Mini 14 Problem

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Sharpie1

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I just purchased a Mini 14 today -- my first .223, and I almost hurt myself getting to our family farm to shoot it, I was in such a hurry. I had bought a 30 round mag at a gun show about 2 months earlier, in anticipation of buying the Mini 14, and the gun came with a 10 round mag.

It seems that I am having some trouble with seating the magazines in the gun. Perhaps I am not doing it correctly. When I put the mag in the gun, sometimes it does not snap securely. I have done this repeatedly, and then I pulled the mag out to inspect it, and it appears that the little notch that evidently is supposed to be attached to first (when inserting the mag) was not properly aligned with the little hole on the magazine, resulting in slightly bending in the magazine.

What am I doing wrong? Both magazines did this.

TD

:confused:
 
Really simple. If you didn't get a manual from Ruger, go on their web site and find out how. All you do is insert the magazine with a 45 degree angle going from down in front of the mag well and insert straight up and back. There is a hole in the front of the magazine which engages with a stud inside the receiver, right underneath the chamber. Once the magazine is inserted completely, rock the mag back so that the notch in the rear engages with the catch and you'll hear an authoratative click. When you remove the magazine, you must hold the catch forward as you reverse the procedure. Once you get used to it, it works quite well. Looking in the mag well, you will notice that the front of the well is angled at the exact angle that you initially insert the magazine. Once all the way in, you'll rock it back. Good luck.
 
What brand are the mags? There are lots of aftermarket mags for the Mini-14 that are notoriously out of spec and poorly made. First off I would get a factory 5 round mag for it (15-20 bucks) and see if it fits and functions. If it does you know the problem is your other mags. If it doesn't then it might be something wrong with the mini itself....then a trip back to the Ruger factory. But if I had to bet I would say it's most likely a poor quality aftermarket mag thats giving you the trouble.

Good luck, and don't give up on the Mini. It's a really fun gun when you get the right mags for it. I just "bit the bullet" and payed dearly for some original Ruger hi-caps. They're worth it.
 
Welcome to the Mini 14. You have possibly encountered one of two achilles' heels with this rifle(mags, and barrels that heat up really fast).

Badger Arms covered how to verify that you are inserting the mag correctly.

If you are inserting the mag correctly, then I am going to guess your problem is cheap aftermarket mags.

Ruger 20 and 30 round mags are the best, but are very pricey($75-$100). I rate PMI next(about $35-$65 depending on the seller). Thermolds also work very well. There are a couple of other brands that are good, but I don't have first hand experience with them(Schrere and Mason, maybe?).

The remainder of the mags out there(Triple K, USA, etc) have a couple of serious flaws. The first is they are not very strong(hence your experience of the mags deforming when applying pressure). Another big issue is the catch on the back of the mag. The better mags have an actual tab welded to the back. The cheap mags have a stamped catch, which affects the ability for the mag to lock in.

Good luck, and enjoy the rifle.
 
I just shot a 2" 17-shot group with my Mini. Should I get rid of mine?

Heed the PMI mag suggestions. Also, check out www.perfectunion.com for tips on improving the Mini. Good luck.
 
I just shot a 2" 17-shot group with my Mini. Should I get rid of mine?
Click to expand...
What were those other three rounds you left off? :D

I think the Mini's are great, fun little rifles. But cheap mags do take away from the enjoyment. Mini 30's are worse, because there weren't any "quality" mags made for them. Shame too, because I prefer the Mini 30's design over an AK.

I may have to buy another one day to go with my AR ;)
 
Onslaught,

It was a 30 rounder. I got a phone call mid-mag and had to go. Didn't even get my $1.00 deposit back for the target frame. AND, left an unused Shoot-n-See on it. :mad:
 
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