And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Had the stainless ranch rifle, really needed a flash suppressor, particularly running mil spec 5.56 thru it. Really handsome weapon, traded it for a Desert Eagle back when they first came out. Now that pistola could really use a flash suppressor!
Like me a full wood stock mini 30, blue steel, but chambered in .300 Black Out, that would be a sweet thick country deer rifle. Been using an AR in .300BlkOut last few years, its a great deer hunting caliber, one shot and done, i like old fashioned wood stocks, might try re-barreling a blue steel mini if I can find one cheap enough.
309 BLK "pistol" with a suppressor and a thermal scope has harvested me many, many pigs the past few years in some thick, thick areas. And still not really denting the herd much...
The problem with the Mini has always been that rounds are addressed "to whom it may concern" beyond about 100m, and the more you shoot it, the worse it gets.
Had one, and they're fun, but other than a coyote truck gun, the only reason I'd get one would be to give it away to someone with no rifle.
The AR platform, by contrast, is get-it-done from pistol to heavy-duty precision, in multiple calibers, depending on which Lego bits you plug in, of which there are 10,000.
But the .45 is nice.
This is just a Hannibal Hayes A-Team flashback pic.
I've had two mini 14s that came out of the box shooting 8" paper plates full of holes at better than a 100 yds. They will do that for as long as I wish. Never got into shooting 1/4" flat washers and stuff like that. These suit me just fine.
There was supposed to be a gunsmith in Colorado who was real good at making the Mini more accurate. Wonder if the political climate there now has made him pack up and move.
I have my Dad's stainless side folder Ranch 5.56. I did not like that stock so I got a featherweight thumbhole stock, I am not into A Team. Dad had changed the barrel to correct the harmonics problems the early 80's Mini's had. It became a tact driver. The 5.56 that makes the most of the round.
With the scope, it is a sub-MOA rifle. With me at my prime it was a sub-2 MOA with iron sights. I am all scope now. I will grab it before I grab the 5.56 AR.
The Mini-30, not so much. It did not like steal ammo and was picky on brass ammo. It would get hot quickly which would cause jams. The 7.62x39 ran out of steam at 300-400 yards. It was on of the bad side of "the worst rifles I have owned"
I would like a 6.8 SPC in the Mini platform. They made a few and it has become a boutique rifle caliber. The ammo is never in stock in the brick and motor stores and can be only purchased on-line for $1+ per round when it was half that when SPCII came out.
Experience limited to 3 Mini-14s. The early '70s version couldn't hit a B-27 target at 100 yards. A late '80s one (scoped) could keep most of a magazine inside 10" at 100 yards. Last one made about 2020 and is as accurate as any AR I've fired.
Had an early 80's 187 series 5.56 that was a tack driver. Unfortunately someone else thought they needed it more and it disappeared. Replaced it with a mid-90's 188 series stainless model that couldn't put the rounds on the side of a barn. In factory condition, it was extremely over-gassed and would throw brass 40 feet - literally. Tightened things up a bit with an adjustable gas block and barrel stabilizer, but still can't group as well as I would like. I'm tempted to try a current model in 5.56 or 300 BO, but don't want to fall for a "fool me twice" situation.
I had a late 70's blued and stainless. Grouped just like Aesop says. I was SO dissapointed, I wanted a mini M-14 SO bad. I still love the idea of it though. The AR is too easy to deal with, to consider going back to a mini 14, even if it was a tack driver. Plus, nowadays, they're too pricey. Here in Nashville, you can get upgraded, entry level AR's for as little as $350, at one of the pawn shops. I'm not a name brand snob. I put my money in the barrel and bcg...and good enough optics because I'm old and blind. I first shot an AR-15 in Sept. '69. Air Force Basic, AF bought them early, because Gen. Curtis LeMay ran into Stoner at a BBQ in Texas and shot a watermelon with it. My 1st one, I bought from a San Diego county mountie, for $300 in 1973. It was like new and had a 4 digit ser. no. I kick myself for selling it, though, A San Diego city cop friend talked me out of it around the early 90's. When he got to $1500, my emotional attachment slipped away.
0 for 2 on that call. Despite their history there's no way I'd consider a 1911 a "get it done" firearm. Swap that out for a Glock 10mm. As far as the rifle, certainly not a Mini-14. As much as I like some of my AR's, my true SHTF rifles are a pair of AK's.
Mini-14 with a folding stock and pistol grip.
ReplyDeleteNow I want one.
I may or may not have one of each, in stainless even. I had to check my safe to see if they were still there!
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, the stainless Mini-14s tended to crack sooner than the blue steel. Dunno if that's changed.
ReplyDeleteHad the stainless ranch rifle, really needed a flash suppressor, particularly running mil spec 5.56 thru it. Really handsome weapon, traded it for a Desert Eagle back when they first came out. Now that pistola could really use a flash suppressor!
ReplyDeleteLike me a full wood stock mini 30, blue steel, but chambered in .300 Black Out, that would be a sweet thick country deer rifle.
ReplyDeleteBeen using an AR in .300BlkOut last few years, its a great deer hunting caliber, one shot and done, i like old fashioned wood stocks, might try re-barreling a blue steel mini if I can find one cheap enough.
309 BLK "pistol" with a suppressor and a thermal scope has harvested me many, many pigs the past few years in some thick, thick areas. And still not really denting the herd much...
DeleteHeard that. Love wild piggy, superbly good eating up my neck of the woods, (WV), they haven't populated the area like say in Texas.
DeleteFor any Mini-14 fans that liked that A-Team folding stock, Samson industries is selling licensed OEM versions of them.
ReplyDeleteUsed to watch A-Team reruns every day when I was homeschooled in the 90s. Always thought this rifle was the coolest.
DeleteThe problem with the Mini has always been that rounds are addressed "to whom it may concern" beyond about 100m, and the more you shoot it, the worse it gets.
ReplyDeleteHad one, and they're fun, but other than a coyote truck gun, the only reason I'd get one would be to give it away to someone with no rifle.
The AR platform, by contrast, is get-it-done from pistol to heavy-duty precision, in multiple calibers, depending on which Lego bits you plug in, of which there are 10,000.
But the .45 is nice.
This is just a Hannibal Hayes A-Team flashback pic.
I've had two mini 14s that came out of the box shooting 8" paper plates full of holes at better than a 100 yds.
DeleteThey will do that for as long as I wish.
Never got into shooting 1/4" flat washers and stuff like that.
These suit me just fine.
Yeah, I have owned three, one in blue, one in stainless, and one folding stocked stainless.
DeleteNone were better than about 6 MOA, and that just don't cut it for me.
If you are shooting man sized targets at no more than 100 yards, then yeah, it is ok, but for any longer range, they are pretty much useless.
There was supposed to be a gunsmith in Colorado who was real good at making the Mini more accurate. Wonder if the political climate there now has made him pack up and move.
DeleteBoom? Boom Boom? Boom Boom Boom?
ReplyDeleteI have my Dad's stainless side folder Ranch 5.56. I did not like that stock so I got a featherweight thumbhole stock, I am not into A Team. Dad had changed the barrel to correct the harmonics problems the early 80's Mini's had. It became a tact driver. The 5.56 that makes the most of the round.
ReplyDeleteWith the scope, it is a sub-MOA rifle. With me at my prime it was a sub-2 MOA with iron sights. I am all scope now. I will grab it before I grab the 5.56 AR.
The Mini-30, not so much. It did not like steal ammo and was picky on brass ammo. It would get hot quickly which would cause jams. The 7.62x39 ran out of steam at 300-400 yards. It was on of the bad side of "the worst rifles I have owned"
I would like a 6.8 SPC in the Mini platform. They made a few and it has become a boutique rifle caliber. The ammo is never in stock in the brick and motor stores and can be only purchased on-line for $1+ per round when it was half that when SPCII came out.
Experience limited to 3 Mini-14s. The early '70s version couldn't hit a B-27 target at 100 yards. A late '80s one (scoped) could keep most of a magazine inside 10" at 100 yards. Last one made about 2020 and is as accurate as any AR I've fired.
ReplyDeleteHad an early 80's 187 series 5.56 that was a tack driver. Unfortunately someone else thought they needed it more and it disappeared. Replaced it with a mid-90's 188 series stainless model that couldn't put the rounds on the side of a barn. In factory condition, it was extremely over-gassed and would throw brass 40 feet - literally. Tightened things up a bit with an adjustable gas block and barrel stabilizer, but still can't group as well as I would like. I'm tempted to try a current model in 5.56 or 300 BO, but don't want to fall for a "fool me twice" situation.
ReplyDeleteI had a late 70's blued and stainless. Grouped just like Aesop says. I was SO dissapointed, I wanted a mini M-14 SO bad. I still love the idea of it though.
ReplyDeleteThe AR is too easy to deal with, to consider going back to a mini 14, even if it was a tack driver. Plus, nowadays, they're too pricey. Here in Nashville, you can get upgraded, entry level AR's for as little as $350, at one of the pawn shops.
I'm not a name brand snob. I put my money in the barrel and bcg...and good enough optics because I'm old and blind.
I first shot an AR-15 in Sept. '69. Air Force Basic, AF bought them early, because Gen. Curtis LeMay ran into Stoner at a BBQ in Texas and shot a watermelon with it.
My 1st one, I bought from a San Diego county mountie, for $300 in 1973. It was like new and had a 4 digit ser. no. I kick myself for selling it, though, A San Diego city cop friend talked me out of it around the early 90's. When he got to $1500, my emotional
attachment slipped away.
0 for 2 on that call. Despite their history there's no way I'd consider a 1911 a "get it done" firearm. Swap that out for a Glock 10mm. As far as the rifle, certainly not a Mini-14. As much as I like some of my AR's, my true SHTF rifles are a pair of AK's.
ReplyDeletehad that mini, not accurate.
ReplyDeleteAnd heavy.
ReplyDelete