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  • wade234

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    207
    Mechanicsville, MD
    Picking up a Ruger Mini-14 this weekend. Includes lots of ammo for practicing. This is my first "real" riffle. I have only had 22 and 9MM in the past (riffles, handguns). Already looking at accessories (wife going to kill me). Any tips or tricks with this gun? Thanks.
     

    SouthCo

    Active Member
    Nov 20, 2012
    322
    Very nice. I had been looking for a new one for a while but gave up as I could only find them online for $1100 or more. Where are you getting yours if you don't mind me asking?
     

    Watkins87

    Active Member
    Jun 4, 2012
    426
    Fort Washington, MD.
    Picking up a Ruger Mini-14 this weekend. Includes lots of ammo for practicing. This is my first "real" riffle. I have only had 22 and 9MM in the past (riffles, handguns). Already looking at accessories (wife going to kill me). Any tips or tricks with this gun? Thanks.

    YOU TOO?! I bought a DDM4 my first real AR :D and excited to shoot for the first time this weekend and bought some little cheap accessories to test out from Ebay (Holographic Sights, and still searching for nice Bi pod) and looking for .223/5.56 ammo and hopefully to get (buy) some from members of MDS

    Where are you shooting because I am just as excited although I have had the Rifle for 2 weeks :party29:
     

    wade234

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    207
    Mechanicsville, MD
    Someone posted yesterday that the The Tackle Box in St. Mary's county had 5.56 in stock at good prices. They also say Dick's in Waldorf get gun supplies Friday morning. Might be worth a look. I have been shooting at Fred's in Waldorf but now that MSAR is open in PG I might go there soon. I know Fred's had some .223 about 2 weeks ago because you have to buy their ammo to shoot there.

    I have always liked how the Mini-14 looks. Reminds me of my childhood watching the A-Team. Might get a tactical stock and flash suppressor (if wife approves) to give a different look every once in awhile (in addition to the wood stock).

    Have fun shooting.
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,156
    Carroll County
    Any tips or tricks with this gun? Thanks.

    Yes, stick with Ruger manufactured mags only (if you can find any at the moment).

    The ones made by National, John Masen, and other companies have about a 30% success rate in my experience. Meaning 1 out of 3 mags will work at all... the rest won't feed a single round into the chamber.

    Never had a single failure while using a Ruger mag.
     

    Watkins87

    Active Member
    Jun 4, 2012
    426
    Fort Washington, MD.
    Someone posted yesterday that the The Tackle Box in St. Mary's county had 5.56 in stock at good prices. They also say Dick's in Waldorf get gun supplies Friday morning. Might be worth a look. I have been shooting at Fred's in Waldorf but now that MSAR is open in PG I might go there soon. I know Fred's had some .223 about 2 weeks ago because you have to buy their ammo to shoot there.

    I have always liked how the Mini-14 looks. Reminds me of my childhood watching the A-Team. Might get a tactical stock and flash suppressor (if wife approves) to give a different look every once in awhile (in addition to the wood stock).

    Have fun shooting.

    I have a friend that lives mins from the tackle box, but I also hear places in VA has good stocks of ammo. I am antsy about buying some ammo and shooting my AR for the first time. Also customizing it. :D

    My wife is sitting over my shoulder everyday She see's me on the computer.
    Thank God for Ebay App on my phone :evilgrin3
     

    wade234

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    207
    Mechanicsville, MD
    Thanks for the information. It is coming with 3 20 round Ruger Factory magazines and the standard 5 round. I was looking online and there are some available for a price. I think 4 for now is good. I will keep my eye open for some more cheaper.
     

    wade234

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    207
    Mechanicsville, MD
    My wife would shoot me with the riffle, then run me over with my dirt bike and then she would take off in the new 5th wheel camper if I had an AR and started customizing. Too many toys to keep up with.
     

    eruby

    Confederate Jew
    MDS Supporter
    Yes, stick with Ruger manufactured mags only (if you can find any at the moment).

    The ones made by National, John Masen, and other companies have about a 30% success rate in my experience. Meaning 1 out of 3 mags will work at all... the rest won't feed a single round into the chamber.

    Never had a single failure while using a Ruger mag.
    + 1 on this. :thumbsup:
     

    Watkins87

    Active Member
    Jun 4, 2012
    426
    Fort Washington, MD.
    My wife would shoot me with the riffle, then run me over with my dirt bike and then she would take off in the new 5th wheel camper if I had an AR and started customizing. Too many toys to keep up with.

    :lol: Oh my Wife is with yours then on that note. She was fine with my pistol (there isnt much to customize). But this new AR, even my daughter is looking all suspicious about why I spend time hovering over "Daddys new toy" :innocent0
     

    Train Hard

    Member
    Jan 29, 2013
    14
    Congratulations on the mini 14! I agree, seems like overall recommendations is sticking with Ruger magazines. I have only had mine for a few weeks. I was able to purchase a excellent condition mini 14 LEO trade in from Lou at Shooter's Discount. My mini 14 has Stainless steel with black synthetic stock and flash suppressor.

    A good forum for Ruger mini owners:

    http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/
     

    BigT

    Large Member
    Dec 20, 2011
    285
    Hagerstown area
    I have a Mini 14 Tactical and love it.. I agree with the other posts about Ruger only mags, which will cycle even cheap Tula and WPA, some of the others will work reasonably well as long as you are shooting brass - in my experience...

    I have one of these mounted:
    http://www.midwayusa.com/product/54...moa-dot-with-integral-weaver-style-base-matte

    Works well enough for 100 yds and below..

    Good luck with yours, I chose mine because I wanted something different (seems everybody - except me - has an AR!) and they seem to have worked out the harmonics issue with the barrel in the recently produced ones..
     

    wade234

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    207
    Mechanicsville, MD
    The one I am getting is blued with a wood stock. It looks really nice as it is but I am thinking about getting a Tapco or ATI stock to change it up a little. Only really interested in adjustable not folding. I have the Tapco on my 10/22 so they would match but the reviews are not that good for the Mini-14 version. I like the standard wood stock with all the unknown restrictions floating around. Can look like a "hunting" or "assault" in a matter of minutes. Selling my Storm CX4 I just bought last month because it is on the AWB list. I don't want to deal with the restrictions.
     
    Ruger Mini-14 -Yes!

    Wade,
    I had a Mini-14 (.223) I bought in 1983; owned it for a long time, I put thousands of rounds through it. The one I have now is circa 1992, also lots of rounds through it. I left it alone (blued/wood stocks). It has soul. It feels good.
    When I was younger, I spent some time with M-1s and M-14s. I feel very comfortable with the Garand-style action. I just love my Mini-14.

    I am NOT an AR guy. Had one, got rid of it. I also have an AK, it's cool, but does not instill the confidence in me that the Mini-14 does.

    I've been thinking about getting another to put stocks/toys on, but probably not, that's what the AK has devolved into.
    I would like a Ruger Mini-30, but you can't find them.

    I respectfully recommend you resist the urge to put optics on it, and learn to shoot it with the (very good) peep sites that come with it.
    If you want even better peep sites, get some tech sites for it.
    http://www.tech-sights.com/

    Iron sites with a carbine are what the Mini-14 is all about. It may not be a 500-yrd tack-driver, but they are awesome carbines, and it's what I'm bettin' my life on when the SHTF.

    I saw factory (metal-blued) 20-rd mags for $24/ea at Cromwell Firearms.
     
    Last edited:

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I have a 1990's vintage Mini-14. While Ruger mags are the best option on these rifles, ProMag STEEL 20 round mags are a good second. They were going for $20 each two years ago. Plastic mags suck, 30 round non-Ruger mags are sketchy. Ruger 20 round mags were going for $29.99 and 30 round mags were going for $39.99, direct from Ruger. The 30 round Ruger mags take a couple of uses to break in. They're practically indestructable, steel construction is better than aluminum AR mags. The ATI stock helped in the accuracy department versus the wood stock.
     

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