mini 14 suggestions requested.

[willyjixx]

i have a Mini 14 Ranch rifle in Stainless an a synthetic stock that i bought NIB in 2001. it is a chuck in the truck brush gun an will stay that way. i am looking for a few mods to enhance its performance but keep the cost reasonable. all the action will remain stock an im keeping the stock furniture. i know that a Mini 14 isnt the most accurate weapon but will do the job. i plan to use it to hit jackrabbit an coyote from 50-150 yds. if your going to preach an AR at me take into account that this will be a truck gun an i am not willing to leave an AR in my truck.

it is not nor will be an AR clone or resemble one. i plan on buying an AR-15 later (after i get a safe......wife laid down law).

the only things i have for it is 2 rds factory mags an 2 20rds aftermarket mags (they suck )an an old army issue black sling. (KISS)

heres the things id like to change an would like peoples opinions, alternatives, experience, an all around Yay or Nays.

Recoil Buffer: from Buffer Technologies.....http://www.buffertechnologies.com/mini14.htm

Eagle flash suppressor/H/K style front sight: i cant stand the ramp an i am wondering about this. any machining or just pop it on? i like the Ring an Post style front sight too.

Brass Catcher: i got a friend who reloads .223 an i hate trying to find it after it got chucked 50ft away in a gopher whole or sagebrush. that an its dry in NV. i feel real guilty leaving hot brass laying out somewhere!!!!

rear sight options: i would like something along the lines of a M-16/AR style because after 7 years of mil service i got real used to that (use what you know!). so i would like something a little different then the stock sight. (rear peep...ranch model)

Mags: any 20-30 rounders that are reasonably priced (15-25 $ each)that work well. the aftermarkets i have pop the last round right out the top before it loads an the floorplate slides foward with the recoil.....scary! even 10 rounders would be accepted

lastly what is the rifle twist an what grain/rounds are best for these lil rifles?


thanks for any help yall can provide!

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

contact mark Knifong at [email protected]. he sells gas bushing kits, for the mini-14, and does trigger jobs on them, and can suggest other ways to improve the piece.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've had four regular Mini-14s; two blued and two stainless. I played around with the iron sights on the first one and then stuck a Weaver K4 on it--and then K4s on the next three. I did in a few jackrabbits and coyotes and lotsa tin cans. As far as I'm concerned, they're great truck guns.

I put some sort of flash-hider dealie on one, just for the heck of it. Didn't seem to make much difference, one way or the other.

A brass-catcher seems like it would be a good thing, particularly during extended plinking sessions...

Art

 

[willyjixx]

andew wyatt

gas bushing kits:

have not heard of that? could you explain till your reference responds to my e-mail


as for the brass catcher: more or less just a peace of mind item. i guess i could make one out of burlap an wire but a more........well as skunk puts it "Tactical looking one" would be .........cooler!

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

the gas port on the mini is WAY too large for most use, the gas bushing kits allow you to change the gas bushing to a smaller one to reduce the wear and tear on the gun.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Reducing gas will slow down the action, perhaps make it sluggish or worse, unreliable. As always after changing parts, test, test and test again to ensure that the firearm is reliable.

BTW, if you're talking "gas port" as in that little cylinder that ports gas from the real port in the barrel into the gas piston/cylinder thingy that contacts the slide (what Ruger calls the Op-Rod), you can make your own. The critical thing is the hole in the barrel (which Ruger changes according to the barrel length).

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

i'm talking the one in the barrel. the people on the perfictunion boards have nothing but praise for the modification.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Thanks AW.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

Ditto what Art Eatman said. Stick a K4 Weaver on it. Works good.

 

[Edward429451]

Eagle flash suppressor/H/K style front sight: i cant stand the ramp an i am wondering about this. any machining or just pop it on? i like the Ring an Post style front sight too.

I know what you mean. The factory ramp sucks. I put on of the HK style flash hiders/post sights on my Mini and it made the little rifle come alive for me. I couldnt hit crap with the factory sight. With the straight post on it, its no feat to shoot up to what the rifles capable of. It certainly didn't turn it into a tack driver, but I can hit with it now out to 100 or so. (Now if it only had a decent trigger.)

I installed mine myself with a tiny punch & hammer and a block of wood. It was a pita without the proper tools & such, and yes I managed to scratch it just a little, nothing big. (There's just the one pin and then the sight just pulls right off.) For 10 bucks to not have the scratch would've been worth it to let someone else install it.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I recently put one of the HK-style front sights on my Mini-14 and it greatly improves the sight picture. The factory front sight on my rifle was not easy to get off, however. AAMOF, I had to pound the snot out of it to remove it.

If you don't want to scope it I believe that both Williams and Millett make replacements for the RR rear. Check Brownell's.

WRT affordable 20 - 30 rounds mags that work well -- it's really hit or miss. I found some at the last gun show that looked good. When I got them home I saw that one will need a bit of Dremel work to get it to fit. I do have four PMI 30 rounders, but they are becoming quite scarce and expensive. (No, they ain't for sale.)

Pro-Mag's 10 rounders have a good reputation.

For getting the most out of your Mini, check out the Mini-14/30 forums over at the Perfectunion BBS.

 

[willyjixx]

great replies fellas thanks!!

so far im sold on the Eagle flash whatever an H/K style site.
Weaver K4 sounds cool but optics worry me on a truck gun.

still researching this gas port stuff though. that sounds like it will tame the recoil. im wondering if you tame the recoil/ejection if it will calm down that really enthusiastic shell exctraction/ejection that the minis are famous for

 

[BamBam-31]

The reduced gas port from Mike Knifong will DEFINITELY reduce the ejected case problem. Before installing, my Mini would throw it about 30ft. or so towards parked cars. Now, it flings brass about 8-10ft. Recoil is a bit tamer as well, but with .223, it wasn't much to begin with.

Here's what I did with mine:

trigger job from M. Knifong (worth the $35)
gas port kit
Ramline stock (TIGHT fit, almost like bedding)
recoil buffer
BW double brake (availabe at Cheaperthandirt)
Harris bipod (to satisfy IWCG virus)
Burris 1.5-6x40 scope

With surplus NATO .223, I regularly shoot 2" groups at 100yds, and no one's ever accused me of being a good shot.

I like my Mini. It gets abused a lot as the AR-15's ugly little sister, but it sure beats mean looks and harsh words.

Oh, and PMI mags are probably the only way to go. At $40 per, you gotta bite the bullet on this one....