Ruger Mini-14 - Care and Feeding?

[thirdcoastangler]

Congratulations



I recently added a Mini-14 to my armory. Sorry for the hijack, but I work overseas and don't get to show it off.

Was real excited about finding a factory folder in good shape.

 

[Kyle]

This is my mini. It DOES NOT FAIL... I use a heavy bearing grease on all contact points. I run it with a buffer, as well as an accu-strut. I went from a 5 inch group down to around 1.5 after spending time and ammo finding the best placement on the barrel... much like the harmonic balancer on the target mini.

 

[General Zod]

View attachment 17812

I recently added a Mini-14 to my armory. Sorry for the hijack, but I work overseas and don't get to show it off.

Was real excited about finding a factory folder in good shape.

Man, that is a rarity! Nice.

Kyle, that's a good looking Mini as well. So are you saying you've repositioned the Accu-Strut along your barrel until you found the best mounting location for it?

 

[cooltouch]

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.

As a guitarist, I can usually understand a guitar string analogy. But your description reminds me more of the function of a harmonic balancer on a car engine. I guess is why they refer to a 'harmonic dampener.' Also, the little bar-end weights you can add to a motorcycle's handlebars, the addition of which reduces handlebar vibrations by damping them out, they work on the same principle.

Your description makes perfect sense, however. This explanation leads me to believe that one should probably try a variety of compensators/suppressors to find out which one or ones do the best damping, cuz the rifle is likely to respond differently to each one. And it might even be on a case by case basis. IOW, my Mini 14 may prefer a different muzzle device than yours, even if they have the same barrel contour.

Incidentally, speaking of muzzle devices (and other stuff), here's a shot of my Mini:



Hrm . . . what's the secret to getting images to display full-size here? I tried two different upload methods, so I guess it isn't that.

 

[cooltouch]

This is my mini. It DOES NOT FAIL... I use a heavy bearing grease on all contact points. I run it with a buffer, as well as an accu-strut. I went from a 5 inch group down to around 1.5 after spending time and ammo finding the best placement on the barrel... much like the harmonic balancer on the target mini.

+1 on Zod's question. I didn't know that there was room to move the Accu Strut around. I thought it had to be locked down against the gas block? Although looking at your photo just now, it appears that you don't have it locked down onto the gas block. So, you're moving the clamps around slightly to affect the damping characteristics?

 

[pvtsnowball82]

You can move the front clamp around to try and find the sweet spot.

 

[General Zod]

Ah, ok, so it's still affixed to the gas block, then?

 

[Kyle]

Man, that is a rarity! Nice.

Kyle, that's a good looking Mini as well. So are you saying you've repositioned the Accu-Strut along your barrel until you found the best mounting location for it?

Correct, I have the GB model gas block which positions the sling mount on the side, so I do not have a mounting point on the front of the block. I pressed it firmly against the surface of the block and moved the front mounting clamp around until I found the sweet spot. While mine is a bit different, you can do the same for the standard mounting gas block struts. Accustrut actually made this one specifically for my mini, which was pretty cool of them.

 

[Kyle]

+1 on Zod's question. I didn't know that there was room to move the Accu Strut around. I thought it had to be locked down against the gas block? Although looking at your photo just now, it appears that you don't have it locked down onto the gas block. So, you're moving the clamps around slightly to affect the damping characteristics?

Correct. Took me about 50 rounds to find the spot. While it made it much more accurate, the cooling factor of the strut is outstanding. That, coupled with the gas block mounted rail system... My mini acts more like a heavy barrel than a pencil barrel.

 

[Das Jared]

I love my mini, just oil the moving parts and the open rod at both ends and you are g2g

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[General Zod]

I put a (very) few rounds through it today. It shoots just like Dad's old GI Surplus M1Carbine did. The ProMag magazine fed ok, I got nice accuracy even with the rudimentary pop-up peep sight, and I'm one happy Mini-14 owner.

 

[country_boy]

I had the lastest with the heavy barrel. Accuracy was poor with a scope I cleaned it after 100 rounds.. shot another 100 didnt make any difference after that. It was just a plicking rifle. I never cleaned it afterwards. I sold it to my uncle that desperately needed a semi auto rifle. I had a ar 15 that was better anyways. If we can get over this obama crap and they go back down to what they should be, Ill buy a older one with the stainless wood stock. Stick with factory mags! Mine failed to cycle a round with a aftermarket mag.. promag was eh.. jammed a lot.

 

[General Zod]

Right now I have to stick with what I can get. We'll see how it does. I've had a few people tell me the older rifles aren't too picky about what mag feeds them.

 

[deemus]

USA Magazines are the only after market mags mine will function with. Avoid K-Mags like the plague.

 

[cooltouch]

For those of you who have the accu-strut for your Minis, I have a question: what is that knurled knob thingy on the front of the strut for? I've looked around at their website, and cannot find any information on it.

 

[rex1977]

http://www.greatwestgunsmithing.com/
Good info on the mini. Check the video s out


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[cooltouch]

Hmm . . . it appears that the only thing he offers barrel-wise for the Mini is shortening it. In my case, I honestly don't think receiver bedding will improve the accuracy of my Mini. It's wearing a Choate handgrip-style stock, and the action was a very tight fit when I installed it. It is, for all practical intents and purposes, already bedded.

Hey, has anyone here tried the heavy barrel route on the Mini? Like the one Shilen makes? $270 from Brownell's, minimal gunsmithing required. This might be the smartest way to go.

 

[pvtsnowball82]

Hey, has anyone here tried the heavy barrel route on the Mini? Like the one Shilen makes? $270 from Brownell's, minimal gunsmithing required. This might be the smartest way to go.

Not worth it, in my opinion. You would do better to take that money and put it towards a more inherently accurate rifle platform such as a bolt rifle or AR. Just enjoy the mini for what it is.

 

[General Zod]

My strategy is pretty much keeping my shots under 100 yards (no problem there - unless I'm on a range, 100 yards puts a lot of trees in my line of fire), replacing the rear sight with something a little more robust and easy to use, and maybe springing for an Accu-Strut down the road.

 

[Armybrat]

Bought my Ranch Rifle new in 1984 - never have fired it. Have 6 factory 20 rounders and three Federal Ordinance 30s besides the original 5 round mag.