Mini-14

The Mini-14 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Sturm, Ruger. It is chambered to fire the popular Remington .223 cartridge. The Mini-14 employs a simple, rugged version of the Garand breechbolt locking system, with a fixed-piston gas system and self-cleaning moving gas cylinder.

The Mini-14 moniker comes from the rifle's cousin, the M14 rifle, which is a larger weapon chambered in the .308 Winchester cartridge. Available in a variety of finishes from stainless to blued with synthetic or hardwood stocks and has a standard 18.5 inch barrel.

Since its introduction in 1974, the Mini-14 has won many fans with small game hunters, ranchers, law enforcement, security and target shooters. While not as accurate as most bolt action rifles, or the more expensive AR-15 design, it is more accurate than the AK-47 and SKS designs that it generally competes with in the civilian market. It is a very rugged and robust design which addresses some shortcomings in the M14 with the self cleaning gas system, which uses an approach more similar to the legendarily reliable AK-47. Since the Mini-14 is not accurate enough for use on varmit animals (such as groundhogs) at long ranges, its hunting utility is generally used for small to medium sized games and predators, such as coyotes and whitetail deer.

Variants of the Mini-14 rifles are available in blued or matte finished stainless steel, with wood or composite stocks. 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 militarised versions was also produced:

1. The K Mini/14-20GB which featured glass fibre handguards, flash suppressor and a bayonet lug.

2. The AC-556, identical to the K Mini/14-20GB, but in addition came with selective fire and optional folding stock

While these are not sold to the United States military (which has standardized on variantes of the M-16 rifle), both the civilian and military variants are popular with police departments as a medium range weapon to fill the gap between hanguns and shotguns and sniper rifles.

Another reason for the popularity of the Mini-14 is that while it is (in its select-fire variation) technically an assault rifle, it does not have the menacing appearance that is associated with the AK-47 and M-16. This resulted in most variants of the Mini-14 being specifically excluded from federal and many state bans on so called "semi-automatic assault weapons", even though the Mini-14 was functionally equivalent to other banned firearms.

Beginning in 1987, Ruger also began manufacture of another variant of the Mini-14, called the Mini-30. It is chambered for the Russian 7.62×39mm, used in the AK-47. Many states prohibit hunting of deer with calibers smaller than 7mm (.223 Remington being virtually identical to 5.56 x 45 mm NATO). The 7.62x39mm has nearly identical ballistics to the venerable .30-30 Winchester, which has probably taken more deer-sized game in North America than any other caliber. The Mini-30 was popular for its ability to fire surplus Soviet Bloc ammunition, allowing inexpensive plinking, plus the ability to reliably take deer sized game when loaded with commercial hollow point bullet hunting ammunition. The Mini-30 is available only in a configuration similar to the Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, with integral scope bases 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 cartidges (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.

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 (6lb 6oz)
• Barrel: 470 mm (18.5 in)
• Rifling: 6 grooves, right spin
• Magazine capacity: 5, 20 or 30 rounds

External links

• Sturm, Ruger official homepage (http://www.ruger.com/)
• Modern Firearms (http://world.guns.ru/assault/as37-e.htm)
• Information on improving the accuracy of the Mini-14 (http://outlands.tripod.com/armory/mini-14.htm)