Got new rifle today! Mini-14!

[TaurunumBoys1987]

I got this today, it's not bad. It was on sale. Here is some quick picks I took:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/AndrijaS/DSC03093.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/AndrijaS/DSC03094.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/AndrijaS/DSC03097.jpg

[Hollis]

A ranch model is very nice indeed. Thanks for showing.

[TaurunumBoys1987]

No problems! Sorry for ****ty pics!

[ABNINF]

Those are fun guns, enjoy it

[TaurunumBoys1987]

I have heard they have problems with overheating is this true?

[jeffe]

Over the years I have had two Mini-14s. One blued steel and the other stainless. Both were utterly reliable and reasonably accurate. Heat shouldn't be a problem unless you put 120-150 rounds through it quickly. The wooden stock does a better job of insulating your hand from the heat than steel, aluminum, or plastic IMO.

[kamarian]

A friend had one of these years ago and they are a fantastic rifle to shoot! Light, Accurate, reliable. I used it as a plinking gun as i has a couple of SLR's as well.

[uglybaby]

My dad just bought a ranch rifle in stainless. All we have to do is change out the stock to a folder and he's got the A-Team rifle. Pretty fun to shoot.

[StukaJr]

PerfectUnion has perhaps the most incluisive Mini community:

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86

Not to point you off this forum of course :D

If it's a recent manufacture Mini (within 2 last years) your rifle should be capable of under 2" groups at 100 yards out of the box. If it's an older model then it can be more like 4-6" (don't worry as there are ways of fixing that).

I'm no authority on Mini's, but Mini's barrel is too thin to be this long, its stock is little loosey (remove trigger guard and see if your receiver has side to side play) and that will give you fliers, it may fling brass into the next county or may not, its maybe pushing too much gas to cycle the action and it just maybe some addictive fun to plink with :D

Mini's benefit best from bedding the stock - a competent gunsmith can do this for 40-50 bucks, properly. I would get a Wolff spring and look around for tighter bushing set for your gas system - majority of the factory Mini's used to need to have the system over-torgued. I had my barrel cut and a heavy muzzlebrake installed - helped with barrel whip, some people install a strut system, made out of a steel rod that is clamped on by two barrel mounts - just do a search on Accu-strut.

It maybe a little overwhelming, but I'd first take it to the range and see what your impressions are - it just may be a capable shooter right out of the box.

[John Crighton]

My dad has one. At 100 yards I have seen him hit squirels with it. Personally, I can not hit the same planet I am on with it. To me it recoils 10X worse than my Mauser which I can handle just fine. I guess it is all in the person who uses it. The rifle is very reliable and yes the thin barrel heats up if you really let the lead fly, but it wasn't made for that so it is a non-issue.

[Fraccy]

That is one very nice looking rifle.

[StukaJr]

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5600/beginningbo3.jpg

This is the state my Mini was about a week ago - I'm currently elbows deep in sanding out and refinishing the Hogue Stock.

Trigger Job, shortened barrel with permanently attached mbrake to make it legal length, Ultimak Rail (helps accuracy but you no longer have a safe place to place fingers high on the handguard), 24/7 Tritium front post, AR appeture adjustable rear ring, bedded hogue stock, tighter gas bushing, Wolff recoil spring and recoil buffer pad (which turned into consistency of burnt eraser after 1500 + rounds). Set me back additional 400 for all of the goodness - in PRK, it's worth it since other than M1A that's all the fun stuff one is allowed to have.

It gets HOT! Looking for additional means of heat sinking. It's LOUD, but almost no muzzle flip - what little recoil there is - it goes straight back. My brass makes neat piles 3-4 feet to my 2:30 woot

I hope LaWorkerBee will chime in with his Mini experience...

[Laworkerbee]

I hope LaWorkerBee will chime in with his Mini experience...

Bah see ing your sexy rifle reminds me of my piss poor performance with it 2 weeks ago, I'm scaling back what I wanted to have done to my Ruger now.

I'm keeping my original sights ( they work damned good for me ) I'm going to add the compensator, tighter gas bushing, a Wolff recoil spring and have the trigger reworked, and of course I'm going to add your bitchen stock!

[StukaJr]

Bah see ing your sexy rifle reminds me of my piss poor performance with it 2 weeks ago, I'm scaling back what I wanted to have done to my Ruger now.

I'm keeping my original sights ( they work damned good for me ) I'm going to add the compensator, have the trigger reworked, and of course I'm going to add your bitchen stock!

Well, my original sight was not much to speak of - it was a straight blade kind, which believe it or not, was harder to hit things with than my current one. Your sight is the "smart" one.

I'm realizing that my sights might be off as I never really took time to properly sight them in - something I never got around to doing and must have forgotten about... I'm beginning to quiestion the fact that I get nothing but closely positioned "misses" on my target at 100 yards - led me to realizing I never sighted the bugger in! My life is becoming like "Memento" - I need to start tattoing backward reminders on my chest :D

I'm picking up some polyurinate (or whatever) paint this weekend - gonna make an honest attempt at painting the stock with my Airbrush... The Hogue stock responds well to a hot screwdriver and sandpaper - I'll post updates in my previous post on the matter.

[Laworkerbee]

Haha @ the momento comment!

I shot high with your rifle ( for which I blame myself ), you on the other hand were hitting steel consistantly. I still think you need to add am AIMPOINT just to act as a heat sink and the of course for the sexy factor :)

[StukaJr]

Haha @ the momento comment!

I shot high with your rifle ( for which I blame myself ), you on the other hand were hitting steel consistantly. I still think you need to add am AIMPOINT just to act as a heat sink and the of course for the sexy factor :)

I'm thinking EOTech would be better suited woot

Used to have an Aimpoint - loved it!

[Laworkerbee]

I'm thinking EOTech would be better suited woot

Used to have an Aimpoint - loved it!

A.) which would look sexier ( see I have my priorities straight :) )

B.) how much more effective is the EOTech, I've never used one.

C.) which unit costs more?

[Seraphim]

A.) which would look sexier ( see I have my priorities straight :) )

B.) how much more effective is the EOTech, I've never used one.

C.) which unit costs more?

A.) Both look good to me. p-)

B.) Depends on what you mean in effective. Battery life goes to Aimpoint by a long shot but that is because the two units use different technology. Personally I like the donut of death.

C.) Aimpoint Comp M3 is more than EOTech 552.

[Laworkerbee]

I need to try one of those out, thanks for the heads up Seraphim.

Price: $429.99

http://www.impactguns.com/store/media/eotech_550_aa.jpg

Night vision compatible
Waterproof to 33 feet
1100 hours battery life
Uses AA lithium, alkaline or rechargeable batteries
5" (131mm) Overall Length
Reticle is 6.5 MOA ring w/ 1 MOA dot

[Hollis]

I need to try one of those out, thanks for the heads up Seraphim.

Price: $429.99

http://www.impactguns.com/store/media/eotech_550_aa.jpg

Night vision compatible
Waterproof to 33 feet
1100 hours battery life
Uses AA lithium, alkaline or rechargeable batteries
5" (131mm) Overall Length
Reticle is 6.5 MOA ring w/ 1 MOA dot

There are less expensive halos sights that are real nice. Great for civilian consumptions. usually around the $200 -250 range.

[Laworkerbee]

There are less expensive halos sights that are real nice. Great for civilian consumptions. usually around the $200 -250 range.

Any examples you have had a good experience with?

[ToyotaF1Fan]

Get an EOTech, they are headquartered in MI and we need all the business we can get right now (stupid big 3).

Jon

[StukaJr]

Any examples you have had a good experience with?

I've played around with Gen 1 Kobra sights and wasn't too disappointed - then I hear that the latest Gen Kobra offerings are like night and day in quality. www.kalinkaoptics.com has them for $199 and delivery was pretty quick and no BS. Adjustable reticle brightness and type, certainly has better survavability against hardships of elements and harsh treatment.

[Laworkerbee]

I've played around with Gen 1 Kobra sights and wasn't too disappointed - then I hear that the latest Gen Kobra offerings are like night and day in quality. www.kalinkaoptics.com has them for $199 and delivery was pretty quick and no BS. Adjustable reticle brightness and type, certainly has better survavability against hardships of elements and harsh treatment.

Is that the same model that Roman mounted on his AK-74, or was it a '47

GARY?

[StukaJr]

Is that the same model that Roman mounted on his AK-74, or was it a '47

GARY?

That's the one... I believe it was 1st Gen Kobra and it went through First Chechen Campaign... Ask Roman

He says, that's the one... and went through Chechnya... Hope that proves its durability.

I was originally planning to get Kobra, but situation requires me to acquire either an Aimpoint or EOTech - I'll tell you later about it.

[East Scout]

I hear a lot of krapp about the Mini..mostly from people that think they are Hoot.I have one and i like it..I have a folder stock on it..Its a late 70s version. Never had a problem yeat..

Enjoy your new weapon.

You can see mine in the corner here:

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m210/eastscout/dsc04106.jpg

ES

[Hollis]

Any examples you have had a good experience with?


I was trying to think of the one I have and a friend has, I think Bushnell makes a nice one. I am still a K.I.S.S. person, and I don't use that stuff. Maybe when My eyes get worse and that side of barn becomes a difficult target.

[Laworkerbee]

I was trying to think of the one I have and a friend has, I think Bushnell makes a nice one. I am still a K.I.S.S. person, and I don't use that stuff. Maybe when My eyes get worse and that side of barn becomes a difficult target.

Heh I hear you my man I'm all about iron sights as well, half the reason I and Stuka are considering these are for using them as heat sinks as much as point shooting.

[ToyotaF1Fan]

I was trying to think of the one I have and a friend has, I think Bushnell makes a nice one. I am still a K.I.S.S. person, and I don't use that stuff. Maybe when My eyes get worse and that side of barn becomes a difficult target.

The Bushnell is made by EOTech.

TF1

[Con-man]

I hear a lot of krapp about the Mini..mostly from people that think they are Hoot.I have one and i like it..I have a folder stock on it..Its a late 70s version. Never had a problem yeat..

Enjoy your new weapon.

You can see mine in the corner here:

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m210/eastscout/dsc04106.jpg

ES

Are those russian rifles from WW2 there as well? And nice collection too, you keep them by your bed? Is this in case the Russians start dropping from the sky? p-)

[East Scout]

Are those russian rifles from WW2 there as well? And nice collection too, you keep them by your bed? Is this in case the Russians start dropping from the sky? p-)

blow me

ES

[TaurunumBoys1987]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially StukaJr and Laworkabee. I am planning on taking it out to the range today so will so how it go's.

[Con-man]

blow me

ES

I'm joking mate, calm down.

[wormie]

how much do Mini-14's run?

[Laworkerbee]

how much do Mini-14's run?

I picked up mine for about $600.00 new but I live in Los Angeles where everything is marked up, better deals can be had as mine was a bit of an impulse buy.

Mine shot great right out of the box by the way

[ed316]

how much do Mini-14's run?

Here in Houston at Carter's country and Gander I seen them for between $400 and $550.

[martinexsquaddie]

I hate you all :)
even if we could buy self loaders the nearest full bore range is bisley making the whole activity fairly pointless
the ruc had a few mini 14s but mostly swapped them for hk53s a much more serious weapon