I am an older shooter, 81 YOA. In 1963, at age 18, I joined the Army and volunteered for the Infantry. Did Basic training and AIT at Ft. Hood, Tx. Started off shooting the M-1 Garand and before my three years were up, was shooting the M-14. I was selected to be on the Battalion Rifle Team. The first year we fired the M1 and the second the M-14. Both were accurate, but the M-14 had an ammo problem. We had a spotting scopes on the rifle team and could see the bullets vapor trails when firing at 400 and 500 yards. The M-14 bullets would start tumbling at about 300 yards and would hit the targets sideways, backwards, and any other angle you can imagine, sometimes drifting away from the bull by three or four feet at 500 yards. Pretty aggravating during a rifle competition. The M-1 never did that! I still recall my M-1 battle sight setting, 11 clicks elevation and one click to the right, can't recall the M-14 setting. I missed the Vietnam unpleasantness.

You don't have to say: "thanks for watching"....we all have to say: "many thanks for showing"! So: Many thanks for this video!

I shot an M-14 in Army basic training in 1964 and really liked it. Near the end of basic training we got to shoot at some pop-up targets 500 yards away. We just raised the rear sight to the 500 yard mark and then got sighted in fairly close using tracer rounds. I was surprised how many pop-up targets we hit.

I will always prefer the wisdom and advice of gentleman like this and will specifically go out of my way to find the 40 minute video essay as opposed to the 5 minute click-bait entertaining video.

I have a 188 series and 584 series Mini 14. They are both fantastic rifles. The simple rotating bolt design and open receiver is more appealing to me than other rifle designs I own.

I added a variable gas port to my Mini 14. It makes a world of difference. I often close it completely while at the range, so I don't have angry neighbors or a need to chase my brass. All you do is turn a knob. That adjustable gas block is great for reloaders.

You're a national treasure. Thanks for the educational video.

Extremely informative presentation! I looked at the Mini 14 several years ago and balked at buying it. Again, since then prices have risen like everything. But, this rifle is still on my radar! What make this rifle so great in these times we are in, isn't the rifle operating system, or the obivious function. It is the fact that it's appearance is so similar to an ordinary hunting rifle! People don't feel it's the "Black scary looking AR"! With a low capacity magazine it's just an ordinary Hunting Rifle! Again, a great presentation, Thank-you! Best to ya',,,,!

Absolutely awesome video. I'm a younger guy, so I am more versed in modern firearms; but I am getting very interested in these older garand style action rifles in all calibers as well as lever actions. Thanks so much for the info. Absolutely priceless info.

I have had mine a couple years. I replaced the plastic with a green laminate wood stock. Looks really good with the stainless. I rely on the iron sight with no scope. Thank you for your educated attention to the firearms you bring to us.

I waited my whole life to get a mini-14 and your videos are worth their weight in gold for their info.

Fantastic video, wow .... really enjoyed the comparisons. I have a 5812 model Mini-14 Law Enforcement model with he Government Barrel GB designation. I have easily 5000+ rounds through it with only one malfunction I attributed to a weak round.That is amazing. I could not live without this rifle ... furthest I can shoot on private land is 200 yards and this plinks 18" gong at that distance easily standing free hand.

Excellent video. The Mini 14 is probably my favorite rifle. I look forward to seeing what else you have planned for it.

I love my Mini-14. Never an issue and zero accuracy problems. This is one of the easiest guns to disassemble and clean and with practice, field stripping and cleaning can be done very quickly as compared to many other firearms. Excellent video and thanks!

I carried M-14s in Vietnam and Germany. I have one now. I have owned several Mini's. Great rifles. Thanks for the vid.

This is one rifle I've never owned and I have never shot one either. I have owned and shot M1A's for many years. I still have one standard and one loaded model. Your explanation has cleared up many questions I have had for many years. I'm guilty of not delving into the subject myself. Thank you for covering this in such a thorough way.

Excellent Video! I bought the same mini-14 about 3 years ago when they were in the $800 range. I have really enjoyed shooting this just as much as my AR-15. Two different platforms equal double the fun. Your previous mini 14 field strip and cleaning video was extremely helpful as I learned how to maintain the firearm when I first got it. I would recommend it to any new mini-14 owner. I have learned a ton from the videos on your channel - thank you!

Thanks for going into such great detail. I've had my wood stocked, blue Mini for almost 4 decades now, and never really thought about how close it was to the full M-14 other than at first glance they look very similar! The only drawback I've ever heard about the Mini is they are supposedly not as accurate as AR-15's, but that must have something to do with the difference in popularity (many AR aftermarket improvements available), and barrel length. I remember my old Seabee days of carrying the M-14 around, then in mid 67 we received new M-16's, and what a difference in weight and recoil that made! Had Bill Ruger had his Mini ready to go when our military was looking to downsize, it could have been Ruger versus Stoner looking for that big contract.

Thanks for the information. I have a Ruger mini 14 and I have used all types of 223 ammo and it has never failed. I also took it apart for cleaning after 4 years of use and it was not bad dirty at all. Very good design and functional.

Every pickup truck back home had a Ruger Mini 14 in it, and either some kind of a shotgun, or a .30-30 or a .30-06.

The original Mini-14 upper hand guard was wood and had the same profile as the M-14 (exposed operating rod). Bought my Mini-14 in 1980 and recently gave it to my eldest son.

I'm SO glad you are back discussing the Mini-14, especially using the very model I purchased a few years ago. In fact your Mini-14 cleaning and maintenance video is part of my library, to be used when I clean my Mini-14. I'm really excited about the Ruger Mini-14 Trigger Tuneup Demonstration. You're one of the few who I feel extremely confident in trusting when it comes to good common sense information about firearms. Thank you for all the fine videos you've produced over the years.

I bought my first Mini for $175 on sale at Oshmans sporting goods. I didn't know anything about them or Ruger at the time. I didn't expect much out of it because that was back before ARs became popular, and the .223 was considered to be a light target round, and many people called it a mouse gun cartridge. I just bought it because it looked a bit like my old M1 carbine which I had really enjoyed. So after cleaning it, I took it out to the country and went plinking. I really did think it was just a glorified .22 mouse gun. Before I even got to my normal plinking area, I decided to take a couple of shots into the clay mud of the field I was crossing. I figured the thick clay might be a good test medium to get some idea of the performance of my new mouse gun plinker. So I fired three fast shots into the mud about 10 feet in front of me. I was shocked and amazed at the results! There were now three holes in the ground that you could stuff a watermelon into, and there were huge globbets of mud raining down all around, a lot of it being flung quite a good distance above, behind, and all over me. Luckily, it was very thick and I could brush most of it off of me. I couldn't believe the holes it left in the ground. My respect and liking for the .223/5.56 mm and the Ruger Mini -14 were sealed from that time onwards. Later a friend of mine slicked up the trigger and bedded the action, and mounted a Leupold gold ring 1.5x5 variable scope on it and it was a serious 1 to 1.5 MOA rifle from a sand bag rest if you did your part and let it cool down between groups. And since it had a five shot mag, we shot five shot groups. They may not be incredibly accurate out of the box, but they can be. Don't underestimate the Mini, it's a handy little carbine and for general use I find it lighter and easier to handle than my ARs. YMMV. 👀 Edit: I never had complaints about the distance of the brass ejection on my Minis, if I recall correctly it usually tossed it about five to eight feet to the right and a few feet slightly forward. Now, if you want to talk about a gun that tosses brass, get an HK or PTR 91, or 93. Those monsters can toss brass over thirty feet and chew it like bubble gum on the way out! I was out shooting my Mini at the range and there were a couple of guys that had some HKs sitting four benches away to our left and they were flinging brass well past our bench. Occasionally, some brass would hit our bench and then continue onward, but most of it was landing fifteen to twenty feet past us! Many people would have considered that annoying, but I instantly fell in lust with all things HKish. Makes me wish I still had my HK 93 and PTR 91, and all the Minis I've had in the past. Advice: if you buy it, don't ever sell it -- you will always regret doing it eventually. 🔫

I love it! I'm watching anything and everything you put out on the Mini. Looking forward to the trigger video!

It’s a good end to a Monday when a GunBlue video pops up on your notifications. Thank you sir!

Have both a 580 series Mini-14 and Mini-30 with many fired rounds and many mods with each. I replaced scopes with a forward-mounted red dot, replaced the slick birch stock with the factory plastic stock and dumped the aftermarket barrel struts. Each is now a quick, light handy, compact and fun ~100 yard rifle (oh, and just as long as one uses brass/boxer ammo in the Mini-30!).

Another very interesting firearms video. I've always admired the Mini 14. Bill Ruger was genius in his designs. Thank you for sharing and hope Bennie is doing well. Stay well and God Bless you and your family.

It's always a pleasure watching your videos GunBlue490 and I always learn something. I have a 195 series Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle from 1999 and the rifle is utterly reliable as you've stated. You have to make sure no one is sitting to your right when at the range or hot brass is coming their way! Only until recently Ruger started printing 5.56 NATO on the receivers, but Ruger confirmed just as you did, that all Mini-14's with the exception of their target Mini-14, can shoot either .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO.

I have a 184 series and can produce 1" groups at 100 yards with 55 grain bullets and only shooting 3 rounds at a time. With the older pencil type barrels they heat up faster and point of impact will shift. Great video.

My favorite part of my entire arsenal is this trio: M1, M1A, Mini-14. There's just something about the action I love, and I don't think many out there can say they've got all 3.

Great rifles always enjoyed shooting the Mini-14 looking forward to the follow-up video thanks for sharing

I love my 580 series. I installed an Ultimak Rail, installed a Nikon Active Target scope after installing a Hoague Stock, Wolff XP springs, and a trigger job. It’s awesome. My scope is low mounted so I had to install a brass deflector to protect it. Riveted it to the Picatinny, and it works exactly as it should.

I love Garand's design. I own an M1A, Mini 14 and Mini 30. These are reliable, functional and for me intuitive to handle. Thanks for the education on the differences. Great video!

Just another fantastic explanation of one of Bill Ruger’s more notable contributions. Thank you so much.

Excellent review. Had a M-14 my whole time in U.S. Army. Always loved that rifle. Thanks for your video.

I have the same 5804 model rifle in the mini thirty caliber 7.62x39. Personally, l prefer the mini thirty and the larger 7.62x39 cartridge. I use mine for deer hunting. With my eyes not being what they once were, I put an affordable Leopold Freedom scope on it and it’s a fantastic deer gun for the NH woods. Also the 7.62x39 ammo is very cheap, especially the Chinese or Russian stuff. I use Tula 154 grain soft points for hunting and took a buck with it last year. At 50 cents a round you can’t beat it. I would recommend replacing the hand guard with a Choate handguard for a more comfortable guard. The Choate guard is similar the the guard on the M1A and does not cover the action rod. It’s also ventilated. I considered getting an M1A scout squad model but they are heavy and twice the cost of the mini thirty. Thanks for another great video. Say hi to Benny!

Thanks for your comparison. I enjoyed shooting the M-14 in the past except for the weight to pack around. I do like the decreased weight of my ranch and shoot it much more that I did the M-14. Of course the M-14 stayed with the department when I retired mores the pity. .223 is a bit cheaper than .308 so no worries...

Recently picked up a nearly perfect mdl 187 with the original wooden folding stock. My older friends just laugh at me for the A-Team nostalgia, the younger shooters are " what ghe heck is that??" Waht a great gun, if one presents itself - grab it like your first prom date and never let it go! This one I will pass on to my children

I'm fascinated by Bill Ruger's gas system . Seems to me the gas port is basically a fixed piston and the slide a movable cylinder ,where the gas port/ piston inserts somewhat into the end of the slide( the opening it is inserted in basically a cylinder bore. So ,like you point out the gases vent and the carbon goes with it not being trapped inside a closed piston system as the M14 has. Brilliant!

Nice bit of education. Thanks. My first .223 caliber rifle was a mini-14. Wish I had known of you then. Fun to shoot, reliable as you stated, never went below 2-3 inch groups at 100 yds. Researched what was available back then, common thread was a peculiar barrel harmonic that kept the kind of precision I wanted from happening without modifications that were very costly. You may have had a solution. Sold it, occasionally have regrets, but the AR platform rifle I replaced it with gets 1/2 moa.

I very much enjoy your observations/comments regarding both of these semi-auto rifles. The full size (long action) M-1 being the 30.06, the M-14 (short action) in 7.62 by 51 or 308 caliber, then the smallest variation of this action being in 5.56 (nato) or .223 in the civilian nomenclature. Yeah we known lots about these firearms yet still gleam insights from you and are very informative. Thank you once again for the detailed explanations and informative look/take of these fine rifles.

Thank you. Learned quite a bit about my Mini 14 from this. Looking forward to learning more about the trigger work you've done.

Excellent video. One thing to mention is the gas system of the Mini 14 is similar to the gas system in the AK47. The AK is famous for reliability. It will fire under the worst conditions. I have built from scratch my own AR15. They are fun to play with. When it was adopted, by the Air Force, they started trying to fix it. And it still is not perfect. If I was going into combat I would carry a Glock and a Mini 14. Reliability and dependability will keep you alive

Well...because of you I had to take a break and enjoy a great 39 minutes of my life for a great video, thank you Sir

When I was in the navy, when I was honer guard wait on for my first ship they had us use the M-14. It is a interesting gun . I was looking for one after I got out could not find one. It is nice to see the guns you showing brought back the memories. Gave me some ideas now. Thank you

Its wonderful to have a Master still available with just a key stroke, your lessons are and insights priceless, and reassuring to lot who have made purchases that reflect on your approval

This guy fulfills my love of knowledge of gun culture.

I have the older Mini 14 with wood stock…this is my favorite rifle of the my vast collection. Thanks so much for the extremely informative and interesting videos you produce! 👍🏻

Thank you for your very informative video. The range I belong to has shooting benches that are exposed to each other so when brass was ejected by my mini 14, it would fly out and often hit the next bench shooter. I changed the orifice to a smaller diameter size using the Accuracy Systems Ruger Mini 14 Gas Reduction Bushing Kit and it solved the problem. I did not have any issues with malfunctions so I am happy with the mod.

I've owned Mini-14s for many years, and I commend you on an excellent comparison and explanation of the brilliance of Mr. Ruger. I'm looking forward to your next video on the trigger.

Nice info. ive had my mini 14 since 1978 and it has never failed to load and fire.

Thank you this gave me a real new outlook on my Ruger Mini 14

This week I just purchased a Mini-14 and an M1A. Probably two of the most interesting guns in my collection.

Fantastic video. My first patrol rifle was a 188 series wood stock. Loved it until the trigger guard fell out during a range session, then I was issued a Ranch Rifle which I did not like as much. I have found a new found interest in the Mini and looking to acquire one (wood stock) hopefully very soon.

My fascination with the m14 came after my grandfather told me he fought in war, then video games, and to this day, this weapon has been my favorite rifle in every game, so dangerous at far distance but I wonder if it is as dangerous in real life

I just came across this video, and I literally just purchased a mini 14 the same gun that he has today, I'm going to hold off and enjoy this tonight---Can't wait!

Thanks for another excellent video and sharing your knowledge with us. Glad Benny is doing well. God bless and you are truly a gift to us all.👍🇺🇸🐶

The first time I was using a Mini14 I looked down after I was done and wondered where the brass was.

Fantastic video!!; I've been just one of your many followers, and still am sure you deserve at least 100X subbers. Many thanks for, (again!), sharing such a wealth of info regarding two of the most respected gun designs in the world, as well as they are so fun to use and mantain. Many thanks & Blessings!!.. 😊🇺🇲🙏🙏🙏

A big thank you as I did very much enjoy your comparison of two great rifles.

Another tremendous video on 2 awesome firearms…unfortunately my government decided to band them this past year and we can no longer purchase or own them ☹️ Your dept of knowledge is a gem to the shooting community everywhere. God bless.👍

Great video on the Mini-14. I’m looking forward to your trigger smoothing work on the Mini.

awesome video! most informative comparison ive seen. i still have my old mini14 with a 30+ mag. great target rifle and fun as heck competition rifle. cant wait for this season im gunna be bringing it back out to ping some targets! have a great day Sir thank you for the awesome video

Very well put together! Thank you sir.

Excellent and informative....your videos in a class by themselves. Thank you. I was surprised that you selected the non wood stock version.

Another excellent video. We appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Love your videos especially on the mini 14. You're a good man. Ive learned a lot.

Excellent video I learned a lot from it easily&was able to retain the knowledge. You are an excellent teacher

Very good video sir. My M1a Scout Squad has been a faithful companion for about a decade. I love the M1A sights. The family has banged hundreds of rounds on steel to 600 yards. I took the strip guide off; didn't need it or the weight. Now this video has me thinking about a Mini 14. Not that I need it, but it sure seems like it would be fun. I hate the damn safety on both.

I’ve always heard mini’s were notorious for being consistently innacurate. It (supposedly) went beyond just firing “different brands” of the same caliber ammo. It was the inconsistency between firing rounds on target, mag to mag. Mind you, I’ve HEARD it for a long time from different owners. Edited to add: I’m REAL interested in seeing YOUR vid on the Mini’s “Trigger Job”..even though I’m a TOTALLY content M1A owner.

Thanks, VERY GOOD comparison!!

As always thank You for Your meticulous analysis. Also best regards and health to all the members of Your family!

I am eagerly looking forward to your mini-14 trigger video. Your videos always provide relaxation, education and enjoyment. May God bless you, Benny and your family.

Great video. I have one of the newer wood stock versions. It will hit a 14 inch target a 200yds with iron sights. Don't know the moa. I put a strut on it but haven't tested it yet. Great reliable rifle.

I have a 584 series Mini 14 and a Mini 30. I'm looking forward to your trigger job video.

Great review and comparison. Thank you for such informative analysis! I was contemplating a Bula Defense “M14” but now you’ve given me pause. Maybe will just stick with my M1s including one in .308. Looking forward To your next KZfaq video.

Nicely done.

One hell of a good video!! Thank you so much.

very cool, learn somthing new every day! I am very familiar with Garands, m14, & M1 Carbine but have never owned a mini14, I dint even realize how similar they are!

“I hate the mini 14 so much that I bought two”-sarcasm

Very well said and enjoyed the comparison

Thank you for all the info!

Excellent video thank you very much, now I know everything there is to know about the many 14.

I know of a story, from a reliable source that told me his dad , who was a Detroit police officer, who made shots at a rock that was paced off at just over 700 yards! A testament to the accuracy of the mini14 and why it's one of the firearms on my wish list.😉

Best video on this subject I have ever watched. Excellent! :)

I have 2 Minis, a blued 181 series set up to look like a truly mini M14, and a 580 stainless Ranch Rifle. With good mags they do not jam. I also have ARs and love them too, but for the purpose Minis are built for, Minis are superior to an AR except in accuracy. Even then, with a cold barrel and only a few rounds fired at a time the difference isn’t that much. I know several ranchers and farmers that use Minis for truck and even saddle guns. In many cases these guns are beat to hell and rarely or never cleaned and they still run fine. I greatly prefer the Mini for an actual ranch rifle which is what I use it for. It’s lighter, leaner, and more snag free. Points more naturally and faster to get on target for snap shots. These qualities are most important for my use as the critters that need shooting don’t usually give you a lot of time to pull out your gun and take aim and shots are usually close. Also, the Mini just has nicer lines and are built like tanks. I do prefer an AR for night hunting due to the modularity for optics, lights, etc. and they have their place also. It’s also nice that I can usually find my brass to reload haha. Wish they had not waited so long to update the Mini a bit to be more competitive with the current market, but Bill really got it right from the start and for a long time there wasn’t much need to change anything. Great rifle. Thanks for giving the Mini some much needed attention!

Awesome video with great information. Some trigger time videos would be amazing. Thank you for your time. God bless...

Very informative video. Better yet, your vocabulary is a refreshing change from most presenters.

Very informative and clear

Extremely reliable very dependable and I've seen that type of action work in cold weather where other guns would not !!!

❤best review/comparison ever, by far !!

A well done video as usual. I have liked the Mini-14 since I first saw it, I think the first time I saw it was in the TV show A-Team. I would like to clarify that the M1 Garand did not have a provision for loading or topping off using stripper clips. I think it was because of the en-bloc clip design. Keep up the great work, I always look forward to watching your video's.

Best video ive watched in a very long time. Thank you : )

Just got a scout and got bunch of goodies coming for it. Can't wait to warm her up soon.

I’ve had a couple Mini 14s. I wish Ruger would have used the short stroke gas system of the M14/M1 Carbine instead of having that big heavy block in the op rod slam against the gas block and gas tap. That has to be part of what causes the barrel to undulate erratically and shoot flyers. I’ve tried rebarreling, bedding and other mods and I could never get it to shoot small round groups like my M1As or ARs.

Nice comparison. I can't wait for the trigger video!

Excellent video. Very informative and instructive.

Great explication and explanation. Thank you.

The original for me.. M1 Garand for the win! Mini 14 and m1a/ m14 are awesome. But a good running m1 is a thing of beauty. Pure art in a rifle.

Well done video; extremely helpful!