gundoc
01-17-2004, 08:16
Here's some info sent to me a long time ago that's still go stuff about accurizing a mini:
>About all that can be done for the mini is what was wrote back in
>1987,Some prices may of changed but the lesson is still the same.Also
>keep in mind we have better ammo and replacement barrels now then we had
>13 years ago.
>TUNE YOUR MINI -14 by James Mason
> From Guns & Ammo/March 1987
>With the introduction of the Mini-14 rifle, Sturm, Ruger wrought a
>major coup in the field of firearms. This lightweight .233 caliber
>rifle displaced the M1 Carbine in the hearts and minds of many
>American shooters.
>The scale, weight, and military presence of the Mini-14 made it an
>instant hit... the .223 cartridge being vastly superior to .30 caliber
>M1 Carbine ammo. Few firearms have so instantly filled a market niche
>as the Mini-14.
>Over the years, shooters have come to realize a few shortcomings in
>the Mini-14. The factory corrected one of these when it brought out
>the Ranch Rifle by equipping it with scope blocks and low side
>ejection of fired cases. The other concern has to do with
>accuracy.((The Mini-14 was never designed for match shooting and
>delivers 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards; throw in the usual "human
>factor" and that score reads 4 to 6 inch inconsistent groups.))
>The average Mini-14 owner is not necessarily an accuracy buff, but the
>latterday generation has come to expect smaller groups from all
>rifles. Many shooters are adept at doing minor repairs on their own
>guns, and tuning the Mini-14 for its performance potential makes a
>good weekend project for the off-season.
>With appropriate references to "kitchen table" gunsmithing, there are
>three areas where work on the Mini-14 will pay off in tighter groups.
>This is a serious project that, while not overly difficult to perform,
>requires attention to detail from the amateur gunsmith.
>Stock bedding, Trigger group modifications, and sights are the areas
>that best reward diligent attention. Tailored handloads can also
>contribute toward accuracy and will be discussed, but this is outside
>the reaim of a gunsmithing activity. Besides, a lot of Mini-14
>shooters do not reload, and depend upon commercial or remanufactured
>ammunition and foreign military fodder.
>A discussion of some Mini-14 design realities helps put this project
>in perspective. As was mentioned above, the Mini-14 was not designed
>as a match gun. It has a thin, low-mass barrel with gas-impulse
>actuation. The barrel will vibrate from firing alone, but gas impulses
>against the relatively heavy inertia operating slide cause further
>disturbances to barrel nodal movement.
>The Mini-14 gas system uses a hollow, fixed piston though which
>propellant gases impinge on the operating slide. There is no
>contained, modulated piston stroke. So, the reaction to the gas pulse
>induces a slight bending movement on the mid-barrel section-enough to
>disturb normal barrel vibrational rhythms.
>The Mini-14 has a good quality birch stock, which is quite stable, but
>not overly stiff, due to the thin wall sections around the receiver
>and fore-end. New guns are factory fitted to provide some stiffness,
>but after shooting a couple of thousand rounds, setting of parts makes
>the stock fit a fairly loose proposition. Rebedding can restore that
>stiffness and assure support for the Mini-14's operating elements.
>Trigger pull characteristics on all military rifles leave a lot to be
>desired. The safety aspects of two stage pulls need not be sacrificed,
>but a properly regulated trigger job can produce a 4 to 4 1/2 pound
>letoff that will do more to reduce the effect of the human factor than
>anything else, with the exception of a better sight system.
>The coarse-adjusted military sight on the factory Mini-14 is suited to
>the original design objectives of the rifle. It is okay for a rifle
>designed to shoot 3 to 4-inch groups. But, adjustment stops and
>aperture design limit it for more demanding shooting. Millett Sights
>(16131 Gothard Street, Dept. GA, Huntington Beach, California 92647)
>understands the needs of more demanding Mini-14 shooters, and have
>adopted their Series 100 Sight to the Mini-14 and other assault-type
>rifles. The result is a first-rate replacement peep sight that meets
>the needs for realizing the performance potential of the Mini-14.
>Positive, 1/3-minute click-adjustments on the Millett sight allow for
>both windage and elevation. A large match-style eyepiece shields the
>eye from glare. The standard .080-inch aperature (.050-inch is
>optional) provides a crisp, clean sight picture; the aperature hole is
>reverse tapered, like top-grade match sights, so no "tunnel effect"
>distort aperture edges. The Millett sight base fits directly into the
>Mini-14 receiver and is secured by a single throughpin-a simple, easy
>installation once the factory sight is removed. The installation makes a
>handsome complement to the Mini-14 receiver.
>The factory Mini-14 front sight blade is an exposed, serrated ramp
>with a slightly tapered silhouette. There are several possible
>replacements available for this front sight unit. The Choate front
>sight and flash hider unit makes a good replacement choice and was
>installed on our conversion. The Choate front sight blade is a
>military post with "ears". The flash hider is of the bird cage type,
>and is solid on the bottom, providing muzzle stability during firing.
>A well-bedded stock adds to stiffness and support of the operating
>elements. While new Mini-14's may fit well, continued firing will
>loosen up the stock and receiver union. By using a non- shrinking
>stock bedding compound such as Accraglas glas, support for receiver
>legs, the operating rod guide channel and the stock ferrule can be
>reinforced. Dismantling the stock allows removal of the stamped sheet
>metal recoil stop that fits inside the receiver magazine opening A
>thin coat of bedding compound under these supporting structures adds
>to the stiffness of the midsection of the stock and assures minimal
>creep of the recoil stops. After treating metal parts with parting
>compound, lightly apply epoxy to the wood then replace the recoil stop
>in the stock and tighten the side screws. Let this piece cure
>overnight.
>Next, remove the stock ferrule and the sheet metal action slide guide.
>Butter the stock seating area for these parts and replace the metal.
>Again, be sure to coat the metal with parting compound before
>contacting the bedding compound.
>Using silicone parting agent, spray the inside surfaces of the gas
>piston collar assembly and butter the outer surface of the stock
>ferrule with compound. At the same time, spray the receiver legs and
>bottom of the receiver with parting agent. Butter the receiver leg
>channels in the stock to fill in the area below, in front and to the
>sides of the receiver legs where they seat in the stock. Assemble the
>barrel/receiver group in the stock using a large rubber band to hold
>the stock and receiver together. Let this work cure overnight after
>wiping off any excess bedding compound that oozes out of joints. A
>little oozing shows a proper amount of compound; don't overapply, but
>use enough to fill all the voids. Failure to use parting agent can
>result in embarrassment. You might permanently bond the stock and the
>receiver together!
>Separate the stock the next day, then carefully chisel out any excess
>ridges on the inside of the stock. Small bubbles in the work may be
>refilled. Reassemble the stock and insert and secure the trigger
>assembly. Observe any looseness of the trigger assembly. This may
>require additional bedding under the flat contact pad on the bottom
>outside edge near the middle of the receiver.
>Use parting agent on the receiver bottom, then apply bedding compound
>on the stock surfaces adjacent to the receiver pad. Reassemble the
>rifle, insert the trigger group, but close the trigger guard down only
>to about 1/2 inch away from its hooking point. Let the epoxy cure,
>then clamp the triggerguard shut. This technique assured a very solid
>stock-to-barrel/receiver fit, necessary for consistent shooting
>accuracy.
>Trigger work calls for smoothing burrs and surface roughness off of
>sear/hammerhook engagement surfaces. First disassemble the trigger
>group and arrange the parts so hard stoning of the contact areas can
>be done without altering engagement angles. Dressing hammerhooks and
>sear surfaces amounts to a few deft strokes only. As a rule, when
>people feel they have done enough, too much stoning has been
>accomplished. Overstoning will reduce trigger pull letoff weight to
>below 3 1/2 pounds, making trigger release unpredictable in an
>autoloading rifle. Too light a pull can cause the gun to "double" or
>"triple" due to the rocking motion of recoil and return-to-battery of
>the enertia slide. A 4 to 4 1/2 pound pull is ideal with little or no
>sensation of cheep. The classic two-stage military pull characteristic
>should definitely be maintained.
>A word of warning is in order here. Trigger adjustments demand
>experience and a definite "feel" for the job. A poor trigger job can
>ruin an otherwise good rifle. It is possible to make the piece unsafe
>if the adjustment is botched. Amateurs who may do other gunsmithing
>perfectly well may have no particular skill at trigger adjustment.
>Unless individuals are experienced at regulating a trigger pull, the
>job is best done by a trusted professional. The rewards of a well
>regulated trigger are essential for rifle accuracy, so take your
>Mini-14 trigger group to a competent local gunsmith or put it in a
>padded mailing envelope along with a check or money order for $35.00
>and send it to: Poway Gun Works, 13168 Poway Road, Dept GA, Poway,
>California 92064 to have it done right.
>Field testing comes after the bedding, trigger regulation and sight
>installation. The test rifle was first fired with some surplus Lake
>City Arsenal '67 vintage ammunition. Center zero was established at 25
>yards with intermediate (50 yards) firing and later 100-yard groups
>fired off the bench. Shooting was done in early morning with very
>little of no crosswind.
>Our early groups were erratic and disappointing, but, as firing
>continued, the rifle settled into its bedding and groups converged on
>zero. Early cold-barrel groups were respectable in the 2-3 inch size.
>But groups "walked" with a vertical string as the barrel heated up.
>Once the bedding was seated and the gun heated uniformly, the best
>groups appeared.
>After things settled down and became consistent, a switch to Remington
>223 commercial ammunition produced groups up to the full potential of
>the gun. The best six-round group measured 1.6 inches at 100 yards. It
>would be good to try Winchester and Federal Commercial loads in
>individual guns to observe the result. None of these brands were
>available on our test day, however. Nobody can complain about 1 1/2
>minutes of angle with a Mini-14!
>The Choate front sight is investment cast and the top post corners are
>very slightly rounded. Flat filing squares up the post. Millett's
>sight base with the Choate post combination made the gun shoot
>high-about 12 inches high at 100 yards. Millett has since modified
>their base to correct for this.
>Bedding effects are intrinsic to such good groups. But the trigger job
>and crisp, effective Millett sights were appreciated as aids to
>practical accuracy. Shooter confidence imparted by this tuning was
>evident shortly after firing began.
>Custom handloads would probably shrink groups further, but the effects
>would not necessarily contribute as much as if the loads were fired in a
>bolt-action rifle. The need for cannelured bullets and crimping with
>self-loading ammunition, along with loose chamber dimensions of
>self-loader, limits accuracy contributions of carefully assembled
>custom loads in the Mini-14.
>So, there it is! An attainable project for the Mini-14 owner who wants
>to get the most out of his rifle. For just a couple of evenings' time
>and the price of materials, you can upgrade the rifle's handling
>characteristics as well as accuracy and performance. And, for riflemen
>who care, there is the self-satisfaction of having made their Mini-14
>perform.
<_<
>About all that can be done for the mini is what was wrote back in
>1987,Some prices may of changed but the lesson is still the same.Also
>keep in mind we have better ammo and replacement barrels now then we had
>13 years ago.
>TUNE YOUR MINI -14 by James Mason
> From Guns & Ammo/March 1987
>With the introduction of the Mini-14 rifle, Sturm, Ruger wrought a
>major coup in the field of firearms. This lightweight .233 caliber
>rifle displaced the M1 Carbine in the hearts and minds of many
>American shooters.
>The scale, weight, and military presence of the Mini-14 made it an
>instant hit... the .223 cartridge being vastly superior to .30 caliber
>M1 Carbine ammo. Few firearms have so instantly filled a market niche
>as the Mini-14.
>Over the years, shooters have come to realize a few shortcomings in
>the Mini-14. The factory corrected one of these when it brought out
>the Ranch Rifle by equipping it with scope blocks and low side
>ejection of fired cases. The other concern has to do with
>accuracy.((The Mini-14 was never designed for match shooting and
>delivers 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards; throw in the usual "human
>factor" and that score reads 4 to 6 inch inconsistent groups.))
>The average Mini-14 owner is not necessarily an accuracy buff, but the
>latterday generation has come to expect smaller groups from all
>rifles. Many shooters are adept at doing minor repairs on their own
>guns, and tuning the Mini-14 for its performance potential makes a
>good weekend project for the off-season.
>With appropriate references to "kitchen table" gunsmithing, there are
>three areas where work on the Mini-14 will pay off in tighter groups.
>This is a serious project that, while not overly difficult to perform,
>requires attention to detail from the amateur gunsmith.
>Stock bedding, Trigger group modifications, and sights are the areas
>that best reward diligent attention. Tailored handloads can also
>contribute toward accuracy and will be discussed, but this is outside
>the reaim of a gunsmithing activity. Besides, a lot of Mini-14
>shooters do not reload, and depend upon commercial or remanufactured
>ammunition and foreign military fodder.
>A discussion of some Mini-14 design realities helps put this project
>in perspective. As was mentioned above, the Mini-14 was not designed
>as a match gun. It has a thin, low-mass barrel with gas-impulse
>actuation. The barrel will vibrate from firing alone, but gas impulses
>against the relatively heavy inertia operating slide cause further
>disturbances to barrel nodal movement.
>The Mini-14 gas system uses a hollow, fixed piston though which
>propellant gases impinge on the operating slide. There is no
>contained, modulated piston stroke. So, the reaction to the gas pulse
>induces a slight bending movement on the mid-barrel section-enough to
>disturb normal barrel vibrational rhythms.
>The Mini-14 has a good quality birch stock, which is quite stable, but
>not overly stiff, due to the thin wall sections around the receiver
>and fore-end. New guns are factory fitted to provide some stiffness,
>but after shooting a couple of thousand rounds, setting of parts makes
>the stock fit a fairly loose proposition. Rebedding can restore that
>stiffness and assure support for the Mini-14's operating elements.
>Trigger pull characteristics on all military rifles leave a lot to be
>desired. The safety aspects of two stage pulls need not be sacrificed,
>but a properly regulated trigger job can produce a 4 to 4 1/2 pound
>letoff that will do more to reduce the effect of the human factor than
>anything else, with the exception of a better sight system.
>The coarse-adjusted military sight on the factory Mini-14 is suited to
>the original design objectives of the rifle. It is okay for a rifle
>designed to shoot 3 to 4-inch groups. But, adjustment stops and
>aperture design limit it for more demanding shooting. Millett Sights
>(16131 Gothard Street, Dept. GA, Huntington Beach, California 92647)
>understands the needs of more demanding Mini-14 shooters, and have
>adopted their Series 100 Sight to the Mini-14 and other assault-type
>rifles. The result is a first-rate replacement peep sight that meets
>the needs for realizing the performance potential of the Mini-14.
>Positive, 1/3-minute click-adjustments on the Millett sight allow for
>both windage and elevation. A large match-style eyepiece shields the
>eye from glare. The standard .080-inch aperature (.050-inch is
>optional) provides a crisp, clean sight picture; the aperature hole is
>reverse tapered, like top-grade match sights, so no "tunnel effect"
>distort aperture edges. The Millett sight base fits directly into the
>Mini-14 receiver and is secured by a single throughpin-a simple, easy
>installation once the factory sight is removed. The installation makes a
>handsome complement to the Mini-14 receiver.
>The factory Mini-14 front sight blade is an exposed, serrated ramp
>with a slightly tapered silhouette. There are several possible
>replacements available for this front sight unit. The Choate front
>sight and flash hider unit makes a good replacement choice and was
>installed on our conversion. The Choate front sight blade is a
>military post with "ears". The flash hider is of the bird cage type,
>and is solid on the bottom, providing muzzle stability during firing.
>A well-bedded stock adds to stiffness and support of the operating
>elements. While new Mini-14's may fit well, continued firing will
>loosen up the stock and receiver union. By using a non- shrinking
>stock bedding compound such as Accraglas glas, support for receiver
>legs, the operating rod guide channel and the stock ferrule can be
>reinforced. Dismantling the stock allows removal of the stamped sheet
>metal recoil stop that fits inside the receiver magazine opening A
>thin coat of bedding compound under these supporting structures adds
>to the stiffness of the midsection of the stock and assures minimal
>creep of the recoil stops. After treating metal parts with parting
>compound, lightly apply epoxy to the wood then replace the recoil stop
>in the stock and tighten the side screws. Let this piece cure
>overnight.
>Next, remove the stock ferrule and the sheet metal action slide guide.
>Butter the stock seating area for these parts and replace the metal.
>Again, be sure to coat the metal with parting compound before
>contacting the bedding compound.
>Using silicone parting agent, spray the inside surfaces of the gas
>piston collar assembly and butter the outer surface of the stock
>ferrule with compound. At the same time, spray the receiver legs and
>bottom of the receiver with parting agent. Butter the receiver leg
>channels in the stock to fill in the area below, in front and to the
>sides of the receiver legs where they seat in the stock. Assemble the
>barrel/receiver group in the stock using a large rubber band to hold
>the stock and receiver together. Let this work cure overnight after
>wiping off any excess bedding compound that oozes out of joints. A
>little oozing shows a proper amount of compound; don't overapply, but
>use enough to fill all the voids. Failure to use parting agent can
>result in embarrassment. You might permanently bond the stock and the
>receiver together!
>Separate the stock the next day, then carefully chisel out any excess
>ridges on the inside of the stock. Small bubbles in the work may be
>refilled. Reassemble the stock and insert and secure the trigger
>assembly. Observe any looseness of the trigger assembly. This may
>require additional bedding under the flat contact pad on the bottom
>outside edge near the middle of the receiver.
>Use parting agent on the receiver bottom, then apply bedding compound
>on the stock surfaces adjacent to the receiver pad. Reassemble the
>rifle, insert the trigger group, but close the trigger guard down only
>to about 1/2 inch away from its hooking point. Let the epoxy cure,
>then clamp the triggerguard shut. This technique assured a very solid
>stock-to-barrel/receiver fit, necessary for consistent shooting
>accuracy.
>Trigger work calls for smoothing burrs and surface roughness off of
>sear/hammerhook engagement surfaces. First disassemble the trigger
>group and arrange the parts so hard stoning of the contact areas can
>be done without altering engagement angles. Dressing hammerhooks and
>sear surfaces amounts to a few deft strokes only. As a rule, when
>people feel they have done enough, too much stoning has been
>accomplished. Overstoning will reduce trigger pull letoff weight to
>below 3 1/2 pounds, making trigger release unpredictable in an
>autoloading rifle. Too light a pull can cause the gun to "double" or
>"triple" due to the rocking motion of recoil and return-to-battery of
>the enertia slide. A 4 to 4 1/2 pound pull is ideal with little or no
>sensation of cheep. The classic two-stage military pull characteristic
>should definitely be maintained.
>A word of warning is in order here. Trigger adjustments demand
>experience and a definite "feel" for the job. A poor trigger job can
>ruin an otherwise good rifle. It is possible to make the piece unsafe
>if the adjustment is botched. Amateurs who may do other gunsmithing
>perfectly well may have no particular skill at trigger adjustment.
>Unless individuals are experienced at regulating a trigger pull, the
>job is best done by a trusted professional. The rewards of a well
>regulated trigger are essential for rifle accuracy, so take your
>Mini-14 trigger group to a competent local gunsmith or put it in a
>padded mailing envelope along with a check or money order for $35.00
>and send it to: Poway Gun Works, 13168 Poway Road, Dept GA, Poway,
>California 92064 to have it done right.
>Field testing comes after the bedding, trigger regulation and sight
>installation. The test rifle was first fired with some surplus Lake
>City Arsenal '67 vintage ammunition. Center zero was established at 25
>yards with intermediate (50 yards) firing and later 100-yard groups
>fired off the bench. Shooting was done in early morning with very
>little of no crosswind.
>Our early groups were erratic and disappointing, but, as firing
>continued, the rifle settled into its bedding and groups converged on
>zero. Early cold-barrel groups were respectable in the 2-3 inch size.
>But groups "walked" with a vertical string as the barrel heated up.
>Once the bedding was seated and the gun heated uniformly, the best
>groups appeared.
>After things settled down and became consistent, a switch to Remington
>223 commercial ammunition produced groups up to the full potential of
>the gun. The best six-round group measured 1.6 inches at 100 yards. It
>would be good to try Winchester and Federal Commercial loads in
>individual guns to observe the result. None of these brands were
>available on our test day, however. Nobody can complain about 1 1/2
>minutes of angle with a Mini-14!
>The Choate front sight is investment cast and the top post corners are
>very slightly rounded. Flat filing squares up the post. Millett's
>sight base with the Choate post combination made the gun shoot
>high-about 12 inches high at 100 yards. Millett has since modified
>their base to correct for this.
>Bedding effects are intrinsic to such good groups. But the trigger job
>and crisp, effective Millett sights were appreciated as aids to
>practical accuracy. Shooter confidence imparted by this tuning was
>evident shortly after firing began.
>Custom handloads would probably shrink groups further, but the effects
>would not necessarily contribute as much as if the loads were fired in a
>bolt-action rifle. The need for cannelured bullets and crimping with
>self-loading ammunition, along with loose chamber dimensions of
>self-loader, limits accuracy contributions of carefully assembled
>custom loads in the Mini-14.
>So, there it is! An attainable project for the Mini-14 owner who wants
>to get the most out of his rifle. For just a couple of evenings' time
>and the price of materials, you can upgrade the rifle's handling
>characteristics as well as accuracy and performance. And, for riflemen
>who care, there is the self-satisfaction of having made their Mini-14
>perform.
<_<