Posted: 4/10/2006 6:12:33 PM EDT
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I kind of like the way they look, they are sort of like a M1 Carbine. Their lineage is right - that of the mighty Garand and M1A. So why don't people like them? I could understand back when hi-cap magazines were banned and decent ones were hard to come by. Nowadays, there surely must be decent magazines available for a good price. So what's the deal - why don't people like them? I thought about picking one up - I like wood stocks and I think it would make a decent and PC looking gun with some bite to it if need be. The sights on it seem good too. |
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I think mostly because its an instant comparision to an AR-15, and that just ain't gonna favor the Mini-14 at all. I don't think they are all that bad, I'd have one for general blasting as a cheaper alternative (not by much, Im sure) to an AR-15. But, getting good mags is still the hang up! I've never seen good mags, unless someone finds a way to make it accept AR mags, there probably won't be... (Aside from old Factory mags) |
Nice stuntman. 
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Yeah, if you're at 50 feet or less. Personal experience. I have had a Ranch Rifle with scope for over 5 years. Fired less than 200 rds. through it. Have yet to hit an 8 1/2" X 11" target paper at 100 yds. Well, maybe I got a few hits on the target by accident. |
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Used to have one but got rid of it when I got an AR. Accuracy is fair out to 100 yds. After that, forget about it. The AR is a helluva platform for customizing. Lots of options and accessories. Plus the Mini 14 looks like a pansy gun while the AR oozes testosterone. |
The auto ordnance carbines had kind of a rough start, but appear to be decent little shooters. They go for ~500 bucks. The .30 carbine round doesn't begin to approach 30-30. It's a pretty anemic round as far as rifles go, somewhere around .357 mag in energy. |
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Stock ones are about as accurate as an AK with less power and worse reliability. Tuned ones cost as much as an off the rack AR, are about as accurate, and are generally less reliable. IIRC, they LOOK like the m1 and M14, but use a different (less reliable) system. Why not get an M1 from the CMP? Or if you want to save $, an SKS. Either will give greater reliability, more power and probably the same or better accuracy. SRM |
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I've owned one that I bought new (stainless ranch model). Accuracy with a quality scope and decent ammo was AK'ish. Good (above 10 rd.) mags were hard to come by and expensive. That should have changed with the ban ending? If good mags were readily available at a decent price and accuracy was better out of the box, I might own one again as a truck gun. I've shot a few rebarreled Mini-14's that had acceptable accuracy. |
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I've shot 3 different Mini-14s. All three had magazine problems with multiple FTEs/FTFs, and accuracy problems aswell. Magazines are shit, anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. Even Ruger factory mags (which seem to be most expensive than gold in the same weight...) have problems occasionally. |
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Because they are a horrible dissapointment. As you said, they look good. They are made by a quality manufacturer. However, they are innacurate. I like guns that are more accurate than I am. Go ahead and get a mini. Go out and shoot it and think "damn, I suck today, better lay off the coffee, wait, maybe it's the ammo. Then you put some match ammo in it, buy the scope rings and scope, shoot it off of a bag on a concrete bench. The crosshairs are dead center. <BLAM> 4-6 MOA. Also, I once got the Stainless model wet. The exterior was OK, but the recoil spring rusted up immediately. If you already have an AR15, or AK, the mini has no place in your arsenal. None at all. Don't take our word for it, go out and get one. Maybe they somehow improved the product in the last 5 years. |
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I bought one when I turned 18, 21 years ago… (It can’t have been that long ago.) I was lucky enough to find six factory 30s at a gun show not long after and bought all of them. I’ve still got the rifle (and magazines) and wouldn’t sell it because it’s part of my history, too much sentimental value. The Mini-14 has one big advantage over the AR-15; it looks like more like a hunting rifle. That means you aren’t as likely to freak out the peasants when you’re out hiking. But other than that there just isn’t any reason to get a Mini-14, at least not for defensive/SHTF use. The Mini-14 is a little cheaper than an AR initially. But it’s much cheaper and easier to get parts for the AR. Consider magazines, you can get quality USGI magazines for about $10.00 for the AR. Decent magazines for the Mini will probably run about $30.00. At that rate it doesn’t take too many magazines to make up a couple hundred dollars in cost difference. The Mini-14 is blued and rusts, unless you get the stainless model or have it parkerized. The Mini-14 isn’t very accurate while the AR is one of the most accurate service rifles ever made. The AR is far more reliable than the Mini. The Mini is just fine with factory magazines but they are very hard to come by (at least the 30s.) The AR is a more durable rifle. There are a lot of customization options for the Mini-14 but not as many as for the AR. The AR is an “open source” rifle. There are literally dozens of companies innovating and trying to find new ways to improve it. You can modify an AR in a thousand different ways. |
I already have an AR15 and M1A. The only commie guns I have are a Mosin and SKS (no AK!!!). I DO appreciate nice machine work, which is what attracted me to the Mini-14 ranch in the gun shop. I flat out don't like my SKS because of the combloc crappy craftsmanship. Sounds like an M1Carbine or another AR15 may be the way to go. Or possibly a Garand - which I have been putting off for years because of the "red tape" to get one. I have to look for a club I can join and shoot the required match or whatever. 
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I bought one durning the ban days that could legally put the folding stock on it. Put the Butler creek stock on it and they report that improves the accuracy. Once got it sighted in could hit pop cans at 100 yd consistantly. The interesting thing about it was decided to use it to get rid of some old Wolf ammo (green laquar stuff). Ran a few thousand rounds of it through it over a year or so and the weird thing was it never jammed. I never cleaned it through all of it just to see what would happen. Some of the shooting was hot days some were days of -20. Sold the weapon but really got some respect for it. |
What kind of accuracy are you getting at 100 yards? 200 yards? |
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Okay, seems like I'm in the minority here, I own two mini-14's along with a couple of AR-s and some M1A's etc. I have never had a problem with my mini's, not even the magazines, I've got some ruger mags and some of the plastic mags from 10 years ago. I agree that it probably won't print better than a 5" group at 100 yards, but a lot of that is because of the sighting system, that rear aperture is just too large and the front sight is too tapered. I enjoy them because I bought both for under $400 and haven't had to add anything, change anything, modify anything, but I also have to admit that when I really want to play and have some fun I take out the M1A or the AR-15 and the mini's collect dust. |
1.5" at 100. It is not great......certainly not what I expected, I could have had a lot better gun for the money, but I liked Mini's before there was an internet and didn't know I was supposed to hate them. 
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Best one yet! And I'll contribute to the question about .30 carbine terminal performance: First 30-30 The following loads were tested by Dr. Gary Roberts using calibrated 10% ballistic gel: 30-30 Federal 125 gr JHP (#3030C} velocity: 2425 fps penetration: 15.7" expansion: 0.54" recovered weight: 87.8 gr 30-30 Winchester 150 gr JSP Silvertip (#X30302) velocity: 2211 fps penetration: 18.9" expansion: 0.57" recovered weight: 125.8 gr 30-30 Winchester 170 gr Power Point (#X30303) velocity: 2036 fps penetration: 20.5"+ expansion: 0.62" recovered weight: 158.0 gr Now 30 Carbine: .30 Carbine Remington 110 gr JSP (R30CAR) velocity: 1864 fps penetration: 16.5" expansion: 0.54" recovered weight: 95.9 gr Reference |
Where do people get this "unreliable" crap? Yes, it is inaccurate. Unreliable it is not. With decent mags, it is reliable as anything else out there. |
Never, not once, have had a problem with a factory mag. |
| The ones I've owned worked most of the time, and all failures were mag related. If they'd shoot in the same direction they're pointed I'd have kept at least one. None of the three I've owned could do better than 6" at 100 yards, and that's off a sand bag and using a decent scope. I've never seen an AR that shoots that bad. Even my old crusty Mosin with crappy iron sights shoots better groups. |
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They are inaccurate ,but they are very soild and with factory magazines very reliable However with some of the cheaper ARs on the market and the rise in the price of minis they are losing their market share IMO I have been seriouly considering a AC556 myself a MG with a warrenty can't beat that and you can get decent magazines again |
Larry: My opinion is based on the three I owned and the AC556 that was loaned to me when I was in a different country. Yes, mags can improve the reliability, but I had several FTF with factory mags. YMMV SRM |
So I suppose I would be lying when I say, that I have had 2 Mini's and maybe 50 mags and I've only had 1 malfunction related to one bad mag in maybe 2000+ rounds..... most of it Wolf which is supposed to be shit ammo that wont function in anything. 
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| I've owned 2 different ones in the past, both blued Ranch models. They were very dependable with Ruger magazines but I never could get Ramline or Triple-K or USA magazines to feed reliably. The accuracy was pitiful, 4-5" at 100 yards with a scope (I don't remember what kind of scopes I had on them). They are relatively inexpensive and cool looking rifles, however. |