Mini-14
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| Ruger Mini-14 | |
|---|---|
| Image:Cf 10-13-06mini.jpg The Mini-14 | |
| Type | Semi-automatic carbine |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1973 |
| Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. |
| Produced | 1973-present |
| Variants | Mini-30, AC-556, Mini-14/20GB |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 6 lb 6oz (2.90kg) |
| Length | 37.25in (946mm) |
| Barrel length | 18.50in (470mm) |
| | |
| Cartridge | 5.56x45mm NATO |
| Caliber | .223 |
| Action | Gas-actuated with rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Muzzle velocity | 3300 ft/sec (1005 m/sec) |
The Mini-14 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Sturm, Ruger. It is chambered to fire the popular .223 Remington cartridge, including military 5.56 x 45 mm NATO ammunition as well, as stated in the user's manual. The rifle employs a cast, heat-treated CNC receiver and a version of the Garand's breechbolt locking system, with a short-stroke fixed-piston gas system and gas cylinder derived from the M1 Carbine. The rifle is available in a variety of finishes from stainless to blued with synthetic or hardwood stocks and has a standard 18.5 inch barrel.
One reason for the popularity of the Mini-14 is that it does not have the menacing 'military' appearance that is associated with the AK-47 and M16 [citation needed]. This resulted in most variants of the Mini-14 being specifically excluded from the now-expired federal and many state bans on so called "semi-automatic assault weapons", even though the Mini-14 was functionally equivalent to, and even fired the same ammunition as, other prohibited firearms. The standard Mini-14 lacks such legislatively defined militaristic features as a pistol grip, bayonet lug, and flash suppressor, though all of these are available in the military and police models.
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[edit] History
The Mini-14 was first introduced in 1974 by Ruger. Its name comes from the rifle's cousin, the M14 rifle, which is a full-size service rifle chambered in 7.62 mm NATO (.308 Winchester) caliber.
The Mini-14 has proved popular with small game hunters, ranchers, law enforcement, security personnel and avid plinkers.The Mini-14 has stiff competition from the much cheaper imported versions of the Chinese and Soviet SKS rifle. The SKS is somewhat less accurate than the Mini-14, but it is chambered in 7.62x39, which is thought to be a superior deer hunting cartridge (the .223/5.56 mm bullet is considered by many game authorities to be inadequate for deer-size game), and many states prohibit deer hunting with calibers under 6 mm/.24 caliber. The Mini-14 does have the advantage of a detachable magazine, compared to the fixed 10-round magazine of the standard SKS, and much better sights and stock fit.
The Kel-Tec company has introduced its own 5.56mm rifle, the SU-16 that undercuts what many consider the high price of the Mini-14, while simultaneously offering a robust system and more features. The Kel-tec is also legal to own in many states with assault weapons bans, like California.
The Mini-14 in its various guises has been adopted by various police and paramilitary forces around the world. In 1978, the rifle was purchased by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to replace its stock of aging U.S. M1 carbines. In 1983, The Bermuda Regiment replaced its British made L1A1 SLR's (7.62 mm) with the wooded stocked Mini-14 20GB, a semi-automatic only variant.
[edit] Variants
Variants of the Mini-14 rifles are available in blued or matte finished stainless steel, with wood or composite stocks. In 1993, the wooden stock of the Mini-14 was replaced with a Choate black fibreglass stock complete with pistol grip.
Ruger made significant design alterations to the Mini-14 in 2004 which changed the receiver and front sight configuration. All new Mini-14s come with integral scope bases, and use a ghost ring rear sight and a winged front sight similar to that used on the Ruger Police Carbine.
There is also a variant called the Ranch Rifle that has scope bases integrated into the receiver, and an ejector that ejects the brass at a lower angle to avoid hitting a low mounted scope. Both the Ranch Rifle configuration and the stainless steel variants are more expensive than the standard rifle.
Two militarized versions were also produced:
1. The K Mini/14-20GB which featured a fiberglass handguard, flash suppressor and a bayonet lug.
2. The AC-556, identical to the K Mini/14-20GB, but in addition came with selective fire capability and an optional folding stock.
While never adopted by the U.S. military, both civilian and military Mini-14 variants are popular with some police departments as a medium-range weapon to fill the gap between handguns and shotguns and sniper rifles.
Some K Mini/14-20GB's originally sold to US Law enforcement agencies have been released to the civilian market. Often these carbines carry dual serial numbers and are more desired by collectors due to their LE background. Likewise the factory flash suppressor and bayonet lug are more rugged than the typical aftermarket and adds to the appeal.
[edit] Other calibers
Beginning in 1987, Ruger also began manufacture of another variant of the Mini-14, called the Mini-30. The Mini-30 is chambered for the Russian 7.62×39 mm, used in the SKS. As stated earlier, many states prohibit hunting of deer with calibers smaller than 6 mm (.243"). The 7.62x39 mm has only slightly inferior ballistics to the venerable .30-30 Winchester. Unfortunately, the Mini-30 had not been designed to use the corrosive-primered surplus 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition then widely available on the civilian market, and the rifle's barrel and gas system were sometimes destroyed through rust and neglect. The Mini-30 is currently available only in a configuration similar to the Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, with integral scope base and low-angle ejection.
Some earlier Mini-14 rifles were chambered in the .222 Remington cartridge, which was the basis for the development of the military 5.56x45 mm NATO and the civilian eqivalent the .223 Remington. Since the .223 Remington is dimensionally equivalent to the 5.56x45 mm, civilian firearms chambered in that caliber are highly restricted in countries that restrict or prohibit firearms that chamber military cartridges (such as Mexico). By chambering the Mini-14 in the similar but not interchangeable .222 Remington caliber, the Mini-14 could be sold in those countries.
A larger version of the Mini-14, called the XGI, was developed by Ruger in .308 Winchester and .243 Winchester, but while it was advertised in 1985, it never entered production due to continued accuracy and functioning problems.
[edit] Controversy
After a spate of high profile shootings and incidents with the Ruger Mini 14 rifle, along with a number of unsavory associations the Mini 14 had gained with militias and extremist movements during the late 1970s and early 1980s, William B. Ruger expressed a position highly unpopular among firearms owners, users and enthusiasts by opposing the use of high capacity magazines in civilian firearms.
In his letter to members of the House and Senate on 30 March 1989, Mr. Ruger stated in that which has come to be known as "The Ruger Letter":
- The best way to address the firepower concern is therefore not to try to outlaw or license many millions of older and perfectly legitimate firearms (which would be a licensing effort of staggering proportions) but to prohibit the possession of high capacity magazines. By a simple, complete, and unequivocal ban on large capacity magazines, all the difficulty of defining "assault rifles" and "semi-automatic rifles" is eliminated. The large capacity magazine itself, separate or attached to the firearm, becomes the prohibited item. A single amendment to Federal firearms laws could prohibit their possession or sale and would effectively implement these objectives.
Mr. Ruger made additional comments during an interview with NBC, including the statements that "no honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun…" and "I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20 and 30 round magazines…"
This position caused outrage in the shooting sports community and led to a boycott of Ruger products that is still practiced by many firearms purchasers to this day. "The Ruger Letter" is widely accepted as being the genesis for those parts of legislation that were drafted 5 years later in the now-defunct Assault Weapons Ban prohibiting the manufacture of any magazines holding over 10 rounds of ammunition for civilian sale.
While the true motivation behind "The Ruger Letter" may never be known, it is widely speculated that Ruger's position on rifle magazines and the 'sporting' nature of firearms were more a matter of smart business than of individual philosophy. Given the legislative climate regarding firearms during the late 1980s/early 1990s, the prospect of an outright ban that may have impacted one of Ruger's most popular and profitable models (the Mini 14) was a very real possibility.
[edit] Technical data
- Caliber: .223 Rem/5.56x45 mm NATO, .222 Remington (discontinued), 7.62x39 mm (as Mini-30)
- Length: 946 mm (37.25 in)
- Weight: 2.9 kg (6 lb 6oz)
- Barrel: 470 mm (18.5 in)
- Rifling: 6 grooves, right spin
- Commercially Available Magazines And Capacity
- 5 (standard factory issued with all new rifles),
- 10 (Rarely Encountered Factory and Aftermarket)
- 18 (Discontinued Aftermarket for Mini-30)
- 20 (Factory and Aftermarket),
- 30 (Discontinued Factory and Aftermarket)
- 35 (Discontinued Aftermarket)
- 40 (Discontinued Aftermarket)
- 90 round drum (Aftermarket).
- 100 round Beta C-Mag drum magazine for the Mini-14 has been announced, and is now available through Betaco.
Note: Prior to 1994, although no legal Federal prohibitions on magazine capacity were in effect Sturm, Ruger Inc. elected to refuse public sale of any Mini 14 magazines holding over 5 rounds. With the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004, Ruger still refuses to sell 20 round magazines direct to consumers and continues to mark them "Law Enforcement Only", though there is no requirement to do so.
[edit] Trivia
- The Mini-14 variant, the AC-556, was the weapon used by the heroes in the 1980s TV show The A-Team.
- Marc Lépine of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre used a Mini-14 in his rampage. The anti-gun lobby in Canada used this tragedy effectively to have the current Canadian firearms legislation enacted.
- The AC-556 was supplied to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1979 as a weapon for its Special Patrol Groups, Special Operations (E Services) and exposed border police stations and units. It came with 15 round and 30 round magazines, wooden stock and flash eliminator. It had simple iron sights, sling and was employed with two settings as to its rate of fire, single shot and burst of three rounds. In the main it was a reliable replacement for the Sterling 9mm sub machine gun in more open and country areas, the M1 Carbine which although lightweight had zero penetration or range and presented less of a weight than the UK modified FN or SLR rifle assault rifles whilst retaining an acceptable hitting power and range. In situations such as those presented by ambush of security forces in rural Northern Ireland the ability to respond with repeated and quick fire was far more important than accuracy.
