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You're right, there isn't much very specific. There's always a bucket full about mini's from both sides of the fence. I had a few...forget how many. All 5.56 and they were good and hit where I wanted and did so like they meant to. Our problem here is we can only use 5 rd mags, you want at least 20s and steel for them. 30s more like...Quote:
Originally Posted by USGI
Definitely a type of Mini-14. You cannot miss the front sight on the Mini-14's I wonder if these were made under license from Ruger in France.
Check posts #3 and #12 in this link to a 2012 thread in the Firing Line Forum.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce McAskill
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=483236
Here's another link that's in French, but has some pretty good pictures of Mini-14's (scroll down) that appear to have been used in one of the prisons over there, and then possibly were up for sale or on auction. Maybe some of our Canadian friends can tell us more of what it says. :cheers: - Bob
http://www.nolasco.fr/AMD.htm
Carabiner AMD - 5.56 mm / French Penitentiary Administration / National Police - CRS /
French version of American rifle Brand RUGER - MINI Model 14 /
5.56mm - 5.56 x 45 / Removable cartridges Charger 20 /
Weapon versatile single shoulder Police /
Manufacturing and markings: STURM RUGER & Co. Inc.
SOUTHPORT - Connecticut - USA
Gas-operated semi-automatic operation reset /
Total length: 98 cm / Barrel length: 47 cm / Weight: 3.2 kg /
Number of barrel rifling: 6 stripes right / Initial speed of the projectile 970 meters a second /
Referred to fold eyepiece / Wooden fixed Crosse beech / black bronzed finish /
Assault weapon police and defense away, allows the shot to medium distances.
Light individual weapon, handy, convenient when working in urban areas,
good accuracy for returning fire from security forces at medium range.
Armament personal prison administration monitoring
in the speaker towers and the entrance of French prisons.
The many qualities of this weapon built the world-renowned RUGER - MINI 14
Police weapon, original, authentic, neutralized, Class D - 2.D - Free sale
Police deactivated firearm to the collection, in very good condition.
Arms Regulations: Weapon collection neutralized - Category D - 2.D
Weapon the acquisition and ownership are free.
Weapon neutralized by the National Proof House of Saint-Etienne following Decree No. 2013-700 of 30 July 2013,
the Order of September 2, 2013 and the Decree of 12 May 2006.
Any information 03.21.75.30.88 phone Monday to Friday from 9am to 18pm.
Many available items.
.There are so many different Police Agency in Franch, Ferderal Police, Military Police, and Civilian Police and i think there might a couple of more. I was told that the Civilian Police use a Variant of the Mini 14 the AC-556 which was made for Stricly Governent use. The Federal Police use the Sig SG 540 in 5.56 x 45. I did see a Ruger Mini 14, but which Police Service was using it. I noticed in Few pictures on TV French Policemen were holding Ruger Semi -Auto Pisto and others Carrying the Sig . But talking to an Italian relative who spent many years in Paris says there so many different agencies and each one uses there own different Firearms issued by there Department.
I fired an AC-556K when I was at a rangemaster school in Washington state. It is the short version of the full auto, folding stock Mini-14 with a 11.5" or 12.5" barrel flash hider. Not a bad little weapon. I saw lots of AC556 Rugers in Mexico and Central America about 10 years ago.
My personal experience with Mini-14s was favorable, as long as you use Ruger factory 20s and 30s. 90% of the aftermarket ones are JUNK! If I could not have an AR15, I'd be totally happy with a Mini-14 as a big brother to my M1 Carbine....
I agree about the aftermarket mags. I had a Mini-30 and tried about everything I could find - none of them worked at all. The only good mag available at the time was the factory 5 round. About the time I sold the rifle, Ruger made a 20 round version available at around $30. - Bob
As an FFL holder, I had an early Mini-14 for awhile when ARs dried up in California after the first ban in 1990. I put a different front sight set up with post and wing like an M1 Carbine, and it improved accuracy dramatically (stock sights sucked, that's why they started with M1 carbine style front sights a couple years back.). I had one factory 20 and one factory 30 that I got with it. They both functioned perfectly with GI ammo. Commercial soft points were a little problematic, by M193 ran flawlessly. There is a part of me that wishes I still had that Ruger. Now they are so stupid expensive, you can get AR15s for the same price or even less.
If something happened (like a stupid law, or something) and I was unable to own an AR-15, I would be quite content with a Mini-14 and a half dozen factory 20s and 30s... Sort of a M1 Carbine on steroids. After all, the Winchester .224 light rifle that competed in Project SALVO with the AR-15 was the inspiration for the mini-14.
I saw that carbine too! Then I thought, no, it must have been a Ruger Mini 14 or something. So my 60 year old eyes are better than I thought!
The French did love the M1 Carbine. The Resistance had lots of them parachuted in, as they were light, and the ammo was lighter for logistics. It leant itself to the kind of "close up and dirty" fighting they did against the German occupiers. They also used lots of them in Indochina in the 50s, and even had a version of the STG44 in 30 Carbine that they tried...