Mini-14 or M1 Carbine for home defense

[rickyrick]

I will add that I owned a mini in the late 80s and didn’t notice any accuracy issues. But if it did, I most likely thought it was me being inaccurate lol.
I have one of the first heavier barrel minis, bought new in 2009.
With cheap surplus/import ammunition it gets an honest 2-2.5” groups. With good ammunition, I can get cloverleaf groups if I don’t drink a lot of coffee or smoke a bunch of cigarettes beforehand (I quit cigs now).
Where the Mini14 shines is it’s reliability, the Mini14 is by far the most reliable semiautomatic rifles I’ve ever owned or used. I never used the cheap mags though.

The cons:
I do not like the rock-in magazines, you can miss the front pin.
It’s heavy for its size
Incredibly loud firing
Action is loud
Some people can’t get the bolt out of equipped with a scope
Proprietary scope mounting
Limited accessories, if you’re into accessories. Most accessories are cheesy
Has a pile driver as part of the op-rod so it affects rifle movements when firing a little.


It’s still my favorite rifle.

An option is a Mini30, just saying. 7.62x39 and I’m sure it’s across-the-living-room accurate.

[HiBC]

I have a GI carbine with a fake paratrooper stock on it. I gave my daughter a carbine for a personal arm. IMO,with Hornady Critical Defense ammo and fresh,quality,proven magazines, an M1 Carbine would be a good tool.

But would I pay today's price for an M-1 carbine? I like them a lot,but they don't seem a $1200 bargain to me. $350 would be more my price point. "Collectability" is,IMO,not a true value. (You may disagree,if its not my money we are spending)

When I paid $79 for an SKS carbine,and good ammo could be hadb for $69 per 1000,I could see that as a good "Volksrifle" that was versatile,effective,and,mine was reliable.

The M-4 clones are probably the practical bargain.

Nothing wrong with a Ruger Mini.

Accuracy is always nice,but in most situations,ranges over 50 yds are shaky when talking "self Defense" About any long gun,including a shotgun with slugs,can deliver SD accuracy (hostage rescue hero scenarios aside)

Pick what works for you,what you can afford,and relax. Picking some holy grail gun is a small percentage of being secure. Most of it is about things you can't buy.

[agtman]

The M-4 clones are probably the practical bargain.

Very true, especially when you can build an AR right now for between $400-$500. You can buy a factory new AR for not much more.

Nothing wrong with a Ruger Mini.

Ah, yeah there is.

First, Minis are historically inaccurate, and consistently less accurate than most of today's off-the-shelf ARs. Second, Minis are over-priced for what you get, as are their factory mags. Third, the critical parts of a Mini are all proprietary and pricey and waaay harder to source from Ruger - if you happen to need one or more of them - than any quality mil-spec part(s) for an AR.

[rickyrick]

My Mini14s have not been inaccurate.

Cost of Ammo consumption of any rifle quickly eclipses the cost of the rifle or its magazine.

You don’t get an aiming system with most ARs off the shelf.

The stock Mini14 trigger is better than an off the shelf AR.

$600-$700 isn’t much for a semiautomatic rifle. Many pistols cost more than that. They sell for the asking price. So that’s what they are worth.

Give me a break. If you want a cheap little rifle and can’t afford magazines get something else.
People insist on running cheap combloc ammunition through them then claim that they are inaccurate.
I like all of my ARs too, nothing wrong with a Mini14.

[rickyrick]

Little past 100yds walked off. Went a little past just to be sure.
Hornady 55gr varmint express
That was from a different rifle actually, trying to post on a break from work
The image I meant to post is below

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rickyrick]

And another resized lol

[agtman]

My Mini14s have not been inaccurate.

Huh? Dude, study the history of the firearm, and you'll get a clue.

Cost of Ammo consumption of any rifle quickly eclipses the cost of the rifle or its magazine.

Huh?

You don’t get an aiming system with most ARs off the shelf.

Huh? 'Aiming system?' Ah, yeah you do. They're called iron sights. Have 'em on all of mine. You really need to get out of the house more.

The stock Mini14 trigger is better than an off the shelf AR.

Not true ... Next:

$600-$700 isn’t much for a semiautomatic rifle. Many pistols cost more than that. They sell for the asking price. So that’s what they are worth.

Dude, focus. The market is the market, for ARs or otherwise. Right now, in terms of prices, we're in the middle of the 'Trump Slump' for most things guns-n-ammo related. That's just a fact - and especially for ARs in particular, but also AR mags and 223/5.56 ammo.

Give me a break. If you want a cheap little rifle and can’t afford magazines get something else. People insist on running cheap combloc ammunition through them then claim that they are inaccurate. I like all of my ARs too, nothing wrong with a Mini14.

Dude, focus ... Didn't say Minis were junk. They are, however, comparatively inaccurate and over-priced for what you get.

If you like Minis, that's fine.

But any reasonable buyer looking to spend the same level of dollars in the current 5.56/.223 semi-auto market will choose some make of AR over a Mini all day every day.

[rickyrick]

Lots of ARs do not come with sights.

Lots of ARs have crap triggers

My mini has its stock trigger, my ARs do not.

OP doesn’t want an AR

OP never mentioned having a limited budget.

Mini14s are reliable and look nice compared to other choices.

I can shoot a Mini14 just as well as any other rifle.

On the other hand, I hope to never find myself trying to shoot someone in my living room with any type of rifle.


I can afford any rifle that I want, the Mini14 is my favorite.

I’ve spent 1500 on a rifle that wasn’t so great as well.

[Art Eatman]

I betcha that any Mini out there will hold minute-of-cranium at self-defense distances. Minute-of-torso is guaranteed.

[lordmorgul]

Fixed for you.

Originally Posted by agtman

Dude, I need to focus ... and re-read the OP and stop posting about evil black rifles that are all irrelevant and may as well not exist in this context.

What you know about ARs vs minis is not a contribution, it is noise.


Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / CRPA / FPC / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member

[rickyrick]

And it will fire.
Yes some were inaccurate, I’ve seen anecdotal evidence of that.

Those were mostly the older ones. Some as is well known would string the shots with a hot barrel.
I suppose that by the time you are stringing shots in your living room, the shooter’s accuracy has gone out the window.

If I had to choose one of my many long arms for defense in my home, I’d grab the Mini14.

If some crazy scenario (you know, the ones we don’t speak of) (coughcoughshtfcough) I’ll loan the ARs to my neighbors.

Some people just are offended by the Mini14... if it shot anything else but 5.56/.223, we’d never even have the talk of ARs in these Mini14 threads.

[stagpanther]

I'd love to have a mini--but even at Wally World they are over $700--and that does stop me.

[rickyrick]

Just saying...

[amd6547]

My Mini’s inaccuracy was not “stringing from a hot barrel”. It was a group that spanned a 50yd pistol bullseye...at 50yds, fired slow fire off a rest. As I said before, my Carbine did, and does better than that at 100yds.
I got a chance to shoot one of the newer heavy barrel Mini’s last year. A friend bought one, and we shot it at my clubs 100yd range. It did do better than my old one.
Still, I outshot it with my Saiga 5.45, a stamped rifle not renowned for great accuracy.
Me need to get wound up about it, they are all great choices.

[AK103K]

Youre comparing collectible M1 Carbines to a Mini. Not really apples to apples.

I paid $650 from my one USGI Inland 6 months ago. There are plenty of cheaper commercial versions out there as well that go for around $500 or a little less.

Or you could compare a mini of similar value to the ones in your pic....oh wait, there arent any.

[rickyrick]

One set is an inland reproduction

[amd6547]

I paid $500 for the Auto Ordnance folder I bought in like new condition.

[AK103K]

I have three "real" USGI Inlands., and the most I paid for one, was $1000.

Youre still trying to compare collectible guns to a current production gun that has nowhere near the value, and at $700, is truthfully overpriced for what it is.

[rickyrick]

Ok I have owned the only Mini14s that worked as well as a semiautomatic should be expected. All others are junk, despite the fact that I’ve used them for 30 years.

Don’t buy a Mini14.
I will submit my current Mini14 to Ruger so that they can dissect and study it to find out why it managed to shoot properly when all others do not.

I never even knew that they were a scourge on society before the internet.

[rickyrick]

I just googled real m1carbine prices and current reproduction prices.

The picture on the right is the current manufactured carbine.

I’m interested in a low priced m1carbine myself, so if anyone could give me a link to a $500 one I could buy today brand new, I’m interested. Kinda how I got tangled up in this mess to start with.

[AK103K]

I owned three before the internet, and had the same basic results as amd6547 and some of the others who didnt have much luck accuracy wise.

And as was mentioned, trying t find mags that worked at the time was about imposible, unless you wanted 5 rounders that came with the guns.

I know they have made some changes, and the newer guns are a bit better, but they still arent an AR, and in most ways too. Ive shot my buddys newer 16" NRA model Minis (he has two), and while they do shoot better than any of mine, they still dont shoot as well as even my 10.5" PSA AR kit guns.

If you like yours, great. Enjoy it. It just gets annoying to be constantly told that they are something that those of us who have owned them, know they arent. But, you are welcome to your opinions, same as the rest of us.

I just ask you the same thing I usually ask most of the other guys who go on about things like you are. Have you shot yours in any kind of organized, and accredited competition to prove youre point? The AR's have surpassed everything else in that world, and for a while now. Shot a simple basic stock rifle match and prove the AR guys wrong. Easy enough, eh?

[agtman]

Fixed for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by agtman
Dude, I need to focus ... and re-read the OP and stop posting about evil black rifles that are all irrelevant and may as well not exist in this context.

Funny. Anyone can play cute and monkey with a quote. Which proves what exactly, since you've added zero that's substantive ...?

What you know about ARs vs minis is not a contribution, it is noise.

Apparently you didn't read Post #53. It was a stellar contribution, as well as highly relevant.

Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / CRPA / FPC / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member

[rickyrick]

Nope, just shot at my own private range. Usually by myself for my own enjoyment.
I’ve said that there’s plenty of evidence that some Mini14s are inaccurate.
I’ve even listed cons of the Mini14.
They are good enough for what the op asked.
I don’t care about price when buying rifles. I buy what I want if I can afford it, I won’t skimp if it’s what I want, I just buy it.
But I would like to own a cheap m1 carbine because this thread peaked my interest in them.

The thread isn’t about AR15s

[AK103K]

I see $500 Universals around here all the time. They are used though, but usually in near new shape. Ive always strayed away from the commercial guns though, simply because they have always had bad reps.

The GI guns have jumped up consistently in price, and I dont think youre going to see them come down. I do still see reasonably priced guns here and there while making the rounds, so there are still deals to be had. I would still figure to have to give them some work after you buy them though. Or at least thats been my experience so far. I just figure Im going to spend at least another $50 or so to get them running close to right.

One thing with the GI guns is, they are a piece of history, and there is that.

If I had to pic between the mini and Carbine for serious use, they both would come in 2nd and 3rd to any of my AR's. Im just being realistic here too, and leaving emotion out of it. Something that a lot of people tend to get hung up on in threads like this.

[rickyrick]

I have ARs too, and yes they are great.

The wood and blues steel of the Mini14s is very appealing as well.

But I did honestly become interested in the M1 carbine due to this thread.

I just haven’t had any bad experiences with the past Mini14s or the current one I own. My dad started taking me out shooting since o was a small boy, I can shoot well, I’m not s competitive shooter by no means. I have Shot some dreadfully inaccurate rifles.

Never meant to ruffle feathers, I’ve just not had a bad Mini14 experience. I used to shoot almost every day after work for many years except during the 08 panic and ran out of ammunition I preferred my Mini14 over all of them. Used it exclusively for night hunting coyotes and pigs for several years too.

Mine worked, I’m sure other’s worked.
I’ve seen enough evidence that I do believe that some people have had bad experiences with them.