Fears of Assault Weapon Ban cause run on Mini-14 Tactical Rifles

[Mr A.Anderson]

With all the talk of an (illegal) attempt to circumvent the 2nd Amendment and banning so called "Assault Rifles", there has been a reported nationwide boost in gun sales.

I've been thinking a while now on purchasing a Ruger Mini-14 Tactical rifle, and with all the talk over the past week, I decided to start shopping. I called 6 local gun dealers today.

Not a single Mini-14 remains on the shelves.

In fact, the dealers all told me they are on back order from their distributors, and could take as long as 6 months to recieve a rifle if I ordered it right now. Prices from private sellers online have skyrocketed well above the norm from what I've been able to see so far.

[John in Woodbridge]

I've been searching around for a Bushmaster. Be quite the collector's item. They are all sold out.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Gander Mountain is sold out of even the Ranch model Mini-14.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modper...M443696&r=view

[Mr A.Anderson]

Even Ruger.com's exclusive distibutor is sold out.

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/d...aspx?item=5846

When you go to www.ruger.com and attempt to order a rifle, they use galleryofguns.com as their primary dealer/distributor.

[Brooklyn Rick]

Have you considered an M-14, Mr. A.? There is a lot of aftermarket do-dads for that as well. I have a match grade from Springfield upgraded with a composite stock and a few other things and I am very pleased with it. The only downside is that it's kinda heavy.

[Mr A.Anderson]

I've always loved the M-14 / M1A rifle. As far as Garand Style rifles, they are the kings. I've priced them in the past, and are a bit pricey. Just did a quick look, and a new Springfield M1A is running around $1,600 MSRP.

Oh, and there's the fact they are out of stock right now through Springfield's preferred dealer. http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/d...?item=MA9106-5

The garand style Mini-14 or Mini-30, while not as refined, was almost as good at a much lower pricetag.

I think I may have to break down and buy an AR style rifle. Of course, they seem to be out of stock as well in most places.

[Mr A.Anderson]

I swear to Christ, there's a run on "assault" type of weapons. (I hate that term as it is completey bullshit - I can take my Rem 7400 and drop in a 10 round mag and it would qualify as an "assault" weapon)

I've looked all over the net, big retailers, the actual gun companies, small retailers, distributors, gun smiths........nobody has them right now, and they are all on back order. I must have about 6 or 7 hours in phone calls and web searching (unless you want to spend $1800 plus on a model).

I've checked the auction and private seller sites - everybody is asking close to twice the MSRP right now for any garand or AR platform. Fucking rediculous.

Thankfully, I finally found one at a decent price. A friend of mine is a gun collector and is willing to separate with one of his.

$1400 - Mini 14 Stainless, folding tactical stock/pistol grip. See through scope mounts with a Bushnell 3x9 stainless scope (factory iron peep sights). 4x 30 round magazines and 250 rounds of ball ammunition.

I actually held the rifle this past fall when I was at his house for a visit. It is in PRIMO condition, barely even broken in.

I have a few more feelers out there right now looking for a garand style or an AR platform type of rifle, but right now, I think this is the best deal I'm going to find. He's not going to sell it to anybody else, so it is mine for the taking.

What's your thoughts?

[Brooklyn Rick]

I have a few spare barrels. I could build you a nice side lock with a big hole on the end.. That's a .54 ball..

[Brooklyn Rick]

I would take that deal. It's going to get a lot harder to get semi-automatics in the future. More expensive, too.

[Derrick MacThomas]

I have 30 plus years of experience with a Mini 14 and am very happy with the rifle, as I have been with every single Ruger product I have used. For what it is, the accuracy is outstanding.
The only thing I do not like is the calibre. I am one of those who does not consider 5.56mm to be a man killer. Give me 7.62x51 or 7.62x63 any day.
Given that the Second Amendment contains the words 'shall not be infringed', any and all restrictions on firearm ownership in the USA have to be illegal, which makes me wonder why various citizens' groups and perhaps even individuals have not mounted a challenge to some of the laws that exist in places such as New York.
I assume that the Jews will have Obama try to change the constitution. What is the process for a change to the constitution in the United States?
Here in Australia there has to be a referendum that is passed by a majority of the people in a majority of the states.
What you do not want in the USA is a gun law modelled on what we have here in Australia, which makes it difficult and expensive for any honest citizen to possess a firearm. Pistols are damned near impossible and even when you carry them to and from a range for an approved event at a pistol club they have to be inside a locked metal container inside the boot of the car. Seriously.
Firearms at home have to be stored inside an approved safe, in pieces, with the ammunition in a separate approved safe.
Special licence categories that are given only to people who for certain occupation reasons want to possess semi-automatic rifles. Pump action shotguns are also an occupational licence firearm, through curiously level-action shotguns are not treated in the same way. Perhaps the people who drafted the legislation did not see the Terminator.
It is also a crime to use a firearm to defend yourself against even an armed person who breaks into your home. You are supposed to run away and leave your family to die in an orderly manner and then let the police catch up with the offender. Seriously.
All this madness has done nothing to stop Lebanese Muslim crime gangs importing shipping containers packed with Kalasknikovs and Tokarevs from the Middle East. The result is that there are almost daily gangland shooting murders in Sydney, about which the police and politicians will do little to nothing.
The police are gutless. They have been too scared to touch the Lebs since the Lebs did a drive by of a police station and began to target the families of police in retaliation attacks. The politicians are terrified of being called (insert feigned gasp of horror) racist if they dare to speak the truth about the Middle Eastern crime gangs.
Multicultural enrichment. On a quiet night you can hear the gunfire echoing around the suburbs.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by Derrick MacThomas

I have 30 plus years of experience with a Mini 14 and am very happy with the rifle, as I have been with every single Ruger product I have used. For what it is, the accuracy is outstanding.
The only thing I do not like is the calibre. I am one of those who does not consider 5.56mm to be a man killer. Give me 7.62x51 or 7.62x63 any day.

It's funny that you brought that up. I just had that very converstation with another member earlier tonight. I've never liked the .223 or 5.56 - whatever you want to call it. It is basically a high speed, flat trajectory varmint/coyote round. When in discussions about 5.56 vs 7.62, I've always taken the side of the 7.62.

It is ironic that I'm now scrambling for a .223 like everyone else right now. I have the 9mm and .308 firearms already. So why not go with another .308 platform? It makes sense from an ammunition standpoint (don't have to have as many calibers of ammunition) - but I think I've realized, when all hell breaks loose, the .223/5.56 ammo's availability (stockpiling before hand, and scavenging after) along with significantly less recoil (to arm the youngens or womenfolk with) is a significant benefit that just can't be overlooked.

Admittedly, I've never fired the Mini-14. I've never heard anything but good about them, and as long as it is accurate out to 300 meters, I feel comfortable with it. It will take some time getting up to speed on a Garand style system, as I'm much more familiar with the AR Platform.

Guess I have some shooting to do. Awe, damnit!

[Angel Ramsey]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Rick

I would take that deal. It's going to get a lot harder to get semi-automatics in the future. More expensive, too.

He's taking it, even if I have to drive to NY and pay Mike, myself.

[Derrick MacThomas]

Originally Posted by Mr A.Anderson

It's funny that you brought that up. I just had that very converstation with another member earlier tonight. I've never liked the .223 or 5.56 - whatever you want to call it. It is basically a high speed, flat trajectory varmint/coyote round. When in discussions about 5.56 vs 7.62, I've always taken the side of the 7.62.

It is ironic that I'm now scrambling for a .223 like everyone else right now. I have the 9mm and .308 firearms already. So why not go with another .308 platform? It makes sense from an ammunition standpoint (don't have to have as many calibers of ammunition) - but I think I've realized, when all hell breaks loose, the .223/5.56 ammo's availability (stockpiling before hand, and scavenging after) along with significantly less recoil (to arm the youngens or womenfolk with) is a significant benefit that just can't be overlooked.

Admittedly, I've never fired the Mini-14. I've never heard anything but good about them, and as long as it is accurate out to 300 meters, I feel comfortable with it. It will take some time getting up to speed on a Garand style system, as I'm much more familiar with the AR Platform.

Guess I have some shooting to do. Awe, damnit!

The Mini 14 is accurate enough for me to use it to cut branches off trees at a range of 50 metres, using the standard sight.
I prefer 7.62x51 (or 63) because it delivers a 150 grain pill at 820 metres or 835 metres per second respectively.
A 5.56mm will deliver a 55 grain projectile at 1000 metres per second.
In terms of knockdown and killing power, the 7.62 will win every time.
I left the army about the time that our 7.62x51mm FAL L1A1 rifles were replaced by those ghastly little plastic 5.56mm Styers. I am grateful that I never had to fire one of those in anger.
Friends who have used the Styer and former instructors and friends of mine who had the misfortune to use the M16 in combat are unanimous in the opinion that 5.56mm is useless as a military calibre (and that the M16 and the Styer are equally useless pieces of shit).
I have seen what happens when a man is hit by a 7.62x51mm round. He will not get up again.
I am not terribly worried about having weapons that share the same useless 5.56mm calibre as that inflicted upon the military by politicians, come a SHTF situation, because should that happen there will likely be no shortage of weapons and ammunition on the bodies of the slain ZOG troopers. The best source of resupply is always off the bodies of the enemy. If you use the enemy's weapons, it confuses the hell out of them when they come across the aftermath of an ambush and all that they can find is their own spent brass.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by Derrick MacThomas

The Mini 14 is accurate enough for me to use it to cut branches off trees at a range of 50 metres, using the standard sight.
I prefer 7.62x51 (or 63) because it delivers a 150 grain pill at 820 metres or 835 metres per second respectively.
A 5.56mm will deliver a 55 grain projectile at 1000 metres per second.
In terms of knockdown and killing power, the 7.62 will win every time.

Believe me, I know and agree....same with the rest of your post. Same arguments I've used, based off the same experiences - although mine were the exact opposite. I've seen what 5.56 ball ammunition doesn't do to a man.

I think I will personally be stocking up on reloading supplies for HPBT ammunition. The amount of damage a mushrooming 5.56 will do compared to a clean zip through with ball ammuntion, at least against soft targets, should add enough knockdown power. For anything "hardened" or behind cover, that's what the .308 is for.

I have my eye on a 7mm Ultra Mag bolt action as well. If you aren't familiar with the round's ballistics, let's just say that you can hunt anything with it, deer, sheep, bear, moose, Mac trucks - whatever you like.

[keifer]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Rick

Have you considered an M-14, Mr. A.? There is a lot of aftermarket do-dads for that as well. I have a match grade from Springfield upgraded with a composite stock and a few other things and I am very pleased with it. The only downside is that it's kinda heavy.

Just some additional notes:
That type of stock can be improved upon by removing the two inch rubber puss-pad. Doing so will give the shooter greater access to the iron sites by pulling them in closer to the eye as well as giving a better view of the most beautiful iron sites ever made. Go with side mount sling attachments, otherwise the traditional mounts will carry the rifle in a way that the trigger guard and mag/mag release will dig into your side which is compounded by the weight of that firearm. Because of the weight, a person with side mounts will be farther ahead with more options for torso carry, otherwise with traditional sling mounts the weight of the firearm will always want to pull the rifle off the shoulder. Vickers makes a side mount sling with pull-tab slack release that allows instant adjustment for packs and variable carry options that will be greatly appreciated on extended hikes.

[Brooklyn Rick]

Originally Posted by keifer

Just some additional notes:
That type of stock can be improved upon by removing the two inch rubber puss-pad. Doing so will give the shooter greater access to the iron sites by pulling them in closer to the eye as well as giving a better view of the most beautiful iron sites ever made. Go with side mount sling attachments, otherwise the traditional mounts will carry the rifle in a way that the trigger guard and mag/mag release will dig into your side which is compounded by the weight of that firearm. Because of the weight, a person with side mounts will be farther ahead with more options for torso carry, otherwise with traditional sling mounts the weight of the firearm will always want to pull the rifle off the shoulder. Vickers makes a side mount sling with pull-tab slack release that allows instant adjustment for packs and variable carry options that will be greatly appreciated on extended hikes.

Ahhh, another iron site lover.... The M-14 sites are nice, aren't they? Clear, easily adjusted once you figure out how to use them. The Ruger Scout also has nice sites, but the muzzle blast leaves something to be desired. I know what you mean about the butt plate, but my wife doesn't like the recoil without it.

[Sam Fisher]

Iron sights all the way!

Unless you're a call of duty fag hurr durr holographic hurr durr red dot

[Roy Wagahuski]

Everyone is an expert marksman on the internut.

[Crowe]

I got a Romanian AK-47 and a CETME.

I've been trying to find one of these for my CETME:

http://www.impactguns.com/beta-c-mag...ck-100-rd.aspx



Been sold out everywhere I've looked.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Stopped at a local, hole in the wall, gun shop the other day in Asheville, NC. I was checking on any .223 ammo or reloading supplies - SOLD OUT.

I checked on Mini-14 high capacity magazines. SOLD OUT.

The last Mini 14 HCM they sold - 20 rounds - was $57 each.