Mini 14 and why do some oppose

[c0ntract]

The elitism is in saying that a rifle is garbage because it costs less than $X. Garbage is obviously garbage, but it is not garbage because it is less expensive. I am not accusing anybody of elitism per se, but they do exist.

He didn't say it was junk because it was $600, he said it couldn't group well or handle a large volume of shooting. A real black rifle should be able to shoot thousands of rounds no problem.

Wood is also a great choice for rifle stocks because they can be repaired easily with common tools and craftsmanship, and can easily be custom fitted to the shooter as they are in very high end shotguns.

Black rifles got their name because they were all black and usually making extensive use of polymer unlike the the guns with wooden stocks that preceded them.

In larger caliber rifles, the weight is an advantage for recoil. Some synthetic stock materials are excellent: light and durable, but others are little more than tupperware. Depending on the material and finish, synthetic stocks may be more prone to cracking in cold weather, particularly over time. Synthetics are prone to thermal expansion. For example, fiberglass reinforced polycarbonate has a linear expansion coefficient of about 12 (won't get into the units, but bigger is more expansion as it gets hotter). Woods go in to 2-3 range. Guess which material gets made into the stocks for the Anschutz biathlon rifles which win all those Olympic competitions.

Almost all "all weather" model guns, hunting and etc, use synthetic stocks. A synthetic stock is the signature of a black rifle.

If you like synthetic stocks, great. Buy hundreds (just not the ones I am shopping for). To say that wood stocks are for the uneducated is foolish. To say they don't belong on any firearm period is the epitome of ignorance.

They do belong on some firearms, they just don't do well on combat firearms for a variety of reasons. Even the old M14's are being retrofitted with stocks made from modern materials. Wood swells, rots, breaks, becomes brittle with age and exposure to the elements, it can warp and break from impact.

I love wood on guns, the best trap guns have beautiful finished stocks, my model 70 and almost all my hunting rifles have wood stocks. That being said... wood automatically excludes it from being a black rifle.

 

[blaxsun]

If it's any consolation, Ron Charach thinks the Mini-14 qualifies.

 

[TDC]

The elitism is in saying that a rifle is garbage because it costs less than $X. Garbage is obviously garbage, but it is not garbage because it is less expensive. I am not accusing anybody of elitism per se, but they do exist.

Wood is also a great choice for rifle stocks because they can be repaired easily with common tools and craftsmanship, and can easily be custom fitted to the shooter as they are in very high end shotguns. In larger caliber rifles, the weight is an advantage for recoil. Some synthetic stock materials are excellent: light and durable, but others are little more than tupperware. Depending on the material and finish, synthetic stocks may be more prone to cracking in cold weather, particularly over time. Synthetics are prone to thermal expansion. For example, fiberglass reinforced polycarbonate has a linear expansion coefficient of about 12 (won't get into the units, but bigger is more expansion as it gets hotter). Woods go in to 2-3 range. Guess which material gets made into the stocks for the Anschutz biathlon rifles which win all those Olympic competitions.

If you like synthetic stocks, great. Buy hundreds (just not the ones I am shopping for). To say that wood stocks are for the uneducated is foolish. To say they don't belong on any firearm period is the epitome of ignorance.

The important aspect to your post is that you're referring to poor synthetic materials as opposed to good ones. A quality synthetic stock is temperature stable and unaffected by moisture and humidity. I wonder which stock will decompose faster, a wood one or a synthetic one? There are some woods that are better suited for stocks than others, but none hold a candle to a quality synthetic. As for breakage, if its a quality synthetic stock, I highly doubt you're gonna break it without damaging optics and/or rifle as well. As for repair, its called replacement. Some things should not or cannot be repaired. Nicks, chips and scratches aren't worth worrying about on any stock.

I meant that the VZ58 is based on a legitimate assault rifle unlike the Mini which is not. I wasn't clear, so the dramatic bolding is deserved.

My bad, I didn't see that reference.

TDC

 

[Korporal]

Black, green, purple... who cares what category the Mini 14 falls into. All that matters is...

It pisses off Liberals

That's a good enough reason for me to own one. Heck, I can't even remember the last time I shot one.

 

[TDC]

Black, green, purple... who cares what category the Mini 14 falls into. All that matters is...

It pisses off Liberals

That's a good enough reason for me to own one. Heck, I can't even remember the last time I shot one.

Can't argue with that!

TDC