[BTap]

Hi .
New here, and not sure about the best way to ask questions here.
I recently came across somebody that has a 2 year old Mini 14 tactical for sale.
Says it has 3-4 hundred rounds through it, and it does look like it’s been babied.
This is the black, with the factory black stock.
It has the Ultimak M4S rail installed, a Smith Enterprise Vortex flash hider( factory kit one not included),
two 30 round , two 20 round, and one 5 round factory magazines.
Asking price is $800.
It sounds fair to me, but I never see these for sale used so i’m not really sure.
Is it a fair price, or should I offer less?
thanks….

 

[BTap]

Forgot to add, the serial number starts with a 583-xxxxx, so it’s a 583 series?
Don’t know tons about these, but I’ve wanted one for a while and this sounds nice. Like the shorter threaded barrel too.

 

[hylander]

In my neck of the woods that is a Great deal.

 

[BTap]

In my neck of the woods that is a Great deal.

Thanks Hollander.
It sounded good to me too, but I’m not too familiar with these plus the current affairs. I’ll try and talk to the seller tomorrow, and maybe I’ll have a new toy soon!

 

[wv.citybilly]

.02

#1 If you want a Mini-14 Tactical, that's fine, but if what you really want is a Ranch Rifle, a brand new one can be had for a few dollars more.
#2 There's two schools of thought on breaking in a barrel, the science vs those who say it's bunk, and both arguments seem to be valid. I broke in mine running a snake through it with bore compound every third shot. So unless it was a collector's item, a great deal, or one tried and true that shot straight, etc., why would I purchase a used rifle that probably wasn't broke in?

 

[RIBob]

Strongly suggest examining the muzzle for any possible damage due to improper cleaning/tools/technique. If uncertain about what to look for, have a gunsmith do the exam.

With any luck, it will be OK.

Minis are pretty stout/reliable in general, and spare parts for your Mini are available. Can't speak as to price; others will advise better.

 

[RJF]

Strongly suggest examining the muzzle for any possible damage due to improper cleaning/tools/technique. If uncertain about what to look for, have a gunsmith do the exam.

With any luck, it will be OK.

Minis are pretty stout/reliable in general, and spare parts for your Mini are available. Can't speak as to price; others will advise better.

Good point, but if there seems to be a problem, re-crowning is a very good solution for little coin. Some NEW Mini-14s could use a re-crowning, too.

I have two 583s. One (a Ranch) has never been fired and is NIB (long story, but I'm keeping it). The other is a Tactical like the OP's. One thing I noticed on BOTH of my 583s was that the gap between the upper/lower halves of the gas block was uneven. Can't say ALL 583s are that way, but my experience was they were "off" to a degree that would affect reliable accuracy. Easy to fix with a 9/64" Allen wrench and a spark-plug gap gauge (or even a penny or a dime). Should be the same gap left-right and front-back. An INCH-POUND torque driver is preferred to ensure equal torque with all four bolts (25-30 INCH-POUNDS), but a calibrated hand will work.

Manage your expectations: the Mini-14 is designed as a light-weight and handy CARBINE...NOT a sniper rifle, but should be good out of the box for about 2 MOA (probably better than M193 ammo). You could probably make one into a 1-2 MOA "rifle", but with the money you would spend doing that, it will no longer be light-weight and handy and you could buy a decent quality (and accurate) Savage Axis II in .223 with a 3-9X40 OK scope (what I did) for 1 MOA with the right ammo (and patience!).

Obviously, your call. $800 seems about right for a 583...I love my Minis!

 

[RIBob]

Yes, re-crowning can be inexpensive, and possibly a DIY project. Hopefully not needed, but if so, can be used as a negotiating point to offset the small cost of DIY re-crowning items.

 

[Saudade]

If it's in good condition, I say that's a good price given it has the ultimak rail as well.

As with any used gun, I suggest field stripping it and giving everything a close look. Look at the gas pipe and the front of the op rod (where the gas pipe fits) to look for any damage. There are also a few threads on here related to bolt peen. So carefully check the rear of the bolt. The push the firing pin forward and look at the tip.

Are the mags Ruger mags or some aftermarket?

 

[BTap]

So the guy ended up keeping it instead of selling. said he’d let me know in the future if he changed his mind.
I liked the idea of the threaded barrel, but I suppose I could always find a ranch and get it threaded.
Kind of bummed, but oh well……