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Ruger Mini-14

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Mini-14
The Mini-14 GB
Type
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used bySee Users
WarsRhodesian Bush War[1]
Storming of Kempton Park World Trade Centre
The Troubles[2]
Production history
DesignerL. James Sullivan, William B. Ruger
Designed1967–1973
ManufacturerSturm, Ruger & Co.
Produced1973–present
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass6 lb 6 oz (2.90 kg)
Length37.25 in (946 mm)
Barrel length13 in (330 mm) to 22.0 in (559 mm)
Cartridge.223 Remington and others
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire750 rpm (Full-auto rate-of-fire for AC-556 model only)[3]
Muzzle velocity3240 ft/s (990 m/s)
Feed system5- to 30-round factory box magazine.
SightsIron sights

The Mini-14 is a lightweight semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. used by military personnel, law enforcement personnel, and civilians. A .223 caliber (5.56 mm) firearm, it is made in a number of variants, including the Ranch Rifle (a basic, civilian variant), the Mini-14 GB (designed for military and law-enforcement use), and the Mini Thirty, which is chambered for 7.62×39mm.

History and design

Stainless steel Mini-14 Ranch Rifle with various accessories

The Mini-14 was first introduced in 1973 by Sturm, Ruger & Co.[4] The name Mini-14 was coined because it resembles a smaller version of the military M14 rifle.[5] Designed by L. James Sullivan[6] and William B. Ruger, it incorporated numerous innovations and cost-saving engineering changes. The Mini-14 rifle employs an investment cast, heat-treated receiver and is mechanically similar to the M1 rifle, with a self-cleaning, fixed-piston gas system.[7][8] Initial rifles were produced with a complex, exposed bolt hold open device with no button for manual engagement. Stocks were somewhat angular and heat shields were made of wood. These rifles, with serial number prefixes before 181, were tooled and redesigned with a new stock, new bolt hold-open mechanism, and other small changes.[9]

The original Mini-14 rifle had a rear aperture sight with large protective wings and no integral scope bases. In 1982, Ruger introduced the Ranch Rifle with an integral scope base on the receiver, a new folding aperture rear sight and factory scope rings.

In 1987, Ruger introduced the Mini Thirty rifle chambered for the Russian 7.62×39mm cartridge. At the time, large quantities of surplus military ammunition were being imported into the United States at rock-bottom prices. Also, the 7.62×39mm is ballistically similar to the .30-30 Winchester cartridge. As a result, the Mini Thirty proved to be an effective deer rifle.

In 2003, the design was overhauled to improve accuracy and update the styling while at the same time reducing production costs. The standard Mini-14 was discontinued and the name became the family name for all Mini-14 type rifles. As of 2005, all Mini-14 type rifles are now based on the Ranch Rifle design, with integral scope bases, a non-folding ghost ring aperture rear sight and a winged front sight similar to that used on the Ruger Police Carbine.[9] These upgraded rifles have serial numbers beginning with 580 and are sometimes referred to as 580 series Ranch Rifles.[10] They also have a new modified gas system designed to reduce barrel vibration[9] and are capable of shooting 2 inch groups at 100 yards (2 minute of angle (MOA) accuracy).[10]

Sometime between 2007 and 2008, Ruger added a heavier tapered barrel to the Mini series. The heavier barrel had an overall larger diameter with the barrel visibly becoming thicker in the final inches as the barrel approaches the gas block from the muzzle. These changes combined with tighter tolerances result in greater potential accuracy.[8] All Mini-14 type rifles are available in stainless steel or blued finish with hardwood, synthetic, or laminated stocks with 16.12-inch (409 mm) or 18.5-inch (470 mm) barrels.[10]

Variants

Ranch Rifle

Ranch Rifle. Note: scope mounts and ghost ring rear sight

The Ranch Rifle is a basic model offered in a wood or synthetic rifle stock paired with a blued or stainless steel receiver and a standard 18.5" tapered barrel (1:9" RH twist rate). These rifles feature an adjustable ghost ring rear sight and winged front sight, and they are sold with a detachable scope rail mount and a choice of two 20-round or 5-round detachable box magazines to comply with some U.S. states and other countries which have laws restricting magazine capacity. All models are chambered in both .223 Remington and 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition except the Target Rifle variant (which is .223 only).[9]

Target Rifle

Introduced in 2007,[11] the "Target Rifle" version has a 22-inch (560 mm) cold hammer-forged heavy barrel, adjustable harmonic tuner with adjustable minute-of-angle accuracy, and either a laminated wood or Hogue overmolded synthetic stock.[12][13] The Target Rifle does not have iron sights but includes the standard scope rings and Picatinny rail mount.[13] It is designed for use with the .223 Remington round only; 5.56 NATO is not warranted by Ruger.[14]

Tactical Rifle

A stainless Mini-14 Tactical (top) and Mini-14 GB-F

Introduced in 2009,[15] the "Tactical Rifle" is the newest variant, which includes the shorter 16.12" barrel with flash suppressor, and is available with a standard fixed stock/forend, or a collapsible ATI-brand stock with Picatinny rails. This model is chambered in both .223 Remington/5.56×45mm NATO[16] and .300 AAC Blackout as of 2015.[17]

Mini Thirty

Early Mini-Thirty rifle is identical to the Ranch Rifle. Note: folding rear sight
Ruger Mini Thirty with pistol grip folding stock, Harris bipod, 30-round magazine, AK-74 style flash hider with added flash diverter and 3–9×40mm scope on Ruger high-post rings

In 1987, Ruger began production of the Mini Thirty. The Mini Thirty is chambered for the Russian 7.62×39mm cartridge, used in the SKS and AK-47, as many states prohibit hunting of deer with calibers smaller than 6 mm (.243 in). The 7.62×39mm has ballistics similar to the well-known .30-30 Winchester.[18] The Mini Thirty is available with a 16.12" (Tactical Model) or 18.50" barrel having a twist rate of 1:10" RH, and is sold with two 20-round or 5-round box magazines.[19] Ruger does not currently produce 30-round Mini Thirty magazines. The Mini Thirty shares many of the same design and accessory options with those of the smaller caliber Mini-14 Ranch Rifle.

Mini Thirty Tactical Rifle

The "Mini Thirty Tactical Rifle" variant was introduced in 2010.[20] It closely mimics the Mini-14 Tactical Rifle variant, but in 7.62x39mm. It also has a shorter 16.12" barrel with flash suppressor, and is available with a standard fixed stock/forend, or a collapsible ATI-brand stock with Picatinny rails.

Government models

Mini-14 GB

Ruger Mini-14GB with a pistol grip, side folding stock, 30-round magazine, bayonet lug, threaded barrel, flash suppressor and M7 bayonet.

The Mini-14 GB ("government bayonet")[21]: 579  models feature either a pistol grip, side folding stock or a standard semi-pistol grip rifle stock, a 20 or 30-round magazine, bayonet lug, threaded barrel, and flash suppressor. Sales were intended only for law enforcement, military and private security markets, and could only be found in Ruger's Law Enforcement Catalog.[22] However, many have entered the civilian market.[23]

AC-556

The AC-556 is a selective-fire version of the Mini-14 marketed for military and law enforcement use. The design incorporates a selector on the right/rear of the receiver to select either semi-automatic, 3-round burst, or full-automatic fire modes; the manual safety at the front of the trigger guard operates the same as a standard Mini-14. The front sight is winged and incorporates a bayonet lug. The 13-inch (330 mm) or 18-inch (460 mm) barrel incorporates a flash suppressor, which can be used to launch approved tear-gas and smoke grenades. A folding stock was used on the AC-556F and AC-556K. The rifle came equipped with 20-round magazines and a 30-round version was available for a time. The AC-556 was dropped from production in 1999 and Ruger stopped offering service for the rifle in 2009.[24][25]

Mousqueton A.M.D
French CRS police officer with Mousqueton A.M.D. with tangent rear sight. Note: selector lever at the rear of the receiver.

In France, the AC-556 is known as the Mousqueton A.M.D. where it was used by several governmental agencies within the French Interior Ministry: the Police Aux Frontières ("P.A.F."—Border Police), the Police Nationale Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (or "C.R.S."—Riot Control Brigade) and the Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale ("GIGN") special operations unit.[26][27] The A.M.D. come in two versions, the first has the standard Ruger aperture rear sight. On the other, the aperture rear sight has been completely removed and replaced with a tangent rear sight located on top of the barrel just forward of the receiver.

Straight-pull action

A small number of straight-pull only (a.k.a. bolt-action only) Mini-14 and Mini-30 rifles were manufactured for sale in the United Kingdom as a result of legislation which banned semi-automatic centerfire rifles in 1988.[28]

Other calibers and accessories

Mini-14 with various accessories
Disassembled Mini-14 with various accessories

.222 Remington

Ruger produced a .222 Remington caliber model as of 1984.[29] Designated Mini-14/5R.222, these rifles were made mostly for the European market and were discontinued in the early 1980s.[30][21]: 577 

6.8 mm Remington

In 2007, Ruger began production of the Mini-6.8 utilizing the commercial 6.8mm Remington SPC cartridge.[31] However, they were discontinued in 2012 and are no longer listed in the Ruger catalog.

300 Blackout

In 2015 Ruger introduced the Mini-14 Tactical chambered in .300 AAC Blackout.[17]

Accessories

There are a wide range of aftermarket accessories available for the Mini-14 and Mini-30, including numerous stocks, magazines, weaver and Picatinny rail mounts.[9]

Users

Royal Bermuda Regiment soldier armed with a Mini-14 GB in 1994
French police armed with Mousqueton A.M.D. rifles

Criminal use

The Ruger Mini-14 was used in several notable crimes:

The Ruger Mini-14 was seen extensively in many episodes of The A-Team, an NBC television series that aired from 1983 to 1987.[55] It was chosen because of its reputation for reliably firing blanks, which tend to clog a gun's action.[61]

George Clooney's character uses the Ruger Mini-14 as a sniper rifle with collapsible stock, side-mounted scope and large homemade suppressor in the 2010 film The American.[62]

The Mobile Infantrys Morita MK.1 rifle in Starship Troopers is a mini 14, modified in a bullpup stock

References

  1. ^ https://www.sofmag.com/a-british-merc-soldier-of-fortune-and-a-firefight-part-one/
  2. ^ https://www.rugertalk.com/articles/the-ruger-mini-14-in-military-use.9/
  3. ^ Ian V. Hogg; John S. Weeks (2000). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Krause Publications. p. 295. ISBN 978-0-87341-824-9.
  4. ^ Hogg, Ian (2000-02-10). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-824-9.
  5. ^ Jack Lewis; Robert K. Campbell; David Steele (26 September 2007). The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 87–89. ISBN 0-89689-498-3.
  6. ^ Ezell, Virginia Hart (November 2001). "NDM Article - Focus on Basics, Urges Small Arms Designer". Archived from the original on October 8, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century, 7th Edition, 2000 by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks, p.295
  8. ^ a b J. Guthrie. "The Mini Grows Up—Again". Rifle Shooter.
  9. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Jack (28 February 2011). "Today's Mini-14". Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 128–130. ISBN 1-4402-2400-5.
  10. ^ a b c Sheetz, Brian (22 March 2016). "Five Reasons To Reconsider The Ruger Mini-14". American Rifleman.
  11. ^ "STURM, RUGER & CO., INC. RIFLES: SEMI-AUTO, CENTERFIRE MINI-14 RANCH RIFLE". Blue Book of Gun Values. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  12. ^ "Ranch Rifle Target model with overmolded stock" (PDF). Ruger-firearms.com (Press release). Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  13. ^ a b "Ruger® Mini-14® Target Rifle Autoloading Rifle Models". Ruger.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ Dan Shideler (7 August 2011). Gun Digest 2012. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 439–440. ISBN 1-4402-1447-6.
  15. ^ "STURM, RUGER & CO., INC. RIFLES: SEMI-AUTO, CENTERFIRE MINI-14 TACTICAL RIFLE FIXED STOCK". Blue Book of Gun Values. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  16. ^ Publishing, Skyhorse (1 November 2009). Shooter's Bible. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-60239-801-6.
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  18. ^ Warner, Ken (1989). Gun Digest 1990: 44th Edition. DBI Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-87349-038-2. Trajectories are identical according to Remington
  19. ^ Shideler, Dan (28 February 2011). "The Hammer of Thor". Gun Digest Book of Deer Guns: Arms & Accessories for the Deer Hunter. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 42–43. ISBN 1-4402-2666-0.
  20. ^ "Ruger Introduces Mini Thirty Tactical Rifle". Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. 2010-09-08. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  21. ^ a b Wilson, Robert (10 November 2015). Ruger and His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company & Their Firearms. Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-5107-0926-3.
  22. ^ Ramos, Joe (1982). The Mini-14 Exotic Weapons System. Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press. ISBN 0873645278.
  23. ^ Peterson, Phillip (30 September 2008). Gun Digest Buyer's Guide To Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media. pp. 198–200. ISBN 978-1-4402-2444-7.
  24. ^ "Ruger AC-556 Select Fire Military Rifle". 1 February 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  25. ^ Chris Bishop; Tony Cullen; Ian Drury (1988). The Encyclopedia of World Military Weapons. Crescent Books. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-517-65341-8.
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  29. ^ Brister, Bob (1984). "News from the 2 R's". Field & Stream. 88 (10): 110. ISSN 8755-8599. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  30. ^ Standard Catalog of Ruger Firearms. Jerry Lee. "F+W Media, Inc.", Dec 16, 2014. Antiques & Collectibles. page 78
  31. ^ Ramage, Ken; Sigler, Derrek (19 November 2008). Guns Illustrated 2009. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. p. 146. ISBN 0-89689-673-0.
  32. ^ Graham Williams (July 1, 1988). "NSW Declares Chemical War On Prisoners". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Other equipment includes [...] a Ruger .223 gas-operated, semi-automatic carbine (with a range of 2800 metres) {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  33. ^ a b "Ruger Mini-14". Bermudaregiment.bm. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-11-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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  35. ^ "Rifles worth $1.4m donated to Regiment | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  36. ^ Montes, Julio A. (May 2000). "Infantry Weapons of the Salvadoran Forces". Small Arms Review. Vol. 3, no. 8.
  37. ^ Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V. Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996. Jane's Information Group; 21 edition (May 1995). ISBN 978-0-7106-1241-0.
  38. ^ "Summary of Development Training in 2007" (PDF). Hong Kong Correctional Services. 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
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  44. ^ a b "NYPD boosts training after Mumbai attack". Associated Press & Taipei Times. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
  45. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2009-12-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  46. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-12-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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  49. ^ "NC Correction News - May 1998 - DOP Firearms Training". Doc.state.nc.us. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  50. ^ Lewis, Jack (2007). "CQB Combat Training". Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons (7 ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-4402-2652-6. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
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  55. ^ a b "8 Things You Might Not Know About the Ruger Mini-14". www.americanrifleman.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
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