i'm fixin' to buy a ruger mini 14, stainless synthetic. does anyone have one and how do ya like it?????

that's why i like this forum so damn much. we don't just talk about atvs. its all about having fun ain't it?


texascat

 

What the hell you still fixin for, and not buyin yet??? Has all that training and working out done something "upstairs", made you a little light headed or something??? These are GUNS here man, BUY BUY BUY! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Sorry, maybe a little over zealous opinion from a fellow atver with a fine appreciation for firearms-any and all for that matter. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

Seriously though, a buddy had one back up at school, he loved it. I never got to shoot it, but it looked pretty. He took good care of it, but didn't shoot quite as often as I would have liked too. Oh well, to each is own right. I know when I first got my Rem. VSSF .223, I shot the hell out of that thing, got it dialed in perfect, sure had a blast with it. Wish I still had time to shoot-haven't shot since I got out last May. This weekend though, oh man I'm tellin ya! Scouting deer, dialing in the '06, do some serious shooting to get ready for hunting season. Need to get the guns all excited again ya know-it's been a while since they had a reason to get revved up, I'm sure they're rather "lax" right now. A good session this weekend will be perfect to get them primed for opening day the following saturday the 13th!

Back to the weapon in question-honestly, I really prefer stainless and synthetic over blued/wood anymore. I see a lot of really nasty weather changes, where it can be warm, 60 degrees, then 15 minutes later, be the worst blizzard you've seen in a good long while. The stainless is a lot more resistant to weather and water, you don't have to care for it like you do a blued barrel, though you already know that. The synthetic stock though is very nice because my rifles see their fair share of abuse in the form of brush, branches and other limbs, sticks smacking them, or marking them up. With the synthetic stock, they just bounce off, don't scratch it up, and any marks will easily rub off. The other thing is the synthetic material, either nylon, polypropelene or kevlar is an inert material in that weather changes do not effect it's makeup or properties. It will retain it's exact shape regardless of weather conditions. My buddy has a gorgeous Weatherby .300 mag with the california thumbhole stock, left handed version with muzzle break. It has a gorgeous wood stock, with a blued barrel, and is really a nice looking gun-well, it used to be. After a couple elk seasons, it really looks in rough shape, even though he cares for it really well. That stock though, man, it don't look so purty no more-lots of gouges and scratchs from branches, etc. And, I've seen the thing shoot off-target during extremely cold weather-the wood expands with the moisture, throws the barrel out of whack, so the shot is off. With an animal the size of an elk, this is NOT acceptable, as wounding something like that could result in never finding it-something good hunters will not accept. He doesn't like the looks of my black .30-06 with powder coat black barrel, but I can shoot strait each and every time without worrying about the barrel being out of whack from cold weather-I'll take synthetics every time. Hell, my .223 is a kevlar reinforced synthetic stock as well, with a heavyweight fluted stainless barrel. As Aaron Tippin would say, "I wouldn't have it any other way".

Oh, and one more thing "that's why i like this forum so damn much. we don't just talk about atvs. its all about having fun ain't it?"-Amen brother!

Well, probably a solid earful more than you reckoned on dealin with, so I'll just set back to dinner-have a good steak in front of me that's just beggin to be carved....

Best of Luck,

Mike

 

Cowboy is right Texascat! Buy! If I had the $1500 I'd give it to ya to buy that 50 cal you talked about too. I finally got to the range last saturday to dial in the 7 Mag. Dead on at 100 yards. 2 clicks up and we're dead on at 200 yards... not that there is anything to shoot at 200 or above where I hunt. Camping in Bastrop on October 13th. Ya up for it? Steven, Cara, Michelle, and I. Bring Duey! We'll make fun of him! Then we'll high center that turd he drives and make fun of him some more!

Dakota R/T

 

Get it. I'd love to have one. That and a 30rd. mag for it. Of course any gun other than a 32 cal revolver would please me. There is one rule about guns. You can never have too many. I don't care if you have 5 remington 870's. One more won't hurt a thing.

 

I used to have a stainless/wood mini-14 ranch rifle, in a stuper of stupidity I traded it off. It didn't shoot little tiny groups, but it would shoot minute of jackrabbit all day long. The only thing I really disliked about it was the noise, with such a short barrel and a pretty hot round it sure did crack. I say go for it, get you a couple of decent 30 rnd mags, a good scope, and a case or two of ammo. Just make sure you never trade it off!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I haven't shot the 14 butttttttt
I bought my son a ruger 10/22 last year. I've never owned a ruger before and I'll tell you what I was so damn impressed with the Quallity (stainless, synthetic stock) I bought him the m77 compact this year (stainless, synthedic stock/243)
He's only 11 but I believe ruger will be the only make I will ever buy him.
If you have the money get it. Lord knows the nra is trying but how long can they keep it up.
Do us all a favor send the nra $35 and get the gun.
Remember, the children of today may not have the rites we have now, build your collection and build it fast.

 

Go for it, there a nice gun. I,,er,,my wife[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] has a Mini-30 it's the same gun but chamberd for the 7.62X39 round. The Mini-14 and Mini-30 has a proven bolt design, the same bolt design as a M-1. The only down side of the mini-14 is thay acrate for the first few rounds but than thay tend to wander as the barrel heats up.
I love the .223 round (5.56 NATO) I have a car-15 with a stanless USMC National match bolt I use for plinkin and a AR-15 that I use for Fox and Coyote hunting. I love to hunt those song dogs[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

They are definitly a fine rifle, but at one time I was an apprentice gunsmith and the the one metal that looks nice for a rifle is stainless. On the other hand when used in an Automatic which generates lots of heat, the stainless barrels don't hold up as well as chrome-moly steel. They tend to shoot out rifling at a higher rate. A good point of logic on this is the following. If stainless were a better barrel that required less maintenace and lasted longer don't you think the Army and the Marines would use them? They don't because of hot wear problems. Everyone knows cost is not a prohibition when it comes to the Gov't spending. As for the synthetic stock now that's a go for sure. Next to that would be the wood laminate stock.

So for my 2 cents. If you're buying it to look at get the stainless. If you're going to shoot it go for the blue. Either way make sure you get the Ranch model. It has a scope mount, the other model does'nt and a mount for them is costly and hard to find.

 

thanks a million for your opinions. i am goin' to get it either this friday or sometime next week. at the gun store in La Grange, they sell winchester 55 gr. fmj ammo for $3.59 per 20 rd box. i likely not use it for hunting 'cause i got me a remington 700 varmint in 220 swift for that detail. i just like having something i can kick around and if the opportunity presents itself on a yodel dog or more i'd like to have a 2nd, 3rd, or 30th shot. this is going to be the second stainless synthetic i've bought. the first was also a ruger but it was a red label all weather 12 ga. over/under. the mini will also be the fourth ruger in my arsenal. now that we are talking numbers of guns, here is a list of what i currently have:

remington 700 varmint 220 swift
remington 700 mountain rifle 280 rem
ruger super blackhawk 44 mag
s&w m22a semi auto pistol
cva .50 cal ml
ruger red label 12 ga
mossberg 500 12 ga (18" barrel)
ruger 10/22
m96 mauser 6.5x55 swede
nef handi rifle 45-70
savage model 111 338 mag
glock 21 45 acp
winchester m94 pre 64 30-30
winchester model 12 12 ga
springfield A303 30-06 sporterized
marlin model 60 .22 (antique--fires from open bolt)
stevens single shot 20 ga. (sawed off--legal)
winchester model 1200 12 ga
revelation (mossberg manufacture) 410
mossberg auto 22
parker hale 1200 super 30-06

i may have left a couple out but that's about the extent of it.

texascat

 

Oh baby talk to me! WWIII brakes out head to LaGrange, Texas where people don't mess around! I feel pitiful.

Ruger P944 .40SW Hogue grips
Winchester model 70 in 7mm Rem Mag Simmons 4x12AO scope 26" barrel
Remington 1100 20 guage with muzzle brake
Thompson 10/22
Remington 1100 12 guage
Lefever 16 guage side by side
Remington 700 .243 Redfield 3x9 scope
Canon fuse and Pyrodex powder[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Camping Texascat?