New Sights for Ranch Rifle and Mini 14

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Hi Guys,
We expect the first sights to be ready the last week of December or First week of January. The price will be $65.00 for the sight and will fit all the 540 (after 2004) series Mini 14 and Ranch Rifles that originally came with factory iron sights. The sight will also be retrofitable to the pre 2004 Ranch Rifles (the ones with the fold down aperture sight) by using a special kit consisting of a small adaptor block and 2 additional screws for $4.00. We will be updating the website the 4th week in December to kick off the introduction. Thank you for your patience. I assure you that it will be worth the wait.

Thanks,
Larry
Tech-SIGHTS, LLC
 
It would be such an improvement for the Mini's thick front post sight to resemble the Garand's sight, which was built in the late 1930s, or the Lee-Enfield's post, from earlier.
 
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Putting a really authentic flash hider on a 580 series is going to take some work. The original front sight is extremely difficult to get off and not something you will be able to do at home. I finally gave up and cut up an M14 hider i had laying around and rethreaded to fit the mini. Why Ruger didn't use 1/2x28 for the thread size escapes me - it's 5/8x20 IIRC.

mini14-flash-1.jpg
 
Dang it, looks like now I will have another item on my list to buy.

I really like the tech sights I put on my 10/22 for an Appleseed project back in March and would love something like this for two of my minis (both 14 & 30)

law27,

I thought you folks were in S.C.?
 
Hey Blume,
It is good to hear from you. Yes we are in SC. I just never thought about updating my profile after we moved down. We are very happy with the way the Mini Sight turned out. I think that it will be a popular sight. We just started on a design for a rebuild kit for the older Minis with the sight ears integrated into the receiver. The originals weren't too bad but we get requests from owners that say they loosen up easily and that can't be good for accuracy. I am beginning to wonder if I didn't bring this cold weather down with me when I came from Wisconsin......:)

Larry
 
Just wanted to give you an update. The new sights for the pre 2005 Ranch Rifles and 580 Mini 14 and Ranch Rifles are ready and available at our website.

http://www.Tech-SIGHTS.com

Thanks for the interest!
Larry
Tech-SIGHTS, LLC
 
law27, so the new MINI200R will fit older mini-14 models?
Specifically, something in the 195-59xxx serial # range? (Ruger seems to indicate 1998 production)

And it works with the existing blade front sight?

I'm about ready to order, just wanted confirmation first.
Thanks!
 
My experience says that the thread used for the Mini-14 (NRA, Tactical. and Deluxe) is 9/16 x 24RH.

My reason for saying this, is that I installed an L1A1 flash-hider on my Deluxe version, and the L1A1 is supposedly threaded at 9/16 x 24RH......at least, according to all the sources I could find on the 'net. After suitable shortening of the rear tube, it screwed right on and drew up tight.

By judiciously shortening the rear of the FH about 3/8", and then filing it until it butted up neatly to the front sight base with the bayonet lug at 6:00 o'clock, I have a very neat-looking installation with bayonet capability (as if THAT'S important). Total cost: about $15. The L1A1 flash-hider has long bars-and-slots much like the M14. Flash-hider and bayonet (L1A3 or L1A2) are available from Gunparts Corporation (Numrich). I did NOT use the issue-style slot-and-lug to retain it.... just de-greased thoroughly and slathered on the red loctite. It hasn't moved in over 1000 rounds.

My 16"-barrel Deluxe measures 39" overall with the L1A1 flash-hider. My "regular" 580-series Ranch Rifle with 18" barrel is 38" overall length. I don't think the extra inch matters at all. I didn't measure the length before switching 'hiders, but the Ruger catalog says 36.25" for the Tactical with 16" barrel, so that gives 2.75 extra inches for the L1A1 installation over the "issue"Rruger flash-hider. No biggie in my book!

I like this modification a great deal.

One positive thing that a flash-hider does is PROTECT THE MUZZLE. Barrel crowns are very easily damaged, especially in the type of hard service often seen by rifles like the Mini. With a flash-hider installed, chances of crown damage are pretty-well eliminated.
 
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bigfatdave,
Our sight will not fit the older Mini 14 as shown in the picture below.
12265710-lg.jpg
The sight will fit all the 580 and 581 rifles that were set up with iron sights from the factory. The sight will also retro fit to the older Ranch Rifles that had the fold down aperture sight.
We are considering an upgrade package to retro the older Mini 14s as shown in the picture above if we get enough interest.

Larry
http://www.Tech-SIGHTS.com
 
law27, thanks, that is NOT the one MrsBFD has, the problem is that I know a lot less about mini-14s than my guns, all I know is that she likes her Tech-Sights on the 10/22 enough that she is ditching her scope and she'd like to do the same with her mini-14.

It has the fold-down aperture and scope bases ... ah, screw it, I don't know mini-14s in enough detail, this one is MrsBFD's so I'll post a picture:

(rear sight under current scope) http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dtApARtJQ9Q/TS0WAQkF7LI/AAAAAAAABJE/OmmlVQ3ZW3w/s400/IMG_20110111_214116.jpg
(rear sight, scope mounts, scope, receiver, etc) http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dtApARtJQ9Q/TS0V_YJcoOI/AAAAAAAABI8/UahYlKMu5Aw/s400/IMG_20110111_214035.jpg
(front sight) http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dtApARtJQ9Q/TS0V_7TtqcI/AAAAAAAABJA/3ZefSQe7iIg/s400/IMG_20110111_214054.jpg

I think that the Tech-Sight would fit the rear dovetail, I just want to be sure before ordering, to avoid being "that guy" who orders blindly and then annoys your return department or tries to sell your product on the classifieds forum after hammering it into junk.
And maybe someone can confirm that what she's got is an older production "ranch rifle", we bought it used from an estate so it didn't exactly come with box/papers/etc, it just came with a good fit to her shoulder and a basic scope neither of us seems to like in the long run.
 
Dave,
Yes that is an older Ranch Rifle so you will want order the MINI200R. The R designator includes the sight plus the extra parts to retro fit it to the Ranch Rifle with the fold down rear sight. For all the newer model Mini 14 and Ranch Rifles made after 2004 the MINI200 is the proper model.
 
Fantastic! Thanks for the quick confirmation, I'd suspected that the "R" model was the needed one.
I can't pimp Tech-Sights any more than I already do, I'll just have to buy more myself!

Order incoming and review after that as soon as I con convince the Mrs to go shooting outdoors. Having the mini14 set up for Appleseed the same way as the 10/22 will surely help her out.
 
Monday I put the new sight on a 581 series rifle. Removing the OEM Ruger sight is not difficult but it should be noted that Ruger employed a thread locker. My recommendation is to use Penetrating oil and wait for the oil to dissolve the thread locker. With the old sight removed the new sight installation is extremely simple just follow the directions.:)
 
I think it will fit on the hump behind the integral rear scope mount. The rear sight hump is the same dimension as on the old ranch mini's and the new 580 & 581 mini's with the exception being the dovetail cut that the older series mini's had for the old flip up rear sight. That is why the new tech sight can be mounted to the old ranch mini's with the use of an adapter that fits in the old style dovetail. The one thing that will have to be done will be to drill and tap the receiver rear sight hump for the top mounting screw that holds down the new tech sight and/or the factory Ruger sight. The stainless steel on the Ruger mini's is 400 series ordinance grade stainless steel and is most likely heat hardened, it's hard stuff to drill and tap. If you are going to do it yourself get a good high quality drill bit, maybe even cobalt, use cutting oil and go slow. If you use a cobalt bit go really slow, they are harder than HS tool steel but a little more brittle.
 
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