[AregularGuy90]

Simply put, I was very dissapointed with this rifle... Not only could it not keep up in the accuracy and heat management department, it failed to be relyable with the very ammunition that Ruger states it's rated for once I started to drive it like my ar,ak,or scar (5.56).

As well as limited options for bringing it into the modern world, and with one being priced at around 800 BEFORE december of 2012. As well as the factory magazines being unacceptably expensive, with aftermarket offerings limiting you to tapco for the most part. I would not recommend it to anyone seeking a serious fighting rifle.

My youtube review I also did of the mini.

The Ruger Mini14 Review - YouTube

 

[TMB]

:wacko:

Simply put, I was very dissapointed with this rifle... Not only could it not keep up in the accuracy and heat management department, it failed to be relyable with the very ammunition that Ruger states it's rated for once I started to drive it like my ar,ak,or scar (5.56).

As well as limited options for bringing it into the modern world, and with one being priced at around 800 BEFORE december of 2012. As well as the factory magazines being unacceptably expensive, with aftermarket offerings limiting you to tapco for the most part. I would not recommend it to anyone seeking a serious fighting rifle.

My youtube review I also did of the mini.

The Ruger Mini14 Review - YouTube

LOL:wacko:

 

[ourichie]

I love my Mini

My mini has been a dependable trooper for the last 15 years. I have had zero malfunctions, it eats anything i feed it, and it shoot Minute of Bad Guy out to 300 which is all i want it to do. Take it out of that tapco and put it in a good hogue or choate with some tech sights with an accu-strut and you will be good to go

 

[AregularGuy90]

My mini has been a dependable trooper for the last 15 years. I have had zero malfunctions, it eats anything i feed it, and it shoot Minute of Bad Guy out to 300 which is all i want it to do. Take it out of that tapco and put it in a good hogue or choate with some tech sights with an accu-strut and you will be good to go

There are also vents in the top of the stock near the 12oclock rail... but as i said, the rifle, and whatever stock ive put on it has built more, and kept more heat than my ak (the hotter of the rifles in my collection)... so that, plus poor performance has just made me very disappointed in this rifle... I wanted it to be more than it was apparently. I already have a mo-rod...barely worked at all

 

[ourichie]

Sorry for the tone of my first post, it sounded kinda pissy.

guess you just didnt get a good draw nad i did. I have heard that that happens more so than usual is seems. Mine is a 195 series, you got a 580/581 series? Also, one of the first things i did when i decided to tewak it was to put a choate flash hider on it. It meemed to help with barrel whip. And I tried the mo-rod and didnt like it so i went with the accustrut. I got good head dissipation with the stock vented handguard, but then again i have never done any mag dumps. It is mainly a truck-gun. I like that it was based off the M1 Carbine gas system, ymmv.

 

[tri70]

This post is too Mall Nija!

 

[Jrossept]

Unhappy with Mini . . .

Sorry to hear that because my 580 series has worked perfectly, although due to cost of ammo I cannot do mag dumps. But it shoots every time, 5.56 or .223. I get great groups with it and purchased an Accustrut just for the looks. I added a scope mount rail and have sighted in a red dot and a scope quickly and easily due to it shooting consistently.

I feel I can hit what I need to and I am confidant it will fire reliably without being picky about ammunition. To me, that is the strength of the Mini.

OTOH for an Afghan type firefight it might not be the best and due to gas venting into the piston and op-rod area inside the hand-guard I can see it heating up after sustained volume fire.

In my case, I would probably not be able to carry or sustain that level of effective sustained fire regardless of weapon and the zombies would eventually have me!:wacko:

 

[Poor_Dog]

Ummm.... How much is 'Dirt cheap at a gun show'? Seriously, I could really be interested in a Mini 14 and might take it off your hands.

 

[curt mini14]

some people just should not own guns.

 

[COBrien]

Ruger's QC has been hit-or-miss the last couple of years. Not saying the OP's rifle is a product of that situation, but it could be.

I have a 580-series SS/Synthetic flanged-barreled rifle that I bought new in 2008. It has been flawless, aside from the initial break-in period of about 300 rounds. With an Accu-Strut (not really sure whether it helped or not...), Choate Handguard (best investment...period), .045" gas port bushing, 1911 buffers fore and aft, and a cheapo Simmons 2-7x32 pistol scope on a Ranch Products mount, it'll shoot 2MOA with XM193, and more like 1.25MOA with Hornady 55-gr. V-Max.

To the OP: I'll buy that pile of junk off you for $100. And I'll let you keep the Tapco stock to sell to some other poor sucker.

 

[Dacotua]

I dont know where to start.

For heat problem, you put a enclosed stock on the gun and wonder why its getting hot?

Price of magazines. If you cant afford the mags you cant afford the gun.

I own a Ruger AC-556 and I exclusively shoot factory 30rd mags. Ive yet to have any issues with them. I do have a Choates vent handguard and a forward vert grip on the gun. Its true that after a few mag dumps, touching the barrel or the gas block is like touch a hot iron but the stock isnt too hot to handle. Im really not a tacticool type of person but you'd be surprised on how much a 5.56 gun will rise on full auto, hence why I have a forward grop on my gun. Besides even on an aircooled machinegun you are supposed to swap barrels or let the gun cool every 150-200 rounds.

As far as accuracy goes, a 3" group at 100 yards is very acceptable with iron sights. I can put a 3" circle on ant bad guys chest and they will go down.

Now when you are doing mag dump drills, you're probably shooting 12" groups at 100 yards or larger. Ive yet to see anyone do a mag dump in the way your talking about and manage to get a 1" group or less.

I'll be the first to admit a full auto mag dump will probably net me a 15" pattern at 100 yards, or what I like to say, area effect.

Sure my AR-15 can out bench shoot my ruger. I will always say that. But when you go to a tactical match, it doesnt really matter about bench shooting.

Ive shot at Camp Perry and let me tell you, its a whole different ball game (bench shooting vs tactical matches vs hunting)

Sounds like you are buying cheap stuff on your gun and didnt want to take the time to learn how to use it.

Accessories for the mini are in the same ballpark as a AR.

Example - Quality forward rails are over 100 dollars, butstocks are 60-300 dollars.
FACTORY 30rd mags where 39 dollars or so. I could easily spend 450-500 dollars on accessories for my AR-15 or more

The mini series - factory 30rd mags still are 39 bucks. Vented rails are 15 bucks, you can buy stocks from 50-500 dollars, rear sight for about 65 bucks (tech sight )

As far as ammo goes, each gun will have an appetite for different ammo. If your gun doesnt like the ammo you got, switch.

 

[Bolero]

Well said Dacotua.

 

[mwood]

The QC issues have been well documented but this one doesn't sound like what most have been experiencing. Those were more FTE and sight problems on new guns, this one sounds like an older gun?

 

[p35bhp55]

FIRST, I own 3 minis and am not afraid to point out their shortcomings. But damn kid your "review" was too painful to even finish. You want the gun to stay light? Don't hang all that junk on it. And where did you get the standards for your "test"? You bought a lightweight carbine, SCARS are sold in a different box.

 

[grumpy_old_man]

The QC issues have been well documented but this one doesn't sound like what most have been experiencing. Those were more FTE and sight problems on new guns, this one sounds like an older gun?

Sounds like its mostly heating issues with super fast mag dumps on a new series gun. FWIW I seldom do those, and figure that if things ever "went bad" and I was forced to use a rifle "for real" I'd be so strapped on ammo that each shot will have to be treated like gold.

Anyway, who has the ammo to burn in huge mag dumps these days? I'm still cheering that I managed to buy a box of 325 rounds of .22LR this morning! The thought of dropping 100-200 ctgs downrange, quick as I can cycle it leaves me really cold right now.

BTW, how did the issues with your mini 14 resolve, anyway? Sorry I haven't followed every thread as carefully as I might.

Did you get your gun back and all is well? Hope so.

Best,
Grumpy

 

[COBrien]

Just watched the first part of the video.

Umm, did you install the top strap on the gas block before shooting?

 

[KingANuthin]

Just watched the first part of the video.

Umm, did you install the top strap on the gas block before shooting?

Omg!! Ninja dude! Your rifle is missing parts!

 

[grumpy_old_man]

Just watched the first part of the video.

Umm, did you install the top strap on the gas block before shooting?

Good eye, COBrien, better than mine.

And the answer is....I think you're right.

Just did a freeze frame/screen capture/zoom and I don't see that top strap to the gas block at all. In fact, I do see the tapered bbl at the top just sitting there with nothing behind it at all.

I'm amazed it worked at all. Let's count this as a +1 for the reliability of the mini.

Best,
Grumpy

 

[40nascar]

On the heat issue, of course a .223/5.56 rifle barrel is going to get hot sooner and stay that way longer compared to a 7.62x39 barrel since that Ak cartridge is at least 25% slower velocity (less friction heat generated). This is an apples and oranges comparison. In Ca., the mini's are about the best "fighting rifle" avaiable for the money. We can't have detach mag AR's and AK's (or SKS's). The M1-A's are great but not alot of us can spend $2000+ for a rifle. The M1 carbines are as much or more money than a mini, and the puny cartridge it fires is only good enough if you live in heavy urbanized areas.

 

[KingANuthin]

You think the gas bushing is still there?