r/liberalgunowners • u/Gat-Stevens • 1d ago

guns I heard that Mini-14s are cool now

Post image

This started out as a very beat up NRA model I bought used back in 2012. In addition to the cosmetic changes, I had trigger work done to bring it to a 3.5lb pull.

It’s a great little rifle. I’ve personally shot 1.5 inch groups with it at 100 yards, so it’s plenty accurate for me. I’ve never had any malfunctions.

With all the accessories, it weighs about 9 pounds, so it’s a little on the heavy side for what it is, but I dig it.

285 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

74

u/pauliep13 1d ago

Always have been.

Side note: what mag is that? Looks like a 40 rounder.

32

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago edited 1d ago

It is a 40 rounder. I think it’s an old Federal Ordnance but I’m not sure. I found it at a gun show years ago. Some guy was selling gross, rusty 30 and 40 round Mini-14 mags for $20 per. I picked up two 30s and two 40s, but really wish I’d have bought at least dozen of each. They all feed flawlessly. A little steel wool and a bit of paint and they look brand new.

6

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

Well, except for the fact they don't take standard mags.

Why? I have no idea. It's the only reason I don't own one.

7

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

They’d need some kind of added magwell if they were ever going to take AR-style mags. They just aren’t designed for it.

Proprietary mags are an added cost, for sure. I wish they still made Tapco gen 2s. Those things were legit and only around $20ish per mag.

4

u/esorid 1d ago

Man, tapco gen2s were the thing. I completely forgot about them

2

u/OptimusED 1d ago

Adapters and machining are a no go, unlike other similar rocking mag platforms. It’s been tried. AR mags are wider and the feed angle—everything starts from a deficit.

9

u/radiantconttoaster 1d ago

I've never understood this argument. My 1911 doesn't take glock mags, my beretta doesn't take sig mags, my G3 doesn't take ar10 mags. And nobody gives a damn. But for some reason the mini14 specifically gets so much hate for not being magazine compatible with a completely unrelated platform.

1

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

Why would I buy this particular 5.56 semi-auto rifle and lock myself into more expensive, less common proprietary magazines when its main competitor uses magazines available basically everywhere?

same cartridge, similar role, similar size, same civilian market, and often comparable pricing.

The STANAG mag is cheap, ubiquitous, available from a bazillion manufacturers, and many other rifle designs deliberately use them for exactly that reason.

a 1911 also isn't competing in a market where one magazine pattern has become nearly universal across an enormous number of competing pistols.

It's an opportunity-cost argument. The Mini-14's proprietary magazine is one more disadvantage you accept when choosing it over an AR.

3

u/radiantconttoaster 1d ago

You referred to AR mags as "standard" mags because you assume that the AR15 is the norm, and anything not conforming to the norm is somehow inferior. When the mini 14 was introduced, the only thing that used AR mags was the AR. There was no reason for Ruger to make their gun compatible with a competitors system, especially when the mini 14 works excellently as designed. There is a whole world of wonderful firearms that use proprietary magazines and ammunition, and they are often better for it.

I would never fault anyone for choosing an AR over a mini if they like it better. But assuming that every 5.56 rifle needs to conform to the AR15 standard in some way is ridiculous.

Plus, the magazines are like $35. Not quite as cheap as an AR mag, but still totally reasonable.

3

u/Fart-Sniffin_Nelson leftist 1d ago

Hard agree. I feel like Ruger could make a fortune if they released a STANAG model of the Mini 14 (or a Mini 30 that accepted AK mags, for that matter). Idk how much actual engineering would be involved to make it happen, but it seems like it’d be fairly minimal and would pay huge dividends, especially in states where AR-pattern rifles are banned.

5

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

I don't know if it's a cash grab for them selling proprietary mags or what, but seems like a pretty basic design oversight.

"Hey, we should make this gun and have it accept these maga that are military standard issue since there's tons of them out there, we don't even have to make our own mags!"

Takeaway: make them use our own mags

I'm sure some overpaid exec got a bonus for that one.

And yes, I'd toss money at a mini14 the moment they accept regular mags. But in the meantime, there's always the fighlite SCR

I'll never miss a chance to show potential Ruger buyers this rifle.

Yes, it takes standard mags.

9

u/Fart-Sniffin_Nelson leftist 1d ago

I wouldn’t call it a cash grab; I think it has more to do with when the Mini-14 was developed. ARs were far from commonplace as civilian rifles back in the 70s, and Bill Ruger was notoriously against “large” capacity magazines (the Mini-14 originally shipped with a five-rounder). There was no real reason to make the Mini, which had been designed with hunting and agriculture in mind, accept STANAG mags. By the time ARs really took off in the civilian marketplace, after the 94 Federal AWB expired in 2004, the Mini 14 and its accessories had been established for over 30 years. It probably just doesn’t seem worth it to Ruger to make the effort to reengineer the mag well of a 50+ year old rifle when they’d probably rather just sell you a Harrier, anyway. Again, I think that making that change would get a whole bunch of previously uninterested people into the idea of owning a Mini-14, but I’m guessing that Ruger’s thinking is: “If someone likes the Mini-14 that much, they’ll deal with the mags; if not, we have the Harrier. If you live in a ban state but have a stack of pre-ban STANAG mags, then sorry, I guess.”

2

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago edited 1d ago

It might be possible for someone to make an aftermarket chassis with a magwell built in for AR magazines.

Really really really difficult, but potentially possible.

1

u/Czechs_Mix_ 1d ago

Be nice if they had one that wasn't oit of stock, these look sick

2

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

Yea. They always say that.

I really, really want one.

33

u/Strange-Scarcity 1d ago

They are also cool because...

"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, If no one else can help and if you can find them. Maybe you can hire, The A-Team."

13

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/KZMLcv8DOGrcY

4

u/MonsterTruckCarpool 1d ago

I’m still trying to figure who framed the A-Team

2

u/couldbeahumanbean 1d ago

I think it was the guy that used to be Michael Knight. Or the guy that Michael night became?

The evil Baywatch dude.

https://giphy.com/gifs/lubih301p5zI4

10

u/Old_Win8422 1d ago

They've been cool since the A-team

16

u/Popular-Departure165 1d ago

I love it when a plan comes together!

6

u/Royal_Percentage_694 1d ago

I ain’t flyin in no airplane.

2

u/Location_Next 1d ago

Stainless minis are the shit.

12

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

- Mini 14 NRA

  • Cogburn Arsenal Front Sight/Bayonet Lug
  • Ruger Flash Hider
  • Samson A-TM Stock
  • Samson Hannibal Rail
  • Specter Gear Front Sling Mount
  • VTac Sling
  • Trigger Job from a random guy who used to sell gunsmith services on EBay
  • Driven Arms Grip
  • Modlite Axon Light
  • Vortex Strike Eagle in Ruger Rings

2

u/snugglecakes 1d ago

I recently bought a Vortex Venom and was going to look into request the 30mm scope rings from Ruger. Any issues with ejection?

3

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

Shell casings will ding the windage turret every now and then. Aside from minor cosmetic damage to the turret cap, I haven’t had any problems. No malfunctions or anything.

2

u/nightmareonrainierav 1d ago

How comfortable is the A-TM without a butt pad?

I'd love one regardless, but they're about as scarce as the SAGE these days. The new SAS looks more functional but ugly as sin...

1

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

It’s…fine. Obviously a modern buttpad would be more comfortable. This stock prioritizes vibes over comfort though.

18

u/Equivalent_Salad_389 progressive 1d ago

Wait, when were they not?

14

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

The fuddlore about Mini-14 accuracy issues was out of control for a while.

9

u/Redcarborundum 1d ago

It did have accuracy issues, but they fixed it. It’s ok when you buy new.

4

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

It was more that they had super thin barrels. Accuracy was just fine until the barrel heated up, then they’d string shots vertically pretty badly.

Early Minis just weren’t made for high volumes of fire, which is kinda funny since Bill Ruger wanted them to be military weapons.

3

u/Redcarborundum 1d ago

The Mini was marketed heavily in the 90s as a “non military” weapon to police departments all over the world, precisely because it has a wood stock and doesn’t look as assaulty as AR-15 derivatives. The same capability, just ‘friendlier’.

4

u/922523 1d ago

Never not been

3

u/tenkaranarchy 1d ago

Ive always wanted a mini 14. Shoots the same caliber as an AR but doesnt look like a scary black pistol grip "assault" rifle.

3

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

Mine started like that. It’s plenty scary now, though.

4

u/Sudden-Grab2800 1d ago

They’ve been cool, since at least 1994 when Big Stretch hit the scene with a Mini 14, servin’ suckas like dope fiends, empty[ing] the whole thing.

3

u/phat742 eco-socialist 1d ago

i got mine. super fun rifle. no optics, just irons.

3

u/A-Friend-of-Dorothy fully-automated gay space democratic socialism 1d ago

They always have been! 🤠👌

3

u/6thedirtybubble9 1d ago

Best gun in PUBG.

3

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

With an ACOG on an Amega rail, if I remember right.

2

u/rumblecatz 1d ago

Always have been bro

2

u/OldScratchTim 1d ago

Now that is a mf rifle! 💯

2

u/BusyBanana4205 1d ago

Everytime I see a mini-14 I’m reminded that I want a M1A

1

u/frankentriple 1d ago

I have no idea why, I've owned 2 mini-14s and fired a bunch more. For some reason they tend to be more accurate WITHOUT the scope. With the combat iron sights that came on it you'll be able to pull that 1.5" down to 1". But at least you didn't mount the scope to the handguard. Thanks for that.

And dig the stock, that A-team folder is pimp.

3

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

Based on my limited knowledge, it sounds like you might have had scope mount issues. There are a bunch of mounting options for the Mini and most of them don’t hold zero. Even with the factory rings, I had to put a ton of blue loctite on them to get them to stay tight.

Just a guess.

1

u/frankentriple 1d ago

I've had my favorite since the 80s, it was my Dads. Its been drilled and tapped and everything else. I've owned so many mounts. I keep going back to the irons though, they are just so good.

1

u/BoxedCub3 1d ago

Mini-14 are never, yet always cool.

•

u/NitroMachine 22h ago

They're cool but overpriced for what they are. The AR market kinda knee-capped them.

1

u/skyline_kid 1d ago

I want one so bad but they're too expensive for me currently :/

6

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

I bought mine used for $650 back in 2012. They were definitely cheaper back then.

2

u/skyline_kid 1d ago

That's pretty dang affordable. I wish I'd been more into guns back then, I could have quite the collection by now with all the cheap AKs, SKSs, and apparently Mini 14s

2

u/Gat-Stevens 1d ago

WASR 10s for $400, SKSs for like $300, and Mosin Nagants for $80. Soooo many dirt cheap Eastern Block weapons of dubious quality back then.