Granted, I'm no expert on them, but I do like them quite a bit, but I'm sort of curious why they would have them around the same price as a less expensive AR, I mean, at that point it doesn't make sense to get a mini14, mags (well, NJ legal) aren't that easy to come by, parts aren't as cheap as AR parts, they aren't as accurate...

 

I'm just rather confused why they cost so much, I think they're awesome, but I feel like they could perhaps be sold at a lower price.

It is a mystery. They are less accurate, less modular, less ergonomic (for most) and until recently less reliable. I suspect their price has been held up by fans who don't want one of those damned plastic guns and only steel and wood are the right materials for a rifle.

Good question on why the high price. I still have a Mini-14 in stainless I bought when I was stationed in AK. It served me well for a survival / truck gun. Would I buy another...No. They just can't compete with an AR in my opinion.

It's a fad so prices are high.

I think it has more to do with the supply/demand/production of ARs vs. Mini-14s. ARs are built mostly from mill-spec components that are produced on a massive scale by a lot of different manufacturers. How many companies are building Mini-14s? Mini-14s have never been contracted for sale to a military and have never had massive production runs. I see a Mini-14 as more of a niche weapon for the die-hard M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and M-14 fan boys that want a .223. Should everyone own one? Sure why not, they are cool and fun to shoot but I would not consider them a SHTF go to gun.

I want a Mini, because they are fun to shoot. With a few items I can give it that "Sniper Rifle" look and have fun with it. I was about to buy one at Lou's until they took in a pair of Springfield 1911 V10's.. After I get the V10 if they still have the Mini, I'm going to pick that up..

Agree with TK421... I'll also add, they are an American company, I don't know what percentage of the actual parts/guns are built here, but American labor costs more. Personally, I think alot of people buy Ruger for that very fact: American company, American workers, building American guns. And they're willing to pay a little more... altho, I'd say in general Rugers are CHEAPER than most imports: Ruger LC9 is quite a bit cheaper than Sig, Beretta, H&K, et al... I just got a mini-30, I wanted a Springfield M1A, but it's was TWICE the price... I know they are not the same caliber, but for it's intended use (for me), both calibers will function similarly. So, instead of buying an M1A, I bought a Mini-30 Tactical AND an LC9. And still had money left over. Rugged. Reliable. Ruger.

 

As for accuracy, the new models have fixed that with heavier barrels, but the Mini-14 has been popular a long time before that.

Huh .. I hate to break it you but ARs are also american made unless you make an effort to obtain one that isn't. Hell, almost every weapon sold in the US right now is made in the US because importing them sucks.

Really? I didn't know that (obviously)... so all the Sigs, H&Ks, Beretta, etc... all have American "arms" where the weapons are actually manufactured here?

Really? I didn't know that (obviously)... so all the Sigs, H&Ks, Beretta, etc... all have American "arms" where the weapons are actually manufactured here?

 

Quite a bit yes. All of those guys have US based manufacturing facilities (and Glock, and FN, and so on). Some of the frames are imported, some are not, the slides and so on are made here. From model to model it is sometimes hard to tell which is made were and how many of the parts are made where, but an increasing number of the "imported" firearms are made here now. This is caused by both import restrictions and the desire for military contracts which often require US manufacturing for a substantial part of the firearm.

 

So no, not ALL Sigs, H&Ks, Beretta, etc are made in the US, but a surprising number are.

Really? I didn't know that (obviously)... so all the Sigs, H&Ks, Beretta, etc... all have American "arms" where the weapons are actually manufactured here?

 

I think they do contract out some of the work to American companies, since they then don't have the importation issues. Actually, if I had to wager, I'd say that one of top things we still manufacture here in America is firearms. I base this off of nothing, but it seems like we not only arm the world's militaries and polices, but just think of how many American gun companies we have, I know Ruger, Henry, and a few others still manufacture here.

 

 

I think it has more to do with the supply/demand/production of ARs vs. Mini-14s. ARs are built mostly from mill-spec components that are produced on a massive scale by a lot of different manufacturers. How many companies are building Mini-14s? Mini-14s have never been contracted for sale to a military and have never had massive production runs. I see a Mini-14 as more of a niche weapon for the die-hard M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and M-14 fan boys that want a .223. Should everyone own one? Sure why not, they are cool and fun to shoot but I would not consider them a SHTF go to gun.

 

This I could see, I'm a hardcore M14 fanboy, I have no clue why, but I've been infatuated with that gun for about 7 years now or so, since I first heard about/saw it.

 

I do believe they are in service in some nations, mainly in police roles and stuff,

 

Actually, if I ever get one, I'd probably actually go with the mini-30, not that I need to add another caliber to the mix.

It is a mystery. They are less accurate, less modular, less ergonomic (for most) and until recently less reliable. I suspect their price has been held up by fans who don't want one of those damned plastic guns and only steel and wood are the right materials for a rifle.

 

Now, I had always heard the opposite, that they were reliable as hell, except if you used steel-cased ammunition. But I heard they could take a beating almost to the level an AK could.

I think a lot of the animosity towards ARs (and I was an AR-hater until recently) wasn't so much the plastic, but the small round, and the reliability issues.

Well, I've only handled 2 or 3 mini-14s but every one I've shot was rather picky about ammo and mags and had the accuracy of a 870 with buckshot.

Well then, how can they justify $600 for it? I mean it seems like an excellent $300-$450 gun. Maybe the manufacturing is more expensive? I really don't know.

Because of the A-team

 

Because of the A-team

 

 

Im sold.

 

 

but also because of the way it looked in this movie

 

Well then, how can they justify $600 for it? I mean it seems like an excellent $300-$450 gun. Maybe the manufacturing is more expensive? I really don't know.

 

Well they can't, look at how many they are selling. The world is really not awash in them, and I'm surprised they are still making them.

Well they can't, look at how many they are selling. The world is really not awash in them, and I'm surprised they are still making them.

 

Maybe it's a chicken and the egg scenario? People aren't buying them because they aren't cheap, but they aren't cheap because no one's buying them?

Because of the A-team

 

 

Remember the A team never hit anyone with a mini 14.

Maybe it's a chicken and the egg scenario? People aren't buying them because they aren't cheap, but they aren't cheap because no one's buying them?

 

People buy plenty of overpriced crap all the time, the world economy depends on it. I just think it simply isn't worth buying. I don't think they can manufacture it cheaper either.

It is a mystery. They are less accurate, less modular, less ergonomic (for most) and until recently less reliable. I suspect their price has been held up by fans who don't want one of those damned plastic guns and only steel and wood are the right materials for a rifle.

 

bingo

The Mini-14's reputation for not being accurate is a carry over from its early days. There were a number of factors that caused the inaccuracy in the early rifles. Poorly machined surfaces within the gas block, tolerance stack resulting from multiple fixtures being used during the machining process and the fact that the front sight was pressed into the barrel - a method that could, quite literally, bend the barrel. Late 2006 / early 2007 saw a number of changes take place in the manufacturing process of the Mini-14. They changed the way the front sight was installed, they redesigned the machining process so that only one fixture was used for multiple operations and made other small improvements. The improved Mini-14 starts with the 580 series of rifles - those are the three digits that precede the serial number.

 

All that being said, nobody is going to mistake the Mini-14 for a precision rifle, and yes, most AR platforms will perform markedly better than the Ruger. But don't sell the improvements short. They took what was a 5 - 6 MOA rifle and put it more in the range of 2 - 3 MOA and with ammo it really likes, the possibility of improving on that.

 

Often times product's deserved repuations carry-over even after the problems that resulted in that reputation have been addressed and solved.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

Well, I've only handled 2 or 3 mini-14s but every one I've shot was rather picky about ammo and mags and had the accuracy of a 870 with buckshot.

 

The mag issue is mostly due to the fact that the standard civi mags are only 10 rounds and the quality LEO 20 round mags are not sold to the public (you can find them is you look but are expensive). Most of the civi 20 and 30 round mags are aftermarket crap and cause feed problems. I never had a problem with a factory 10 rounder.

I've had a Mini 14 around since about 1975-1976. My first cost me $160 IIRC and adjusted for inflation that's about $600 today. If you wanted an AR at the time you had your choice between a Colt or a ColtAn and cost about $500. That would be near $2000 today. Its not that Mini 14s are so expensive but that ARs have gotten so cheap due to the plethora of manufacturers.

 

My experience with Mini 14s is not only limited to the 5 I've owned. The agency I worked for issued them along with ARs and M16s for a few years. During that time I got to shoot a least a few dozen examples including. SBR and AC556 versions. I haven't shot any that wouldn't shoot 3-4" at 100 yds from a cold barrel (some better) which would open to 6-8" when the barrel got hot. If you research thi is well within acceptable accuracy for a M1 carbine. You're also getting a better cartridge. That accuracy is also better than most AKs until the past 10 years or so. Its about the same accuracy I get from my stock Saiga which I got a couple of years ago for under $300. I will admit the Saiga takes more rounds to get the group to open up. I'm wondering why Saigas are getting so expensive.

 

I have some 10 and 15 rd mags that work well in my Mini 14 but most of the 20 and 30 rd aftermarket mags are junk. The factory 20 and 30 rd mags haven't been available to the public until the past few years. They are expensive compared to AR mags. I never had any problems with these. The aftermarket mags are the source of the reliability issues.

 

I guess if you grew up shooting ARs and AKs you may feel the ergonomics are wrong. They are no different than a M1 carbing and you have to rock the magazine in like a M14. Clearing malfunctions is certainlt easier with a Mini 14 than it is with an AR or AK. Lock back the bolt, pull the magazine, and everything is exposed allowing you to clear it.

 

One area I can testify for the Mini 14 is durability. When we had them at work long guns were not individually issued (bad idea which was later rectified) so there were about 10 of them that were left at the range and used only for qualification and training. After several years some of these guns started to keyhole rounds into the target. Prior to this there were zero issues with these guns that were cleaned only every 1000-2000 rds. We contacted Ruger who sent a rep down. He asked us to estimate the number of rounds through these guns. Easy enough to do as ammo consumption and training and qualification records were available. The instructors came up a 80,000 to 100,000 rds per gun. That's with zero problems or parts replacement. Ruger took the guns and basically replaced everything except the receiver. When they returned the guns they asked us to let them take measurements periodically but this didn't happen as were, regretfully, replaced with AUGs.

 

The reason I've gone through 5 Mini 14s is not because there was anything wrong with them but I needed cash for projects and I knew I could replace it at reasonable cost. The one I have now I bought over 15 years ago.

 

The Mini 14 is excellent for what it is. Kind of like a modern M1 carbine. Its not a battle rifle but it wouldn't take much to turn it into one. It will work as a SHTF rifle as is because if you think you're going to survive fighting prolonged engagements where you'll beshooting hundreds of rounds per fight you're not going to last long.

 

Real ARs don't cost $600.

 

If you said, "My AR only malfunctioned once in the past year," or, "keep them clean and they will never fail," then you don't own a real AR. So, that's part of the comparison.

 

On the other end, Minis are great rifles. GREAT. They are tiny and light and have very little recoil. They also don't look scary/NJ-bannish. Nor Road-block confiscatish. They are not as reliable as ARs and will break sooner than a real AR. But they are excellent guns. With proper mags, they can nearly match semi-auto ARs under 100 yards because they are tiny and have sights close to bore.

I have a mini and love it its fun as hell. Is it a sniper rifle? NO but neither is an AR. Its a gun for plinking and i dont plan on getting rid of mine any time soon. also it eats steel cased ammo all day long so no reliability issues here but maby thats because i have OCD when it comes to gun cleaning i clean all of my guns after every time i shoot them but thats just me. I think that if you take care of your guns they will take care of you.

 

The reason I've gone through 5 Mini 14s is not because there was anything wrong with them but I needed cash for projects and I knew I could replace it at reasonable cost. The one I have now I bought over 15 years ago.

 

The Mini 14 is excellent for what it is. Kind of like a modern M1 carbine. Its not a battle rifle but it wouldn't take much to turn it into one. It will work as a SHTF rifle as is because if you think you're going to survive fighting prolonged engagements where you'll beshooting hundreds of rounds per fight you're not going to last long.

 

I've wanted one for a long time, but I was able to build a nice AR for $700, which sort of made it a moot point, I wish I could have gotten one though. I tend to look for the newer ones with the heavier barrels, with wood stocks, and used, but I rarely find them. If I could find a used one in the ballpark of $300, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

The cost of 15 round magazines was one of the main reasons I didn't go with it easier, I knew after-market ones had reliability issues, and that compliant 15/20 mags were rare and expensive.

Real ARs don't cost $600.

 

If you said, "My AR only malfunctioned once in the past year," or, "keep them clean and they will never fail," then you don't own a real AR. So, that's part of the comparison.

 

On the other end, Minis are great rifles. GREAT. They are tiny and light and have very little recoil. They also don't look scary/NJ-bannish. Nor Road-block confiscatish. They are not as reliable as ARs and will break sooner than a real AR. But they are excellent guns. With proper mags, they can nearly match semi-auto ARs under 100 yards because they are tiny and have sights close to bore.

 

The main reason I wanted to get a mini was because I had heard that, given the right mags, they have near AK-like reliability, and I absolutely love the barleycorn sights of the M14. Since there's now way I'll be able to afford an M1-A for a long time, I had hoped to get a mini-30 or mini14 in order to help satisfy that craving, to some extent.

Just an after thought to add here. Using the term, "compared to an AR". I am guilty of this as well, but let me interject something here.

 

If you buy / build a AR for $700 let's face it, odds are you are using less then top shelf parts (Colt, Stag, LMG, DD,...).

 

At this example, I would say the Mini-14 will out-shoot and out last your bargain bin AR. If you have which most of us are considering an AR, is more in the $1000+ range then we are not comparing like for like. I have seen some real garbage LPKs, out of spec lowers, crappy upper's, PRC made / TAPCO sights falling apart, etc.

 

So, for $600 / $700 I think you get a better all purpose gun with the Mini. If that is all your budget can afford, go with a beefier / newer model and avoid the older pencil barrels like I have. FWIW, I don't think I've ever had a malfunction with mine shooting every and anything. A squib once and forcing it back down the barrel sucked compared to pushing it forward via the chamber end like on an AR.

 

A-Squad never hit anything with a Mini-14...very funny.

 

Last note: To prove a point, I shot and killed a large 4 pointer in VA about 8 yrs ago using my Mini-14. Ammo was Wolf Black Box FMJ and a BSA Red Dot. Good shot placement hitting both lungs very close to the hear @80 yards in a hardwood forest. Round passed thru, busted up some bone chips and the buck only ran about 50'. A friend was busting my balls that a 223 round can't kill a deer, so I decided to show him. DON'T try this at home.

Lol, maybe it is bargain basement, Wilson Arms upper, DPMS LPK, (I believe milsurp) stock, Brownell's buffer spring, I forget, maybe a brownell's buffer as well. Cheapest part was the Del-ton lower, but that was just because that was what was available at the time.

If you said, "My AR only malfunctioned once in the past year," or, "keep them clean and they will never fail," then you don't own a real AR. So, that's part of the comparison.

 

I guess I don't own real ARs