The Mini 14 .223

imported post

Anyone have any experience with one of these. I'm looking into purchasing one after Christmas.

Thanks

imported post

I own a 2008 (580 series) mini-14 in .223, blue steel, wood stock.

It is at least as accurate as I am, and fun to shoot. Ruger now sells 20-round mags for it at $29.99 on-sale price.They are a breeze to disassemble.

Ruger also now is selling the GB version as well (with a built in flash supressor).

Older mini's are supposedly really hit and miss with accuracy, but there is a whole industry built around correcting that. The new ones are a lot better.

If the acccuracy is not quite what you're happy with, there are several inexpensive after market things you can do to really tighten up the groupings (accu-struts and muzzel brakes).

I love my mini, but it is probably not what you want if you want to put a gazillion dollars of after market tacticool stuff on it, or if you are wanting to shoot 1" groups at 100+ yards.

Go to http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86 for more on the mini.

imported post

AZkopper wrote:

Older mini's are supposedly really hit and miss with accuracy, but there is a whole industry built around correcting that. The new ones are a lot better.

Click to expand...

Thanks - that's good news. I've always been interested in one of these, but I've read so many horror stories about the accuracy of these things, that it turned me off on buying one. I may have to look into the mini again...

imported post

The only thing wrong with the mini-14 is the expectations someput on it. It was not designed to be a tack driver although the newer ones are better in this department. It was designed to be a lightweight, utility rifle which it is. I've had mine for 5 years but I've shot them as far back as 1982. The aftermarket magazines are hit and miss. I find the promag polymer 30rds to work well. I mounted a Bushnell Trophy 3-9x on mine and with wolf 62gr fmj ammo can do ~2-3" groups at 100yds which is par for this rifle with occasional fliers. The older models have lightweight barrels which heat up quickly but new models have the heavy barrel. They are reliable, compact, ranch rifles. They are not AR's and shouldn't be compared to them.

imported post

redlegagent wrote:

...~2-3" groups at 100yds...

Click to expand...

That's been my experience with mine. That's never bothered me though, I have bigger and better guns if I want to put a bunch of rounds through one hole. It's a fun little gun, reliable and easy to cart around. If you are like me and buy new, you will find that it's going to misfeed occasionally (out of the box I think it was about 1 in 5) until it gets broken in. After a few hundred rounds mine rarely misfeeds. Fortunately, it's pretty fun and easy to get through a lot of ammo quickly.

imported post

i have one that is a few years old. i can get around 1.0-1.5" groups of three at 100 yards. i have NEVER had mine miss feed, or jam, or do anything. and that includes when it was brand new.

it usually goes, 1.0 to 1.5 group of three, and then two are about 3".

always like that. three are close two are farther.



sighting in the rifle. this is two groups of five, the ones marked with dirt are one the first group and the clean holes are the second group. 100 yards

imported post

Nice guys, thanks for the info, keep it coming please.