Ruger M-14/5

[LukeL]

Just purchased a brand new in the box Ruger M-14/5 with a synthetic stock and brushed steel finish from the Assault Weapons Ban era, (circa 1999) got it for $460.00

Just wondering from all the experts here if I got a good deal and what kind of accesories I should get and how to go about properly cleaning it amongst other things.

[Mr. Mojo]

Seems like a decent deal. Now get a few 30 round mags for that thing and you’ll be in business.

[KoRn]

Mini’s are good guns, but I’d rather spend a few more dollars and get an ‘AR’ type rifle. Make it your next purchase, if you don’t already have one you will see exactly what I’m talking about. I myself started out with a Mini 14 and a few months later bought an AR15, and then another AR15. I haven’t shot the Mini 14 since I bought the first AR15.

[hiredhand]

IF you're going to even consider using it for home defence, get two things.

1. A good weapons light with a remote switch. I personally like Pelican, but there are others.

2. Low/No light sights. These can be Tritium or electronic (or combo as in the case of the Trijicon ACOGS). In ascending order you should consider the Eotech 550 series, the AimPoint Comp-M series, and then the C-More Railway sights.

Some time back, I took the same advice I just gave and didn't TRULY appreciate it until I had to get up in the dark and deal with "unfriendly" things one night. :-)

Seriously though...after learning to appreciate "viewable" sights and a good light, I'd duct tape a Maglite onto a weapon and scotch tape LEDs to front and rear sights if it meant HAVING them!

I'm sorry I don't have any practical experience with the Mini, so what I said was fairly generic.

[NorCalRepub]

.......or even better....with those few more bucks get an Springfield M14 or M1A1.....rather have the battle rifle then the assault rifle....but have a buddy with both Mini and AR 15.....the AR is the awesome for sure but the mini is fun to shoot and Ruger’s last forever......

[hiredhand]

I've heard similar comments from others before about Minis. What don't you like about them?

Also, do you know much about the Armalite AR-180? My daughter has started shooting an AR-15, but "thinks" that she wants the AR-180. I just don't know much about them, other than a little that I've read.

[TaxPayer2000]

what? no picture?

[LukeL]

[oyez]

You mean like one of these. I've tried a scope, a lazar sight and a red dot sight. I like the red dot the best. I decided to keep the original stock so I would have least one rifle with out the "aggressive" furniture.

Rock on!

[Squantos]

http://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/index.php

These ole boys can MAKE it shoot well but by the time yer done you could have a high dollar flat top match grade beanfield AR series or M1A super match IMO.

I have a original folder Mini-14 and a basic ranch rifle in the safe..........holding it down. Waiting for the lotto to send the ranch rifle to the link above.....:o)

[oyez]

$460.00

That is a really familiar price for a Mini.

[endthematrix]

I have one. Use it for what it is - a general purpose gun. Find a good light mount, then an optic. Don’t spend on trying to get better accuracy that what it shoots stock. Your better off saving for a target shooter. As for ammo, the lighter stuff has devastating ballistics. The twist IIRC is 9 or 10:1 and some 62gr may stabilize and get better groups. Some are fitting scout scopes on Minis for quick shots. I have night sight ghost type irons but thinking that a low 1-5X would be fine.

[Dumpster Baby]

The main problem with the Mini-14 is loss of accuracy as the barrel heats up - very expensive to fix. The worst problem is that most of the aftermarket magazines are pure junk. Ask me how I know. The big magazine ban caused the market to be flooded with a lot of junk magazines for all kinds of guns, and those junkers will be floating around for the next 250 years. Find a Mini-14 forum, or several, and read up on magazines and barrel warping. Other than that it’s a good short to medium range bullet hose for self defense purposes. It is NOT a varmint rifle for small targets beyond about 50 yards.

[KoRn]

".with those few more bucks get an Springfield M14 or M1A1.."

I went a similar route and bought an H&K91 with a PSG1 trigger group. I love it! Dammed trigger pack cost almost as much as the rest of the gun. lol The selectable 1lb trigger pull is nice.

[KoRn]

"What don't you like about them?"

It's not that I don't like the minis. I just much more prefer the AR type weapons. They are built in such a way to where they are great for plinking, accurate target shooting, and applications for certain defense scenarios. Lots of accessories are also readily available. They are also just dammed cool looking. :p

I will also add that the AR handles better(to me anyway), handles heat much better, has a thicker more durable barrel, and is better mechanically

[hiredhand]

I went to that site and drooled over the custom Rem M-700s. :-) I REALLY like those rifles and have kept at least one since I was 16.

I NOTICED that these guys can install a better bbl on the Mini-14. I've heard people complain about the barrels before. ...something about them getting hot too fast.

[VR-21]

Until this year, Mini-14's had 1:12 rifling, and will not stabilize a 62+gr. bullet worth a damm. Your best bet for acceptable accuracy will be with 53-55gr. bullets. Also, the barrels are relatively thin, and that combined with the heavy triggers bear out what the others have told you about expecting match accuracy from the rifle. Once the barrel warms up, group size will expand. It's good points are ruggedness and reliability. They are what a friend of mine categorized as "intersection guns."

Shoot safely and responsibly.

[NorCalRepub]

......1 lb trigger pull....damn, don’t sneeze at the wrong time....LOL

[hiredhand]

I understand. I'm no great fan of the .223 Rem, but I'll have to say that an AR-15 with a collapsable stock, or "stubby" stock is much more useable than a Mini with a fixed stock. At one time, I had people with shorter arms in my house and the fact that we could acquire shorter stocks for the ARs was a great advantage.

I'll have to say though that I'm not all that fond of the AR's "craps where it eats" gas system. It introduces unnecessary heat and propellant debris into the receiver.

Even so..and having said all that...we used to run a small and private CQB course here on our property and the ARs rarely malfunctioned, even when they were hot enough to burn skin.

HOWEVER, we bought a quantity of Russian made Wolf .223 ammo a couple of years ago and it had noticeably less "bang" than other ammo we had on hand at the time. The ARs that we have malfunction about 25% of the time on this Wolf ammo. It's steel cased with the laquered finish. ...you know the stuff I'm talking about? I've got a friend with an AK (of some type) that's chambered for the .223 though and he says that it digests any and ALL .223 ammo! That doesn't surprise me though from what I've read about the AK. :-)

[PzLdr]

Old mini 14s are not all that accurate [Ruger’s tightened accuracy on the 14s with serial numbers starting with 5s].

I own a Colt AR 15 H BAR [I actually prefer the old M 16 I carried in the ROK in ‘68-69, and the one I had in ‘Nam in ‘71. Don’t know anything about the Armalites.