@gary robinson The 223/556 mini 14 is a good option because.... 1. Mini 14 is reliable and tough and can run "dirty" beacause it's "piston Driven and not DI 2. It can eat ANY round, steel Brass, or even Aluminum (if they make Al the mini will feed it"... most cheap AR's can't... as well and actually last 3.The favoritte round of black bear and whitetail in GA is the 22 mag, if a 22 mag can do it a Bear, a 223 can do what you need in SHTF 4. 223/556 IS a small round... you can carry BUNCHES of it 5. A mini 14 in a wood stock with a 5 rnd mag LOOKS like a BB gun compared to an AR
I like the mini 14s . I have a few of them . I did a dust test between it and 2 ar-15s . Ar-15s both failed . I sold the ar-15s and bought more mini 14s. We have 2 that we uses as deer hunting rifles . We use hornady vmax with them and shoot deer out to 200 yards . Those bullets blows the heart to pieces . The vmax does a good job on wolves and coyotes too.
My favorite, the mini 14. Have all that plus accu strut and muzzle break. Better than my AR colt. AR's are awesome but I think they are popular because of all the attachments, they let people play army. The mini 14 does it all better without the BS.
I saw you video a few months back. I do have to agree with you that the Ruger Mini-14 is one bad ass rifle. I have the accu-strut (I have the older version). Additionally, I have a piccatiny rail on top for ease of a scope or red dot sight. I only use Ruger Magazines so I cannot comment about other brands, however, my rifle functions flawlessly and that includes cheap steel cased ammo. The rifle is heavy because of the wood stock but that is minor. I am not a Bi-pod fan. Either way, awesome video and I do agree with you...the Ruger Mini-14 is one fine rifle. Thanks for the video!
I run a 182 series with CM&T night firing flash hider/front sight, bayonet lug, R&R first run wire folding stock, and WASP scope mount. I also run the factory wood handguard. She'll keep a group of 1 enlarged hole at 100 yards from a vice. If I put the factory wood stock on, the group enlarges to 10". She eats FMJ well, mashes the tips of soft point, and jams with hollow point. In my collection, the Mini-14 means you're dead meat, the AR-15 means you're probably going to die, and the AK means you have a good sporting chance!
Great video and thanks for making it. You should delete all the really negative posts on here. Too many arrogant armchair experts trolling. The best rifle for the prepper is the one you prefer and can hit the bad guy with.
And one in which will work in dirty condition/take all kinds of ammo not just brass- and will not break/malfunction under normal use. Also- ammo availability is important unless you plan to build your own mud forge to forge your own bullets during SHTF. Basically- as long as you put some thought into preparation- you should be fine!
I own a Colt AR-15 and Its a very nice rifle but I just love shooting the Mini 14 I just picked up. I think the AR is going to become my just in case bad stuff happens and I will use the Mini 14 to play with on my range with my hand loads. I only shoot Factory Ammo through the AR-15. Its picky and prefers 556 but the Mini shoots anything. I even had a few that were in my box to take apart because they were not "perfect" when I loaded them and I tried them in the Mini 14 and it did not care. Thank you for the video with lots of good information.
I trained with the M-14 at PI in '66 and loved the rifle. So similar to the M-1, but improved with bolt rollers, lighter weight, very similar ballistics. I believe it would be much better in a battle situation in dirt and mud because it doesn't have all the cracks and crevices that the AR-15 style rifles have, and the sights are, as indicated in this video, much closer to the barrel centerline. I have an AR-15 and really like it because of the adjustable stock... but I had to use a "short arm block" on my M-14 at PI. That said, I doubt the Mini-14 would cause me the same issue. I've heard the new Mini-14's have improved accuracy, very similar to the AR's, so I guess it all boils down to preference.
Old comment, but much the opposite is true. The AR/M16 platform has much tighter fitting parts and is sealed up far better than the M1/M14. The M14 has a very bad tendency to lock up completely if mud gets on the op rod through the large open slot on the side of the stock, or in the receiver behind the charging handle. Even with the dust cover open on an AR the gap between the bolt an receiver is not more than 1/16 of an inch wide.
@@timetraveler1973 Well, mine is a 583 series and it can't hit shit at 100 yards. I scored 212 (Sharpshooter) out of 250 at PI with an M-14 using open sights, shooting out to 500 yards. So when I tell you MY Mini-14 can't hold a 4" group at 100 yards (as claimed by Ruger, since they accept a 2" group at 50 yards at the factory as acceptable) from a bench, then believe it. I use PMC .223 Bronze ammo all the time and have even tried PMC X-Tac .223 ammo with no better result... 8-10" groups at 100 yards with Romeo-5 red dot. My S&W M&P 15 Sport II can hold a 13" group at 200 yards all day long with open sights from a bench, and my eyes aren't that good. Like I said, some people get a Mini-14 that's very accurate right out of the box. My Mini-14 isn't one of those.
@@utubetommy 586 is the number you want to look for. They tapered and chromed barreles and i can hit more with it quicker than any ar15 ive shot under 200 yards. the ar15 is better at ranges past that. but 583 series is skinny barrel meant for prison guards in towers who are shooting a modified m14 to 223/556 about 50 yards. those are pre-2005 manufacture .. trade it in for a ranch rifle. and pay 140 for an ati folding collapsable stock. also.. the sights. the one thing i dont like . u can fix that with an ati stock.
I just bought my 3rd mini 14, and I have yet to experience a malfunction of any kind...I've owned three ar15, and haven't experienced a malfunction there either, my point is, they are both excellent weapons that I would trust my life with...I will say that having taken apart both, I'm willing to bet that there would be less need for extra parts for the mini. The 580 series mini was retooled, and much more accurate, my new 582 with thicker barrel is even more accurate...in a "battle" situation,I really don't think it will make a difference whether it's an eye shot or a face shot, and to bash people for an opinion doesn't make sense to me..I love both
quick question , why do the the mo rod clamps on look so much wider than what the mo rod website has to currently offer? yours look almost an inch in width which would make it more secure than the ones they are showing on the website which only seem about 1/2 inch in width??? thanks for the video bro
I always wanted one of these (since I used to watch the A-Team on TV). I never bought one until last year. I love the hell out of it. It's like my M1 Carbine, except it takes a very common round. It's light, accurate, and very fun to shoot. I guess the take away is, do your own research, even when the info comes from people you trust. I have recently learn that second part.
I couldn't agree more I have found so many things from people that are TH-cam certified LOL that are complete crap I definitely appreciate you watching my video and for the comment and definitely the advice to do your own research I could not say it better myself
I like what Ruger did with the Mini-14 and -30, giving everyone the Garand-style action for 5.56 and 7.62. I like my Mini-30 a lot as it fires the same ammo as the AK-47. I just like the Garand action, and the bullet weights & powders I use have some overlap with those used for my M1A. Although my Mini-30 slugged at .310, its still fine to use .308 in it.
You can use 308 in 7.62mm? I thought the shell casing is larger on a 308? What did you do to fix the steel russian ammo misfires with light striker an firing pin breakage on steel cartridges? I got all those issues.
@@tigerpisces5506 if you read the manual it says to only use American made ammo. I personally have shot all and have had maybe 2 instances where it locked up with the cheap ammo. The mini 30 shoots a 7.62*39 and you can’t shoot that in a 308.
@@tigerpisces5506 7.62 is .30 cal their is 7.62x39(ak ammo) and 7.62x51(.308) and other lengths...I heard u can shoot .300 black out not .308 ....idk haven't tried it
I certainly disagree about the Mini being better than the AR. AR accuracy is usually better, parts are available as are magazines at much lower cost. Also switching from optics to iron sights and back is easy with the AR
The mini isn't even close to competition for the AR or even the AK. I'm also skeptical about anybody that shoots "thousands of rounds with no jams". The guy claims to be a prepper but obviously doesn't train.
The New Gen 2 Magpul plastic mags work okay. I even have mine set up a little bit of carving you can use a charging adapter and stripper clips to load 10 rounds at a time. Mine is old 185 serial number. You can buy a removable scope mount that mounts with one screw on the slide out piece for the bolt lock mechanism. Once you get it set up its pretty good. It raises the scope up and gives you a clear view underneath the scope so you can still use the peep sight close in! You don't always want to use a scope. Unless you're running off a hundred rounds and the barrel gets hot with a good scope you can hold one in group pretty easy with the bipod like he's got. You must Mount the scope as far back as you can so that you do not hit the towers with a ejected shells. Keep it clean every time you use it learn how to disassemble it in a minute cuz you really can once you know how you only need to use 1 round as the tool to open it stick the bullet in a little hole and pry it and pull back on the trigger guard. The gun must be cocked with the safety on or it will not come apart. It's a Wonderful tool if you treat it like a tool.
Blackbear prepper I have seen a fair amount of the 6.8mm Remington SPC around. kind of expensive but for me it would be well worth getting a couple mags for them and some in FMJ to work on longer range shooting. I ordered a stabilizer strut yestetday. not accu strut socom as it is more designed for shorter 16" barrels having just one clamp. using a 3-9×40 Sight Mark scope. gonna see how tight I can get with my Mini. thanks for your videos. Peace.
Aj, I have both rifles and love them both. The advantage that the ar15 has over the mini (besides the customization) is the magazine entry on the firearm, and the price point of magazines. Both are awesome though! I love them both!!
That snake bite kit you have hanging on the display board next to you, is the best kit anyone can buy. Anyone that goes out into the bush where there are poisonous snakes, should not leave home without that particular kit. It's a little pricey compared to the other egg shaped silicone kits, but it is leaps n bounds above them all when talking about saving one's life or limb from a snake bite. I also enjoyed your video and the information you gave us on the mini 14. Excellent rifle from what I have always heard and priced okay, when you consider the benefits and extra's this gun comes with from the factory. Thanks for the video, Cheers.
not that I know of most of the ones I've seen come with either the 16 inch but most commonly the 18 inch I've seen aftermarket barrels that do come in longer varieties if you would need something like that
I'm glad you like your Mini 14 with all your add on, aftermarket gizmos strapped on. My PSA M4 came out of the box exactly the way I wanted it. The only thing I bought were extra 30 magazines, new $8 each. The money I saved on gadgets I invested in ammo. But again, glad you like your Mini 14.
the only "gizmo" he added was the stabilizer. this video is for recommended mods. your psa would be better with a bipod and scope just like any rifle. also your Bamf psa has a cheap stock, shitty plastic grip/trigger guard, and a garbage trigger. yes it shoots, but for like $30 you can do your own trigger job and make your gun legitimately better, but YOU would rather have extra magazines?? why not make your gun better?
Obviously I need glasses. The rifle I saw in the video had a scope, bipod and an ammo pouch on the stock. My rifle came with a chrome lined milspec barrel manufactured by FN in Columbia. The stock and handguard work just fine thank you, giving me perfect eye relief. As for quality of the materials, I have compared my new rifle to my Colt HBAR, and have found the fit and finish on the PSA to be superior. But I do thank you for your comments.
My apologies for being rude as you have been respectful. yes the barrel and finish is fine, but trigger pull weight and creep can be improved on your ar for cheap, why would you not want that? Other than the stabilizer these upgrades are not mini 14 specific, you having an AR is irrelevant. If you want to shoot open sights on bags or without a bipod, the mini 14 would work great right out of the box, just as your ar does. The mini is a better value IMO, especially if you are not interested in upgrades.
Try the SVT 40 for a proper battle rifle 7.6x54r , or a SKS /AK 7.62x39. They are a lot better bang for your bucks. The AR is a lot more prone to stoppages , 4 tours has taught me that you must clean it religiously or it will fail you. DI is the way to go though. A plus for the AR/SKS/AK concepts is availability of parts almost everywhere. Not the AKs up here in Canada though, but lots of parts are available
I enjoyed the video I am a fan of the Ruger mini-14 and am comfortable with its battery of arms etc. the only issue I had was no parts available on the open market. You have to send the rifle directly back to Ruger to get replacement parts! I am not happy with having to do that in a SHTF scenario.
I have a Ruger Mini used to be a mini-30 but now it is a Mini-6.5 Grendel. It has an 18.5" fluted (very stiff) heavy barrel. Accuracy Systems in Colorado does spectacular work. Less than 1 MOA. My Ruger is better than an AR. Yes it was very expensive but I prefer steel firearms. ARs aren't my choice for a "battle rifle." A Mini-14? Not me because the only 22 cal. center fire rifle I would choose would be 224 Valkyrie. A Mini-30 would have a bolt face that would work nicely.
ati folding adjustable stock . its what i use. and post 2005 models are about 1moa accurate with the tapered barrel. the ranch rifle series i believe, and anythhing newer, really hammers down the accuracy.
Blackbear Prepper I wonder why in so many discussions I have seen on the Mini 14 snd it's accuracy ( or lack there of) it it rarely if ever mentioned that the Mini 14 is chambered for 6.8mm Remington SPC which is a very accurate cartridge. ( I know. Ya gotta buy a different magazine. ) any thoughts?
the 6.8 cartridge is hard to find in the mini 14 it was not produced in large numbers as the 223 cartridge was I do believe that now that the mini 14 is offered in the 300 Blackout cartridge you will start to hear more and more about them
@ 8:00 in the video. I have talked with Ruger, they dont have a warranty, they have a guarantee, and they do not frown upon shooting steel case ammo out of there rifles.
Just a heads up for a would be buyer if the trigger gaurd can be unhooked by hand I.E you don't need a punch TAKE IT TO A GUNSMITH and have him/her bend it back into position bought a early make mini-14 took it to the range and had it fall apart in my hands 5 minutes at the gunsmith and mine did it for free since it was such a simple fix hasnt jammed yet he'll my mosin nagant has more problems feeding then this
i have a mini 14 and a couple of ar-15 and i absolutely love my mini! i think its more fun to shoot than the ar's (recoil is a little snappier/shorter so there is not that long push that ar's normally have). this all being said i wouldnt say the mini is superior to ar's but on par with. the mini is is not a battle rifle, as battle rifles are generally chambered in 7.62X51 or other similar cartridges, but more along the lines of a tactical carbine. you dont have the customization that ar's have and you have to worry about vertical stringing if you shoot fast or a lot, the barrel clamp helps with that problem. but i would not discount the rifle it still shoots accurate enough to stop a threat or take medium sized game and is very reliable i shoot steel cased ammo through it all the time and have never had a stoppage (knock on wood!).
hi, if you remember the mfr and part name of the bipod attachment? Thinking of a magpul M-lok 7 slot rail, the dimensions look close for the thickness of the mini14 wood stock and would recess the nuts . your way seems easier
I had one once. Put a bipod on it like you said in the video and it eventually broke the stock and fell off. The wood is very thin under the barrel on the mini 14.
That is horrible to hear this one has been on this Mini 14 for several years now it has been used for thousands of rounds going prone and all the other things and has not had a problem yet I'm definitely sorry to hear about your gun though
I own a mini 14 ranch. plain Jane. Wood and blued steel. like all my guns. thinking of installing an stabilizer bar. accustrut or Mo Rod? any opinions ? I would appreciate some feedback. ( advise. )
So one thing I have always been curious about. I have seen so many hunting/sniper/battle rifles with good long range scopes, but there is still a front sight on the barrel... Is there a reason for this? Is there a kung fu shooting technique that I don't know about that allows the front sight to be used even though it is blocked by the scope?
Have you wondered why nobody has commented on your comment lmao. It's a battle rifle dude. Do you have any common sence at all. All ways keep your iron sights on your rifle in case of a malfunction with your optics. In a pinch you can simply remove the defective or malfunctioned optic n have your iron sights still in place. That's with any rifle. Optics are all fragile n can easily be messed up. Think about it.
I have an older model. Plan on getting a newer model. Just because I like both. Exalent firearms. Once you have the peep sights set. Your good. No worries. I could be wrong. But I don't think it voids your warranty shooting steel ammo.
Got a mini 14 on the way - finally. I like your channel - preppers are information hungry - at least I am - and a good intelligent (as in not whacked out) prepper source of information is much in need. I wish you success and I'll be a watchin' friend! HAT IS A NICE SIZE MO ROD - CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT MAKE IT IS? Thanks
I think it helps in any of the guns including the 580 series but the other thing it does is it also works as a heatsink to take heat away from the barrel and then actually is well worth any amount of weight you added and with the actor extra added accuracy it's well worth it
Where and how much was that bipod adapter? I was wondering if anyone knew if the HARRIS ENGINEERING Adapter - No. 14 Mini-14 works with the Accu Strut. LET ME KNOW PLZ!
lots of internet rumors seem to fly from people who have never owned (or often never shot) a mini 14. i own both a mini 14 and an AR 15. both guns are great. and i hate to bust any bubbles here.....but i simply do not believe the AR is the superior gun, functionally speaking. both are great guns and worth having. well done....the mini 14 is an awesome gun (coming from an actual owner).
+bartonhawk If you're familiar with Ian McCollum from the Forgotten Weapons channel, he and Karl Kasarda from In Range TV [I'm not sure if In Range is on TH-cam yet, he may still only be posting on Full30.com] did both a mud and a sand functionality test on an M1A, an AR-15, and a French MAS 49/56. The mud test was conducted by having Ian literally crawl through a mud puddle with each rifle then try to shoot it, whereas Karl conducted the sand test by shooting prone while Ian used an air compressor to blow sand at him. The 49/56 did fairly well (surprising for an open top, direct impingement rifle), the AR 15 performed surprisingly well in both mud and sand, and the M1A failed catastrophically after one round fired. They cleaned the rifle, test fired it, and tried it in the tests again, and again experienced a complete lockup of the gun after one shot fired. The culprit was the large number of exposed operational surfaces in the action; once mud or grit got into the op rod channel, the gun froze up. I suspect that given the similarity in action between the M1A/M14 and the Mini 14, that the Mini 14 would be prone to the same problems in truly sloppy field conditions. I also own both an AR and a Mini 14 and am not exactly disagreeing with you; just food for thought.
Mini’s after you throw 500 bucks into it are some of the baddest rifles you can obtain in 223/556. I constantly explode rabbits at 200 all the way to 300yards with a 1x6x24 glass.
For 5.56/.223 rifles, AR's are better than Mini-14's for one important reason only = Parts availablity. Mags are more available and cheaper. Spare parts are more available. The AR is more well-known as an accurate shooter too. True "preppers" always need to keep accessibility to supplies and parts near the top of their SHTF plan. The AR-15 rifle system is more prevalent, in that most police departments utilize the system and we all know what our military uses too.
The only improvement that could be made on this gun, off the top of my head, is changing the design in order to accept mil-spec AR mags. If the Mossberg wasn't a bolt, and was semi-auto, the Mini would unfortunately become obsolete just for the fact the Mossbergs use standard AR mags. Only downfall of these. I'm also not sure about putting a scope on one. I probably wouldn't go much over 200 yards with it given its known lack of "pin point" accuracy (but it's not a sniper rifle either) so I'm not sure a scope is exactly appropriate. I like them for their "Minute of Man" accuracy and the ability to lay down lots of fire for those of us that appreciate a little bit more old school in our rifle and that awesome Garand type action.
But if I pull pins and pop a new lower receiver on I can shoot other rounds like 6.5 Grendel or 300 blk I do need a new barrel for 300 blk but I have to add a new barrel and lower and upper to fire a 308 or 7.62x39 it’s simple easy so I can pull pins and shoot longer range with more power
great review sir,another point is price,the lower cost of the mini 14 allow more funds for extras, AR's and AK's keep going up and down in price depending on the political climate. thanks.
Open letter to all that lurk in the comments: It is not a battle rifle, if you think so, then the M2HB might as well be a light MG. Battle rifles refer to standard caliber rifles, not intermidiate calibers. (Unless you like to call the MP40 a "battle rifle" because it had rifling and was used in battle.) Now that's out of the way, the mini-14 is an okay weapon. It's not great, it's not terrible. It will not function well in sand, similar to how the beloved M1performed. Modern day rifles use newer actions because they got more reliable. Modern day actions are also more accurate, contrary to popular belief, an AK can get 2 moa if built right. Mini fanboys will never get the AC556 pressed into service. M14 fanboys will never speak of the accurizing programs. Ak fanboys will never admit that their design is not indestructable. AR fanboys will never think that the Stanmag was a terrible idea. Stop it.
got in trouble at a range one day using steel cased silverbear . not because that kind of ammo was banned at the range. but because the mini 14 rotary bolt was ejecting them so far they were landing on cars in the parking lot and i didnt notice lol.
A battle rifle is a select fire or semi-automatic military service rifle that fires a full power rifle cartridge, such as 7.62x51mm NATO. While the designation of battle rifle is usually given to post-World War II select fire infantry rifles such as the H&K G3, the FN FAL, or the M14. The term 'battle rifle' as a distinct class of firearms was coined largely out of a need to differentiate the true intermediate-caliber assault rifles (such as the M16 or SA80)
Looks like you put a lot of thought into your rifle and the video, but I disagree that the Mini 14 is superior to the AR or AK in any capacity. For California-specific prepping/usage, it would probably win over the AK but still not be able to top the AR. The one and only real advantage with the Mini in CA is the lack of the need for a bullet button to be legal, but in a prepping situation I'm sure the AR guys will swap out the bullet buttons anyways and bust out the 30-round mags they "didn't" have. For a prepping rifle you'd want commonality of parts and magazines, so if your rifle(s) goes down, you can salvage parts easily from other rifles of the same design. You also want something where the mags and ammo are everywhere, and the AR15 cannot be beat in both considerations. If you need a different caliber/optic/barrel length for a rapidly-changing need, you can easily swap upper groups with the AR15. If a prepper needs a rifle for defense in the all-so-common 5.56mm, but then needs to take deer or hunt, he can swap his defensive upper in exchange for a 6.5/6.8 upper instantly. A prepper can even invest in a 7.62x39 upper with mags so his AR can quickly be re-configured to shoot whatever of the two common ammo types he finds. For the Mini to do that you'd need two rifles; the Mini 14 and the Mini 30. If the prepper wants serious stopping power from his AR for whatever use he needs, he can even buy a .50 Beowulf upper and swap that out instantly. Maybe the prepper needs to go from a standard AR carbine to a SPR/long-range platform -he can also do this quickly. The options are endless for the AR but impossible on the Mini 14. The AR15's design allows for the average dude to be able to be his own armorer -it's not hard to assemble or repair with basic tools. Stocking up on spare parts right now is cheap and easy, and in a WROL scenario, finding extra parts to stock up on spares or do repairs would also be the easiest of any rifle because it's the most common rifle in America. If you had to break contact and drop your empty mags in a gun fight, you wouldn't have to worry with the AR15 as much because replacement mags could be found pretty easily. If that happened with a Mini 14 you may have to return to the scene later or carry a different rifle if you don't have extras as finding more Mini 14 mags would be an issue if you didn't have some stocked away. I can appreciate the Mini 14's gas system and Garand action, but a decent AR15 is very reliable as well and often times you can expect better accuracy with an AR15 compared to the standard Mini 14 -especially one with the old-production, shitty, pencil-profile Ruger barrels. Probably the worst part of the Mini 14 revolves around optics. Firstly, you are a slave to Ruger's proprietary ring mount system versus the AR15's universal 1913 pic rail upper. Secondly, when you've mounted a scope on a M1/M14/M1A/Mini 14 you have to address the height over bore issue -a cheek piece is a must for quick and consistent cheek weld with proper eye relief. With regard to prepping, I look at the Mini 14 as an augmenting rifle. It's in the stockpile with its own set of mags and you give it to someone in your group who needs a rifle, but once it breaks down or you lose the magazines, it becomes a throw-away rifle. Right now a brand-new Mini costs around $750. Add some magazines, a sling, and some ammo and you're at $1000. A brand-new Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport, for example, can be had for around $500 to $600 (especially on a sale). For much less money a consumer just bought into the most common rifle in America with plenty of money left over for mags, ammo, and training costs. The Mini 14 is a good rifle in its own right, but for prepping it gets left behind.
+Mr2ndAmendment I'm not going to really argue the pros and cons of the two rifles, your point about the interchangeable uppers with the AR15 platform and possible calibers and the dozens of possibilities in the swapping of parts stands on it's own no doubt. The only thing that I've going to add is every AR15 I've ever owned was just plain junk, mags not fitting right, gun jamming, the bolt slamming into the magazine so hard that it split plastic mags and all the ammo just spit out the side into the dirt. I've owned roughly 20 different AR's from Colt and others, they wind up getting sold the moment they fail the 100 round test. The 2 rifles that went back to Colt were returned marked 'Owner Abuse', apparently, shooting your new rifle is owner abuse at Colt, this was decades ago. The gun store which has folded up years ago would not let me trade it in either. So I gave it up, years later after the Assault Rifle Ban sun stetted, the powers that be here in the 'peoples republic of new jersey' allowed the Colt Match target rifle to be sold... 1600.00 dollars,,,,,,, it sat on the shelf for 3 months before some sucker just had to have it. The first AR15 I bought was 375 dollars, and after using it for an after noon I really wanted that money back. The upper easily twisted away from the upper when slung up tight, then they came out with the frame pins. I don't know, but there's one thing I do know, if you pull out an AR in Jersey, some one writes down your license plate..... I read your points, and your points are well thought out, if I could ever find a AR15 that I could trust to empty it's magazine all the way I'd probably buy it.
+Al Fries You are living in the past my friend.. Ar15's gave come a long way... I can build you an ar15 that will empty 20 magazines without lube for under $1000 bucks.. come and get it..lol
+Al Fries No offense but you either don't know how to operate an ar-15 or you're a cheapskate buying 3rd-4th hand used beaters that have been shot out. It's difficult for me to make an ar-15 purposefully malfunction. This isn't Vietnam, even budget friendly brand new ar-15's are solid these days.
The only battle most preppers will ever have is getting up from the dinner table too late. They will lose that battle. I like Ruger products in general.
Well done ! You explain in my view , the relevant points of the Mini-14 and recommended upgrades very well ! Don't pay any attention to some of the negative comments below .
C'mon guys. What are we in grade school? No need to make fun of the guys weight just because you don't agree with what he has to say. Have some respect. If you're incapable of having an adult conversation or debate don't comment at all
For anyone viewing this & wondering if they should buy a Ruger or an AK variant (or even an AR) - consider the source ... I have the Ruger mini 30 - while I like it a good bit (American made cycles cheap ammo more or less), it has consistent failure to feed issues with the cheaper ammo, which is the main reason for buying a '30 over a '14. If I could return this one and buy a nice milled AK, I would.
More accurate than an AR ? Lol I'm not hating on you bro but the first thing you need to do is drop your extra weight so you can function in a combat environment
Actually a "Battle Rifle" caliber is rated at 7.62.x 51 such as FN-FAL or 7.62 x 54r, Mosin Nagant 7.62 x 63, M1 Garand, 8mm Mauser, K98 as examples. But I get where you are coming from. Just a difference in nomenclature ;)
The Mini only makes sense with irons and a 20-round mag. Anything more is bad weight. As a fighting gun it is totally obsolete. Still great though for other uses.
The mini 14 is a copy of the US M1 carbine and named mini 14 for marketing or is it in fact a copy, a miniaturized M 14? This info or fact should be precise.
Hickok 45 thinks the mini 14 is sweet...nuff said!
village carpenter Hickok45 also thinks gun control is a good idea so he’s not really a good source of information.
village carpenter
Has he said anything bad about any gun?
@gary robinson yep, most young douche bag punks don't have a clue how to properly aim a firearm!
I love my mini. Has hickok 45 ever said anything bad about a particular gun?
@gary robinson The 223/556 mini 14 is a good option because....
1. Mini 14 is reliable and tough and can run "dirty" beacause it's "piston Driven and not DI
2. It can eat ANY round, steel Brass, or even Aluminum (if they make Al the mini will feed it"... most cheap AR's can't... as well and actually last
3.The favoritte round of black bear and whitetail in GA is the 22 mag, if a 22 mag can do it a Bear, a 223 can do what you need in SHTF
4. 223/556 IS a small round... you can carry BUNCHES of it
5. A mini 14 in a wood stock with a 5 rnd mag LOOKS like a BB gun compared to an AR
Glad to see the mini still has a cult following. I love mine
Thanks for the review. It was really helpful. I just bought an the Synthetic/Stainless steel version of the Mini 14. Looking forward to modifying it.
I like the mini 14s . I have a few of them . I did a dust test between it and 2 ar-15s . Ar-15s both failed . I sold the ar-15s and bought more mini 14s.
We have 2 that we uses as deer hunting rifles . We use hornady vmax with them and shoot deer out to 200 yards . Those bullets blows the heart to pieces .
The vmax does a good job on wolves and coyotes too.
My favorite, the mini 14. Have all that plus accu strut and muzzle break. Better than my AR colt. AR's are awesome but I think they are popular because of all the attachments, they let people play army. The mini 14 does it all better without the BS.
I saw you video a few months back. I do have to agree with you that the Ruger Mini-14 is one bad ass rifle. I have the accu-strut (I have the older version). Additionally, I have a piccatiny rail on top for ease of a scope or red dot sight. I only use Ruger Magazines so I cannot comment about other brands, however, my rifle functions flawlessly and that includes cheap steel cased ammo. The rifle is heavy because of the wood stock but that is minor. I am not a Bi-pod fan. Either way, awesome video and I do agree with you...the Ruger Mini-14 is one fine rifle. Thanks for the video!
I always defer to Meal Team 6 for firearms advice...
hahahahahahaha! I almost pissed myself!
+VEREORVERUM I serve with the Chairborne Rangers, personally... :p
Was afraid to look at the comments. Knew I'd see something like this. Still... hilarious.
That right there is funny
Haha... that's fkd up smh...😆
Thanks very much for mentioning the accu strut. I looked into it and all tests show accuracy is much better. I will get one.
I have the ProMag 20 round mags for my Mini 14 and they work great. Never had any magazine related issues using them.
Thanks for telling me this - much appreciated!
I run a 182 series with CM&T night firing flash hider/front sight, bayonet lug, R&R first run wire folding stock, and WASP scope mount. I also run the factory wood handguard. She'll keep a group of 1 enlarged hole at 100 yards from a vice. If I put the factory wood stock on, the group enlarges to 10". She eats FMJ well, mashes the tips of soft point, and jams with hollow point. In my collection, the Mini-14 means you're dead meat, the AR-15 means you're probably going to die, and the AK means you have a good sporting chance!
Great video and thanks for making it. You should delete all the really negative posts on here. Too many arrogant armchair experts trolling. The best rifle for the prepper is the one you prefer and can hit the bad guy with.
And one in which will work in dirty condition/take all kinds of ammo not just brass- and will not break/malfunction under normal use. Also- ammo availability is important unless you plan to build your own mud forge to forge your own bullets during SHTF.
Basically- as long as you put some thought into preparation- you should be fine!
The Mini 14 fires the 5.56 NATO which is a "combat round". This weapon is more than battle worthy. It's modeled on the M1 Garand which won WWII.
How about listing the actual add-ons (the strut, the bi-pod, etc.) please?
I own a Colt AR-15 and Its a very nice rifle but I just love shooting the Mini 14 I just picked up. I think the AR is going to become my just in case bad stuff happens and I will use the Mini 14 to play with on my range with my hand loads. I only shoot Factory Ammo through the AR-15. Its picky and prefers 556 but the Mini shoots anything. I even had a few that were in my box to take apart because they were not "perfect" when I loaded them and I tried them in the Mini 14 and it did not care.
Thank you for the video with lots of good information.
I trained with the M-14 at PI in '66 and loved the rifle. So similar to the M-1, but improved with bolt rollers, lighter weight, very similar ballistics. I believe it would be much better in a battle situation in dirt and mud because it doesn't have all the cracks and crevices that the AR-15 style rifles have, and the sights are, as indicated in this video, much closer to the barrel centerline. I have an AR-15 and really like it because of the adjustable stock... but I had to use a "short arm block" on my M-14 at PI. That said, I doubt the Mini-14 would cause me the same issue. I've heard the new Mini-14's have improved accuracy, very similar to the AR's, so I guess it all boils down to preference.
Old comment, but much the opposite is true. The AR/M16 platform has much tighter fitting parts and is sealed up far better than the M1/M14. The M14 has a very bad tendency to lock up completely if mud gets on the op rod through the large open slot on the side of the stock, or in the receiver behind the charging handle. Even with the dust cover open on an AR the gap between the bolt an receiver is not more than 1/16 of an inch wide.
any mini 14 made after 2005 when they started the ranch rifle series has significantly mproved accuracy
@@timetraveler1973 Well, mine is a 583 series and it can't hit shit at 100 yards. I scored 212 (Sharpshooter) out of 250 at PI with an M-14 using open sights, shooting out to 500 yards. So when I tell you MY Mini-14 can't hold a 4" group at 100 yards (as claimed by Ruger, since they accept a 2" group at 50 yards at the factory as acceptable) from a bench, then believe it. I use PMC .223 Bronze ammo all the time and have even tried PMC X-Tac .223 ammo with no better result... 8-10" groups at 100 yards with Romeo-5 red dot. My S&W M&P 15 Sport II can hold a 13" group at 200 yards all day long with open sights from a bench, and my eyes aren't that good. Like I said, some people get a Mini-14 that's very accurate right out of the box. My Mini-14 isn't one of those.
@@utubetommy 586 is the number you want to look for. They tapered and chromed barreles and i can hit more with it quicker than any ar15 ive shot under 200 yards. the ar15 is better at ranges past that. but 583 series is skinny barrel meant for prison guards in towers who are shooting a modified m14 to 223/556 about 50 yards. those are pre-2005 manufacture .. trade it in for a ranch rifle. and pay 140 for an ati folding collapsable stock. also.. the sights. the one thing i dont like . u can fix that with an ati stock.
I just bought my 3rd mini 14, and I have yet to experience a malfunction of any kind...I've owned three ar15, and haven't experienced a malfunction there either, my point is, they are both excellent weapons that I would trust my life with...I will say that having taken apart both, I'm willing to bet that there would be less need for extra parts for the mini. The 580 series mini was retooled, and much more accurate, my new 582 with thicker barrel is even more accurate...in a "battle" situation,I really don't think it will make a difference whether it's an eye shot or a face shot, and to bash people for an opinion doesn't make sense to me..I love both
quick question , why do the the mo rod clamps on look so much wider than what the mo rod website has to currently offer? yours look almost an inch in width which would make it more secure than the ones they are showing on the website which only seem about 1/2 inch in width??? thanks for the video bro
I always wanted one of these (since I used to watch the A-Team on TV). I never bought one until last year. I love the hell out of it. It's like my M1 Carbine, except it takes a very common round. It's light, accurate, and very fun to shoot. I guess the take away is, do your own research, even when the info comes from people you trust. I have recently learn that second part.
I couldn't agree more I have found so many things from people that are TH-cam certified LOL that are complete crap I definitely appreciate you watching my video and for the comment and definitely the advice to do your own research I could not say it better myself
Great review of this WEAPONS platform.
I like what Ruger did with the Mini-14 and -30, giving everyone the Garand-style action for 5.56 and 7.62. I like my Mini-30 a lot as it fires the same ammo as the AK-47. I just like the Garand action, and the bullet weights & powders I use have some overlap with those used for my M1A. Although my Mini-30 slugged at .310, its still fine to use .308 in it.
You can use 308 in 7.62mm? I thought the shell casing is larger on a 308? What did you do to fix the steel russian ammo misfires with light striker an firing pin breakage on steel cartridges? I got all those issues.
@@tigerpisces5506 if you read the manual it says to only use American made ammo. I personally have shot all and have had maybe 2 instances where it locked up with the cheap ammo. The mini 30 shoots a 7.62*39 and you can’t shoot that in a 308.
@@tigerpisces5506 those 2 jams is over the course of 9 years and thousands of rounds.
@@tigerpisces5506 7.62 is .30 cal their is 7.62x39(ak ammo) and 7.62x51(.308) and other lengths...I heard u can shoot .300 black out not .308 ....idk haven't tried it
I certainly disagree about the Mini being better than the AR. AR accuracy is usually better, parts are available as are magazines at much lower cost. Also switching from optics to iron sights and back is easy with the AR
The mini isn't even close to competition for the AR or even the AK. I'm also skeptical about anybody that shoots "thousands of rounds with no jams". The guy claims to be a prepper but obviously doesn't train.
How about some specific information, like which model bipod and scope are you using.
The New Gen 2 Magpul plastic mags work okay. I even have mine set up a little bit of carving you can use a charging adapter and stripper clips to load 10 rounds at a time. Mine is old 185 serial number. You can buy a removable scope mount that mounts with one screw on the slide out piece for the bolt lock mechanism. Once you get it set up its pretty good. It raises the scope up and gives you a clear view underneath the scope so you can still use the peep sight close in! You don't always want to use a scope. Unless you're running off a hundred rounds and the barrel gets hot with a good scope you can hold one in group pretty easy with the bipod like he's got. You must Mount the scope as far back as you can so that you do not hit the towers with a ejected shells. Keep it clean every time you use it learn how to disassemble it in a minute cuz you really can once you know how you only need to use 1 round as the tool to open it stick the bullet in a little hole and pry it and pull back on the trigger guard. The gun must be cocked with the safety on or it will not come apart. It's a Wonderful tool if you treat it like a tool.
How did you mount the bipod? I've read almost nothing but bad reviews about the HB #14.
Blackbear prepper
I have seen a fair amount of the 6.8mm Remington SPC around. kind of expensive but for me it would be well worth getting a couple mags for them and some in FMJ to work on longer range shooting.
I ordered a stabilizer strut yestetday. not accu strut socom as it is more designed for shorter 16" barrels having just one clamp.
using a 3-9×40 Sight Mark scope. gonna see how tight I can get with my Mini.
thanks for your videos.
Peace.
Hey man. Great video. Just curious, would you recommend one of these over say a S&W M&P 15 ? I'm looking to get one or the other. Thanks a lot.
Aj, I have both rifles and love them both. The advantage that the ar15 has over the mini (besides the customization) is the magazine entry on the firearm, and the price point of magazines. Both are awesome though! I love them both!!
That snake bite kit you have hanging on the display board next to you, is the best kit anyone can buy. Anyone that goes out into the bush where there are poisonous snakes, should not leave home without that particular kit. It's a little pricey compared to the other egg shaped silicone kits, but it is leaps n bounds above them all when talking about saving one's life or limb from a snake bite. I also enjoyed your video and the information you gave us on the mini 14. Excellent rifle from what I have always heard and priced okay, when you consider the benefits and extra's this gun comes with from the factory. Thanks for the video, Cheers.
Can I ask what the name specifically is of that Ammo case and where to get it?
Hi. Where did you get the trigger kit for your mini 14? Thanks. Sincerely,
not that I know of most of the ones I've seen come with either the 16 inch but most commonly the 18 inch I've seen aftermarket barrels that do come in longer varieties if you would need something like that
I'm glad you like your Mini 14 with all your add on, aftermarket gizmos strapped on. My PSA M4 came out of the box exactly the way I wanted it. The only thing I bought were extra 30 magazines, new $8 each. The money I saved on gadgets I invested in ammo. But again, glad you like your Mini 14.
the only "gizmo" he added was the stabilizer. this video is for recommended mods. your psa would be better with a bipod and scope just like any rifle. also your Bamf psa has a cheap stock, shitty plastic grip/trigger guard, and a garbage trigger. yes it shoots, but for like $30 you can do your own trigger job and make your gun legitimately better, but YOU would rather have extra magazines?? why not make your gun better?
Obviously I need glasses. The rifle I saw in the video had a scope, bipod and an ammo pouch on the stock. My rifle came with a chrome lined milspec barrel manufactured by FN in Columbia. The stock and handguard work just fine thank you, giving me perfect eye relief. As for quality of the materials, I have compared my new rifle to my Colt HBAR, and have found the fit and finish on the PSA to be superior. But I do thank you for your comments.
My apologies for being rude as you have been respectful. yes the barrel and finish is fine, but trigger pull weight and creep can be improved on your ar for cheap, why would you not want that? Other than the stabilizer these upgrades are not mini 14 specific, you having an AR is irrelevant. If you want to shoot open sights on bags or without a bipod, the mini 14 would work great right out of the box, just as your ar does. The mini is a better value IMO, especially if you are not interested in upgrades.
I like it because it’s so fast to clear a malfunction I love the rolling block
Try the SVT 40 for a proper battle rifle 7.6x54r , or a SKS /AK 7.62x39. They are a lot better bang for your bucks. The AR is a lot more prone to stoppages , 4 tours has taught me that you must clean it religiously or it will fail you. DI is the way to go though. A plus for the AR/SKS/AK concepts is availability of parts almost everywhere. Not the AKs up here in Canada though, but lots of parts are available
Trigger job and barrel support for better accuracy and a bypod is a must and a supperisor
I enjoyed the video I am a fan of the Ruger mini-14 and am comfortable with its battery of arms etc. the only issue I had was no parts available on the open market. You have to send the rifle directly back to Ruger to get replacement parts! I am not happy with having to do that in a SHTF scenario.
I have a Ruger Mini used to be a mini-30 but now it is a Mini-6.5 Grendel. It has an 18.5" fluted (very stiff) heavy barrel. Accuracy Systems in Colorado does spectacular work. Less than 1 MOA. My Ruger is better than an AR. Yes it was very expensive but I prefer steel firearms. ARs aren't my choice for a "battle rifle." A Mini-14? Not me because the only 22 cal. center fire rifle I would choose would be 224 Valkyrie. A Mini-30 would have a bolt face that would work nicely.
ati folding adjustable stock . its what i use. and post 2005 models are about 1moa accurate with the tapered barrel. the ranch rifle series i believe, and anythhing newer, really hammers down the accuracy.
Wish we could use these in the UK. Be a fantastic fox rifle. We compensate with the 22/250
Blackbear Prepper
I wonder why in so many discussions I have seen on the Mini 14 snd it's accuracy ( or lack there of) it it rarely if ever mentioned that the Mini 14 is chambered for 6.8mm Remington SPC which is a very accurate cartridge. ( I know. Ya gotta buy a different magazine. )
any thoughts?
the 6.8 cartridge is hard to find in the mini 14 it was not produced in large numbers as the 223 cartridge was I do believe that now that the mini 14 is offered in the 300 Blackout cartridge you will start to hear more and more about them
@ 8:00 in the video. I have talked with Ruger, they dont have a warranty, they have a guarantee, and they do not frown upon shooting steel case ammo out of there rifles.
Just a heads up for a would be buyer if the trigger gaurd can be unhooked by hand I.E you don't need a punch TAKE IT TO A GUNSMITH and have him/her bend it back into position bought a early make mini-14 took it to the range and had it fall apart in my hands 5 minutes at the gunsmith and mine did it for free since it was such a simple fix hasnt jammed yet he'll my mosin nagant has more problems feeding then this
i have a mini 14 and a couple of ar-15 and i absolutely love my mini! i think its more fun to shoot than the ar's (recoil is a little snappier/shorter so there is not that long push that ar's normally have). this all being said i wouldnt say the mini is superior to ar's but on par with. the mini is is not a battle rifle, as battle rifles are generally chambered in 7.62X51 or other similar cartridges, but more along the lines of a tactical carbine. you dont have the customization that ar's have and you have to worry about vertical stringing if you shoot fast or a lot, the barrel clamp helps with that problem. but i would not discount the rifle it still shoots accurate enough to stop a threat or take medium sized game and is very reliable i shoot steel cased ammo through it all the time and have never had a stoppage (knock on wood!).
hawks, where have you been? the m16 and the ak74 are 5.56 mm rounds. and they are both main battle rifles.
hi, if you remember the mfr and part name of the bipod attachment? Thinking of a magpul M-lok 7 slot rail, the dimensions look close for the thickness of the mini14 wood stock and would recess the nuts . your way seems easier
I had one once. Put a bipod on it like you said in the video and it eventually broke the stock and fell off. The wood is very thin under the barrel on the mini 14.
That is horrible to hear this one has been on this Mini 14 for several years now it has been used for thousands of rounds going prone and all the other things and has not had a problem yet I'm definitely sorry to hear about your gun though
I own a mini 14 ranch.
plain Jane. Wood and blued steel. like all my guns.
thinking of installing an stabilizer bar. accustrut or Mo Rod?
any opinions ?
I would appreciate some feedback. ( advise. )
my opinion, Google a forum about it.
I have a mini 14 ranch rifle. PURCHASED from my son .Have never regretted it from day one.
I definitely think you cannot regret a mini-14 they are definitely my favorite rifles
So one thing I have always been curious about. I have seen so many hunting/sniper/battle rifles with good long range scopes, but there is still a front sight on the barrel... Is there a reason for this? Is there a kung fu shooting technique that I don't know about that allows the front sight to be used even though it is blocked by the scope?
Have you wondered why nobody has commented on your comment lmao. It's a battle rifle dude. Do you have any common sence at all. All ways keep your iron sights on your rifle in case of a malfunction with your optics. In a pinch you can simply remove the defective or malfunctioned optic n have your iron sights still in place. That's with any rifle. Optics are all fragile n can easily be messed up. Think about it.
the question, the mags on my mini 14 won't stay locked in place how do I adjust that so the magazines stay in until i release
I love mini 14 rifles. In my 60s carried an m16 in the USMC own ar platforms. I put the mini above them all
I've been using the 20 round steel Promags in my Mini 14 and have had zero failures with them.
Work like a champ in mine as well
I have an older model. Plan on getting a newer model. Just because I like both. Exalent firearms. Once you have the peep sights set. Your good. No worries. I could be wrong. But I don't think it voids your warranty shooting steel ammo.
Where can I get a buttstock mag pouch like that for a 10 round 223/556 magazine for the mini 14? can't find anywhere.
Thank you. I'll look at it.
Thanks for the video...informative
My Mini-14 has never jammed or malfunctioned in anyway. I use 223 and 5.56, many different manufacturers. Great rifle!
That would be my experience also glad you like it thank you for the comment
Got a mini 14 on the way - finally. I like your channel - preppers are information hungry - at least I am - and a good intelligent (as in not whacked out) prepper source of information is much in need. I wish you success and I'll be a watchin' friend!
HAT IS A NICE SIZE MO ROD - CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT MAKE IT IS? Thanks
I know I'm really late but. Just curious Do you need the accu strut for the 580 plus series.
I think it helps in any of the guns including the 580 series but the other thing it does is it also works as a heatsink to take heat away from the barrel and then actually is well worth any amount of weight you added and with the actor extra added accuracy it's well worth it
This gun looks sooo heavy! Looks good though!
Just one thing. 10 round promags. Work pretty good. They were cycling tula ammo alright.
Where and how much was that bipod adapter? I was wondering if anyone knew if the HARRIS ENGINEERING Adapter - No. 14 Mini-14 works with the Accu Strut. LET ME KNOW PLZ!
lots of internet rumors seem to fly from people who have never owned (or often never shot) a mini 14.
i own both a mini 14 and an AR 15. both guns are great. and i hate to bust any bubbles here.....but i simply do not believe the AR is the superior gun, functionally speaking. both are great guns and worth having.
well done....the mini 14 is an awesome gun (coming from an actual owner).
+bartonhawk If you're familiar with Ian McCollum from the Forgotten Weapons channel, he and Karl Kasarda from In Range TV [I'm not sure if In Range is on TH-cam yet, he may still only be posting on Full30.com] did both a mud and a sand functionality test on an M1A, an AR-15, and a French MAS 49/56. The mud test was conducted by having Ian literally crawl through a mud puddle with each rifle then try to shoot it, whereas Karl conducted the sand test by shooting prone while Ian used an air compressor to blow sand at him. The 49/56 did fairly well (surprising for an open top, direct impingement rifle), the AR 15 performed surprisingly well in both mud and sand, and the M1A failed catastrophically after one round fired. They cleaned the rifle, test fired it, and tried it in the tests again, and again experienced a complete lockup of the gun after one shot fired. The culprit was the large number of exposed operational surfaces in the action; once mud or grit got into the op rod channel, the gun froze up. I suspect that given the similarity in action between the M1A/M14 and the Mini 14, that the Mini 14 would be prone to the same problems in truly sloppy field conditions. I also own both an AR and a Mini 14 and am not exactly disagreeing with you; just food for thought.
I love the mini 14 but I haven't bought one yet.
i like the mini 30 tactical for hog hunting in Texas but i still like the bushmaster AR -15 HB for target shooting a much more precise weapon.
Who does that barrel stabilizer bar on the front?
Mini’s after you throw 500 bucks into it are some of the baddest rifles you can obtain in 223/556. I constantly explode rabbits at 200 all the way to 300yards with a 1x6x24 glass.
For 5.56/.223 rifles, AR's are better than Mini-14's for one important reason only = Parts availablity. Mags are more available and cheaper. Spare parts are more available. The AR is more well-known as an accurate shooter too.
True "preppers" always need to keep accessibility to supplies and parts near the top of their SHTF plan. The AR-15 rifle system is more prevalent, in that most police departments utilize the system and we all know what our military uses too.
The only improvement that could be made on this gun, off the top of my head, is changing the design in order to accept mil-spec AR mags. If the Mossberg wasn't a bolt, and was semi-auto, the Mini would unfortunately become obsolete just for the fact the Mossbergs use standard AR mags. Only downfall of these. I'm also not sure about putting a scope on one. I probably wouldn't go much over 200 yards with it given its known lack of "pin point" accuracy (but it's not a sniper rifle either) so I'm not sure a scope is exactly appropriate. I like them for their "Minute of Man" accuracy and the ability to lay down lots of fire for those of us that appreciate a little bit more old school in our rifle and that awesome Garand type action.
Thank you for this upload. It is still very timely. It shows a number of useful additions to make the Mini 14 a useful battle rifle.
Like your videos, I have a 182 series any recommendations on scope mount
Mike Ojeda if you go on eBay you can find the aluminum scope mounts but I've had good success with and come in both sizes the one-inch in the larger
Great video.
A really good video! Thanks very much...
You're very welcome thanks for the comment
Who makes a trigger kit for the mini-14?
Being a mini owner this is a interesting video.
But if I pull pins and pop a new lower receiver on I can shoot other rounds like 6.5 Grendel or 300 blk I do need a new barrel for 300 blk but
I have to add a new barrel and lower and upper to fire a 308 or 7.62x39 it’s simple easy so I can pull pins and shoot longer range with more power
The 7.62s both need a different lower (AR10 & AK). AR15 lowers with different uppers include many calibers, just not those two.
great review sir,another point is price,the lower cost of the mini 14 allow more funds for extras, AR's and AK's keep going up and down in price depending on the political climate. thanks.
actually, you can purchase a ar15 platform wpn for around the same price as the mini 14. and the quality of both will be about the same.
Open letter to all that lurk in the comments:
It is not a battle rifle, if you think so, then the M2HB might as well be a light MG.
Battle rifles refer to standard caliber rifles, not intermidiate calibers. (Unless you like to call the MP40 a "battle rifle" because it had rifling and was used in battle.)
Now that's out of the way, the mini-14 is an okay weapon. It's not great, it's not terrible. It will not function well in sand, similar to how the beloved M1performed.
Modern day rifles use newer actions because they got more reliable. Modern day actions are also more accurate, contrary to popular belief, an AK can get 2 moa if built right.
Mini fanboys will never get the AC556 pressed into service.
M14 fanboys will never speak of the accurizing programs.
Ak fanboys will never admit that their design is not indestructable.
AR fanboys will never think that the Stanmag was a terrible idea.
Stop it.
is there a dovetail to mount a scope
got in trouble at a range one day using steel cased silverbear . not because that kind of ammo was banned at the range. but because the mini 14 rotary bolt was ejecting them so far they were landing on cars in the parking lot and i didnt notice lol.
Wow that's funny had the same problem on the range had to move to the last Stall.
Whatever floats your boat. The Mini 14 is a decent rifle, but that's it. A decent scope and sling floats my boat just fine.
A battle rifle is a select fire or semi-automatic military service rifle that fires a full power rifle cartridge, such as 7.62x51mm NATO. While the designation of battle rifle is usually given to post-World War II select fire infantry rifles such as the H&K G3, the FN FAL, or the M14. The term 'battle rifle' as a distinct class of firearms was coined largely out of a need to differentiate the true intermediate-caliber assault rifles (such as the M16 or SA80)
That's a great looking mini you've built there.
Thanks a lot appreciate it
@@tateabdon1 your welcome....I wish there was as much aftermarket support for the m1A and the mini 14 as there is for the ar15
I like this guy he knows his gun.
in reply to why would be need a barrel stabilizers they help with heat also but they do bringing the groups in on a new mini also
It turns a shotgun into a rifle.
+jdessell Best comment
Looks like you put a lot of thought into your rifle and the video, but I disagree that the Mini 14 is superior to the AR or AK in any capacity. For California-specific prepping/usage, it would probably win over the AK but still not be able to top the AR. The one and only real advantage with the Mini in CA is the lack of the need for a bullet button to be legal, but in a prepping situation I'm sure the AR guys will swap out the bullet buttons anyways and bust out the 30-round mags they "didn't" have.
For a prepping rifle you'd want commonality of parts and magazines, so if your rifle(s) goes down, you can salvage parts easily from other rifles of the same design. You also want something where the mags and ammo are everywhere, and the AR15 cannot be beat in both considerations. If you need a different caliber/optic/barrel length for a rapidly-changing need, you can easily swap upper groups with the AR15. If a prepper needs a rifle for defense in the all-so-common 5.56mm, but then needs to take deer or hunt, he can swap his defensive upper in exchange for a 6.5/6.8 upper instantly. A prepper can even invest in a 7.62x39 upper with mags so his AR can quickly be re-configured to shoot whatever of the two common ammo types he finds. For the Mini to do that you'd need two rifles; the Mini 14 and the Mini 30. If the prepper wants serious stopping power from his AR for whatever use he needs, he can even buy a .50 Beowulf upper and swap that out instantly. Maybe the prepper needs to go from a standard AR carbine to a SPR/long-range platform -he can also do this quickly. The options are endless for the AR but impossible on the Mini 14.
The AR15's design allows for the average dude to be able to be his own armorer -it's not hard to assemble or repair with basic tools. Stocking up on spare parts right now is cheap and easy, and in a WROL scenario, finding extra parts to stock up on spares or do repairs would also be the easiest of any rifle because it's the most common rifle in America. If you had to break contact and drop your empty mags in a gun fight, you wouldn't have to worry with the AR15 as much because replacement mags could be found pretty easily. If that happened with a Mini 14 you may have to return to the scene later or carry a different rifle if you don't have extras as finding more Mini 14 mags would be an issue if you didn't have some stocked away.
I can appreciate the Mini 14's gas system and Garand action, but a decent AR15 is very reliable as well and often times you can expect better accuracy with an AR15 compared to the standard Mini 14 -especially one with the old-production, shitty, pencil-profile Ruger barrels. Probably the worst part of the Mini 14 revolves around optics. Firstly, you are a slave to Ruger's proprietary ring mount system versus the AR15's universal 1913 pic rail upper. Secondly, when you've mounted a scope on a M1/M14/M1A/Mini 14 you have to address the height over bore issue -a cheek piece is a must for quick and consistent cheek weld with proper eye relief.
With regard to prepping, I look at the Mini 14 as an augmenting rifle. It's in the stockpile with its own set of mags and you give it to someone in your group who needs a rifle, but once it breaks down or you lose the magazines, it becomes a throw-away rifle.
Right now a brand-new Mini costs around $750. Add some magazines, a sling, and some ammo and you're at $1000. A brand-new Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport, for example, can be had for around $500 to $600 (especially on a sale). For much less money a consumer just bought into the most common rifle in America with plenty of money left over for mags, ammo, and training costs.
The Mini 14 is a good rifle in its own right, but for prepping it gets left behind.
+Mr2ndAmendment I'm not going to really argue the pros and cons of the two rifles, your point about the interchangeable uppers with the AR15 platform and possible calibers and the dozens of possibilities in the swapping of parts stands on it's own no doubt. The only thing that I've going to add is every AR15 I've ever owned was just plain junk, mags not fitting right, gun jamming, the bolt slamming into the magazine so hard that it split plastic mags and all the ammo just spit out the side into the dirt. I've owned roughly 20 different AR's from Colt and others, they wind up getting sold the moment they fail the 100 round test. The 2 rifles that went back to Colt were returned marked 'Owner Abuse', apparently, shooting your new rifle is owner abuse at Colt, this was decades ago. The gun store which has folded up years ago would not let me trade it in either. So I gave it up, years later after the Assault Rifle Ban sun stetted, the powers that be here in the 'peoples republic of new jersey' allowed the Colt Match target rifle to be sold... 1600.00 dollars,,,,,,, it sat on the shelf for 3 months before some sucker just had to have it. The first AR15 I bought was 375 dollars, and after using it for an after noon I really wanted that money back. The upper easily twisted away from the upper when slung up tight, then they came out with the frame pins. I don't know, but there's one thing I do know, if you pull out an AR in Jersey, some one writes down your license plate..... I read your points, and your points are well thought out, if I could ever find a AR15 that I could trust to empty it's magazine all the way I'd probably buy it.
+Al Fries You are living in the past my friend.. Ar15's gave come a long way... I can build you an ar15 that will empty 20 magazines without lube for under $1000 bucks.. come and get it..lol
+Al Fries No offense but you either don't know how to operate an ar-15 or you're a cheapskate buying 3rd-4th hand used beaters that have been shot out. It's difficult for me to make an ar-15 purposefully malfunction. This isn't Vietnam, even budget friendly brand new ar-15's are solid these days.
TLDR
What kind of bi pod is that ? I cant figure out where or how to find it!
$39 at Walmart get the small one.
i like this, but i gotta' have a foldable stock lol
I have a ranch mini and it is not a flat shooting gun maybe the target mini is with the heavy barrel , I think it is twice as accurate.
The only battle most preppers will ever have is getting up from the dinner table too late. They will lose that battle. I like Ruger products in general.
Well done ! You explain in my view , the relevant points of the Mini-14 and recommended upgrades very well ! Don't pay any attention to some of the negative comments below .
C'mon guys. What are we in grade school? No need to make fun of the guys weight just because you don't agree with what he has to say. Have some respect. If you're incapable of having an adult conversation or debate don't comment at all
For anyone viewing this & wondering if they should buy a Ruger or an AK variant (or even an AR) - consider the source ... I have the Ruger mini 30 - while I like it a good bit (American made cycles cheap ammo more or less), it has consistent failure to feed issues with the cheaper ammo, which is the main reason for buying a '30 over a '14. If I could return this one and buy a nice milled AK, I would.
Great video, new subscriber!
I'll stick with my rifles that can handle having the magazine touch the ground during use. Never seen a mini do well before.
My opinion is:
AR or AK, it;s up to you. I like the AR myself but I would be very satisfied with the AK.
Did you say arc of sighting?
Wow, just,... wow.
And if Bruce Jenner is wowed. I agree.
More accurate than an AR ? Lol I'm not hating on you bro but the first thing you need to do is drop your extra weight so you can function in a combat environment
Actually a "Battle Rifle" caliber is rated at 7.62.x 51 such as FN-FAL or 7.62 x 54r, Mosin Nagant 7.62 x 63, M1 Garand, 8mm Mauser, K98 as examples. But I get where you are coming from. Just a difference in nomenclature ;)
The Mini only makes sense with irons and a 20-round mag. Anything more is bad weight. As a fighting gun it is totally obsolete. Still great though for other uses.
The mini 14 is a copy of the US M1 carbine and named mini 14 for marketing or is it in fact a copy, a miniaturized M 14? This info or fact should be precise.