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Do you only own a Mini-14/30 because your state has rifle restrictions?

  • My state does not restrict, and I chose to own a Mini.

    Votes: 90 65.2%
  • My state has restrictions, and that influenced my purchase of a Mini.

    Votes: 27 19.6%
  • Other -- please explain.

    Votes: 21 15.2%

Do you own a Mini because your state doesn't allow ARs?

12K views 127 replies 61 participants last post by  COSteve 
#1 ·
Do you own a Mini because your state has rifle restrictions?

I made a comment on another thread (about the effect of low budget AR's on the Mini market), and now I'm wondering how accurate it is. The comment was that I think that what has kept the Mini-14/30 in production were sales to states that have rifle configuration restrictions, like CA and NY. Here and on the SKS boards, there are a lot of people in those states who own these rifles, that seem to primarily own them because they have so few choices of semi-auto rifles.

In thinking about it, I kind of doubt that Ruger makes public things like how many rifles of various kinds they sell per state, but anyone willing to take a guess? Not very scientific, neither is the poll really, but maybe we can get a feel for how much choice plays into the purchase.
 
#32 ·
WA doesn't have any restrictions on AR ownership or any other semi-auto EBR for that matter, but I chose to have both a Mini-14 and an Oly Arms AR. I think of them as being entirely different outside of sharing the same calibers.

Both are accurate for the distances I shoot, both are fun to shoot, and my neighbor is jealous because his wife won't allow him to own either one.
 
#33 ·
Bought my 581 series Ranch Rifle when I was a resident of CA. I didn't want want to deal with the idiocy of "bullet buttons" and the other aspects of an AR that the fools in Sacramento deemed to be "evil" features. Also, the same idiots were making gurgling noises about an all out ban on "assault rifles" (eventually happened but, surprise, vetoed by Gov. Moonbeam). I'm a resident of a free state now but, in retrospect, I'd still own a Mini. I like the Garand action, the wood and steel look and, most of all, how easy and comfortable it is to shoot. Also when the occasion arises, I can transport it in and out of CA with no hassles (except as related to mags with more than 10 rd capacity).
 
#35 ·
In 2008 I decided it was finally time to buy an "assault" rifle. I finally came down on the Mini 6.8. The only mod I have done is adding the 1911 buffers and a scope. It is such a soft shooter that my wife loves it. I now have one AR15 and the parts to build 3 more in both 5.56 and 6.8. The Mini is the nicest shooter. Part of the reason I bought it was they were not banned during the Clinton era. But I have always liked Rugers and always wanted a mini.
 
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#36 ·
CA. is a huge AR market. The required bullet button and 10 rd. mags. are not a deterrent, in fact there seems to be a glut of ARs on the used/resale market as people almost have to give them away at this point in time.

I think people buy, and will continue to buy, Mini-14s because they are a great little carbine that stands on it's own and precisely because they are not an AR.
 
#39 ·
Indeed

CA. is a huge AR market. The required bullet button and 10 rd. mags. are not a deterrent, in fact there seems to be a glut of ARs on the used/resale market as people almost have to give them away at this point in time.

I think people buy, and will continue to buy, Mini-14s because they are a great little carbine that stands on it's own and precisely because they are not an AR.
Indeed. If the SHTF a stupid "bullet button" can be removed. Or, once can have a ready to use lower w/o it. Mags are equally easy to store away.
 
#37 ·
I'm on my 3rd mini (people kept talking me into trades) It's a 196 series stainless, composite stock, 2.5x10x42 Tasco Target/Varmint Scope. I now live in TX, but will retire back home in AR. I still own land there and hunt there. My mini has never failed to bring down anything I've hunted. I, like some others have stated on here, don't really care for the feel of the AR. I own one, but it gets lots of gun-safe time. I carried one for Uncle Sam in nam and never got to like it. With me it's not a forced issue, it's a pleasure.
 
#38 ·
I've owned Mini's since the 1980's and always will. I love WWII carbines look and feel and the Mini is enough similar to get my interest and the cartridge is better. While I think the AR platform is also good, everyone has one, so I choose not to. I may get one someday just because of the unbelievable variety and the number of spare parts and accessories available. One last thing, I would not live in a state that dictated what I could and could not own.
 
#41 ·
I live in CA where the Mini has less restrictions than the AR and I own several of each. I prefer the AR, but I was raised with Minis and I appreciate them as well.

Now that Ruger has introduced a low cost AR that will steal sales from the Mini, I think the Mini will be phased out over the long term.
 
#42 ·
While I would not argue Ruger's long term intent, I do not believe they will phase out the Mini. The Mini is a stand alone product and has sold well for more than 30 years because it is "not" a military look-alike and is better received by many for that reason. Put a 3-5 or even 10 rnd mag in a Mini and you have a semi-auto Ranch rifle that blends into any shooting group. Put a small mag in an AR platform and you still have a "black rifle" that intimidates and causes some to go into uncontrollable quivers because it just looks scary.:D;) The shooting community knows the difference, the general public does not, and that explains why states like CA have fewer restrictions on the Mini. Perception does make a difference.
 
#44 ·
I've always had a Mini or two hanging around---WAY before the whole AR craze started---like 'em---reliable (eats everything 5.56/223) and I generally hit everthing I aim at---not really interested in shooting tiny groups, just a good all-around carbine...
 
#45 ·
Can have both, have had both, still have a Mini-30.

We're not all fans of black, pistol grips, or multi-position stocks; there is no inherent superiority in the AR design in really any category, so its not necessary that we all bow down to Stoner (or Glock for that matter). I've got tens of thousands of rounds through the M16/AR15 variants, in several calibers ... meh. Garands, M1s, and the Mini all trip my trigger, and the older I get the more I like the Mini for cheaper ammo and lower recoil, but all the fun.
 
#46 ·
I originally owned a Mini-30, but sold it and bought a Mini-14 Ranch with a Butler Creek folding stock. I already owned an MAK-90.

I don't like ARs with a buffer tube. Allan Zitta fixed that defect with his redesign. He had his design licensed to Para and can be seen in the TTR model.
 
#50 ·
I selected other....

Because at the time I had the negative attitude toward AR owners thinking they were wannabe warriors. That was stupid. Even though I have accurized my mini and still own it and still take coyotes with it, the AR is superior in all aspects: reliability, accuracy, balance, customization, spare parts, You name it.
 
#51 ·
The short answer is Yes, i sold my AR and now have a Mini because my state doesn't allow ARs. But with that, between the lower end AR i had (BM Carbon 15) and the mini i now have, i'd take the mini every day. Price wise they were about the same. Now of course ARs are great, and higher end ARs are hard to beat in general, mostly due to the insane manufacturing, aftermarket parts, etc.

Here's the full story. Warning: for those of you in a free state, us here in the blue northeast have to jump through hoops, hence the treatise below. Have bucket ready ;)

I didn't know much of the mini 14 or so years ago when I bought a Bushmaster carbon 15 AR while living in NY. Enjoyed the rifle. Then the unSAFE act came, i modified the AR with a Thorsdsten stock (called a 'Cuomo Cane' in these parts). Thought I'd hate it but i actually preferred it in a lot of ways.

Fast forward a year and a bit later, i moved to CT, and after moving and calling State police to make sure it was compliant, i determined that from a feature standpoint it was, but because it was named as an 'evil' rifle on the banned list i couldn't bring it in the state at all. And, since the registration deadline passed before i was a CT resident i couldn't even register it if I tried. Now i still have a residence in NY so could have kept it there, but looked at options, decided to look at getting an Ares SCP or a Mini 14. The Mini 30 was a possibility but i had built up a nice cache of 223/556.

First looked at the Ares - pretty much an AR upper with a modified lower. The buffer/tube is removed, and replaced with a small tube in the grip portion of the stock - the BC has a rod extending off of the back (called a 'rat tail') that goes into the grip portion of the stock that replaces the traditional buffer assembly. Smart design, but held it and just wasnt crazy about it. Also its new, sure AR upper is tried and true, but still a new design. That said it is pretty cool and anyone living behind enemy lines should give it a look.

THEN held a mini, worked the action, looked down the sights and was sold, bought it on the spot. Of course i already did some research and knew the platform as a whole was rock solid, and thew newer minis were reviewed favorably. Felt 'over-engineered' if anything - everything was metal, heavy, pointed well, good weight (far more than my AR but i like when guns are heavy...i prefer my 1911 or my 226 over most polymer pistols, that's just me).

Took it to the range, shot about 50 flawless rounds and then was really hooked. Although i could have just kept my AR in my safe in NY, after firing the mini 14 i sold the AR. I still like the AR platform and someday will get a higher end AR when i move to a free state, but IMHO if i could have a ~700 AR or ~700 Mini, i'll take the Mini.
 
#52 ·
Long, long ago, in a lifestyle that is now far, far away, I lived in California and bought a Mini-30 because, all things considered, I figured that was the best I could do.

When I moved to another state, I got an AR. Since then, I've had lots of ARs. Good ones are great rifles, and I can build them and take them apart, which I can't do with a Mini. Recently, I considered selling my Mini-30. But then I did some research on ammo, and 7.62x39 ammo has undergone a lot of changes since I last checked it about a decade ago.

I still love my ARs, and an AR is still my go-to for 5.56. But now my Mini-30 is staying. It's a fun rifle to shoot, and modern developments in ammo make it an even better performer than when I first got it. With the right ammo (i.e., non-Wolf), my USA 10-rounders and Ruger 20-rounders are 100%.
 
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#53 ·
I voted "other" because I no longer own any more Minis. I've owned 3 before because I had multiple reasons for liking Minis. I was already a sucker for the M1/M14 profile. At the time of my purchases, they were also noticeably cheaper than ARs. Lastly, since I live in CA... not having to deal with a bullet button also affected my decision to get the Minis.

Unfortunately, I got a little too ahead of myself and ended up selling my Minis because people offered me money that was well beyond than what I paid for them. All of them had modifications I did myself, so that definitely affected the prices offered my way. I do regret selling all of them because when I did, I was under the assumption that AR prices would stay high and Minis could still be had for $600 or less (not counting pencil barrels). Now ARs are going for dirt cheap and Minis are going for far more than I think they should be going for.

Miss my Minis, but I can't justify their going prices these days. I do own an AR, but with that bullet button, its no more than a range toy for me. I definitely appreciate how easy it is to fix myself though. While I did work on the Mini myself, I was still limited by how difficult it is to get certain parts.
 
#54 ·
Other. I own a number of ARs, mostly A2s for shooting High Power, with a carbine or two thrown in for good measure. However, I wanted to own a Mini just in case work sent me to a restricted state.

My WOA Service Rifles with Geiselle triggers are insanely accurate, but they're purpose built for competition. Compared to a Mini, they're heavy and rather unwieldly. I know what the Mini is, and what it isn't. It doesn't get out much, but when it does, I'm grinning ear to ear. What a fun rifle to carry AND shoot!
 
#55 ·
I live in NY an bought my Mini off of a friend for 350 when the cheapest ar was areound 700 and you could still own one in NY. Now im glad i did because i did not have to register it. There are options for NY complient ARs but they are the only guns that make the AK look pretty. Sagia does make some models with out pistol grips that are still legal in NY. I opted for a Chinese Sks because i just did not want to be hassled and it was a little cheaper and just as reliable.
 
#60 ·
I got a mini first. Everyone was doing the AR thing so I wanted to be different. That was almost the only thing that made me decide to get the mini. Then because I am very used to shooting an AR I decided to take the easy way and get an AR for competition I wish I wouldn't have I wish I would have just stuck with the Mini and got proficient at the mag changes on that.
 
#62 ·
Well if you don't mind bastardized "bullet Button" AR's and AK's then you are correct. Maybe you have law enforcement up there that doesn't give a damn about the CA. AWB laws, all the better as far as I'm concerned. I'm not crapping on your firearms of choice. My point is that you either have to go by Ca. law that handicaps AR's and AK's, or you get mini's and M1A's with detach mags which are not handicapped. What you do is your business, and I'm not one to rat people out because of unjust statutes that violate our freedoms. Chill Dude

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

:rapid: :rapid: :lol: :ar15: :ar15:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
#66 ·
Go ahead, use them in public. Your guns, your consequences. I just don't like having rifles that our dictactors have handcuffed and made less useful. Mini's and M1A's can be tacked out pretty well without having "evil features" which would necessitate mag locks or bullet buttons. Not trying to nitpick here, but you do realize Ca. does not allow over 10 rnd. mags for purchase/possession/ use in public. Even if you have some grandfathered mags, they will get confiscated if you are approached by L.E. in public. You can only have those in your home. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:.

If you consider sporter Saiga's as AKs, well I won't argue that one. The long trigger pull, and crappy accuracy negates its usefulness to me. Good luck finding the mags.
 
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