First shots with new-to-me rifle

I've wanted one of those since they came out......
Looks like that one actually shoots pretty good right from the get-go.


Doing a trigger job on a mini isn't that hard but it either takes a steady hand or some special tools but in my opinion it's one of those upgrades it's really worth it.
The other one would be to either add an adjustable gas block or to get yourself a set of gas bushings to reduce the force the action works at.

I got the Tactical model this year, and the trigger is creepy and a bit odd. For what I do with it, good enough - but, just about every other pistol and rifle I have doesn't feel creepy and spongy like that. If it is the same trigger group as your Target model, and I wanted to shoot groups, which I don't really, I'd pretty quickly figure out how to improve it, but since I'm going to roll with it, will be interesting to see if it improves over time with more use.

The adustable gas block might be in my future as well. The idea of being able to tune the nrg going into the operating rod seems appealing - and finding brass.

You can get an adjustable gas block from ASI or change out the bushings. My brother has a like rifle. We adjusted the barrel dampener a bit and got it to shoot way better. Oh, ASI will also do trigger jobs. I had them fix a firing pin issue on my Mini 30 and they customized my Mini 6.8. They do good work.

Howland937 said:

...I only found 2 pieces of my brass. Out of 25.

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Ya, they tend to throw the empties about halfway down range.

Sounds like you and I had similar problems with scope mounting. I bought the Ruger shop medium-height rings, because using the Ruger rail and normal rings put the scope axis up too high for me, but I ended up having to do some milling on the rear ring's base to accomodate the scope tube. Also had to remove the rear sight.

They sell smaller gas bushing, I don't know if the cost of the adjustable gas block is worth it, because once you get it adjusted, you probably won't touch it again.

You may have read that the distances between the stock gas blocks and the torque of the screws holding them is critical to good accuracy. Take them apart to insert a smaller gas bushing and reassemble, measure to insure they're all equal.

I'm also not impressed with the trigger on my ranch model.

Good luck with your new gun!

wiscoaster said:

Ya, they tend to throw the empties about halfway down range.

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Not nice to tell tales. Should be "Ya, they tend to throw the empties about halfway into the next county".

Howland937 said:

Nevermind. Found them.

I hate to change a whole lot on it, just in case @LoonWulf doesn't want it that way when I get tired of it and ship it to him.

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I already gave you my suggested upgrades!
Seriously though, when you get tired of it let me know! Maybe I'll have something you're interested in trading for at the time

Howland937 said:

Ohhhh, your suggestions were what you'd do if it was yours, not what you'd do to mine? Makes sense now!
It's hard to tell with me. I'm hoping I'll love and cherish it, but I've loved and cherished many before that I no longer have. I'm normally more into bolt guns when it comes to centerfire stuff.

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Well, those and basic tuning like gas block alignment I really the only modifications it most of the new minis need in my opinion.... No matter who owns them!

You might actually be surprised how much you like that little gun, or large-ish gun as the case may be. So far the mini14 is the only semi-automatic platform that I really enjoy shooting.
Actually....ya know.... I think I have a complete mini fire control group that I bought years ago when I did the trigger job on my mini in case I screwed it up.
If I can find it I'll see if I can do a reasonable trigger job.

I remember playing with one of those in 6.8, man I thought that was a cool rifle. I still want one myself.

Howland937 said:

@LoonWulf That sounds good! I was poking around seeing if it looked like something I'd wanna try. You'd think a guy thats got more money tied up in tools than his house wouldn't be scared of it. I used to do a little trigger work, but a 10/22 that kept firing on its own til it emptied the mag got me a little skittish.

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The soft steel underneath the relatively thin hardened layer of 1022 parts has caused that to happen to more than one amateur gunsmith...... I have one of those trigger assemblies in my parts kit also, along with an AR-15 hammer that began to round.....

I also have a jar of cherry red sitting on my bench to re-harden stuff that I've messed with..... But I haven't done an aggressive trigger job since I got it.
So not really sure how well it'll work...

Howland937 said:

I suppose I've just gotten kinda hesitant since I don't know anyone nearby who can bail me out if I screw it up. I was less worried when I was younger, but the thought of turning a $1000 gun into a decoration is harder to stomach than the $150 guns I messed with then.

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I hear you, I've had a few OFme moments.....

Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30 | Perfect Union

You're probably familiar with how much extra Mini expertise is also on this gun board.

I recently purchased a new wood stocked Mini-14, and so far love it. Before taking it to the range, I did purchase the bushing kit from ASI ($23 if I recall) and installed the .45" gas bushing before ever shooting it and it worked great. I have shot a stock 580 series Mini a friend has, and it indeed send brass into the next county. With the .45" bushing, it still sent brass 3-4 yards away. I then put in the .40" bushing and think I'll leave that one in. Send brass 1-2 yards away. The stock gas bushing has an ID of .80", which is why it really chucks brass far. The smaller bushings also made the Mini a super soft shooting rifle. Only took an allen wrench to install (although I did torque the screws). Highly recommend the ASI gas bushing kit!

Also bought a tub of Lubriplate 130-A grease like the Garand/M1a guys use (very similar action) and lubed the Mini following a Mini-14 lubrication video on Brownells website. Works nicely for the 100 rounds I've put through it so far. Nice alternative to an AR, and not as "scary" looking to non-gun folks.

Howland937 said:

Is the only availability with the whole kit? That's the only way I've found them so far.

I don't know if I'd said before, buta few days later I did end up finding 2 more pieces of brass that I'd fired. I placed a marker where I'd picked them up and measured (no, didn't need a range finder). My 50' tape did come up about 2 feet short though.

Basically 17 yards this thing flings brass. So it definitely needs toned down.

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Don't fire it from inside the outhouse!!! Besides...brass comes out HOT and could sting sensitive body parts. LOL

LoonWulf said:

The soft steel underneath the relatively thin hardened layer of 1022 parts has caused that to happen to more than one amateur gunsmith...... I have one of those trigger assemblies in my parts kit also, along with an AR-15 hammer that began to round.....

I also have a jar of cherry red sitting on my bench to re-harden stuff that I've messed with..... But I haven't done an aggressive trigger job since I got it.
So not really sure how well it'll work...

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I've used "Casenit" for years and it works great! I must have hardened 50 parts over many years. Have never had a complaint about wearing through the "case". JP