Ruger Mini-14 - Care and Feeding?

[General Zod]

Ok, I have no answers for the gas block questions - haven't field stripped it yet. How would I tell if the gas block screws have been re-torqued? And what's a 1911 buffer? You went a little over my head with some of the terminology.

Also, what kind of grease? I've only ever used oil before.

 

[pvtsnowball82]

Ok, I have no answers for the gas block questions - haven't field stripped it yet. How would I tell if the gas block screws have been re-torqued? And what's a 1911 buffer? You went a little over my head with some of the terminology.

Also, what kind of grease? I've only ever used oil before.

Well, this is a little more than field stripping. First, look at the gap on both sides of the gas block, as seen in this photo: http://www.rifleshootermag.com/files/2010/09/rsranch_071807c.jpg If the gaps on both sides are even, no problem, no action necessary. If the gap on one side is much bigger than the gap on the other, you may want to unscrew the gas block, reposition everything, and torque new screws in (Gas Block Screw, SS | Brownells) at 30 inch-pounds each with blue loctite, making sure that the gaps are even on both sides of the gas block as you tighten. Mini enthusiasts claim this will help with accuracy. In my experience, it didn't help with accuracy, per se, but it did help in another way. Out of the box, my mini shot about eight inches right at 50 yards. I noticed that the gas block was installed very unevenly. Instead of trying to get all that windage out of the rear sight, I first evened out the gaps as I just described. This actually brought the point of impact closer to the out-of-the-box point of aim. I used windage on the sight after that to zero. Anyway, you can do this, or not, it's up to you and YMMV.

These are 1911 buffers: 1911 AUTO SHOK-BUFFS® | Brownells You can install them in the mini where I described earlier to soften the jarring of the op rod. Are they completely necessary? No, but they can make shooting the mini feel a little smoother.

As far as grease, I use Tetra Gun Grease. It's a medium grease that hangs around and doesn't dry too quickly. But really anything a little heavier than oil will do for the parts of the bolt and op rod that contact the receiver.

 

[General Zod]

Cool, thanks. I'll take a good look a the gas block when I go under the hood. Gonna give it a thorough clean and lube before I put my first round through it anyway, so this is on the to-do list now.

 

[General Zod]

Ok, the gas block is in good shape, no action needed there. Internal parts are in good shape, are clean, and show no wear. The gas block, and the track the action travels in between the gas block and the bolt (not sure what the orrect term is) were filthy and needed a lot of cleaning. I also ran a couple of patches down the bore, oiled the parts that rub, and reassembled it. All that remains is to test fire it next weekend.

Thank you, everyone, for the good advice here.

 

[pvtsnowball82]

Yeah, the op rod channel gets pretty filthy, because the gas port is right there at the front of the forend. It's not a big deal, just wipe it out whenever you normally clean the gun. Enjoy shooting your mini!

 

[cooltouch]

I have an 80s-vintage Mini-14 that looks identical to the one in the photo. Couple of comments. The name "Ranch Rifle" was around a lot longer than the late 90s. It was around at least in the early 90s, which was when I bought my Mini-14. At the time, I was aware of the differences between the two rifles. It's more than just rear sights. The standard Mini-14 back in those days ejected the spent case straight up, which was no good if a scope was mounted because the spent cases would beat hell out of the scope. (I write "back in those days" because I don't think Ruger makes the "standard" Mini-14 anymore -- everybody wanted the Ranch Rifle) The Ranch Rifle's ejector mechanism was modified to eject the case sideways, and it also is easier to attach a scope to -- not sure if it has Ruger-style integral scope mounts, but I do know that it is much easier to attach a scope to the Ranch Rifle.

B-Square made, and I believe still makes, a scope mount designed specifically for the regular Mini-14. It attaches to the side of the receiver, then looms over the top of the gun with the scope parked about two inches above the action. When a round is fired, the spent case smacks off the underside of the scope mount, shooting off down and to the side, but the scope is protected. The B-Square mount picks up dings, which I don't really mind, but what I do mind is the mount's big round disk which is used to cinch it down tight isn't up to the task. After having a dozen or so cases slam into the bottom of the mount, I'd have to tighten it again. After a couple of trips to the gun range with that B-Square mount, I pulled it off, and haven't looked back. My Mini-14's open sights are plenty adequate for acquiring targets out to 300+ yards, even though the rifle itself isn't up to the task.

As others here have mentioned, my gun also shoots about 4" groups at 100 yards. Which i why I'm perfectly comfortable using open sights. This is where the Mini-14 excels anyway -- it's a close-quarters weapon with very quick handling because of its light weight and small size. 100 yards or less. Sticking to this line of reasoning, I went ahead and removed the factory stock, then installed a Choate hand-grip stock because for me a hand-grip stock is more flexible to use, and just more comfortable to boot. And as long as I was being bad (I lived in California at the time), I figured I might as well be very bad, and so I installed a stainless flash suppressor onto the tip of the barrel. Oh, and since it was stainless, I had to stock up on stainless 30-round mags for it. Of course.

I bought this gun and outfitted it with the hi-cap mags during all the craziness that was going on prior to the last Feinstein assault weapons ban of the early 90s. Prices didn't really begin to soar until the ban actually passed, as I recall. Then pre-ban guns like mine suddenly went from $300 to $900 almost overnight.

As for care and feeding, well, I've owned mine for about 20 years now, and really the only sort of care and feeding mine has gotten has been thorough cleanings and light oilings after each outing with it. I've had only one issue with it. Somehow the firing pin's very tip became slightly pitted -- pitted just enough to pierce primers. I used various grits of sand paper to remove the pitting and buff the tip out to a smooth sheen. Probably put several hundred rounds through the weapon since that little episode and all remains well.

 

[General Zod]

I'm looking at some rear sights that are closer to what the M1 Carbine had - still a peep sight, but a bit more robust and easier to adjust. My rifle does have the scope mounts and scope rings, but I agree that it's not really a rifle that cries out for a scope. I've never even fired a gun at anything 100 yards away - there are always trees in the way! I do intend to keep the wood stock, though. It just feels right. I debated between the Mini and an AR for a while before being won over by the wood stock and Garand-style action.

 

[cooltouch]

I'm looking at some rear sights that are closer to what the M1 Carbine had - still a peep sight, but a bit more robust and easier to adjust. My rifle does have the scope mounts and scope rings, but I agree that it's not really a rifle that cries out for a scope. I've never even fired a gun at anything 100 yards away - there are always trees in the way! I do intend to keep the wood stock, though. It just feels right. I debated between the Mini and an AR for a while before being won over by the wood stock and Garand-style action.

Here's a nice looking target-style open rear site that comes in a Mini-14 flavor: "WGRS" RECEIVER SIGHTS | Brownells

Brownells lists some other rear sights for the Mini-14 besides just the above, but to me that one is the most interesting.

My reasons for going with a Mini-14 over an AR were different from yours and I don't know if they even apply any more. It was all about the Benjamins. Back when I bought mine, the going rate for an SS Mini-14 was about $300. This was 1993-94 or so. But the going rate for a clean AR was about twice that, and thus I always kinda looked at the Mini-14 as being the economical alternative to the AR. In the ensuing years, it would appear that AR prices have been relatively stable -- until a few months ago, apparently, it was still possible to buy an AR for a "reasonable" sum, but from the small bit of checking around I've done, the Mini-14's value has soared and it's stayed up there. So for me it was originally about the dollar difference. Honestly, I would still rather own a nice, clean AR over my cute little Mini-14. And that is simply because, when I was in the Army I found, and I still find, the AR/M-16 pattern to be very comfortable, which the Mini-14 with Choate now approaches. Besides, I was consistently hitting man-sized targets at 600 meters with my M-16 (place the open sights on the top of the target's "head" and the round will hit somewhere in the target's "body"), which is an impossible task with my Mini-14.

This reminds me -- back when I bought my Mini-14, there was a guy who advertized in Shotgun News an accurizing service he performed on the Mini-14. I called him and talked to him and I recall he was a talkative fellow. His military background was Artillery and I believe he was a retired armorer. But there was something about his knowledge of the big guns that helped him accurize the Mini-14. He claimed very impressive results. I thought seriously about having him do it to mine, but as I recall, his service wasn't particularly cheap, so it never happened. I don't recall the particulars anymore. But at least it is an indication of the rifle's potential for accuracy. I've always felt that something could be done to improve it, since it just seems to me that four-inch groupings at 100 yards is just plain excessive.

 

[General Zod]

I'd say our reasons are very similar. I learned to shoot a rifle on an M1 Carbine of WWII vintage, so for me the Mini has that familiarity and everything's where it "should" be except the magazine release.

There's a device called an Accu-Strut that apparently stabilizes the barrel and improves accuracy. They run around $100 and attach to the front of the gas block, with two clamps to hold the barrel secure. They apparently work wonders and make the Mini look even more like an M-14, but for me that's going to be a "sometime down the road" improvement. The Original Barrel Strut for Mini-14s

That WGRS sight is the very product I've been looking at. I may take this as a Sign from Above...

 

[pvtsnowball82]

In my opinion, it's not worth it to send a mini off to be "accurized." Generally what that means is they replace the barrel and gas block with aftermarket parts, and you basically end up with a different rifle.

 

[General Zod]

Oh, I'd never send it off somewhere. But if the Accu-Strut works as a lot of people claim it does, it wouldn't be a bad aftermarket add-on.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

Oh, I'd never send it off somewhere. But if the Accu-Strut works as a lot of people claim it does, it wouldn't be a bad aftermarket add-on.

I used one on an earlier Ranch model and it made a significant improvement. The early barrels are a lot thinner, flexible, and prone to heat changes than the later models so respond well to the struts. A compensator on the end also helped dampen out some of the whip (obviously not needed for recoil-sure made it louder though).

 

[cooltouch]

I'll have to look into the Accu-Strut. Since mine is an earlier model it may very well benefit a lot from this device.

Can I ask how much improvement "significant improvement" is?

 

[General Zod]

I've seen claims that groupings at 100 yards reduce from 4 inches to 2 inches, if I recall correctly. It's not going to make a sniper rifle of the Mini, but I'd say that's a pretty good improvement.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

I'll have to look into the Accu-Strut. Since mine is an earlier model it may very well benefit a lot from this device.

Can I ask how much improvement "significant improvement" is?

In my case, at least 50%. Finding ammunition the rifle is happy with also plays a big part. You could start with that and the recoil compensator since that's a fairly inexpensive way to begin. Remember YMMV.

 

[General Zod]

Heh. Right now, "finding ammunition" is the key phrase...

 

[deemus]

Yeah, I haven't seen any since mid-December - they disappeared almost as fast as AR mags. The 30 round mag I currently have is a ProMag - hopefully it'll be as reliable as the ProMag 1911 mag I've gotten some use out of. Guess I'll find out if it's good when I put a few rounds through it!

You need to be REALLY careful on the mags. Over half of the mags I have bought for mine didn't work. One set from a guy on this board. The factory mags are the only ones 100% reliable. Not sure why its so hard to make mags for this gun.

 

[cooltouch]

In my case, at least 50%. Finding ammunition the rifle is happy with also plays a big part. You could start with that and the recoil compensator since that's a fairly inexpensive way to begin. Remember YMMV.

I'd be plenty happy with a 50% improvement -- who wouldn't? The 4" to 2" figure that Zod reports is in line with that value as well.

I just visited Accu Strut's website: http://www.accu-strut.com/ An interesting looking piece of kit. Very straightforward in appearance. I could probably knock out something similar to it on my lathe and milling machine and save a hundred bux or so.

I've found my Mini to be somewhat temperamental when it comes to ammo. There's one brand that it clearly doesn't like: Winchester. I'll usually have three or four flyers per box that keyhole the target. So yeah, ammo's important. I have a set of loading dies for the .223 and I've done some handloading for it. Probably be doing a lot more until prices come back down.

My Mini-14 is plain stock except for the Choate stock. And the flash suppressor. Some suppressors do double duty as recoil compensators. Mine doesn't. But then I don't get enough barrel flip from firing .223 a single round at a time to worry about a recoil compensator anyway.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

My Mini-14 is plain stock except for the Choate stock. And the flash suppressor. Some suppressors do double duty as recoil compensators. Mine doesn't. But then I don't get enough barrel flip from firing .223 a single round at a time to worry about a recoil compensator anyway.

It's not the "flip" as I understand things. I had "tuning" explained to me using the analogy of a guitar string and the fact that the barrel is exhibiting a sinusoidal wave characteristic. Depending on where everything is lining up when the round leaves the muzzle determines the impact point. Putting a compensator on the muzzle is more to add mass to the system and dampen out some of the wave and hopefully create some sort of repeatability.
So that's my attempt... Help me out here folks.

 

[thehemi]

It's not the "flip" as I understand things. I had "tuning" explained to me using the analogy of a guitar string and the fact that the barrel is exhibiting a sinusoidal wave characteristic. Depending on where everything is lining up when the round leaves the muzzle determines the impact point. Putting a compensator on the muzzle is more to add mass to the system and dampen out some of the wave and hopefully create some sort of repeatability.
So that's my attempt... Help me out here folks.

I imagine so, hence the harmonic dampener on the target models.