Best mini 14 magazines

[joeyabc123]

Best mini 14 magazinesI would like to list the best mini 14magazines currently available although this has been done before it really needs a update. I have had mini 14s on and off for the last 10 years and I love them. Some people say they are not accurate and they are not going to shoot 1 inch groups but you will have no problem hitting a human size target in the upper body every single time at 150 yards and that's good enough for me in a light gun that that never jams ( if you have the right magazine ).

#1 Ruger factory 5-30 round magazines the 20 and 30 round magazines are expensive but work perfectly and last forever (brass and steel ammo) $40-50

#2 Pro Mag steel 20 round magazine and only the steel 20 round work (brass and steel ammo) $20

#3Tapco Gen II 30 round magazine ( only Gen 2 with steel reinforcement ). (Brass ammo only) $20

I have had so many magazines over the last 10 years that don't work stick to this list and you will be a happy camper...

 

[Dr.Rob]

PMI 20 rounders are great. I still have a few in the wrapper... not for sale.

Ruger factory mags never gave me an issue.

 

[Speedgoat]

Mine prefers Ruger factory 30 rounders.

 

[zxcvbob]

I bought some 20-round steel no-name mags last year from CDNN and they've worked great so far; my round count is still pretty low though. (they had 2 price levels, and these were the slightly more expensive ones; about $15 each) I was gonna order a few more right after the holidays The Ruger 30-round mag that came with the gun works flawlessly of course.

 

[joeyabc123]

Pmi is a great magazine but not really available I have 2 that work perfect

 

[breakingcontact]

Ruger, but they are ridiculously priced right now.

 

[goon]

Is PMI another name for pro-mag? I have generally been told to stick to Mec-Gar on most but they don't make them for the mini and I have heard other places that pro-mag are good in this case.

 

[Dr.Rob]

PMI is NOT Pro-Mag.

Precision magazine industries

 

[joeyabc123]

Pro mag 20 round steel work great if u can't get ur hands on factory 20 or 30 ruger and tapco Gen 2 work perfect with brass ammo

 

[Ash]

I got burned in a way with promags in an M1a I had once and am leery of ever trying them again. I won't dispute others here and their experience with these specific magazines and I have had good luck with a promag for my CZ-85 compact in 40S&W.

As a result, I have only used Ruger magazines and they have worked just fine.

 

[pbrktrt]

Ruger factory and the original TherMolds were the most reliable for me.

 

[ID-shooting]

Mini-14 and mini-30 in our house.

We have played with many of the above mentioned. We use nothing but Ruger mags now. All others were iether load -1 or 2, or just plain didn't work.

The funniest malfunction were with 30- round pro mags. Every time the bolt came back on the mini-14, 2 or 3 live rounds would fly out the top of the rifle. Got some interesting looks at the range that day.

Also...amI the only one who thinks a 30-round mags just looks "funny" in a mini? Seems the 20-rounders look "right" and to proportion. The longer mags just seem to stick out too far to me.

 

[hueyville]

I have well over a hundred mixed mini 14 mags. At least half are mixed capacity factory versions and are 100% reliable. I have six of the factory stainless 30 round mags and eight of the stainless 20 rounders. Wish I had more as last of the 30 round factory stainless mags I saw for sale were bringing over a c-note per unit. The 20 round stainless mags, half have Ruger logo stamped on floor plate and mag body, other four floor plate only. Always wondered about those, anyone know if they are real factory units or if someone was putting Ruger floor plates on clones? They look 100% correct except missing logo on mag body. Have quite a few mixed manufacturer aftermarket steel mags that are not 100% reliable thus stay in a box to be used as parts or to be fixed if need ever arises. Used to get in trades or buy when saw in bulk for cheap enough to gamble. The non factory units that do work seem to keep working so sure the ones that don't were just cheaply made.

Have several dozen mags that I think were originally made by Thermold. They are 40 round magazines and work in both mini 14's and AR-15's. Semi transparent so can see how many remaining and you can push a little catch which collapses them to 30 round capacity so shorter then extend back to 40. Some of them took a little tweaking but are 99.9% reliable when alternated randomly between my mini's and AR's. Considering the fact they hold 40 rounds and I use them in three different mini's and half a dozen AR's and clones (Remember if it doesn't say Colt it is a clone not an AR) I consider 99.9% more than acceptable out of a plastic hi capacity mag that fits two separate platforms and different variants within those platforms. Wish I had another fifty or so of them. The original packaging said they could be kept loaded with 30 rounds indefinitely without damaging the spring when extended or 20 when collapsed. I actually loaded five of them with 30 rounds when purchased sometime between 15 and 20 years ago. Occasionally run them through a rifle a time or two then reload again with 30 rounds for storage. Never had any spring issues as advertised but two of the five have split the sonic welded seam on back at the top. Once again for what they are, I consider this acceptable. Put those in parts box and assume I could glue them for some additional use if necessary. Shure the couple dozen still in original packages and closed box will be fine if ever have to be pulled into active inventory for use.

Luckily I always picked up mags when I could and before anyone ever thought about the idea of a ban. If the ban does not happen this time, eventually it will come up again and again till it does pass. Thus, when the market levels out again which it already is around me. Buy all you can, when you can or you will be scrambling on the next run. Before they were rare, I never left a gunshow without a bag of mixed mags. Even bought for guns I didn't own but planned to own. Some I bought just because were deals at the time for guns I never planned to own. At the peak of every bubble I turn loose a few. Like I do with Combloc rifles. Keeps me in trade bait even in an inflated market.

 

[Roadking Rider]

I picked a few 20 round ruger mags up a while back and they have been nothing short of being perfect. I recommend them, they seem very well made.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Pssst! Ruger never made their own Mini-14 magazines. They were subcontracted out and Ruger assembled them at the factory using their own floorplates. They would never tell us who made them.

 

[Roadking Rider]

I think you get what I'm saying though right?

 

[hueyville]

Assembled and marketed by the manufacturer is about as close to "made by" or "made in" as you get in recent years. I would suspect that with the Ruger trade name on them; all parts, from bodies, springs, followers and floor plates meet their specifications. If it comes in the box with the rifle or out of a package from the manufacturer with their trade stamped they are "factory" for what its worth. My bottom line is all that I have ever taken out of Ruger packaging with their brand stamped into it worked properly. My 30 round stainless have never been taken out of the package. Always felt they will be worth big money NIB some day.

Note the preponderance of "assembled in USA from global materials" packaging that has become relatively common in our society. Many of the clones, which quite likely had the bodies stamped and welded in same facility as the factory units have not performed as well for me. That is an observation, not a scientific proven fact. From the looks of them, I always thought the "U.S.A. Magazines" branded Mini 14 mags were stamped in same factory although they never worked as reliably. I do have quite a few that were bought dirt cheap, still in package and have been used to sweeten many a deal.

I also have several Precision Mag 40 round stainless Mini magazines. Took one out of original packaging and was not pleased. Follower tended to get out of whack then bind up. Tried another of them and it worked better but not well enough for me thus the rest are still in original packaging. Would like to see someone output a product like the Magpul AR-15 self leveling followers for aftermarket and factory high capacity Mini 14 magazines. A product to help aftermarket mags reliability issues would probably sell well once word got out.

As to the magazines I mentioned in my previous post upon inspection they turned out to be one of the variants of the Ram-Line Combo Magazines. In doing a Google search it looks like there were several versions of these over the years in myriad of packaging from blister packs to boxed and plastic bagged. Seem to see some difference in actual product as well as the packaging based on pictures have found. As stated, had two that were left loaded for over 20 years and used relatively often split. Three that have been treated same way haven't. On some rifles they fail to lock the bolt back on last round but that is no big deal to me. Having 50 plus high cap magazines that I can stick in a Mini or AR and expect it to usually work is worth something in this day and age. Don't know why someone else has not tried to improve on this idea. Based on some threads I have read on other groups these units get a mixed review. Some folks downright hate them, some love them and others are ambivalent as is the web opinion normal. The ones I have work reliably enough to not let go of due to versatility.

 

[goon]

I have never understood why there isn't at least some kind of reliable aftermarket magazine available for the Mini in the $20 or so (pre panic) price range. Or why Ruger charges so much for them. The rifles themselves do handle well... if you'd make good magazines more available for them, they'd be more of a competitor and more people would buy them.
But when you're looking at $9 AR-15 magazines vs. $30-$40 Mini-14 magazines, which rifle are you going to buy?

 

[Outlaw Man]

I had a Pro Mag or two that gave me fits. They were used, so I don't know how they were treated before.

Never had a problem with a factory magazine.

I have a friend that used a couple of clear plastic ones for the range with some success. He'd never rely on them in a life or death situation, but for plinking they were reasonably trouble-free.

 

[dagger dog]

Used to buy 5 round Ruger factory mags , take the 20 rnd junkers cut the tops off flush, remove the floor plate latches on the factory 5 rnd, silver solder the 5rnd on the 20 rnd bodys install the 20 rnd springs and the factory followers = 25 rnd mags that work.

 

[jeff-10]

Ruger factory and the original TherMolds were the most reliable for me.

Same here.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Ruger's magazines have always been spendy compared to GI stuff. There were a lot of sub-par 30 rounders on the market back in '94, I recall dad swapping all his 30's for Ruger and PMI 20's back then. Don't recall the brand, just that they were stainless.

 

[Loc n Load]

Mini mag's

Have been shooting Mini 14's since they were introduced and prior to the 94 AWB I gathered several different brands of mag's.....the best were Ruger factory, which back then....Mr. Ruger did not think that us citizens should have magazines that held more than 10 rds...so his 20-30 rder's were pretty much restricted to LEO's.....Federal Ordnance made a metal 20 rd & 30 rd mag that was blued or nickeled.....they were good, solid mag's and they functioned very well....I have a bunch of them and they have served me well over the years....ramline also made a 30 rd mag that also worked well, but it was not as durable as the polymer mag's we have today..I also had purchased some 30 rd "mystery mag's" which were made outside the USA and they were trash....when Ruger 20 & 30 rder's became available to the public I started hoarding them...yes they are pricey, but they are very reliable and they work.

 

[splithoof]

You can blame Bill Ruger Sr. for all the crappy aftermarket mags. If only Ruger would have made 20 rounders available for citizens, there would have not been such a mess I suspect. BTW, is it Ruger who claims to be a "maker of arms for responsible citizens"? Ahhh, yea.

 

[David E]

You can blame Bill Ruger Sr......

This just in! Bill Ruger is STILL dead!

I bought plenty of factory mags before and after the AWB, Bill's views notwithstanding.