Ruger Mini 14 Barrel Modification -- Question

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orygunmike

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There is a stainless Ruger Mini 14 for sale here in my local area that I am potentially interested in purchasing. Asking price is $450. I have not yet seen the rifle, but the owner tells me that "he has had the barrel professionally shortened by 2".

My plans for the rifle are general plinking and to have in the event that: future legilation prevents me from purchasing something so evil as a Mini 14, and/or in the event a situation occurs where having a rifle becomes an asset. As I live in a city, I don't plan on shooting anything beyond 100 yards with this gun.

What are opinions on this modification? Will it change accuracy/balistics to any material extent given my circumstances/usage? Pros and cons of such a modification? What does the shorter barrel do to value of this gun?

I'll appreciate your thoughts and advice.
 
1. There are people who say that shortening a Mini barrel will improve the accuracy by changing its vibration patterns.

2. The Army is getting by with 14" barrels to a large extent.

3. You must be sure it was only shortened by 2". It started out 18.5" and 16" is the legal minimum. A 15.9" barrel is illegal and could lead to Ruby Ridge II.

4. The front sight would have to have been "professionally" reinstalled to be vertical and not throw the windage way off.

I think you need to examine the rifle, measure the barrel - a cleaning rod from muzzle to breech is the correct way - and testfire.
I don't know current prices, but as one of the few auto rifles available in the Schwartzenegger Reich, tht is probably not too bad, if it was properly cut down.
 
What he said. ^^^^

1. Make sure it is of legal length. 16" is the minimum without filing fed paperwork.

2. Make sure the front sight is properly re-installed.

3. The barrel is often shortened for accuracy. I would ask him how well it shoots with the new barrel.

Mike
 
Just what the doctor ordered

Guys...

many thanks....you touched on something quite important that I, as a pistolero, didn't think of....legal barrel length.

As far as measuring barrel length, I take it the accurate way of doing this is to:

  1. Close the action
  2. Drop a dowel or cleaning rod down the barrel from the muzzle end
  3. mark the rod at the muzzle
  4. measure from end of rod to the mark

and anything 16" or greater means I'm legal
?

thanks again for the feedback and counsel.
 
Basically, yes.

Now, you want a little buffer just to make sure that there's no confusion. Most 16" barrels are actually 16.25", or somesuch. If it was professionally done, it's probably OK. I'd still check it, though. Better safe than incarcerated.

Mike
 
Has it been recrowned and a front sight of any kind been put back on? On a mini it's pretty easy to mount a scope but I would want the iron sights too. A lot of minis that I have seen that have truely been professionally done have a new sight or sight/muzzlebrake combo added. I would look and see if it had anything like that, if so it was probably done right
 
If other above mentioned criteria are OK, and the weapon was re-crowned correctly, the accuracy couldn't be too much worse. <100 yards, I'd take one. See if the price can go down by 50-75 bucks--ammo costs dearly for 5.56 / .223 right now.
 
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