Mini-14: your experience?

I've had the bolt 'stick' when stored gunky for extended periods in a fairly damp basement. Solvent down the bore + a tap with a cleaning rod and a mallet set things right.

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I had that happen and did the AK fix on it, kicked the damn thing open and got to shooting.

You know, mgregg85, I started there--but it offered enough resistance that I thought better of applying force more directly on the problem.
As it is, I knocked the ejector out of proper orientation and had to take it to a mini Guru.

Another thing needed--or does it exist--a take-down tool for the bolt like the one for the M-1 that kets you pop the bolt apart without special magic.

This thread made me take the thing out today for a (rare, these days, because of ammo $$$) session shooting with my nephew, Bro&Ftr in-laws. It goes bang and 13 year-olds like to empty mags fast.

Not sure when, but bought new a 181 series with all wood stocks. They
were $182 at the time. Bought several after market mags and scoped it
using S&K mount. It has never malfunctioned. Only down side is it
groups 3 MOA at 100 yards that I wish could be halved. Probably could
be tinkered with to achieve that level, but I would not want to loose the
reliability of the present functioning

They will digest all types of ammo thrown at them however accuracy is best with your reloads that slow them down a bit. Good luck on finding one for $375 in good condition. Ruger is supposedly going to sell 20 round mags to the public market.

I like the Mini-14, but it does have accuracy issues when the barrel heats up. Some gun owners in order to solve this issue have either cut the barrel down to stiffen it up and cut down on barrel lash and bad harmonics, others have sent their rifles out to have bull barrels installed. Ruger just came out with the 2008 NRA edition with has a shorter, thicker barrel.

If I were you, I'd pick it up and install this jewel on it: http://www.rogco.biz/homepageharbar.html, it does three things, stabilizes the barrel when it heats up, cut down on accuracy robbing harmonics and the device acts like a heat sink and keeps the barrel cool. I tried it and I can shoot consistent 1.2" groups at 75 yards even after 30 rounds.

Have a Mini-14 stainless I bought in Jan 2005. Put a Bushnell Banner 1-4x scope on it and I couldn't be happier with it for medium range groundhogs. Accurate enough for the job out to 100 yards and extremely reliable. It loves 45gr bullets rather than the 55gr "standard". Winchester or Remington do nicely.

I've got a mini 14 ranch and to date have had no problems at all with it. Some of the one's that Ruger made were very inaccurate, but the one I have I could put 5 shots under a quarter at 25 meters all day. I just put a cheap Bushnell on it and it works fine for what I use it for. It was never ment to be a sub MOA gun, and thats what frustrates a lot of shooters. Throw it in the truck or mount it on your ATV and when you see Mr. Varmit you pull it out and shoot him. Mine's plenty accurate for doing that.

Nice shooting gun but was not accurate beyond 100 yards. Steve48

Tried out my 580 mini the other day and horrible results with Triple K 888 mags (20 round) I bought from cheaperthandirt. The 5 round Ruger mag worked well, but even with that, it would accasionally not cycle the bolt. Any thoughts on that? I was using Wolf brand FMJ ammo.

Is it worth trying to save the Triple K mags (I've read some have shavedthe locking lug), or should I go with Promags, or just one or two of those costly Ruger 20 rounders?

Any info would be appreciated.

Try the pro-mags. I stated that they worked well for me in post # 74. Something happened to the picture of one of the targets I shot.

I didn't have a single malfunction with the pro-mag magazines I was using


Here is one of the targets I shot with my new mini after it had thirty fast rounds through it at 50 yards.

Thanks ratshooter. Did you have the steel or polymer mags?

I'll probably try one out before getting a bunch. May see what kind of price I can fing on factory 20 mags.

I used the steel mags. When I got them they were a little hard to snap in. I usea a diamond sharpner to remove a small amount of metal on the locking tab on the back of the magazine until the snapped in when fully inserted. They are fitted to my gun now.

I bought them at Academy for about $18 apiece.

I'm toying, mind you I said toying, with the idea of getting one of the NRA Edition Mini-14s. What's the experience/opinion of those who have actually bought and/or shot one as to price, accuracy and reliability?

I shot this with my NRA edition Mini 14. Hot outside, still to little wind. Range was 100 yards, position prone. Shooting Lake City XM193 with a Weaver V3 scope. I shot 20 in the center to adjust the scope then shot 5 shot groups at the corner targets.



It's a fun and reliable gun but I think I can shoot better groups with slugs and a bead sight from my Mossberg 500

FFMedic

neo-luddite said:

You know, mgregg85, I started there--but it offered enough resistance that I thought better of applying force more directly on the problem.
As it is, I knocked the ejector out of proper orientation and had to take it to a mini Guru.

Another thing needed--or does it exist--a take-down tool for the bolt like the one for the M-1 that kets you pop the bolt apart without special magic.

This thread made me take the thing out today for a (rare, these days, because of ammo $$$) session shooting with my nephew, Bro&Ftr in-laws. It goes bang and 13 year-olds like to empty mags fast.

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Sorry boss, I don't have a clue if that tool you are thinking of exists. You might wanna check rugerforum.net and ask Iowegan, he would probably know about it.

¡Viva La Mini 14!

It comes as no surprise that the Mini has been in continuous production since the mid 1970s and shall probably endure for decades to come.

For a yokel like myself, the Mini is more than adequate for delivering a high velocity flat trajectory round at extreme close range.

Good little gun. Not a tack driver but it will get the job done.