So, my state, governed as it by the ever so enlightened and oh so esteemed savant of “the people” (or in other words “brain dead socialist F Stick D bag waste of an O moment limp D head up the A, but hey at least he cares about the orcas) Inslee, (and on behalf of all non retarded citizens of Washington state I hearby apologize unreservedly and without reservation in future, acknowledging any and all responsibilities as a citizen of this state, for allowing him onto the national stage....)

Passed this stupid lay that any rifle that loads another round using the force of a previous round is officially a “super Killy extra evil assault rifle thingy OMG for the current bannit now as I’d June 1” and so....

I’ve been abusing my budget like a (insert ethnic/national/phenotype description here)

Today’s arrival?

1981. Because who doesn’t need at least one Mini 14?



I kind of forgot how nice a little carbine these are! Just need to swap in a new rear sight since it came with an aftermarket scope mount, but it was priced right.

And I can now shoot the heck out of everything around my target!

Bill R

Nice carbine. Had one of those when I was a kid. Nice shooting little gun. Always like the top handguard being of wood not plastic.

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:
Nice carbine. Had one of those when I was a kid. Nice shooting little gun. Always like the top handguard being of wood not plastic.

The scary bit for me was finding out how much pricing had shifted in the past few years... I still remember when you bought a Mini 14 because you couldn’t afford an AR15!

Heck, there was a while where you could buy a “cheap” AK.... Guess those days are gone, too..

Bill R

And I can now shoot the heck out of everything around my target!"

With the newer version, you can actually shoot your target.

quote:

Originally posted by bustabuddy:
And I can now shoot the heck out of everything around my target!"

With the newer version, you can actually shoot your target.

Funny bit was it came with an actually pretty nice one piece scope mount. Of course I figure putting an actual scope on an early model Mini is about like trying to put Rosie O Donnel in a supermodel’s bikini...
Instead, I’m just going to enjoy it for what it is!

And all that stuff around the 100 yard berm better get themselves behind the target lest I start calling in “relative mission kills”

Bill R

quote:

Just need to swap in a new rear sight since it came with an aftermarket scope mount, but it was priced right.

Just be aware that the non-Ranch Rifle Mini's eject the cases nearly vertically. The brass will bang on your scope's horizontal adjustment turret. One thing I did was to rotate the scope 90 deg counter clockwise so that the horiz turret was at the 12:00 position and the vertical turret was at 9:00.


EDITED TO ADD: Duh!, I completely misread your original post. Somehow I was thinking you were going to put a scope mount on it.

Never mind....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bigboreshooter,

Beautiful! Love the wooden handguard. I tried to fit an aftermarket one to my circa 1996 Mini but it was too much work. Went with the Choate instead. I actually bought one of the newer Mini's about ten years ago but decided to sell it and keep my '96. Added the handguard and Socom strut. Such a handy little rifle. Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by stylophiles:
Just need to swap in a new rear sight since it came with an aftermarket scope mount

Tech Sights makes an outstanding replacement rear sight. A big improvement over the factory sight.

https://www.tech-sights.com/mini-products/

Good lord that nonsense is taking effect isn’t it.

Nice Mini. Is it a 181 Series?

quote:

Originally posted by stylophiles:
The scary bit for me was finding out how much pricing had shifted in the past few years... I still remember when you bought a Mini 14 because you couldn’t afford an AR15!

Heck, there was a while where you could buy a “cheap” AK.... Guess those days are gone, too..

Bill R

That's the one real excuse I have for not having a Mini-30, right there.

++++ On the Tech Sight.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
++++ On the Tech Sight.

Got one coming!

Bill R

I picked up a wood handguard Mini right before they passed the Assault Weapons ban of 1994. I have had and sold 3 or 4 Minis, but I still have that one.

As soon as the tech sight gets here I’m heading out for a “14” day at the range. Mini 14 and “regular” 14....



Bill R

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:
Nice carbine. Had one of those when I was a kid. Nice shooting little gun. Always like the top handguard being of wood not plastic.

the first Rifle my Father gave to me was a Mini-14
180 series like pictured,

not accurate at all, (compared to just about any M14 or AR) but fun to shoot,

Who's M14 is that? Nice wood. Need one for the collection.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Who's M14 is that? Nice wood. Need one for the collection.

Another of my “last chance before the stupid starts purchases”



I took a chance on a G broker auction described as Armscorp M14, since one of the photos showed NM sights. Was about the same price as a new Plain Jane Springfield. Also looked like a nice piece of wood...

Ended up being all GI parts except the barrel. Nice build, and shoots way better than I’m capable of without a lot more practice.

[IMG]https://i.postimg.cc/1XBDVGYx/3-CB0834-E-FD9-E-4-A1-A-8590-D1-D3-F62-CB951.jpgThe [/IMG]


Bill R

Why do the Mini 14's have a reputation for being inaccurate? Every Mini 14 thread I see this mentioned?

The early Minis, like the OP's, had a thin-walled pencil barrel. This tends to cause groups to open up, as a thin metal barrel vibrates and "whips" more during firing, and heats up quicker. In addition, the Mini is susceptible to accuracy changes depending on the tightness of the gas block screws.

The later Minis, starting in the mid-2000s, have a heavier profile barrel that adds rigidity and allows them to be more accurate than the older models.



Older Minis tends to average ~3-5 MOA, whereas the newer Minis tend to average ~2-3 MOA. Perfectly acceptable for plinking, defensive use, or most hunting, but not exactly competition-level accuracy. Even a good Mini doesn't quite approach the sub-MOA accuracy attainable with a high quality AR, precision rifle, or even many hunting rifles these days.

There are some things you can do to improve the accuracy of Minis, especially the older ones. Member kkina created the Accu-Strut accessory, which adds rigidity to the barrel and shrinks groups noticeably. (Plus, it makes it look more like the original M-14, which is cool.) https://www.accu-strut.com/