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Very good piece of history in this thread thanks for posting! The Mini 14 served as an unofficial patrol carbine for many Police Officers in Illinois in years past. My small PD had a couple of M-1 Carbines, a couple of 45 ACP Commando Arms Thompson look a like PCC and a couple of Mini 14’s. Several Troopers/LEO’s purchased Mini 14’s because they could be considerably cheaper than an SP1 Colt in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
There was a Trooper and another Officer murdered near Paxton Illinois during a traffic stop where a perpetrator was armed with a Mini 14. After that shooting many Mini 14’s found their way into police cars in Illinois whether in or out of policy. I had a SS model 183 which I eventually sold and bought an AR-15. I carried my Mini 14 a lot and used it on a couple of call outs. Only issue I’ve ever seen with the Mini 14 is the trigger guard will come unlatched. Otherwise the Mini 14 was very reliable and accurate enough for most patrol functions. |
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Excellent write up OP! Despite being almost 65 and owing several different Mini's over the years (still got 2) I learned a lot! Thanks!
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Excellent historical time line of the Mini 14. I just got a good education !
Thanks!! |
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Awesome report. I have a GB coming, been wanting one of those for many years.
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Quoted:
Very good piece of history in this thread thanks for posting! The Mini 14 served as an unofficial patrol carbine for many Police Officers in Illinois in years past. My small PD had a couple of M-1 Carbines, a couple of 45 ACP Commando Arms Thompson look a like PCC and a couple of Mini 14’s. Several Troopers/LEO’s purchased Mini 14’s because they could be considerably cheaper than an SP1 Colt in the late 70’s and early 80’s. View Quote I'd kind of love one of those wood stocked mauser sighted guns, but... eh. I've got a 300blk and it's fun, but spending more money on a 223 or 7.62X39 just seems pointless. |
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I Have This Old Gun: Ruger Mousqueton A.M.D. Rifle |
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Great pics and history, Miami JBT.
I put a link to this thread over on perfectunion's Mini section and the guys there enjoyed it. The 10th Mtn. Division was the last unit I served in, a couple years before retirement. Haiti was paradise compared to Mogadishu, the armpit of the planet. Even that is too kind, more like the anus of the planet. |
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OP - Tthank you for putting this together.
Do you or any other members know if there were some factory accessories sold with some of the more significant government or police contracts? I'd be interested to know if Ruger had some specific gear like mag pouches, slings, tools, bayonets (even subcontracted) etc. that would have gone well with larger contracts. I figure many just used NATO Type mag pouches etc, but it would have been short sighted for a factory to not have tried to bundle such accessories in a contract. As an example, I have not seen vintage factory Ruger Mini-14 slings (that I am aware of) and would be interested to know if such things existed. |
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Quoted:
OP - Tthank you for putting this together. Do you or any other members know if there were some factory accessories sold with some of the more significant government or police contracts? I'd be interested to know if Ruger had some specific gear like mag pouches, slings, tools, bayonets (even subcontracted) etc. that would have gone well with larger contracts. I figure many just used NATO Type mag pouches etc, but it would have been short sighted for a factory to not have tried to bundle such accessories in a contract. As an example, I have not seen vintage factory Ruger Mini-14 slings (that I am aware of) and would be interested to know if such things existed. View Quote |
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I walked into a local department store one night in about 1983 or 84 and saw two Ruger Mini14's on the rack behind the counter in sporting goods.
One blue, one shiny stainless steel. I asked the lady behind the counter if I could see the "3rd rifle from the end". She asked, "The chrome plated one?" I said, "Yeah, the chrome plated one." Price for the blued one was about $275. Price for the "chrome plated one" was $10 more. I put it on lay-away right then and picked it up a week or so later. Picked up some 20 and 30 round magazines in those first few years. Never found a load that shot well enough to suit me for what I'd bought it for (varmint hunting/killing). My M700 will shoot dimed sized groups at 100 yds. The mini wouldn't do that at 50 yds. So it pretty much just sat in the corner in the gun case, where it is still at today. I've tried two different scope mounts on it (the ones that replace the bolt catch cover) and neither made any real improvement over the iron sights. I picked up another blued one a few years back when my dad passed away. Along with a Ceiner .22 conversion kit for that one. |
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Great info!
I got my 1st rabbit kill with one and have wanted one ever since. Never seem to get around to getting one though. |
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The first centerfire rifle I ever bought was a 187 ranch rifle ( 1986 ). 5 mags, 300 rounds of ammo for I think $200 and some change .From a Marine buddy sitting around a camp fire while at deer camp. Still got it today. Been a great rifle. Wardawg
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With my scrounging, I recently found 10 brand new OEM Ruger AC-556/Mini-14 slings.
With them they each have a brand new original OEM QD swivel as used on the folding stock model. They are circa 1980s. Its believed that they were take offs from AC-556F or MINI-14GB Folding carbines that a LE dept purchased and not used and just put in a box. The swivels are rare(smooth plunger) and have not been made for decades. The slings are pretty rare. My question is what value can I put on each one for resale (sling with swivel)? I have 100% confirmed that sling and swivel is original using New in box AC-556F example as well as hours of research. Most folding stock owners (JBT, your slings are not real), are lacking the original slings and most are also missing the original QD swivel. |
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With my scrounging, I recently found 10 brand new OEM Ruger AC-556/Mini-14 slings. With them they each have a brand new original OEM QD swivel as used on the folding stock model. They are circa 1980s. Its believed that they were take offs from AC-556F or MINI-14GB Folding carbines that a LE dept purchased and not used and just put in a box. The swivels are rare(smooth plunger) and have not been made for decades. The slings are pretty rare. My question is what value can I put on each one for resale (sling with swivel)? I have 100% confirmed that sling and swivel is original using New in box AC-556F example as well as hours of research. Most folding stock owners (JBT, your slings are not real), are lacking the original slings and most are also missing the original QD swivel. View Quote |
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In your opinion what should I value a sling and swivel at? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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Ian just posted this one recently.
The Mini-14: A Cost-Effective Scaled-Down M14 |
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View Quote |
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I actually fired an AC556K full auto shorty with a Ruger factory folding stock at a LEO firearms instructor school I attended in the 1980s. Cool, but the Ruger factory stock sucked to shoot with. On my LEO trunk weapon Mini14s and Mini-30s I carried through the years, I used Choate folders. I really like the way I have my 1/7 186 series set up with a wood stock, wood handguard, and 583 series post and wing front sight. Sort of an M1 Carbine with a hard on! The MK262 MOD1 77 grainers really give it thump. Since I am moving to Oregon from Commiefornication in the spring, I may thread the muzzle 1/2x28 and mount a Ruger factory flash hider on it.
Note, Accustruts do help accuracy, but... they add about 9 ozs.. For what I want ( a sub-7 pound carbine), the pencil barrel is fine for practical accuracy for a 100 yard HD/Ranch Carbine. When I carried my 180 series (I got in 1982) and the later 181 series I got in the 1990s) as LEO trunk weapons, I had no problem qualifying with them, even with the ghastly ramp front sight. We had to get 7 or 8 (can't remember which) out of 10 in the head of a B27 silhouette at 100 yards with iron sights. |
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Quoted:
I actually fired an AC556K full auto shorty with a Ruger factory folding stock at a LEO firearms instructor school I attended in the 1980s. Cool, but the Ruger factory stock sucked to shoot with. On my LEO trunk weapon Mini14s and Mini-30s I carried through the years, I used Choate folders. I really like the way I have my 1/7 186 series set up with a wood stock, wood handguard, and 583 series post and wing front sight. Sort of an M1 Carbine with a hard on! The MK262 MOD1 77 grainers really give it thump. Since I am moving to Oregon from Commiefornication in the spring, I may thread the muzzle 1/2x28 and mount a Ruger factory flash hider on it. Note, Accustruts do help accuracy, but... they add about 9 ozs.. For what I want ( a sub-7 pound carbine), the pencil barrel is fine for practical accuracy for a 100 yard HD/Ranch Carbine. When I carried my 180 series (I got in 1982) and the later 181 series I got in the 1990s) as LEO trunk weapons, I had no problem qualifying with them, even with the ghastly ramp front sight. We had to get 7 or 8 (can't remember which) out of 10 in the head of a B27 silhouette at 100 yards with iron sights. View Quote |
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Thanks for sharing your experiences. If you thread your barrel the original Ruger GB threads are 9/16-24, But Ruger has made some flash hiders that look similar for their newer minis that are 1/2-28 - When I chopped mine I went 1/2x28, way more options including suppressors out there in 1/2x28. View Quote |
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OP - Tthank you for putting this together. Do you or any other members know if there were some factory accessories sold with some of the more significant government or police contracts? I'd be interested to know if Ruger had some specific gear like mag pouches, slings, tools, bayonets (even subcontracted) etc. that would have gone well with larger contracts. I figure many just used NATO Type mag pouches etc, but it would have been short sighted for a factory to not have tried to bundle such accessories in a contract. As an example, I have not seen vintage factory Ruger Mini-14 slings (that I am aware of) and would be interested to know if such things existed. View Quote Ruger high caps were always difficult to find, but in 1989 Ruger stopped selling them to the public after Patrick Purdy shot up a school yard in Stockton, and gave birth to the first AW bans. Aftermarket manufacturers kicked in, PMI, Masen, Fed Ord, Triple K, Scherer, and USA mags to name the major ones. PMIs were decent, but I think the best were USA Mags. They used hard tempered steel like the Ruger factory ones, and were very well made. I used USA Mags until I got enough Ruger factory 20s and 30s while I was an LEO, before i retired in 2000. |
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Here is a pic of the correct sling and swivel that was supplied by Ruger with the AC-556F and the Mini-14 GB folder in the 80s. I assume it was also supplied with the standard non-GB folder. I am sitting on a few of them and wondering what to do with them. They are 100%, takeoffs from Ruger Mini-14 GB police folders. Stainless swivels were never supplied by Ruger they were all blued. Note the swivel plunger is smooth. I believe they design was discontinued many, many years ago. This will tell you if it is an original. http://i68.tinypic.com/2mwz978.jpg View Quote |
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My GB Stock came with that sling and swivel. I took the sling off. Kept the swivel on it. View Quote I have never seen any for sale that had the original sling and swivel together. |
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Is it not simply a Butler Creek swivel? (The earlier ones all looked like that before BC added the knurled threaded piece.) Does it have any markings? View Quote Uncle Mikes then changed the design. At one point they started adding the stamping with their name. At another point they re-designed it and called it the super swivel which added the knurled type locking plunger. You know you have an original when you have none of the re-designed features. 1 1/4 inch. |
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Thanks. I got my accessory manufacturers mixed up.
Did Ruger ever provide the ones stamped "Uncle Mike's" or were they always plain when shipped from Ruger? |
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Range Report... Wood handguard did not raise heat levels to any noticeable degree. View Quote It isn't that the wood does much to trap heat. The problem is simply that it's flammable, and enough rounds through the barrel in short order will catch a wood handguard on fire. (The M14 had the same problem). It doesn't take as rapid of a firing schedule to make fire as it does to permanently discolor a stainless steel barrel though. That'll happen much earlier. (That's why most KAC-556 owners will not subject a barrel to the same firing schedule they'd allow a blued AC-556 to endure). |
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Quoted:
Great write-up! It isn't that the wood does much to trap heat. The problem is simply that it's flammable, and enough rounds through the barrel in short order will catch a wood handguard on fire. (The M14 had the same problem). It doesn't take as rapid of a firing schedule to make fire as it does to permanently discolor a stainless steel barrel though. That'll happen much earlier. (That's why most KAC-556 owners will not subject a barrel to the same firing schedule they'd allow a blued AC-556 to endure). View Quote |
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Perfect Union has a whole section on the Mini.
https://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/ |
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That is probably the best and most informative forum on the Mini. HUGE knowledge base there.
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Perfect Union has a whole section on the Mini. https://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/ View Quote Their site is broke. Signed up for a membership and they won't allow you to post. You have to wait to be activated by email that never comes no matter how many times you request it. |
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