A Team Mini 14 from Ruger

[CavCop]

Owned a few Ruger Mini 14’s over the years. A blued Ranch was my favorite.
Back in the 90’s I would have argued the Mini 14 was better than the AR-15 for reliability. With advancements with the M4 in the 2000’s probably not the case now.
Bill Ruger did great work designing many great firearms. The Mini 14 was a scaled down version of the M14, based on the M1 Grand. In the 1980’s Bill Ruger gave into the fear mongering left, and only provided “tactical” Mini 14’s to law enforcement and militaries, then the 94 assault ban hit.
As far as I know the Mini 14 in basic form is legal in all 50 states. Its wood stock, and semi auto makes it more of a ranch or working man’s rifle than a tactical rifle, as it’s been used by law enforcement to farmers without scaring the anti gunners like an AR.
A buddy of mine a few months back showed me a new Mini 14 he had. I decided I had to get one too. For Rugers 75th Anniversary (and will Bill Ruger gone), they are now selling a tactical line. But the icing on the cake is they teamed with Samson to offer again the Samson folding stocks used by the A-Team (one of the greatest and silliest tv shows of the 80’s). You can get the stock it self from Samson as the A-TM folder (they even have a Hannibal rail to mount optics and lights). The stocks come in stainless and blued and are model specific for fit based on the serial number/series of your Ruger.
The new Mini 14’s hold close to 2MOA accuracy, putting them on par with most AR’s. However the A Team tribute Mini 14 is not 50 states compliant. You get a true flash hider, a bayonet lug, a pistol grip, and folding stock that used to be for law enforcement and military use. All Mini 14’s seem to have the Ranch rifle setup for mounting scope rings, and the ability to attach a rail section for modern optics.

Any other owners of this modern A Team tribute rifle?

 

[CavCop]

Got my Hannibal starter kit

 

[BRD@66]

I hope you have better luck hitting the side of a barn than did the original owners.

 

[CavCop]

I hope you have better luck hitting the side of a barn than did the original owners.

One of the reasons I got it, was to see how the new 18.5 accurized 5.56 barrel does. They say it’s good for 2 MOA.

The M4 is a 2.5 to 5 MOA, so we shall see. Plus you can shoot the Mini 14 with the stock folded, and bump fire it..

 

[zackmars]

I hope you have better luck hitting the side of a barn than did the original owners.

Man you see how many cars and vans they flipped? Who cares if it's 8 MOA if everyone in the car gets multiple TBI's

 

[CavCop]

Man you see how many cars and vans they flipped? Who cares if it's 8 MOA if everyone in the car gets multiple TBI's

A military buddy of mine got one too. I want to go to the range and shoot at silhouette’s, where the goal is to not hit the target, and then ask the range officer how we did. Hopefully it’s an older range officer…

 

[tekiwap]

Did you shoot it yet?

 

[Gordo]

Wonder how much work it would take to put one of those stocks on a Mini-30 ?
Wait, hold the train !!
Sampson makes them for the Mini-30 !!

 

[justmax]

Wonder how much work it would take to put one of those stocks on a Mini-30 ?
Wait, hold the train !!
Sampson makes them for the Mini-30 !!

I found that they interchange as is

 

[Gordo]

I found that they interchange as is

I don't think so, Sampson list a separate one for the Mini-30, and it costs a little more.
But you may be right, and Sampson is just nailing people extra for having to put a different label on the box.

 

[justmax]

I don't think so, Sampson list a separate one for the Mini-30, and it costs a little more.
But you may be right, and Sampson is just nailing people extra for having to put a different label on the box.

Maybe there's been different versions over time, but on many times I've had both simultaneously and switch stocks. My favorite was taking a nice green laminated one off of mini 14 and putting it on my mini 30 just field strip it drop it in. Also, I've switched out the Butler Creek and the ram line stocks the same way. One of them, I forget which, needed a little filing as the slot or the receiver dropped in was pretty tight. I've only ever had one of the“A-Team stocks”. Back then they were made by Falcon for Ruger.

 

[CavCop]

Did you shoot it yet?

No. Trying to set up a weekend with my buddy who has one. I probably have a dozen firearms I need to get out to the range with. In two weeks my son and grandson come down for summer vacation, so might take it out then, before or after our Port A vacation.

 

[leVieux]

No. Trying to set up a weekend with my buddy who has one. I probably have a dozen firearms I need to get out to the range with. In two weeks my son and grandson come down for summer vacation, so might take it out then, before or after our Port A vacation.

Port Isabel / SPI are only a couple hours farther and a hell of a lot nicer.

 

[Havok1]

Port Isabel / SPI are only a couple hours farther and a hell of a lot nicer.

After going to port aransas, I can’t say I have any desire to ever go back to south padre.

 

[leVieux]

After going to port aransas, I can’t say I have any desire to ever go back to south padre.

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Having spent years living in both Corpus & Brownsville; SPI is just all around nicer: clearer Gulf waters, fewer storms, smaller Spring break crowds, better fishing, nearness to Mexico for those caring to go, great Island bars & restaurants, & cleaner beach.

But, it’s your dime, so go where you want. I just thought I’d advise b/c of my much greater experiences with both places than most folks.

To me, the only negatives of SPI for most are a slightly longer drive and lack of 4WD access to Malaquite, etc., than from the Park HQ on the North end.

Very, very few tourists make the long trek from the “4WD Only” signs all the way to the mid Island beaches, anyway. I’ve rescued many who got stuck or exhausted their fuel.

leVieux

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[CavCop]

Port Isabel / SPI are only a couple hours farther and a hell of a lot nicer.

Family goes to Port Royal every year for the beach and pool. A few dozen of us every year, with kids and grandkids.

 

[Vaquero]

Family goes to Port Royal every year for the beach and pool. A few dozen of us every year, with kids and grandkids.

I haven't been there in decades.
Is it updated? I need a trip down south.

 

[CavCop]

I haven't been there in decades.
Is it updated? I need a trip down south.

Depends… it’s the same but upgraded?
We go to the same places and do the same things each year. Every few years a storm takes out some stuff. At Port Royal they still have not fixed building 1 that got taken out a few years back. We used to get nice three bedrooms on the 3rd floor there. Now we get a mix of 2 and 3 bedrooms. Pool probably needs to be redone in the next year or two. Some palm trees were nocked down.

This year the park near the ferry crossing is being renovated. A few new restaurants and places, but we do the same ones. Crazy Cajun is the only one I don’t like but the kids and grandkids like for the crab/shrimp boils. We do Castaways, where the boil is better (and more expensive, but worth it I feel).

Past few years we fished for sharks. It was funny as my son, nephew, and both their sons would walk out to the 2nd or 3rd sand bar on the ocean and catch sharks within a minute and come back to catch more. Probably caught 24 plus sharks in an hour, when some guys fishing came up and ask what the trick was, as they caught nothing.