Every year or so, I think about getting a Ruger Mini 14. I also like the Mini 30 but I have heard they are not as reliable. Opinions?
The Mini-30 is reliable as long as you use Ruger OEM mags. I know of quite a few that will run steel case and brass case ammo flawlessly with Ruger OEM mags, but if you use a 3rd party mag, you'll have malfunction after malfunction after malfunction.Every year or so, I think about getting a Ruger Mini 14. I also like the Mini 30 but I have heard they are not as reliable. Opinions?
I actually have 2 Mini 30 mags for my Ruger American but they are 5 and 10 round capacity.The Mini-30 is reliable as long as you use Ruger OEM mags. I know of quite a few that will run steel case and brass case ammo flawlessly with Ruger OEM mags, but if you use a 3rd party mag, you'll have malfunction after malfunction after malfunction.
True - could probably get an AR 7.62x39 and save $200Mini 14 for me. Why are they so darn expensive, still?
I bought a Kriss Vector pistol, then bought a G21 and G41.I actually have 2 Mini 30 mags for my Ruger American but they are 5 and 10 round capacity.
Yep. Great rifle. Love ❤️ my Mini-14.The Mini-14 is nostalgia. It's a Garand (greatest Generations' rifle) receiver that looks like an M14 (the shortest serving small arm of the US military) and uses the current ammunition of the US military rifle caliber. Much as I don't care for the AR platform, I have to give it superior accuracy in general to the Mini-14 and are less expensive.
This is the one I had and as you stated 3MOA (didn't matter what ammo used). Also, there were a good number of aftermarket items available (it is a Ruger after all) and a strut installed on the barrel near the gas port was supposed to help increase accuracy. I think Ruger has worked on the accuracy issue and improved it but I'm pretty sure the AR platform still has superior accuracy over the Mini-14.If you want nostalgia, buy the Mini 14, the AC 556 semi auto version with the bayonet lug and flash suppressor. The earlier ones that various police agencies used in the late '70's would only give 3 MOA accuracy if that. Maybe the newer models are better but will never shoot as good as a FrankenAR.
If you get a Garand specialist to work on the trigger, that would make the gun more shooter friendly. While there was some aftermarket support back in the '80's and '90's, I doubt there is much today.
For what you get, they are too expensive IMHO.
Mini 14 for me. Why are they so darn expensive, still?