Trading a Mini-14

[Tweety Bird]

I have 2 Mini-14 rifles, one of which is a Ranch Rifle.

Since the day I first shot it, I didn't care for the Ranch Rifle. I'm not crazy about the standard rifle sights and I just couldn't get a scope on it that I liked. So I just didn't shoot it much.

I decided a couple weeks ago to sell it. Long story short, a fella in New York called me saying that he has a SW M&P 15 that will soon be illegal in that state unless he registers it. If he fails to register it, he can't take it out to shoot it, and if he DOES register it, he can't pass it to his son. So he wants something that's not on the "REALLY BAD GUN LIST" in NY, and the Mini fits that bill.

So the guns are going to pass in shipment this week.

Apparently, the AR-15 he's sending me is NY compliant; that means that even though it has what appears to be a "collapsible stock", it's pinned in a fixed position because collapsible stocks are against the rules in NY. He also told me that his 10-round magazines are legal to keep but the law is pretty strange about them. Apparently, if he loads them up at home, he can load them to 10 rounds. But if he reloads them at the range, he can legally only put 7 rounds into the mag.

Politicians. You can't live with 'em, and you can't - wait. Let's just leave it at that.

BTW, I still have my other Mini that I really enjoy. It goes well with my M1A and Lisa's Garand. Sorta like 3 generations of Mr. Garand's basic design.

 

[wixedmords]

I am thinking that AR isn't gonna have a flash hider either TB. Also the bayonet lug may be shaved and it will have something modified with that pistol grip. Someone from NY can correct me if I am wrong.

Might just be a pinned stock. Might be able to unpin it. Good luck.

 

[DGW1949]

I've had a "few" Mini's over the years, the key word there being "had".
Yes it's true.....seems like every time that Ruger has come out with some sort of "improved" model, nothing would do me but buy one to try for myself. So far, I've had 'em all but a 180-series. So far, I've sold (or traded) all of them except the 582-series which I am presently working with.....and the jury is still out on that one.

Enjoy your new AR.

DGW

 

[carpriver]

I just bought a all weather Mini 14, I mounted a Nikon 223 30 power scope on it and it shots great. I find it to be a fun gun to shoot. It is almost as accurate as my Rock River M-4 carbine. I like the carbine style, come up to the shoulder easy and is on target. I think I will shoot the 14 more then the M-4. The M-4 feels awkward. if I had had a choice when I was in the military I would have rather carried the mini -14. I like the feel of the carbine, I own 2 M-1 Carbines and relay like shooting them, and my 10-22.

 

[dfletcher]

Changing out an AR stock is pretty easy, better yet you'll probably find "unpinning" the stock is even simpler. I just bought one of these things for my 16" AR 15 in 7.62X39:

http://www.lawtactical.com/product_p/2012201.htm

Not cheap, but easy as heck to install. And rock solid no folding stock wobble.

 

[Tweety Bird]

Oh, I wouldn't have any problem changing the stock if I need to, though I hope I can just find a way to unpin it.

I expect the flash hider to be non-existent, and I truly don't need the bayonet lug. I have both of them on my Rock River A2-style AR-15, so if for some reason I DO decide I need a bayonet, I can use that one.

I also expect the trigger on the SW to be a disappointment in comparison to the 2-stage trigger on my RR. But the nice thing about the AR platform is the easy availability of parts and upgrades.

 

[Tweety Bird]

Got the AR today. Like you guys suspected, it has no flash hider or bayonet lug, but frankly I don't care about those things anyway.

It does have a pinned stock. The butt stock is fixed with a capscrew and also a roll pin which is driven into a blind hole to make removing it "impossible". Sure. I'm an airline mechanic by training; getting that silly roll pin out was child's play.

When I got the stock off, I found that the receiver extension (buffer tube) has only one hole, which is for that capscrew in the stock. I thought about just drilling new holes in the tube but that won't work, either, because it needs a machined recess over the holes to make things adjustable.

I already have an adjustable butt stock which I took off of my wife's AR to put a more adjustable one on it. Now I need a new buffer tube and I can have this thing adjustable in 10 minutes. I might get one from Brownell's, or more likely, I'll just wait until we go to another gun show and find one there.

Overall, I'm happy, and believe I got the good end of this deal. And I don't even have to miss my Mini-14 because I still have another one in the safe.

 

[6gun]

You can thread the barrel for a flash hider or replace the barrel also should you ever want one, lots of places on line to buy a new buffer if you can't find one at the gun show, see your in Colorada so no 30 round mags for you, they can't stop you from buying some on your next trip out of state they have no way to prove you didn't own them before the law took affect. :lol:

 

[Tweety Bird]

Aw, that law, while stupid, is unenforceable and I don't believe it's going to stop anybody from getting more "hi-capacity" mags. Not that I need any - I got lots.

I think I'll go shoot it as it is and see how the stock fits. Handling it at home, it seems a little short for my liking but I'll try it anyway. But if I don't like it, I'll just find a new buffer tube and have an adjustable stock on it in 10 minutes or less.