and M1A. As for "most reliable gun there ever was," there really isn't such a thing. Any firearm can experience stoppages or broken parts but all of the rifles mentioned thus far are reliable and dependable enough with the proper ammo and maintenance. I would say that YOU need to stop listening to "history" from gun counter "experts." Finally, not that it matters, my AR has ridden around behind the seat in my truck for several years. I break it out to shoot on a whim every few months, sometimes with the .22lr conversion (which introduces A LOT of dirt) and sometimes with 5.56mm. I can't remember the last time I cleaned it. No malfuncions. Ever. And I don't have to be standing inside a barn to hit it.

OP, a Mini is a great rifle for $450-500 new. Unfortunately, that's not what they cost. For the price, you'd be better off with a decent AR or an AK and a fuck ton of ammo.

Don't do it. Your SAR is a far more robust rifle and is only going to gain value. Dude, your username is sar3. You can't change it to Mini.

Some of my ARs were originally fickle when I first bought or assembled them. If they didn't function with everything I fed them, I fixed the problem. Usually all it took was the correct extractor spring. The only AR I have now that doesn't like cheap ammo is my 11.5" SBR and it eats Wolf just fine when the can is attached, but not without and without the can it cycles all normal ammo. If it was an issue to me I could fix the "problem" but that would mean higher bolt velocity with normal ammo and I don't want that.

OP,
I did no waste time reading what anyone else said. i am sure that they are all telling you go for an AR.

I have been down this road. I have 6 ar's in my safe. I also have 3 mini's.

The minis are great if you like wood, no pistol grip and a little more COMMY FRIENDLY gun.

The new model tactical I own will shoot 1.25-2 inch groups at 100 yards all day. It is half the weight of my lightest AR and will out shoot it. It has built in sites that are very reliable and you can scope it.

If you are looking into a mini 14 tactical, they can be had for 500-600 used. IIRC there is one on the EE for 525$.

Don't let the haters sway you. These new mini's are light years ahead of the old and as long as you run RUGER magazines you will have NO issues.

YMMV.

Bev

I agree.





Bill

If the other guy is a fellow arfcommer chances are pretty good that all will go well.  I have never had a problem. Don't forget to leave feed back for him.

Spend some time in the feedback section of the EE. Its eye opening. The good guys outnumber the flakes by a gazillion to one.
There is good advice on how to conduct business and also some educational threads about scammers and how the police handle interstate fraud.

 Ask your FFL what his charges are for the transfer. There are some records keeping chores form him in the bound books, inventory registers and such that most of us are unaware of.  

Depending on how the weight and dimensions of the package shipping can't be more than 30 or 40 bucks for a gun.
UPS has website you can look up the package by tracking number as it hits the check points on its way to its destination.

Mini's have not been $500 new since they and the production line were re vamped.
That tooling has be payed for some how and the new barrels take more machine time to make as they are turned at normal speeds unlike the old ones that were turned ( and stressed ) at "fright speed".

In a nut shell It is much less expensive to buy a new mini than buy an old mini and have it modded to shoot as well.
For the do it yourself kind of guy it can be done for at or below the same cost as a new one if your cost careful.


E.T.A.

The Mini-14 & Mini-Thirty are no different from the AK, AUG,FAL,SCAR, M1 etc. in the regard that there is more than just one rifle to own and enjoy and life is too short not to.