Saw this picture on a news site:
French Po-po of some type responding to the terrorists. So that’s a Ruger Mini-14, and if you look it sure looks like it has the fire selector switch…but am I missing something, do these guns not have rear sights???
PS feel free to make jokes about mini-14s not really needing sights.
Actually, it looks like the rear sight is attached to the barrel just forward of the receiver. You can just catch a glimpse under the left officer’s thumb.
I just did some digging and found that these are first generation examples of the AMD. The barrel-mounted rear sight was dumped for later production.
According to the logo, they are these guys: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnies_R%C3%A9publicaines_de_S%C3%A9curit%C3%A9
Not sure what the rifle is, though.
Ian over at Forgotten Weapons just posted a write-up about the French police Mini-14’s.
My AR is my go-to carbine, but my Mini has worked just as well for plinking, and I wouldn’t have any doubts about it if I needed it for serious work.
Those are rugers, AC556/mini 14 pattern but with a few differences.
Some had sights mounted on the rear receiver, some forward of the receiver.
There were also a couple of different auto configs. Some used a pushbutton, some had the M14 like selector lever on the side. Rumor has it that they all shipped in a non-auto fire state, requiring the French armorer to specifically swap parts to get auto fire .
A few of those Fr-Spec 556s are in the US.
I thought the French possessed firearms for dropping, not shooting…