The Ruger Mini 14 Pencil Barrel?

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Kame B.

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So what have you done with your old Mini? Did ya call it junk and never tried to work with it or did you accept it for what it is? Well I'm bringing the old Mini back, 21 years back in fact. Here is a couple of 188's that I got cheap, I was able to customize one at a reasonable cost for how it performs, and a simple minute of man light weight defensive rifle. Even made you guys a little review video on both rifles. I don't do a whole lot of talking, but there is shooting, targets, and groups to pick at. Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrkqMHsmqYI

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Nice rifles, liked the vid too. My minis a 581, but ive always liked the pencil barrel minis
 
I love minis, owned several over the years, got an old pencil barrel one that shoots pretty good, my new series 581 tactical is my favorite, 1" groups with 53 grain factory loads. reminds me of M14 I carried years ago and I do have an M1A just for memories.
 
Thanks guys! I'm just showing off a little... Never know what you can get done if you put your mind to it. I've seen these rifles catch so much flak I figure it was time to show some appreciation for these little 14s. They aint the best, but they are hard to beat up.
 
Good video.

It would be interesting if you shot some good brass ammo rather than Tula though. I think you got 2 1/2" groups, which is right around the accuracy potential of that ammo. I'd wonder if the rifles themselves are capable of more.

I also really liked how you filmed part of it through the scope- very neat perspective that you don't see in a lot of Youtube gun videos.
 
Mosin Bubba said:
Good video.

It would be interesting if you shot some good brass ammo rather than Tula though. I think you got 2 1/2" groups, which is right around the accuracy potential of that ammo. I'd wonder if the rifles themselves are capable of more.

I also really liked how you filmed part of it through the scope- very neat perspective that you don't see in a lot of Youtube gun videos.
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Well, I hunt with the target mini, and I use Winchester supreme silver tips for deer hunting under 100 yards. I can usually get 1/2inch groups out of those on the 100 yard mark, but a bit on the expensive side. I use the tulammo when I'm taking videos, cause I shoot so much. But I'll have to video the Winchester ammo one day because I really stand behind that ammo. As far as the scoped video:cool: I took my broke nikon P223 and set it up in front of my camera phone. I had the phone in a stand and I took some shims and placed them under the scope it in front of the camera. Just the right distance and just the right height for the camera and scope to line up, all on the shooting table I was on. It took some finagling but once I found the target I put the scope on 12 power and zoomed the camera in a bit. But you need shims:cuss::) Give it a shot one day, I call it the poor boys zoom lens:)
 
Kame B.

Nice video, short and to the point. Like what you've done in terms of mods to both Mini 14s; especially the target version.
 
bannockburn said:
Kame B.

Nice video, short and to the point. Like what you've done in terms of mods to both Mini 14s; especially the target version.
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Thanks! But really, it is just a old 188 with a ready to install barrel you can get off MidwayUSA. At the time I got it, the barrel cost 229 dollars, it has gone up to 259 now https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...gton-1-in-9-twist-20-chrome-moly-in-the-white they are rally nice barrels and they fit in the old pencil barrel gasblock. Honestly, I probably paid 75 dollars more for the barrel than what I would have if I got a nice muzzle break and strut for the old pencil barrel.
 
I love my 182 series. I can hit a 10" plate at 150 yards open sighted every time, so that is good enough for me. It is totally reliable, and does duty as the "heavy weapon" in my HD plan. I have 6- AR's for accuracy work plus a tack driving 700.

Looking at the first pic, I might go ahead and refinish the stock, or maybe not...
 
DougW said:
I love my 182 series. I can hit a 10" plate at 150 yards open sighted every time, so that is good enough for me. It is totally reliable, and does duty as the "heavy weapon" in my HD plan. I have 6- AR's for accuracy work plus a tack driving 700.

Looking at the first pic, I might go ahead and refinish the stock, or maybe not...
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Your gonna want to refinish that stock:evil: here let me tempted you. I'm a painter and a little bit of a carpenter, so I added a grip cap and gave it a dark stain job.
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bannockburn said:
Kame B.

Great job on the stock! What stain did you use to get that color?
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It is red mahogany. I already had one coat of red on it so I didnt quite sand it all down. I added another solid coat with a white china brush (you have to keep stoking it till it stops running) and let that dry. Then I went back and used a 3/4 inch sponge brush and swiped more red mahogany in places on the stock to give it a faux effect. You got to bring out your inner artist. Then I sprayed it with minwax spar urethane semi gloss.http://www.minwax.com/wood-products...terior-exterior/minwax-helmsman-spar-urethane

I just acquired a car sprayer but the spray cans do just fine if you apply in light layers at a time to prevent stacking.
 
I took my 182-series Mini-14, put a Choate pistol grip stock on it (specially ordered without the added recoil pad because I didn't want the extra pull length) and it has been my principal center-fire rifle for more than 30 years.

During that time, it has never failed to feed, chamber, fire, extract and cycle exactly as it was supposed to.

It will let me reliably hit the circular indent in a milk jug at 100 yards and reliably hit the milk jug itself at 225 yards, off-hand with iron sights, so I figure that's good enough for self-defense and putting a deer on the table should it ever become necessary to cultivate a taste for venison.
 
hdwhit said:
I took my 182-series Mini-14, put a Choate pistol grip stock on it (specially ordered without the added recoil pad because I didn't want the extra pull length) and it has been my principal center-fire rifle for more than 30 years.

During that time, it has never failed to feed, chamber, fire, extract and cycle exactly as it was supposed to.

It will let me reliably hit the circular indent in a milk jug at 100 yards and reliably hit the milk jug itself at 225 yards, off-hand with iron sights, so I figure that's good enough for self-defense and putting a deer on the table should it ever become necessary to cultivate a taste for venison.
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Oh yeah, they are fully capable of hitting a jug at 200 plus, but just because they don't shoot inside an inch doesn't mean they are junk. Under a hundred yards and a deer is dead to rights, especially with all the different .223 hunting rounds they make now. I just like their simple design and ability to chew up what ever you feed it.:cool:
 
DougW said:
Kame, what did you do for the butt plate?
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I cut the curve out of the stock and added a spacer/butt plate long enough so when I add the slip on Limbsaver recoil pad my LOP will be just right for the way I shoot that gun. I even took off the pad and riser off just to take you some pics:p. Not my best pictures but this is just to show what I did.

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KAME B. Absolutely love your Mini. I also have an older 187 series Mini that's 27 years old that I love but just a few days ago found a 580 series thicker barrel on eBay with the 1-9 twist rather than the 187 1-7 twist and decided to go with it. The cost was negligible and thought it would give me more options. It will be here in a few days.

Anyway I love your Mini and the video but I also love the music in your video and I have to know what that is. Please tell me!
 
Thanks, your irons build is slick. Kind of a super stock.

What was involved fitting the sights? Do you run any buffers in either build? Running a thinned 1911 buffer on the gas tube now...want to go thinner and use one front and back. Had reliability issues with two buffers
 
edrice said:
KAME B. Absolutely love your Mini. I also have an older 187 series Mini that's 27 years old that I love but just a few days ago found a 580 series thicker barrel on eBay with the 1-9 twist rather than the 187 1-7 twist and decided to go with it. The cost was negligible and thought it would give me more options. It will be here in a few days.

Anyway I love your Mini and the video but I also love the music in your video and I have to know what that is. Please tell me!
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Well just to keep the facts straight I did take my Mini to a very good gun smith to get the barrel installed. It was a simple process but the guy made damn sure the barrel was regulated with the receiver. http://dproutdoors.com/ these barrels come ready to install with a threaded chamber and crowned, so he only charge me his hourly rate of 100 dollars.

Here is the official video of the music I used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8b4xYbEugo&index=1&list=PLXryWPpnkC8i4i4abKsgMfPPx7TiY99-o
Big Data- "Dangerous"
 
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