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| This is what happens when your gunny friends are too polite to smack you. |
Marlin has a lever gun with a picatinny rail running the length of the receiver top. I think it looks out of place. And even though Henry makes a scope mount for my .44 Big Boy, mounting an optic atop the brass just seems wrong.
So why, oh why, oh why did I dork up my Mini-14? Here she is at the height of my outright stupidity, sporting an ATI Strikeforce stock with an Urban Brawler see-through scout rail and other tacticalizing accessories. This is Grade A Dumb-Ass!
Sure, the Urban Brawler scout rail looks kick ass! But it easily adds a pound of weight to the forend of the gun, the absolute last place you want extra weight, and forces your cheek weld to become a chin weld. And while you can technically see-through the rail for the iron sights, the sight picture is so cramped and field of vision is so narrow that you might as well be looking through a 1x telescope. The Urban Brawler came off my Mini-14 some time ago, but the Strikeforce stock is still there.
I've tried to bring myself to like the Strikeforce stock. I even upgraded some of its plastic parts to aluminum with the upgrade kit. But after watching Hickok45's video on the Mini-14, I've come to the realization that "tacticalizing" one of these rifles is simply a waste of time and money. If you want a Mini-14 to look like an AR-15, buy an AR-15.
So, I'm gonna take it back to basics. I like what this guy has done to his Mini-14, minus the CQB sling. I'm figuring I can do the same but with a couple of improvements.
Here is a picture of my Mini-14 from when I first go it, and as originally envisioned by Bill Ruger. I look at this picture now and think, "That looks like a decent firearm. Why did I dork it up?"
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| A Mini-14 with 18" barrel and factory wood trim. |
Heck, I'm even gonna try to lay my hands on a couple of those flush-mounting Mini-14 5rd magazines. Not everything firearm related has to be "tacticool". I need to get over it.
I do like the looks of the stock Mini-14; that's one sexy rifle. Kinda reminds me of the look of a famous battle rifle. . . . . hmmmmm, I can't put my finger on it.
ReplyDeleteA red-dot on top of yours might take away some of your disdain for it. Irons seem to work well enough though; I have a recent respect for them again that was a long time in coming, not to mention humbling considering how badly I shot with a scope!
Now, you do have a bad ass Trijicon 1x4 that would be saaaahweeet on a fast handling bolt action .308 with like an 18" barrel. Ooooh the possibilities!
Yeah... the Trijicon will be set aside for another project I'm thinking about.
ReplyDelete-andy
Meh... Personally I don't think the rifle is accurate enough to be worth a 'tactical' scope... I had a plain jane one, used it as a truck gun, beat the hell outta it, and it still shot minute of torso on coyotes and other varmints.
ReplyDeleteI kinda agree with you, NFO. That Trijicon 1-4 is more scope than the rifle needs. But a reddot I think is workable, and I think you need a rugged one if you want to consider the rifle a knock-around gun.
ReplyDeleteAs for accuracy, mine is a 580 series with the new tapered barrel. Still not great, but better than some of the older models. Accuracy becomes an issue when the barrel gets hot. I may put a Mo-Rod on it for that purpose. Or not...
Still, there is just something about the Garand-style action that I like about Mini-14s.
I didn't know they'd finally tried to address the accuracy issue... bout damn time! I just don't like any thing that requires batteries, my luck, the battery WILL be dead when I need it!
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