Ruger Mini 14 ?????????

[kevthebassman]

I hate to keep jumping back in here, but I'm close to buying SOMETHING!  The article I read WAS on the 6.8 and I do believe it was from one of the 'Handloader' crew.  Either Brian Pearce or Dave Scoville.  They are both favorite authors of mine because of their handgun stories.  I think I really would prefer a Mini but I think I would like the Mini 30 over the 6.8.... maybe.  I think about the cheap ammo for fun with the Mini 30, but I still suspect the 6.8 will easily out shoot it.  Looks like there's a 6.8 Ranch in my future.  44 Man.

Just a word of caution:  The Mini-30 will not shoot the Wolf stuff.  Plan on buying the Remington UMC stuff at $10 a box unless you order in something else.  The Wolf primers are too hard.

[SHOOTALL]

thats correct on the wolf ammo

[1longshot]

I am also interested in purchasing one of the new Ruger Ranch rifles in 223.  Specifically the one with the heavier barrel.  The first mini 14 that I saw with this barrel was the NRA model that comes with two 20 round mags and and a nice all weather stock. I think it was a bell and carlson but I can't remember at the moment.  After this visit I went to wall mart and there they had a blue/walnut full size ranch rifle, with the larger diameter barrel.  It is much nicer than the pre-580 series.  The action even feels tighter than the older ones.  In the magazine artical I read, the auther was using the early pencil barreled 580.  I assume this was the reason he was getting bad groups.  Either way, I am putting skepticism aside and have a stainless/wood model orded, the newer 580 with th larger diameter barrel. I am eager to see how it will shoot.  I do think the rear site will need to be modified to give a smaller sight pic.  It is very large.  Good for close range though.

As a side note, the production of the early model 580 with the pencil weight barrel will probably be rare and be somewhat valuable, that is in my humble opinion.

Any more information from those with the new 580 series would be greatly appreciated.

[30WCF]

Mine will hit the broad side of a barn at 100 yards consistently if I do my part.

[K.K]

I have an older mini with the factory stainless folding stock. It is more of a plinker, but I do stow it in the truk when heading to camp for the weekend. It is no tackdriver, certainly, but plenty for medium range coyotes, and certainly self-defense. With good mags, it is incredibly reliable with anything you feed it.

[Mikey]

I took my older Mini to the range yesterday for some accuracy (hahahahaha, what a contradiction in terms) testing.  Mine is in 223.  The first group, from a warm barrel, was a 3" string, then 50 fast rounds (fast enough to get the barrel hot) that pretty much clustered in a 4-5" group, then a 3 round group that measured about 2" (haven't mic-ed it out yet).

Problem was the Mini wouldn't work semi-auto.  It suffered the 'early Vietnam M-16' snydrome and I had to manually operate the rifle.  I suppose that had some effect on my groups - ya think???

The gas piston kept falling out of the gas block.  I simply cannot figure this one out.  I dis-assemble and re-assemble the rifle properly but that darn gas-piston simply will not stay put.

It almost appears as though I am missing something, somewhere.  Some part that would hold the piston in place and guide the operating rod properly seems to be missing but not according to my take-down manual.  The manual shows that all parts are there.

Here's a thought: the gas piston looks like the piston from a auto engine, complete with ring grooves but there aren't any rings.  Do the gas pistons on the Mini's take rubber 'O' rings or something to hold them in place??? 

I can't figure this one out.  I like the way the rifle handles, as it is a fun little gun to shoot, but I would like it to shoot.  Thanks for any help.  Mikey.

[Tad Houston]

I think it is the gas bushing between the lower half of the block and the barrel that holds the piston in. You can get reduced aftermarket ones that keep your brass from entering the next county, and wont batter a scope as bad.

[Whip]

I have had 2 mini 14 for 12 years. I never shot them much. One has a scope I shot them just enough to sight them in. They both shot under 4 inches with factory  ammo I was useing. A few months ago I finally decided to work up a reload for it. Now after some small modifications to the gas system they shoot under 1" 1/2" all the time,I have got several 1" groups but most of the time 1" 1/4". This morning I just got through glass bedding the action on the one with the scope. I am hoping to bring it down to 1" all the time. Here is the web site if you want to know how to make mini 14s shoot.
http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86



The difference in blocking the gas port.

[Mikey]

Tad, Whip - thanks guys.  I found the websites for GunDoc and ASI.  GunDoc sells his 3 bushing sets for $35 s&h included and each bushing has a different diameter id to it.  Brownells also sells the gas port bushings, for $1.49 each.  I will probably get 3 from Brownells just to get the rifle working again and to have a spare or two around (can't quite figure out how the first one disappeared) and shortly thereafter get a set from GunDoc to see if I can tighten up my groups a bit. 

Thanks for your help.  Mikey.

[Whip]

You can see my targets. The thing that tightened the groups up on my guns the most was blocking the gas port and turning it into a bolt action. Most of the time I just want one shot to make one kill. Don't need semi auto. If I need a second shot I just pull the bolt back and let it go. Ready for another shot. I reload and I can keep up with my brass that way.. On one of my guns I made an adjustable gas port. I can adjust it to fire semi auto or single shot by turning a screw. The other I just tapped and install a screw in the end of the gas port. It takes about 2 minutes to get it back to semi auto. You will learn alot about the mini and know what makes it shoot at perfictunion.

[30WCF]

I think I'll just stick with a bolt or falling block for single shots and an AR for semi.

[Whip]

I think I'll just stick with a bolt or falling block for single shots and an AR for semi.

I have several single shots and bolt guns also. With the mini 14 I just don't like chaseing my preped brass all over the place. The same reason I don't shoot my 1911 much. If I did not reload it would not matter. Can a AR be fixed so it want throw the brass and converted back to semi auto in under a minute?

[44 Man]

Hey guys, since we have been talking about accuracy and mini 14's and AR15's, I found this interesting.  I just read on AR15 forum about some ammo tests with the 75 gr defensive 223 bullets.  They keep going heavier and heavier to try to make a man stopper from the 5.56.  They got groups of .75" with handloads and about an 1" with factory Hornady TAP and about the same with Hornady match w/75 gr bullets.  This was with a 1/7" twist barrel AR. 
Then they tested the 6.8 ammo from a custom barrel AR with a 1/10" twist.  With handloads they got 1" groups at 100 yds with the Seirra 115 gr bullets.  Then they tested the Hornady factory 110 gr TAP and the Hornady factory V-Max.  With the TAP, the average for 3, ten shot groups was 2".  (the best group was 1 3/4")  The VMax gave 2.5" averages for the same 3 - 10 shot groups.  That sounds about like what the Ruger will do in 6.8!  Sounds good enough for me to go with a Ruger!  44 Man.

[Whip]

And with a few simple mods it will do better than that, I am sure. Both my minis shot better than what they were suppost to. According to what you read, before I did anything to them. Just lucky I guess.They are not as accurate as a good AR. But better than the SKSs I have shot. Good enought for most shooting. I would like to have one of the 6.8s myself.