[smolensk]

I would prefer a Colt AR15, or a semi-auto M14 308, but the Rugers aren't bad, just not very accurate relative to the two above.

[Mulder]

You might want to stock up on .223 ammo as you get the chance.

All of the places I buy ammo online from are having trouble keeping both the "inexpensive, but good" (like American Eagle FMJ) and the "inexpensive" .223 ammo in stock.

[dep]

pipsqueak cartridge, alas. you want to make bigger holes in things. a good 12-gauge riot gun with rifle sights and loaded with 000 buck and rifled slugs alternately will be as effective over the ranges you're talking about as the mini, and will make much bigger holes.

dep

[Pete-R-Bilt]

I call the master of mini 14 ping

[ozzymandus]

I own a couple of Mini-14's, and I think they're fun little rifles. They wouldn't be my first choice for fending off rampaging hoards, but the .223 is interchangable with the NATO 5.56mm round, and has proven it's effectiveness, despite the gripes of those who never really got used to the idea of smokeless powder. Seriously, as long as your rifles are in good mechanical condition, you're as well armed as you'll ever need to be.

[Lurker]

The Mini will do just about anything you ask it to do.

Just remember to use bullets which weigh 55 grains or less. (the Mini-14 doesn't have the same barrel twist as the AR, so it doesn't stabilize the 62 grain bullets properly.) I actually recommend the Mini for folks who don't have 1500 bucks laying around for a rifle. You can buy 4 Minis for the price of a single AR and that's a bargain in my book.

Regards.

L

[Lurker]

The Mini will do just about anything you ask it to do.

Just remember to use bullets which weigh 55 grains or less. (the Mini-14 doesn't have the same barrel twist as the AR, so it doesn't stabilize the 62 grain bullets properly.) I actually recommend the Mini for folks who don't have 1500 bucks laying around for a rifle. You can buy 4 Minis for the price of a single AR and that's a bargain in my book.

Regards.

L

[DCBryan1]

Don,

Check out:

www.cole-distributing.com

If you are in driving distance, he has a "load the pickup truck special". I've bought over 300,000 just from him.

He's not the cheapest, but very honest and consistant.

IF there are any Israeli Industry 62gr. "Green tip penetrator" left, pick up AT LEAST a box of 1200!

For plinking and general stockpiling, get the 55gr russian crap....it beats using your fist or throwing rocks.

[copycat]

I chose the mini-14 after many threads like this one, and I am not terribly disappointed. It has little recoil and I am told the .223 round goes in like a pencil and comes out like an orange.

I bought the mini for me and a 10/22 for my 11-year old son, but once he fired the mini, he will never again be satisfied with the .22. He handles it well, too, due to minimal kick.

I think I'm going to step up to either a mini 30 (7.62x39) or an Enfield in .308 to get a heavier bullet.

[dbbeebs]

I've read that the mini-14s are about as good as AR-15s. Hi-cap magazine availability is a problem.
I shoot IMI .223 in my rifles.

[Joe 6-pack]

Any weapon is better than none, and Ruger is famous for reliability and quality. Those who decry the weakness of the 5.56mm have never been on the receiving end of one. I've never actually been deliberately shot at by one, but I've been in an arms room when an accidental discharge took place! I can honestly tell you that no one in the immediate vicinity stood there brave and tall, thinking..."oh well, it's just one of those pipsqueak 5.56's... Surely the round has less power than a 7.62, but I've never seen anyone voluntarily stand in the line of fire to prove that assertion.

Having said that, every weapon has its niche. I would far more prefer a 12 gauge pump or auto, or even a large bore pistol, in CQB situation. If you live in a remote rural area where you may need longer shots to defend your property, and will rely on the same weapon for the taking of game in a "balloon goes up," scenario, the Mini-14 would be hard to beat. All in all, it depends on one's comfort level, familiarity and ability to repetatively train with the weapon.

[mercy]

There are some really good reasons the 223 cartridge is used world wide for military use. Its fast. It is all you need to wound or kill a human being. The gun and shells are much lighter than heavier weapons. The cartridges commonly come in three different bullet weights. 64 grain soft points. 55grain soft points and fmj. and 47grain softpoints. The 47 grain softpoints are heading home at about 2200 fps. That's really fast. You can shoot at a walking or even running target and nail it between steps. Make sure the gun is sighted in with the weight bullet you plan to shoot. The difference in ballistic performance is significant.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

" Most people don’t even have to hear the crack of 2800 fps out the barrel to be impressed... "

[Drew68]

I had a nice stainless steel Mini-14 a few years back. I bought it with a pre-ban flash supressor. It was a beautiful gun and fit well in my hands.

It also jammed constantly, so I sold it for considerably less than my payment.

As it turns out, it was due to the magazines I was using. I had 5 identical USA 20 round magazines. I never tried the gun with any other types (much to my regret). I went on a usenet forum (rec.guns I believe) and brought up my delimma with the gun's propensity for jamming. Everybody responded by asking if I had been using USA magazines in the rifle. Turns out that those magazines had to be slightly modified to work properly.

I wish I had known that when I had the gun. I'd still have it.

[Destructor]

My Mini-14 suits me just fine! Thanks for asking.

[earlyapex]

While I prefer an AR15 as my sport utility rifle, I think the use of .223 rem (5.56x45) ammo has proven itself not only in combat, but in law enforcement as well. Many officers, non-SWAT included, are trading their remington 870s for AR15/M16 class rifles. Ballistically, the 5.56 round is much "safer" as well as more lethal in the urban/suburban terrain common to many local LE activities.

In essence, a 5.56 round (M193 or M855) will retain much less energy after passing through a sheetrock wall, and will penetrate many fewer sheets of drywall than a 9mm, let alone 00 or 000 buckshot or a slug. At the same time, as long as the projectile impacts with its (human) target at a velocity greater than 2700 fps, the bullet will fragment at the cannelure (sic) and tumble through tissue creating a much more dramatic permanent wound cavity than shotgun or pistol caliber ammunition.

So, its really the best of both worlds - less risk to neighbors and bystanders (overpenetration), and more reliably lethal to the target. That is certainly part of the reason that LE agencies are moving towards 5.56 caliber weapons over subguns.

Can't comment on the Rugers. Bill's advocacy of limited capacity magazines in the era leading up to the 1994 AW ban is enough to keep me from purchasing his products. ARs are proven in the field, have parts and accessories available from everywhere, and are typically more accurate than mini-14s, from what I've read.

Note that the properties of the ammunition listed above has been documented by a number of organizations, including Fackler & company in the Wound Ballistics Journal. It applies to military-grade M193 (55gr) and M855 (62gr w/penetrator) only, rather than applying generally to all 5.56 out there. Good luck..

[Dog Gone]

I love mine. I've heard accuracy is a problem, but I've never had a problem hitting a very good pattern at a distance. You can still get 30 round clips and that's plenty.

[BOBWADE]

The mini 14 is an excellent rifle but mag availability is questionable. The only mags I have found to be reliable besides factory are the Massen mfg and the thermold types. SWFA Inc carried the massen 30 rd mags for $30 each and they are as close to factory as I have ever seen. They function flawlessly just like the factory mags. They stopped advertising them a few months ago but still had some left this summer when I called. The plastic ramlines work but are flimsy. The thermold are nice but expensive and hard to find. good luck.

[unamused]

I have a Ranch Rifle, it is awesome...
If I need to "reach out and touch someone" at greater distances, I have an HK 91...
Perfect combo...

[Shaka]

They have post ban AR15's for about $700...they look great and shoot great. Name brands would be: Bushmaster, Rock River Arms,DPMS,FN,Olympic Arms...Colt has the name recognition "and the extra $$$" but the brands that I mentioned are just as good if not better. I have 2 AR's (Bushy 16" shorty and RR M4) and I absolutely LOVE them! After you fire them...you will be hooked! Ammo is relatively cheap...but the AR is WAYYYYYYYY above the Ruger mini's, as far as fun and "feel". Not to mention the "fear" factor when you see one come out of it's pouch. Just buy one...you'll be glad you did.