Oklahoma made the front page of Yahoo! (yeah, I know, but its still funny)

[RickN]

I have to chime in here on the mini’s. Me and several old law dogs purchased ours through , I believe Gene Sears. The first model. We had to pay and wait. This was back between 1974 to 1976. The ones we got, or at least the one I got was a superb shooter. It would out perform an ar15. I don’t know if he is still alive, but Sam Barnett witnessed me shoot a Jack rabbit at a distance he estimated to be 300 yards. That was in 1980. I have wished numerous times I had not sold that gun. I was also fresh out of the corps on the rabbit shot too. It shot lights out for anyone skilled with a rifle. Now the later versions, probably not as good.

Yes I have an older GB model and while I have only gotten to shoot it a couple times, when I can see the sites it does pretty good. My old eyes could not handle the lower light at the indoor range but outdoors I am sure it is more accurate than I am.

 

[Glocktogo]

Funny thing is, they were not designed to be target rifles. Someone once said something along the lines of, The US builds target rifles, everyone else builds them for war. If a rifle can put most of it's shots inside a man size target out to 400 yards it is accurate enough and better than most people can shoot.

The Mini-14 cannot reliably do that though.

 

[RickN]

The Mini-14 cannot reliably do that though.

No problems with mine so far once I matched the ammo to the mags. It is as accurate as any stock milsurp rifle I have ever fired.

 

[Glocktogo]

No problems with mine so far once I matched the ammo to the mags. It is as accurate as any stock milsurp rifle I have ever fired.

Glad you've had good results. Neither my early Mini-14, nor a Mini-30 Ranch would shoot groups, though the 14 was at least 50% better than the 30.

 

[osu007]

Glad you've had good results. Neither my early Mini-14, nor a Mini-30 Ranch would shoot groups, though the 14 was at least 50% better than the 30.

Wow you must have had the 2 worst Ruger produced, or you were shooting with your eyes closed. I have never heard of that, and am sorry. So I guess you no longer have either one?

 

[Glocktogo]

Wow you must have had the 2 worst Ruger produced, or you were shooting with your eyes closed. I have never heard of that, and am sorry. So I guess you no longer have either one?

Oh hell no! LOL. I have owned a LOT of Rugers and still have some, but those two are not missed!

 

[DavidMcmillan]

How many years has it been since those mini-14's were actually fired. They don't have to be accurate.

 

[dennishoddy]

My mini-14 as well as most out there in circulation can be a good rifle for the first shot or maybe two, then heating starts and the barrel band takes over to create a barrel that wanders everywhere on succeeding shots. I've owned two over the years, one stainless ranch rifle and the other a blued model.
All shot minute of 5 gallon bucket with shots typically running low left to high right as the barrel warmed up.
There are people out there that are making a living removing the barrel bands and converting those rifles to floating barrels to improve accuracy.
The ruger .44 mag rifle with barrel bands do exactly the same thing. I have one as well.
There is a reason peope requiring the utmost accuracy from their rifles use a floating barrel with countless magazine stories/forum posts telling someone that is experiencing inaccuracy in their rifles to run a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock. It should slide freely with no drag to assure a floating barrel.
I've made some impressive shots with the mini's. It wasn't accuracy, it was because the animal just happened to be where the bullet landed that caused it's demise.

 

[dennishoddy]

How many years has it been since those mini-14's were actually fired. They don't have to be accurate.

I don't know. Just speculation on my part, but they should qualify annually? If I were warden I'd want a monthly qualification with rifles taken out of service if not accurate enough to put a round where required.
Then again, I'm not a warden either, so it's just what I think.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

I was saying that in jest, but in thinking about it, I really do wonder if they do require qualification? It seems that the Dept of Corrections may not be the best managed entity in the state.