Ruger Minis & Accuracy Systems Inc.

[jski]

Sunflower Outdoor Sports’ Mo-Rod and Accu-strut barrel stabilizers used to be the standard for the Mini-14/30. Then I noticed the following.

We are Sturm, Ruger & Company® Certified to work on your Ruger Mini 14® & 30® Rifles. You will no longer need to send your rifle to Ruger for restricted factory work. We can handle any factory replacement part work you are needing from firing pins to trigger components and more..... *All factory warranty issues will still need to be handled through Ruger® for now. Please keep in mind that we have been at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to the Mini 14® and Mini 30® rifles for many years.

Is Accuracy Systems the only company offering barrel stabilizers to be “certified” by Ruger? I’ve always heard great things about the company.

 

[jski]

After months of trying to get under 4 MOA, I installed the long stabilizer with adjustable gas block on my mini 14. I turned the gas down to a short ejection (4 feet) Optics are vortex diamondback 3x9 tactical. I shot 110 yards with a 1 inch group using cheap ammo. More than once!! Holy crap that thing works!!

 

[LoonWulf]

ASI

Sunflower Outdoor Sports’ Mo-Rod and Accu-strut barrel stabilizers used to be the standard for the Mini-14/30. Then I noticed the following.

Is Accuracy Systems the only company offering barrel stabilizers to be “certified” by Ruger? I’ve always heard great things about the company.

I think the notice was simply stating that ASI is Ruger certified to make repairs etc, no that any of their after market modifications are certified by Ruger.

 

[Speedo66]

ASI

I think the notice was simply stating that ASI is Ruger certified to make repairs etc, no that any of their after market modifications are certified by Ruger.

Agree, I can’t see Ruger saying “although our accuracy is subpar, buying this product from ACI will fix that.”

 

[Varminterror]

I’ve not heard of Ruger certified armorers before. That is the interesting angle to me.

The statement reads to me that they are enabled by Ruger to purchase and resell restricted parts and subsequently charge people to do repair work Ruger would have otherwise done for free, without voiding the factory warranty. But free repairs under the Ruger satisfaction promise are still only handled by Ruger (Ruger is not reimbursing them as a certified 3rd party warranty repair center).

 

[jski]

Well, yeah! That is the unavoidable implication here: I just bought a brand spanking new $1,000+ Ruger Mini and now I need to send it off to these Ruger certified gunsmiths/machinists (admittedly very good guys) to have them fix it. And indeed, they do fix it.

Maybe Ruger should simply buy Accuracy Systems and incorporate them into their Mini manufacturing process?

 

[Crosshair]

With the new Minis, all that's really needed is the reduced gas bushing.

 

[jski]

With the new Minis, all that's really needed is the reduced gas bushing.

What about the barrel stabilizers?

 

[LoonWulf]

What about the barrel stabilizers?

Sometimes they help sometimes they don't shortening the barrel to 16 and 1/4 in is also a proven method to increase accuracy on mini guns... But again it doesn't help all of them.

Doing the gas bushing and evening out the gas block, or installing an aftermarket block from ASI helps in more ways than just possibly increasing your effective accuracy, So that's used to be my first suggestion for anybody looking to tinker with their mini-14.

The second is get a trigger job done (or do one).

Third is bedding the action.

Then The more esoteric stuff like a strut or having the barrel replaced with a heavy contour and/or custom.

At this point though I think the first thing I would do is order an ASI adjustable gas block and strut at the same time since getting just the gas bushing, new screws for your gas block, and an aftermarket strut will run you somewhere between half and 2/3 the cost of an adjustable strutted gas block.

 

[jski]

Sometimes they help sometimes they don't shortening the barrel to 16 and 1/4 in is also a proven method to increase accuracy on mini guns... But again it doesn't help all of them.

Doing the gas bushing and evening out the gas block, or installing an aftermarket block from ASI helps in more ways than just possibly increasing your effective accuracy, So that's used to be my first suggestion for anybody looking to tinker with their mini-14.

The second is get a trigger job done (or do one).

Third is bedding the action.

Then The more esoteric stuff like a strut or having the barrel replaced with a heavy contour and/or custom.

At this point though I think the first thing I would do is order an ASI adjustable gas block and strut at the same time since getting just the gas bushing, new screws for your gas block, and an aftermarket strut will run you somewhere between half and 2/3 the cost of an adjustable strutted gas block.

How well does this work with the Mini-30 Tactical, the one I’m most interested in?

 

[LoonWulf]

I've never had a mini 30 but the adjustable gas block (or at least gas bushings) would be worthwhile upgrade to any mini.
As would the trigger job, and bedding.

If you decided to go with an adjustable gas block right off the bat, I'd suggest going ahead and getting one with the strut since it doesn't add a lot of cost.

If you'd rather not drop that much in one shot then getting a gas bushing... On a mini 14 on suggest to 0.040, But I'm not sure on a mini 30....
And just shooting the gun for a while before deciding on adding a strut. My provide you with all the accuracy you need.
If you're still not happy and I wouldn't, EXPECT better than 1.5-1.75 MOA with good ammo, then I'd go to the strutted gas block over a regular strut.

The tactical variance also have the shorter barrel which while I'm not sure improves accuracy in the mini 30 consistently I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

 

[Speedo66]

What about the barrel stabilizers?

I don't think the strut does much on the newer models with the thicker tapered barrel.

I seem to remember even ASI saying the impact of the strut on newer models was minimal.

 

[jski]

I don't think the strut does much on the newer models with the thicker tapered barrel.

I seem to remember even ASI saying the impact of the strut on newer models was minimal.

Called Accuracy Systems and they said: even with the 16 1/4” barrel on the tactical, it still benefits from the stabilizers, i.e., struts.

 

[LoonWulf]

I dont believe its as consistent or noticeable with the stubby tapered barrel rifles tho (IE they tend to need less help).....I kinda remember reading something like what @Speedo66 said a ways back when I was first looking into struts and things for my mini....circa 2010/11 or so.

 

[Crosshair]

What about the barrel stabilizers?

On the new ones sometimes they help, sometimes they don't. The older ones are where they made the big diffrence.

I have a strut on one of my newer scoped Minis, but not on any of the others.

Because who the heck cares if it shoots 4 MOA when I'm running a 4 MOA red dot.

 

[milsurpguy]

So did ruger just pick the absolute worst spot on the barrel to put the gas block or what?

 

[daniel craig]

And I’m over here like “oh. Ok. But do that with an sks now. That’sa rifle worth accurizing.

 

[derek45]

Back in the 1980's when they were a lot cheaper than an AR15, they made some sense.

In todays market, at todays price, they make little sense.

 

[1KPerDay]

So did ruger just pick the absolute worst spot on the barrel to put the gas block or what?

He borrowed the design from the M1 Carbine.

 

[jski]

He borrowed the design from the M1 Carbine.

The Ruger Mini design is based on the Mini-14! The leader engineer/designer was a guy named Sullivan. Ironically, the same guy who led the design of the AR-15 starting from the AR-10.

 

[1KPerDay]

The Ruger Mini design is based on the Mini-14! The leader engineer/designer was Sullivan. Ironically, the same guy who led the design AR-15 starting with the AR-10.

I assume you mean M-14. Do you have both? I assure you the gas system of the mini-14 has a lot more in common with the M1 Carbine than with the Garand or M-14. It LOOKS like an M-14. And the trigger group is similar. But the slide/operating handle and gas tappet is a lot more akin to an M1 Carbine.

 

[jski]

I assume you mean M-14. Do you have both? I assure you the gas system of the mini-14 has a lot more in common with the M1 Carbine than with the Garand or M-14. It LOOKS like an M-14. And the trigger group is similar. But the slide/operating handle and gas tappet is a lot more akin to an M1 Carbine.

Sorry! Correct, the M-14. Got carried away with “Mini”.

Introduced in 1973 by Sturm, Ruger & Co., the Mini-14 resembles a smaller version of the military M14 rifle. Designed by L. James Sullivan and William B. Ruger, it incorporated numerous innovations and cost-saving engineering changes. The Mini-14 rifle has an investment-cast, heat-treated receiver and is mechanically similar to the M1 rifle, with a self-cleaning, fixed-piston gas system.

 

[1KPerDay]

“Resembles” being the operative term.

And the last sentence should more correctly read:

“is mechanically similar to the M1 rifle, BUT with a self-cleaning, fixed-piston gas system.”

OR:

“is mechanically similar to the M1 Carbine, with a self-cleaning, fixed-piston gas system.”

 

[jski]

The interesting and ironic thing is that the same guy was behind both the AR-15 and Mini-14.

 

[LoonWulf]

So did ruger just pick the absolute worst spot on the barrel to put the gas block or what?

He borrowed the design from the M1 Carbine.

And unlike the Carbine...
its a huge gas block, is affected by the forend, and often both halves arnt aligned properly/over torqued.....you sometimes see a noticeable change just by realigning and torquing the block.

And I’m over here like “oh. Ok. But do that with an sks now. That’sa rifle worth accurizing.

Cut 2" off the Sks receiver and drop the weight by 1.5lbs and id still own mine.
I really liked shooting it, and it was pretty accurate. My buddy who has it now loves it.
I bedded the action, did a trigger job, and removed all the crap from the muzzle. It shot about 1.5" @100 with peeps which was as good as i can do with them.