[SodaPop]

I am still trying to recover from what I was told at a gun shop yesterday.

Yesterday, I went to several gun shops that were out of my area. I went into one of them yesterday afternoon to check prices and get some info on rifles.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to pick up next. I was looking at a few rifles and started talking to the guys working the counter. I spent about 2hrs looking at handguns and rifles and worked my way down to a used Mini 14. When I asked if I could see the gun, I noticed that there was a 20rd PMI magazine in the gun (worth about $60). I pulled the magazine out of the rifle and the bolt slammed shut. It scared the heck out of me and I felt really embarrassed because everyone in the shop heard it.

The guy working the counter said not to do that, so, I put the mag back in the gun. I told him I didn't close the bolt on purpose, but the bolt slammed shut when I took the mag out. I told him the bolt hold open latch seemed loose and the spring may have been worn or may not even be in there (might not have been assembled correctly).

Wrap your head in duct tape now................

He played with the Mini 14 for about 2 seconds and then he said,"Now, the Mini 14 works just like the Garand, you have to push down on the follower, with your thumb, while you pull back on the handle." "The magazine doesn't hold the bolt open unless its in the gun."
:uhoh:

I can't take it.

Its just sooooo not right..:uhoh:

[Badger Arms]

He played with the Mini 14 for about 2 seconds and then he said,"Now, the Mini 14 works just like the Garand, you have to push down on the follower, with your thumb, while you pull back on the handle." "The magazine doesn't hold the bolt open unless its in the gun."I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that statement is correct. If you want to let the bolt go home, you have to push the magazine follower. This is true of the Garand also. The magazine does NOT hold the bolt back, and it certainly doesn't do it out of the gun. Everything he said was true. The magazine will hold the bolt back through action of the bolt hold-open device which is a part of the gun. The follower on the magazine will push the hold-upen up into the path of the bolt and hold it there. If the magazine is inserted improperly or if the magazine spring is weak, the hold open MIGHT be partially engaged and not hold the bolt open securely. In this case, removing the magazine may cause the bolt to fly closed.

To remove the magazine you should have, a) pulled the bolt fully rearward and pressed the bolt hold-open button (or activated the lever on 180 series guns) b) released the bolt to rest on the hold-open and, c) removed the magazine.

A bolt hold-open spring is designed to remove the device from the path of the bolt. You have it backwards in your description. It is the MAGAZINE SPRING that applies upward pressure on the latch thus engaging the hold-open. Good gun, possible bad magazine spring or improper magazine insertion. Whatever the reason, it was the GUN STORE OWNER'S fault for leaving the magazine in the gun on display. This is a no-no for guns that are displayed on the floor of the gun shop. It's okay to remove the magazine in front of the customer and hand him the gun.

[SodaPop]

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that statement is correct. If you want to let the bolt go home, you have to push the magazine follower. This is true of the Garand also. The magazine does NOT hold the bolt back, and it certainly doesn't do it out of the gun. Everything he said was true.

I think we're talking about two different things. I know what you're talking about, but that's not what I'm talking about.

[/list] If the magazine is inserted improperly or if the magazine spring is weak, the hold open MIGHT be partially engaged and not hold the bolt open securely. In this case, removing the magazine may cause the bolt to fly closed.

You're forgetting about the spring inside the side-plate. It holds the the bolt hold open in place. Take off the side plate and you'll see what I mean. If that is not in there, or it is extremely weak, the hold open latch will float all over the place even when a mag is in there. The magazine follower will then be the only thing holding the bolt back. And that is what this guy initially told me.

A bolt hold-open spring is designed to remove the device from the path of the bolt. You have it backwards in your description. It is the MAGAZINE SPRING

I catch that (pun intended) but that's not what I was referring to.

Whatever the reason, it was the GUN STORE OWNER'S fault for leaving the magazine in the gun on display.

After I told him I was looking for a THIRD Mini 14 he stopped guessing and asked the other guy to come over. When the other guy stopped over he then said that another guy that worked there probable messed it up.

Needless to say, I had 3 guns pointed at me in the 2hrs I was in there. All by the people working the counters.


Has anyone else ever noticed that most gun shops tend to know more about handguns than rifles? When you get into serious rifle shooting 99% of people at gun shops are full of you know what.

[keederdag]

Seems like that when they work in a gunshop, they think their allowed to point gun's at you. I dont get this either?:cuss: