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Saw a Mini 14 today that was Sn 186 24xxx, judging by the code, rifle was made in 1993. The rifle was flawless, did not appear to have been shot. The shop is asking $569 for rifle and 5 mags (original, 2x20rds and 2x30rds). I've been wanting another gun and was thinking of a Mini 30 since I have an AK and SKS and ammo that I bought before prices went sky high. I do not have a 223 at this time and hoped that someone on this board could offer experience/advise as to buying this gun or spending a little more and getting an AR something? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe :unsure:

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i haven't heard ANYTHING good about the mini series from ruger being good, but then again i've never shot the gun myself, but if your gonna go .223, all depends what you wanna do with it, always do a galil convert with a saiga, or just get a real galil, or get a http://www.msarinc.com/home.html or a AR, or wait for bushmaster to release the magpul AR they are making, all depends what you wanna spend and how u wanna use it.....

 

edit: so far, the cheapest way to go on AR is to build one from what i've seen, or pick up a cheapo oly or DPMS for around 700 bucks, but the direct gas system will be out of service i hope, LWRC, POF, are gas piston systems, bushmaster is making one and colt is on the development table with one....

Edited by Vultite
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Stay clear of the Mini, unless you like uphill battles. Almost zero parts availability, hicap mags are hard to find, and expensive when you do. Plus, the Mini is overpriced for what it is, IMO.

 

I agree 100% with Vultite. I had a Mini 30 until about a year and a half ago. Sold it and bought some Saigas.

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get an AR instead or a another Saiga.

an AR over a mini 14 are you off your meds. also mini 30 and mini 40 are different mags people mini 14 mags are not that expensive cheaper than saiga high caps. do any of you actually own a mini 14? just wondering

Edited by motopilot1
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get an AR instead or a another Saiga.

an AR over a mini 14 are you off your meds. also mini 30 and mini 40 are different mags people mini 14 mags are not that expensive cheaper than saiga high caps. do any of you actually own a mini 14? just wondering

 

 

First, punctuation would help a lot. Second, factory Mini 14 20 round mags are going for ~$50 a piece. good luck finding 30's. Note I said factory. Yeah, you can get cheap aftermarket mags for the Mini 14, but they are notorious for feeding problems.

 

I am not sure what a .223 hicap mag costs. And yes, given every possible factor, I would get an AR over a mini. I forgot to mention that Mini 14's are not exactly know for their accuracy.

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get an AR instead or a another Saiga.

an AR over a mini 14 are you off your meds. also mini 30 and mini 40 are different mags people mini 14 mags are not that expensive cheaper than saiga high caps. do any of you actually own a mini 14? just wondering

 

 

First, punctuation would help a lot. Second, factory Mini 14 20 round mags are going for ~$50 a piece. good luck finding 30's. Note I said factory. Yeah, you can get cheap aftermarket mags for the Mini 14, but they are notorious for feeding problems.

 

I am not sure what a .223 hicap mag costs. And yes, given every possible factor, I would get an AR over a mini. I forgot to mention that Mini 14's are not exactly know for their accuracy.

i forgot this was fucking english class. well do what you will i know my mini has always done me right im not going to get into a pissin match with anybody about it thats all i have to say

Edited by motopilot1
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... or just get a real galil, or get a http://www.msarinc.com/home.html or a AR, or wait for bushmaster to release the magpul AR they are making, all depends what you wanna spend and how u wanna use it....

Those Microtech MSAR "Aug clones" SUCK, or hadn't you heard.

 

If you really want something like that, then you should wait a few months for the AXR from TPD. Check this website out: http://www.tpdusa.com/

 

This shit is were it is at!

 

 

 

:super: ..... :super: .............. :haha:

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... or just get a real galil, or get a http://www.msarinc.com/home.html or a AR, or wait for bushmaster to release the magpul AR they are making, all depends what you wanna spend and how u wanna use it....

Those Microtech MSAR "Aug clones" SUCK, or hadn't you heard.

 

If you really want something like that, then you should wait a few months for the AXR from TPD. Check this website out: http://www.tpdusa.com/

 

This shit is were it is at!

 

 

 

:super: ..... :super: .............. :haha:

 

I haven't heard anything bad about the microstar, and i've never heard about the AXR, it does look good, whats the difference between the 2? other then micro sux?

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get an AR instead or a another Saiga.

an AR over a mini 14 are you off your meds. also mini 30 and mini 40 are different mags people mini 14 mags are not that expensive cheaper than saiga high caps. do any of you actually own a mini 14? just wondering

NIB mini-14s run pretty high 300-400 and the mags are expensive as crap.

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get an AR instead or a another Saiga.

an AR over a mini 14 are you off your meds. also mini 30 and mini 40 are different mags people mini 14 mags are not that expensive cheaper than saiga high caps. do any of you actually own a mini 14? just wondering

 

 

First, punctuation would help a lot. Second, factory Mini 14 20 round mags are going for ~$50 a piece. good luck finding 30's. Note I said factory. Yeah, you can get cheap aftermarket mags for the Mini 14, but they are notorious for feeding problems.

 

I am not sure what a .223 hicap mag costs. And yes, given every possible factor, I would get an AR over a mini. I forgot to mention that Mini 14's are not exactly know for their accuracy.

i forgot this was fucking english class. well do what you will i know my mini has always done me right im not going to get into a pissin match with anybody about it thats all i have to say

 

 

Not "fucking english class," but trying to read that shit you keep typing is giving me a headache.

 

This is more of a courtesy/netiquette thing

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Well I certainly appreciate all the input, did not intend to start WW3 :killer: (LOL). Deep down inside this old man has been a desire for a good AR15, so again thanks for the input.

 

The search begins. :unsure:

Joe

 

Get the AR... don't mess around with the Mini(s). I've owned a 14 and a 30 and sold them off about as fast as I bought them.

 

Now the 10/22... that's a good Ruger rifle!

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I own a stainless ranch mini-14 with a folding stock,3-9 power scope,and I love it!It's certainly accurate enough and REMEMBER it does NOT have a bull barrel so you cannot compare,apples to oranges.It will keep shooting when your AR15 has taken a dump on you and quit.As for mags,go to gunshows and you can find some good quality stainless steel mags that work well.I've even worked less well made mags to work well,as I adjusted the feel lips and that was all that was necessary.I would rather have one in my hand in combat than my AR15,truthfully!!!

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Minis are nice but I agree that GOOD mags are a BITCH to find unless you want the Ruger factory 20 at $50 each.

I posted in a pissing contest about this same thing at Calguns that same intel.

Nobody makes a good aftermarket 20 or 30 round magazine.

If you get one that works it's like gold.

I've had minis but I'd do an AR if I were to choose again.

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I don't own one but have been considering the 6.8mm. Given that, I do have friends that I consider to be "in the know" (folks who lived or died by their choice of armament) who love thier mini-14's. Did they do mods, or have them done, absolutely, but they still love them.

 

Finally, my advise is to stay the hell away from ProMag magazines. Might as well just throw your $$$ straight in the trash can...the mags you buy will end up there after hours of frustration anyway. I guess the question is whether you want your mags to work some of the time, or all of the time...I've personally seen this this with ProMag clips on more than one occasion, and not just for the Mini's. YMMV!

 

Edit - Ruger did do a revision to the mini somewhere around 2003 or so that addressed many of the accuracy issues. I don't have all the specs, but it was pretty much a complete rework that addressed many of the issues mentioned here. That said, most of the folks I know that have them, own much earlier models (albeit modified) and they still perform on par with the typical AR.

Edited by FLTF3
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Oh really? Well if they shit the bed, I'll post about it. I don't plan on shooting that gun much though. It isn't my favorite, and the ammo costs way too much money for how little bang it makes.

If ProMag's stuff works for you, that's great and you're going to save tons of $$$ on magazines compared to what I spend. We each buy those items that perform to our individual performance expectations. For me, I test every single magazine I buy before relying on it, regardless of manufacturer. And yes, I do expect a bang with each trigger pull out of the box, but with ProMag products, I just don't get those results even half of the time and that's not just limited to mags for the mini.

 

Beyond that, advice from others doesn't cost you a plug nickel, so feel free to ignore it.

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  • 1 month later...

my .0002 cents I've owned 7 or 8 ruger minis over the years mini 14 and 30 and I gotta tell you the ar-15 is worlds above any mini-14.......accuracy sucks on minis sorry just a hard fact.......and mini 14 factory mags are the only ones that work all the time and around here they are 40.00 each for factory mags. I own lots of rugers so I'm not prejudice.........cop out

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  • 2 weeks later...
Stay clear of the Mini, unless you like uphill battles. Almost zero parts availability, hicap mags are hard to find, and expensive when you do. Plus, the Mini is overpriced for what it is, IMO.

 

I agree 100% with Vultite. I had a Mini 30 until about a year and a half ago. Sold it and bought some Saigas.

 

 

I have 4 20rd ProMags for my Mini-14, they've only been fired a couple/three times each, but shit they work.

 

I also got some Pro Mag magazines and they're as good as factory mags which are overpriced. I don't know why Ruger won't sell hi cap magazines to the public. Presently the Mini-14 is overpriced and you can get a .223 Saiga for half the price.

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Edit - Ruger did do a revision to the mini somewhere around 2003 or so that addressed many of the accuracy issues. I don't have all the specs, but it was pretty much a complete rework that addressed many of the issues mentioned here. That said, most of the folks I know that have them, own much earlier models (albeit modified) and they still perform on par with the typical AR.

Yes, If I am not mistaken the revision concerned the 7.62x39 and the dimensions of the rifleing but I think this occured before '03. The original spec was .308, 7.62x39 is .311. Ruger switched to .310. This was the impetus for the claims of inaccuracy in the calibre. I have a mini .30 in stainless with the tapco dark earth fusion stock, psop 2.5-4.5x24 commie scope and a combo choate muzzle break/flashider and the mags are 30 round nickle plated and blued 20 rounders CDNN sells. The rifle is quite accurate , as much as any AK and have had no feeding problems at all. I prefer an AK and I do not know the magazine mfg. but I own several M1A's ,M-1's and am quite fond of that particular action. I generally avoid Ruger because of Bill Ruger's elitist unconstitutional views otherwise the gun is quite acceptable.

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+1 for getting an AR platform.

 

+1 for getting a .223 Saiga.

Recently my borther bought thr mini 14 target rancher model with bull barrel and a sweet thumb hole stock. it"s a tack driver out shoots my s-308 all day long. The high price mags arent any diffrent than paying 40 - 50 for a surefire or fbmg mag for the 308. But for the price he paid for the gun $800 he could have got 2 saigas.

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