Mini 14 vs. Norinco M14

I don't own either, my brother has the M305/14 - very cool but expensive to shoot.
I'm going to buy a Mini - also very cool, although I haven't actually shot one yet.
 
Utah said:
I don't own either, my brother has the M305/14 - very cool but expensive to shoot.
I'm going to buy a Mini - also very cool, although I haven't actually shot one yet.
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I live in Vancouver and own two mini 14s.... If you want to buy the ammo we can set up a test fire for ya. Pm me if this sounds like a plan.
 
I own both a M14s and a mini 30 and have a shot the mini 14's quite a bit.

I prefer my m14s.

The m14s are easy to work on, but there can be a shortage of parts at times to work on them.
recently with LRB starting to come in we should see the price drop and the availability increase.

in terms of customizing ans tuning the mini 14/30 there is not much. compared to the m14s/m305, direct from the factory things are good to go, where as the m305s, to get a little more accuracy, sometimes require gas block shims, guide rods etc.

Triggers on both/3 are not great from the factory. this is due to the design, however a competent gunsmith should be able to tune them.

as for recoil. the m305 is very pleasurable to shoot due to the semi auto-ness.

my shoulder has no trouble after a lot of rounds.

bullet selection on all three is alright, if you intend to hunt (in alberta at least) the .223 isn't legal and the mini 30 rounds are going to be around 20 a box.

mounting optics on all three is easy, but not cheap. the factory ruger rings, IMHO are crap. I dislike the design and the screw need locktite to hang on.
all three are hard on optics due to, again the design. Do NOT cheap out. buy something that can handle the abuse.
plenty of good threads in the MBR section about mounting scopes on the m305s.

that's all for now, might add more later...
 
na1lb0hm said:
I own both a M14s and a mini 30 and have a shot the mini 14's quite a bit.

I prefer my m14s.

The m14s are easy to work on, but there can be a shortage of parts at times to work on them.
recently with LRB starting to come in we should see the price drop and the availability increase.

in terms of customizing ans tuning the mini 14/30 there is not much. compared to the m14s/m305, direct from the factory things are good to go, where as the m305s, to get a little more accuracy, sometimes require gas block shims, guide rods etc.

Triggers on both/3 are not great from the factory. this is due to the design, however a competent gunsmith should be able to tune them.

as for recoil. the m305 is very pleasurable to shoot due to the semi auto-ness.

my shoulder has no trouble after a lot of rounds.

bullet selection on all three is alright, if you intend to hunt (in alberta at least) the .223 isn't legal and the mini 30 rounds are going to be around 20 a box.

mounting optics on all three is easy, but not cheap. the factory ruger rings, IMHO are crap. I dislike the design and the screw need locktite to hang on.
all three are hard on optics due to, again the design. Do NOT cheap out. buy something that can handle the abuse.
plenty of good threads in the MBR section about mounting scopes on the m305s.

that's all for now, might add more later...
Click to expand...

Ok I'm surprised no one has suggested this ...why not a Mini-30. Ball
istically 7.62x39 is quite similar to a 30-30 which is ok for deer but nothing much bigger. If you intend to go after bigger game I would suggest a Norc M-305 shorty. Oh and 7.62x39 is usually dirt cheap. My thoughts for what they are worth.
 
buy both eventually. start with the mini14. i think that you will get more time behind the trigger.

but i will tell you right now if you buy one don't ever go on the internet again. these kind people are giving you great points of view on what to buy first price and power wise. I am telling you with all the awesome upgrades one internet click away there is no such thing as a $450 m14 and a $750 mini14.
 
Have had a lot on of Mini's over the years and can say they are easy to care for and very reliable, also the new 580 plus series guns are much more accurate than the older series guns. I also have an M1A and a shorty Norc 305 which I also enjoy, since both guns share a common ancestry. The big difference other than the caliber is the weight, which is a consideration if you are going to carry the gun for extended periods.
 
I guess it all depends what you are going to do most with it.
Target shooting/plinking =mini14
Hunting/longer range=m14
I would personally buy both(used if ducats are a problem). Then you have one for each occasion=win, win...
 
I own both. IMO the Mini is better out of the box, but it's difficult to get good mags for a reasonable price other than the factory five round. The Norc Is a better rifle once you've put some work into it, but I was nervous shooting it until it had been checked out by a gunsmith. If the op is in Calgary area I will let you shoot mine. I'll bring my M1A too!
 
bushii said:
Ok I'm surprised no one has suggested this ...why not a Mini-30. Ballistically 7.62x39 is quite similar to a 30-30 which is ok for deer but nothing much bigger. If you intend to go after bigger game I would suggest a Norc M-305 shorty. Oh and 7.62x39 is usually dirt cheap. My thoughts for what they are worth.
Click to expand...


^ I agree with this guy, get a Mini-30.

You will spend extra coin on the Ruger, but you will save a ton more $$$ on the ammo. x39 is cheaper than .223 or .308 and is suitable for most big game in Canada with the exception of moose and big bears.
 
Every one needs to own an M14 at least for a little while, they are an amazing rifle and if ya spend a bit of dough on nice walnut stock top and bottom! they actually look pretty classy too, I sold mine to Rhino62 for a mini14 and have since sold the mini14 for funds towards an XCR but i will own another M14 for sure!, not too sure if i ever will own another mini14??? just my two cents
 
I had thought long and hard about buying a Mini-14 until I picked one up and played with it. Keep your eyes peeled on the EE and you could pick up a used MR1 for not all that much more than a brand-new Mini-14. The Mini have a good reputation for reliability, poor reputation for accuracy, and expensive mags. What made me look elsewhere was the "clunkiness" of the rifle. Maybe I just have a thing for more modern and tightly fitting rifles.

Haha and now to contradict myself ... I'm reading this thread because I am seriously considering an M14 / M1A for hunting. I can't think of too many other black-ish non restricted semi-auto .308s out there.
 
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