SKS versus new version of Mini-14, and trigger pinch of the SKS?

[His lordship.]

I recently spent the afternoon shooting my new Mini-14 tactical in .223 with my unissued like new Yugo SKS and the SKS does not compare in accuracy at all.  I even shot the inferior accuracy types of ammo in my Mini instead of the good stuff from Hornady.  I have owned 3 SKS rifles over the years, Russian, Chinese, and the Yugo.  The SKS is more accurate than my 2 AK-47's.  I would say that the Yugo is the nicest of the SKS's, at least in appearance.

I have heard that the SKS is not all that accurate over the years from several sources, and I can agree that it is ok as a battle rifle but would get dicey beyond 100 yards for small targets like woodchucks, etc.  The AK is easy to figure as it has a shorter barrel and sight radius, flexible receiver, and greater slop in the action.  The Mini-14 has very few moving parts and is known for their reliability, mine has never jambed the 3 times I have taken it to the range.  The new Mini is said to be as accurate as the AR-15 type of carbines, but the ARs are complex and with tight tolerances, so their known quality of accuracy is not surprising.

What makes the SKS so so on accuracy?  I have also had problems with the Yugo SKS pinching my inner fleshy part of my finger between the trigger and the safety lever, it has been a problem the six years I have owned the rifle.  I don't remember the Chinese or Russian SKS doing that, anyone else notice this?

[Lloyd Smale]

Chris ive owned a half a dozen minis through the years in .223 and 762x39. Its hard for me to believe that any battle rifle can shoot a whole lot less accurately then a mini. I personaly think youd have to try out a truck load of ars to find even one that shot worse then the best mini youd find in a truck load of them. Ive seen sks rifles that shot real well. Not many aks that did though. The mini is a good gun, dont get me wrong. Just not an accurate one.

[demented]

 A good trigger job will help the SKS more than anything.  I've got two Chinese, one has had a trigger job, it'll do about three inches even with crappy Russian Barnaul, the other rifle is hard to keep under five inches, that is until I swap trigger assemblies, then it'll shoot just as good as the other.  I've never noticed my finger being pinched with my SKS, can you determine how this is being done and possibly do a judicious amount of polishing and/or filing to remove the pinch point?  Perhaps its just a sharp edge that needs smoothing?

[His lordship.]

Loyd Smale...this Mini is the new version, I bought the gun new in December 2009.  The old Mini 14's were notoriously inaccurate, ol' Bill Ruger kept the production of these guns going without improvement on old worn out machinery far too long.  After he died the company redid the tooling and added a heavy barrel to improve the accuracy.  My new model Mini-14 equals any AR-15 that I have shot and others have said the same.  The old Minis' could not equal the AR's for accuracy, the old Mini's even were dumped by the Oklahoma highway patrol due to wandering point of zero, I can imagine that really annoyed them!

The trigger on the Yugo SKS comes back and toward the rear of the guard and compresses anything that is between it and the safety on the right side.  You have to hold your hand out more to prevent pinching.  As the Yugo model 1959/66 is different from the Chinese, I wonder if there is a dimension difference with it over the usual East Block weapons? 

[Default_Required]

Lloyd ,  I think he has the new model Mini that are being made on the new equipment with the shorter 16" barrel . I have read and am recieving good accuracy reports on the new minis.

 I think any person that is a gun person for any amount of time has heard of experiences ( or had) of bad accuracy with the old minis, I cant even begin to tell you how much load dev. and factory fodder I threw down range from my 1980s' mini to get a round that would consistently bullseye a 3" orange stick on target @ 100 ( and after 3 rounds the warming barrel would start to walk but not horribly) , When I did find it, it ended up being a Black Hills 75gr BTHP moly 223 offering which was more then fine for me since I didnt have high hopes that it would stabilize in the minis 1 in 10 milk shake straw sized barrel. let alone provide me with MOA @ 100 . The rifle was dressed with a 10X scope and the Hogue rubberized stock which I cant recommend enough.

 Now are the new minis getting the accuracy of a 16" barreled iron sighted AR ? From what I'm getting from first hand accounts of friends and fellow shooters at the range it is not far off ( and some are on par ) , Sadly I think people get into a mind set all to often that "THIS AMMO" is what they are using and then dont understand why it is giving crappy accuracy  

 And for those of us that have had spotted others with or had ourselves really bad accuracy from the mini , Give the Hogue rubber coated stock a try , It tends to do a bit of a bedding on the action and it improved the groups I was getting across the board with my old mini. I am again considering one of the new minis just to see what I can squeeze out of it accuracy wise , And of course you guys will get those range reports  
  
 I have had several SKS rifles over the years and some were much better on groups then others but again ammo played its role, My present SKS is the 16" "paratrooper" model with the fixed mag and a ATI dragonov knock off stock ( got it for 20 bucks used ) on it for the stabalizing the high riding fore arm flares add to the the tapco Railed Gas Tube replacment for forward scout mounting a pistol scope. This set up with a 4x and my handloaded 110gr Vmax .308 in winchester brass and the 150gr Win SP super Xs in the Win brass at staying pretty consistent in the 1.5 to 2.5 range @ 100 and groups grew just a little when running the Golden Tiger FMJ ammo through this same rifle @ 100.

 Experiment , It cnat hurt and it gets you more range time , and that is never a bad thing    

[Lloyd Smale]

well if ruger will make a mini that is moa accurate like ALL of my ars are id probably buy one again even though i need another .223 battle rifle like a hole in the head. Maybe they will make a moa mini in 6.8 for me. Now that id buy.

[His lordship.]

I wonder what happened to all those old Minis? 

[Lloyd Smale]

my get flack for this but i hope ruger dumped them in the ocean!

[RB1235]

The rifles were not designed for accuracy back then. 3" was the standard of our rifles back then for service. The Eastern Bloc also was 3" for the service rifles. Most sks need some attention at the rear of the receiver. Some folks shim them. I just glass bedded the stock. If off of irons replace the front with a techsight. If scope as well, get a sturdy mount. Trigger work is a given. If one doesn't know how, ship off to Bill Springfield I have heard he does good work. Lastly is ammo. Wolf is terrible. Go prvi partizan or bear ammo for plinking. And rem or win for hunting. 1.25-1.5" is not asking a lot out of an accurized sks. 2-2.5" is not asking much with a low mileage rifle without mods and good ammo.

[His lordship.]

Loyd Smale...Ruger catalogs a Mini All weather ranch rifle in 6.8 Rem. in their 2010 catalog.  I like the 6.8 round but it is on the pricey side right now, of course most center fire rifle ammo is.  

[Foxfire Rod and Gun]

What is considered to be the "Old" Mini and what is considered to be the "New" Mini? I am considering purchasing one in the 196-74*** serial number range that Ruger's serial number list indicates was made in late 2001. Would this the "Old or "New" mini? It has the smaller flip up rear sight.

FR&G

[mannyrock]

Firefox,

  The one you describe is an old mini.  The new mini is actually a totally new series of the rifle.  They only came out about 2 years ago.  You can tell them physically by looking at the front sight.  The front sight blade is protected by two "wings" on each side of it, like a military rifle (like the M-1 carbine).  The new series called the "560 series" because all of the serial numbers begin with 560.

Hope this helps.

Mannyrock

[mannyrock]

 Firefox,

   A correction to my prior post.  The new series is called the 580 series, all serial numbers of which start with a 580.

Mannyrock

[Foxfire Rod and Gun]

Mannyrock: Thanks! I had an older Minni 14 which had the wing type of front sight. The serial # was 186-72*** indicating that it was produced in 1997. The one that I am looking at now has the front sight without the wings and only a ramp type of blade and serial # indicates that it was produced in 2001.

FR&G