My Mini 14

[gatling]

I've been a Mini 14 fan from Day One, and I really believe that if the Mini 14 had been around a few years earlier, there never would have been an M-16.

All that aside, I've long had an idea about restocking a standard Mini with a nice piece of walnut, but it was one of those things I never got around to.

Then Davidson's (I think it was Davidson's) and Ruger came out with a limited run of Mini 14 rifles stocked in Circassian walnut. I like the look and feel of Circassian, and after watching the gun boards for a year or so, I found the one I wanted.

Only catch was I couldn't buy it in California as configured by Ruger...here in the Peoples Republik of California, it seems you can't have a centerfire semi auto rifle with a flash suppressor.

So, I found a California FFL with an assault weapons provision that allows them to bring in a noncompliant weapon and convert it so that it's jake with Jerry Brown. The flash suppressor came off, and a new California-compliant muzzle brake went on.

Funny thing is, the muzzle brake looks a lot more intimidating then does a flash suppressor. And the muzzle brake creates a blast to the sides that is horrendous. I had no idea a little .223 could generate such a huge pressure/shock wave. Neither do the guys shooting on either side of me, until I fire it.

There are lots of stories floating around about Mini 14 inaccuracy. This one shoots just fine, and it shoots a lot.

 

[buckshot]

That is a beautiful piece of wood on that rifle. I wish Ruger would sell that stock, if they did my 581 tactical mini would be sporting one for sure.

 

[tookalisten]

That looks great! Thanks for posting.

 

[oregon73]

That's a really nice looking Mini!

Glad you like the muzzle brake. Too bad the PRK won't let you have a flash hider....

Rob

 

[HerrMesser]

That is some good looking wood. Looks a lot better than the plain jane I just sold.

Is that a ranch rifle?

Rad

 

[gatling]

It is based on the Ranch rifle.

 

[gunman42782]

Wow!

 

[Cherokee]

Really like that wood - beautiful. I restocked this early Mini back around 1979:

 

[Stoots]

Very nice!

 

[M'BOGO]

Very nice.

California Uber Alles

 

[gatling]

Really like that wood - beautiful. I restocked this early Mini back around 1979:

Beautiful rifle.

 

[M'BOGO]

I saw these listed in the new CDNN flier, wish I had the scratch for one.

Gatling, your all around good should be commended, but Colonial Roosevelt should be held in higher regard than as a fore-end bag spacer, IMHO.

 

[gatling]

Gatling, your all around good should be commended, but Colonial Roosevelt should be held in higher regard than as a fore-end bag spacer, IMHO.

He most definitely is. TR is perhaps the greatest American who ever lived. I wish he were in the White House today.

The book, by the way, is excellent. It is one of a trilogy. I am reading the second one now; it's even better.

 

[M'BOGO]

Gatling, your all around good should be commended, but Colonial Roosevelt should be held in higher regard than as a fore-end bag spacer, IMHO.

He most definitely is. TR is perhaps the greatest American who ever lived. I wish he were in the White House today.

The book, by the way, is excellent. It is one of a trilogy. I am reading the second one now; it's even better.

Colonial Roosevelt is in my to be read stack, the other two were great, the first being my favorite of the two so far. It saddens me that W.J. Clinton awarded T.R.'s posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor. Still, it is a bit funny, talk about polar opposites.

Trivia moment, Alexander M. Sturm's wife, Paulina, was T.R.'s granddaughter, daughter of Alice, T.R.'s oldest child. After the death's of Alex and Paulina, their daughter Joanna was raised by Alice, who passed in 1980.

Wikipedia is great.

 

[gatling]

Gatling, your all around good should be commended, but Colonial Roosevelt should be held in higher regard than as a fore-end bag spacer, IMHO.

He most definitely is. TR is perhaps the greatest American who ever lived. I wish he were in the White House today.

The book, by the way, is excellent. It is one of a trilogy. I am reading the second one now; it's even better.

Colonial Roosevelt is in my to be read stack, the other two were great, the first being my favorite of the two so far.

Trivia moment, Alexander M. Sturm's wife, Paulina, was T.R.'s granddaughter, daughter of Alice, T.R.'s oldest child. After the death's of Alex and Paulina, their daughter Joanna was raised by Alice, who passed in 1980.

Wikipedia is great.

I did not know that. Having the greatness of TR even tangentially associated with Ruger explains why this company is so magnificent.

 

[M'BOGO]

In all honesty, A. Sturm only provided seed money for his friend W.B. Ruger. His family wanted him to "strike out on his own" and he provided $50,000 seed money for W.B. Ruger, and the "screamin' eagle" that became the Sturm, Ruger logo. Bill Ruger refined the design of the Standard Model, .22 RF semi auto pistol, and the rest is the stuff of legends.