the mini is a warmed-over M1 Garand, scaled down to half the power and set up to use an old-fashioned rock-and-lock detachable magazine like the Garand-derivative M14/M1A instead of an en-bloc clip. The Garand design dates to the mid-to-late 1920's.

M1 Garand:


Mini-14 Ranch Rifle


And yes, the one in the second photo above is (was) mine, which I originally bought over twenty years ago (it was my first centerfire firearm). It was absolutely reliable, but 5.5 MOA wasn't up to my expectations, so I sold it a few years ago and bought something more modern...