Making the Mini-14 reliable?

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DontBurnMyFlag

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Hey everyone.

Now Im not judging from personal experience, just from what gun owners themselves have told me. They say that the Ruger Mini-14 is unreliable in the fact that it jams frequently and overheats when using 30rd magazines in succession.

Now, my question is, what can you do to the Ruger Mini 14 to make it reliable. Now Ive always wanted one for camping, hiking and just shooting. However, I want to know if I take into the woods, in the rain and the mud etc, will it still operate. If for some reason Im shooting 30 rds in rapid succession, is there a Heavy barrel that is recommended?

I know these guns are used in DOC (department of corrections) units and in sharpshooter positions as well, but are they anything worth having?

Also, I know there are better guns out there. For instance, I own an SKS, thats a perfectly reliable gun that will sustain mud and water for years. However, I want something magazine fed. Keep in mind I am in NJ, so that leaves out FAL, G3 and all the other goodies.

AFAIK, the ruger mini 14 is legal in NJ. Several gun owners and gun shop owners have told me so. But according to NRA-ILA the Ruger K-Mini-14/5F and Mini-1 4/5RF are prohibited. If anyone can enlighten me on those particular models, I would appreciate it.

Sorry for the incredibly long post, but I believe in being thourough. Thanks guys and gals.

-Kevin
 
Mud and rain are not a worry, at least with the stainless variety. The gun is quite reliable. It's not as accurate as some guns, but it's compact, dependable, and light. Contrary to what you might hear, it will hit a reasonable target at 100 yards, no problem. But it won't shoot 1" groups, that's for sure. People with HBAR .223s and bolt actions pooh-pooh the things for lacking accuracy, but they work as they are intended.

Of course, on more than one occasion, I'd put 100 rounds -- slow, aimed fire at the range -- through my Mini-14 while the AR guys next to me were trying to get their guns to feed right. Mini's aren't so picky about cleaning, and tests with mud and dirt come out very positively.

The barrel does heat up fast, but accuracy is all that suffers. There are aftermarket heavy barrels, but that defeats some of the purpose of having the thing: it's light and points quickly.

I have a Stainless Ranch Rifle, a couple years old, with a factory Xytel stock. It's worked well. I want to sell it not because I have any complaints, but because I just jumped on a deal on a competition trap gun and I need money badly!
 
mini-14's are extremely reliable. this is one of its best features. the jamming your friends are experiencing are probably from bad aftermarket magazines.

the over heating is unavoidable. the mini has a verry skinny barrel and it heats u pretty quick

so when you get your mini buy quality 20 round mags from a good brand like promag or mec-gar. also when you are shooting it dont shoot so fast, if you take well placed shots it will take 3 mags to heat it up.

dont hessitate to buy one, they are great guns and they're fun as hell
 
If you want to spray 40 rounds for fun, it will do it just fine. Just keep your hands off the exposed barrel for a while.:)
 
thank you guys. I never asked what kind of magazines my friends were using, but they use cheap stuff all the time, so it was probably their fault. Also, Since im from NJ and am limited to 15 rds, heating up wont be a big deal for me. I just thought that the barrel would warp out like a machine gun barrel. Silly me. :eek:

thanks for the info
 
Now Im not judging from personal experience, just from what gun owners themselves have told me. They say that the Ruger Mini-14 is unreliable in the fact that it jams frequently and overheats when using 30rd magazines in succession.

Now, my question is, what can you do to the Ruger Mini 14 to make it reliable.
Click to expand...

First you should determine if it's actually true. It's not. It is reliable, in my experience. It does get hot, but so does everything else in extended use. It is said (internet hearsay, take it for what it's worth) that the thin-ish barrel gets inaccurate when hot.

Also, I know there are better guns out there. For instance, I own an SKS, thats a perfectly reliable gun that will sustain mud and water for years. However, I want something magazine fed.
Click to expand...

The SKS is magazine fed. The magazine just isn't detachable. Do the stripper clip thing.

Sorry for the incredibly long post
Click to expand...

"Incredibly long" -- Oh, man! You have seen nothing! :)
 
Mini barrels are relatively cheap to replace.

A stainless Mini is a more user-friendly gun than an SKS, though for now it seems SKS ammo is really cheap, and the SKS itself is cheap. But it's a bit bulky, too.

The Mini-14 is subject to a lot of bashing from experienced shooters for a number of reasons.

1. It is not a target-grade rifle.
2. It shoots a varmint round, but doesn't have varmint rifle accuracy.
3. It is not an AR-15.
4. Prices have risen higher than they should be. We all rightly want something perfect when we pay a lot, and a Mini looks better at $400 than the current MSRP of $800.
5. It's a utilitarian tool, not a refined piece of art or a tactical toy to drool over.

Now I like refined guns and tactical toys, too, but I also appreciate a good "working gun."
 
the main reason i got rid of my Mini-14 was because the cheap magazines available during the hi-cap ban were all junk!

Now i have a SAR-1 with 30rd German magazines





wish i had that Mini-14 back now :banghead:
 
i have heard that the aftermarket 30 rounders perform better if only loaded with 26 or 27 rounds.. any truth to this?
 
"Mini looks better at $400 than the current MSRP of $800"

i have never seen a mini for sale that costed more than 500, unless it was a stainless model or something.

look for guns at all the major sports discounters like academy that sell good stuff at reasonable prices.
 
Depends on the magazines, AFAIK. I know a guy who has 40's and they work fine with 40.

I've also heard rumors that the 20s and 40s are better than 30s. But it's all just hearsay. Experimenting with some of the lousy magazines out there is the one bummer about having a Mini-14.

But if you are limited to 10 like here or NJ (there are no 15's AFAIK), it's easy to get good ones. I have several.
 
Never had a jam on a mini but she does like to string shots after 4-5 rounds. Dramatic at 100 yards, nice 3 shot cluster... then they start climbing vertically.
 
colt-

I'm in CA. I assume NJ's prices are no better.

And I wouldn't buy a non-stainless one. The pistons can rust stuck if you don't clean 'em. It's worth the $50 for stainless.:)
 
I have a stainless and it is very reliable with factory mags. I was told that most after-market mags were not very good. If you shoot slow and allow the barrel to cool it is quite accurate at 100 yards, however if you put a lot of rounds through it in a short period of time the accuracy begins to suffer. I have had mine for ten years and it has never jammed. I shoot USGI surplus.
 
DontBurnMyFlag,my mini is very reliable with FACTORY twenty-round mags. Obviously these aren't an option for a New Jersian. Ever think about an M1 carbine? Surplus fifteen round mags are readily available and inexpensive.
-jagdpanzer
 
Hmmm,the SKS that you already own will handle the bad weather,a Mini-14 is NOT in-accurate by any stretch of the imagination,an AR will do it all but costs more.Those factors inclusive I would opt for the SKS that you already own.YMMV.tom.:neener:
 
DontBurnMyFlag,my mini is very reliable with FACTORY twenty-round mags. Obviously these aren't an option for a New Jersian. Ever think about an M1 carbine? Surplus fifteen round mags are readily available and inexpensive.
-jagdpanzer
Click to expand...

The M1 Carbine is banned by name in NJ as an assault weapon.

With quality magazines, a Mini-14 should be exceptionally reliable. "Quality magazine" means:

--Ruger factory
--PMI
--ProMag
--John Masen

Avoid Mini-14 magazines by USA, Triple-K, and unmarked no-name junk. You can occasionally luck out with one of these but with the availability of good mags taking the chance is not worth your money or time.

To further enhance reliability, use grease to lubricate it along the lines of an M1 Garand. Grease stays on the gun better if it gets hot or rained on. Lubriplate and Shooter's Choice grease have both worked well for me.

IMHO new production Minis are overpriced. However, it shouldn't be too hard to find a used Mini-14 in good condition for under $400.
 
thanks guys. of course I would LOVE an m1 carbine. Its my favorite rifle of all time for some reason. and yet for some reason, NJ banned it. Its a small, old surplus rifle that shoots a weak .30 cal round. Yet its illegal? idiot politicians.

anyway, thanks for the info. I still have to find out if its legal in NJ. Ive heard that it was from a gun store, and then it says its banned on the nra-ila website. but it says that about Romak's and AR-15 type weapons. There is a romak at my gun shop along with bushmaster xm-15's. apparently so long as it doesnt say "AR" on it, its ok.

well ill keep my eye out. besides, gun show next weekend! valley forge. they had some good Class III SBR Mini 14's with a factory folding stock. If only I had 11,000 dollars. Jeez.

Thanks for the info again guys.
 
Got one. Most reliable gun I own. NEVER had a misfire.

Can't hit the wall with it unless you're in the same room, but it goes bang no matter what.
 
Making a Mini-14 Reliable. By Bigfoot

1 Get a Mini-14
2 Load a quality magazine with .223 ammunition
3 Insert said magazine into said Mini-14
4 Chamber cartridge and pull trigger
5 Repeat

Ask me how to make coffee using a drip coffee maker. :)

Dave Markowitz listed the good mags above, get ONLY those. The price difference between a great magazine and one of those worthless ones is about what a cheeseburger costs. Go to http://perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86 if you need more info on making it accurate, well more accurate anyway.
 
Mini-14 reliability

I have to throw my two cents in too...my older Mini-14 is one of the most reliable autoloaders I own. Have been fortunate enough to accumulate 6Ruger 20 round mags which have all tested and are perfect. I found that most after market mags are POS except the ones fron Madsen(sp). I would stake my life on this rifle.
 
My stainless is very reliable.I shoot 55 grain FMJ's and Hornady 55 SP's.It has yet to jam. Aftermarket magazines work best with the fmj's. There are some new Ruger 20 round magazines that can be gotten at gunshows. I picked 3 up. For plinking and hiking, I use the 5 round magazines. Byron
 
If someone would figure out a way to make a mini 14 take ar 15 mags its reliability would be on par with that of the sks. I have both and it is the mags that leave something to be desired for the mini. A 16 inch medium weight barrell would also be a plus.
 
As stated above, the Ruger Mini's are very reliable. I have had my Mini-30 covered in snow and ice while deer hunting in an "Ice Storm". When it came time to shoot, my mini didn't miss a beat. I have never had my mini jam in any way shape or form.


The shot stringing can be controlled and in some cased eliminated by having the barrel "Cryoed".
Here is a link on the subject.

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/showthread.php?t=49749&highlight=cryo
 
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