What good mini 14 mags and where to buy them?

[megatronrules]

I was wondering what are good and bad mini 14 mags are out there and where to find good mags at a decent price? Also should I get 20,30 or 40 round mags? I've heard that the 20 and 30 round mags are more reliable then the 40 rounders any truth to this? How are mini 14's in general as far as shottability? Any help would be great with this. Thanks

 

[bedlamite]

I've got a bunch of Western Metal 40 round mags that have worked flawlessly for years. USA and Triple K are junk, PMI are supposed to be pretty good, Ruger factory mags are the best, but expensive.
With decent mags, the Mini 14 is about as reliable as you can make a semi-auto, but don't expect great accuracy. Mine will do under 2 MOA, others have reported 6.

 

[Gary G23]

I've had good luck with PMI and Federal Ordnance 20 and 30 rounders.

 

[ajacobs]

Some of the less desirable mags can be made realiable with wolff extra power springs in my experiance. I have 10 stainless heavy duty USA mags that have been great. The stainless ones have a better fit and finish and are significantly thicker. But they are hit or miss.

 

[MiniZ]

I have had great success with PMI 20 and 30n round mags. I have also had great success with 30 round Thermolds. I have a couple of Triple Ks that are so-so.

I have no experience with the factory Ruger mags(other than the five round), but I have never heard anyone have a problem with them.

Where to get these mags? I'm not aware of any dealer that stocks any of the above on a regular basis.(especially the Ruger, since "Uncle Bill" deemed that we civilians should not have high capacity magazines). I have seen a lot of the Ruger and PMI on the AR15.com equipment exchange board. Prices vary, but if you are dilligent, you can find a decent price.

 

[mini14jac]

I just got a PMI 30rd mag from www.gunpartscorp.com last week.
It is not listed as PMI on their web page, but it cost around $36 delivered.
If you call, they will tell you it's made by Ruger, but it's not.
I've heard that you may get a mixture of PMI and junk mags if you order several.

Also, check the auction boards.

 

[philupcolt]

Several years ago I purchased a 20 rd mag ( forgot the brand) at a gun show, the thing would not even begin to function. I got to comparing it to the factory mag and noticed a big difference between the followers . The after market had a lot more material in it. I took both mags apart and re configured the aftermarked follower to look as close to the factory as possible. the result--it functioned perfectly.