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Any Mini 14 fans out there?

6K views 28 replies 21 participants last post by  lloyd smale 
#1 ·
I shot 50 rounds through mine last night just to make sure it still functions. It will shoot 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards all day long with 40 grain Hornady VMaxes loaded on top of 22 grains of IMR 4198.

Remember back in the early days of the Mini 14? You were lucky if you could keep a full magazine on a pie plate at 100 yards.
 
#2 ·
I had to have one, I don't know what attracted me to the darn things but I just wanted one since the late 80s. For the longest time they were not really known for accuracy, and the price was outrageous for a rifle known for large groups. But a great deal fell in my lap a year or two ago and I have noticed that, at least this one, is not as bad as I had read about them. Maybe the newer ones have been made better or something but it shoot pretty good as long as I do my part. I shoot mostly milsurp, and it eats it up just fine, even if I change the weight of the bullet it stays within the 1.5 - 2 MOA at 100 yards.
 
#6 ·
Bought a Ranch Rifle back in the early 1980's, and put a lot of ammo thru it. I liked the ease of scope mounting on the Ranch version. Never a target gun, it would group between 2 and 3 inches at 100 yards, depending on what I fed it. Always reliable, fun to shoot, and wish I had kept it. I did add a Choate folding stock to make it easier to carry behind the seat of my truck, and a scope in quick detach mounts.


Pictured below with my HK-91 in its "range travel case".


Larry
 

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#8 ·
A couple years ago, I was at the range with a guy shooting next to me. He had a newer version of the mini-14, I believe the factory target version with the heavier barrel, and what looked like an adjustable barrel weight near the muzzle. He was shooting solid 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Impressive for a mini-14.


Larry
 
#12 · (Edited)
My first wife's brother had one up in new York. It was stainless steel with a collapsible stock. I think he bought it just as he got out of the army. I fired a magazine or two from it as we were just visiting. I liked it just fine. This was back in the mid 1985 or close.....I don't think it was legal for deer in N.Y. at that time.

I have since held the ones that have all wood stocks and like them better.
 
#13 ·
I would like them better than an AR15- if they were close in accuracy and price. But any of my $400 ARs will out shoot any Mini I've owned. If the new 1.5"Mini guns were $500 or less I'd try one again because I've always liked the balance and reliability.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
The just out Rifle Magazine for Jan / Feb 2020 has an article about the Mini 14 and thirty and some info on getting them to shoot better. Brian Pierce the author says newer production rifles come with improvements that really enhance accuracy vs the older models. Also provides a coupel sources for after market accuracy enhancements..
 
#16 · (Edited)
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As I have often said, I am not a fan of the AR/AK rifles... my military rifles were the M1 and the M14..of which I far preferred the M14.

If the Mini 14 had started right out as an accurate rifle, I would have had one by now. I am pleased to hear that they have come along in the accuracy dept..

For me..it would have to be the original, wooden stocked version. Not only because of my affinity with the M14, but because of the

nincompoop politicians in NY State who get diahrrea over black guns.

.
 
#17 ·
The new ones come in blued steel and wood stocks IG. They are far more accurate than the original ones. Target shooters scoff at 1.5 inch groups but in a hunting situation without a bench and bags they can't shoot any better than that with the best rifle they own. The Mini 14 is not a target gun but mine has accounted for enough coyotes for me have all the confidence in the world in it. Nothing at all wrong with a 1.5 inch group in a hunting/defense rifle.
 
#20 ·
I have both. the mini I've had for years. stainless, black stock. I bought a new m-14 bout a year ago. both new in the box. i'll get around to shooting them one day. I expect the mini will do 1/2" at 4 or 5 hundred yards and the m-14 do about twice that good at 1000 yards.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I have a red dot on this new sig, but I'm about to put a low powerd leupold I have in the safe, just to see how it'll group.
I think it'll likely shoot under an inch, but we'll see.
 
#29 ·
had a couple mini 14s and a mini 30 years ago. They were decent rifles but none were more then battle accurate. I just know today id never pay what they want for one when i can slap together and ar15 for half the money that shoots moa or near that and is actually more reliable. If one fell into my hands for 400 bucks or so id probably grab it but i wouldnt pay more then that. Add to that the price of mags for them when i can get ar mags for under 10 bucks a piece and they just dont make economic sense to me. Id even say if they sold for 500 bucks it would be a decent value but surely not 800 plus
 
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