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Me and My Mini

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  TheTez 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey Guys
Just a little intro to myself. Long time lurker...
I guess I'll start of by saying [sarcasm]I am blessed to be living in the wonderful state of NY. [/sarcasm] Married and enjoy my firearms. I dont really know why but i was drawn to the mini-14 Its just such a nice looking classic gun (of sorts) its a handy little rifle, decent all around throw around type gun. I shot a friends and decided i had to get one. I went with the synthetic stainless version. I got this thing probably close to 2.5 years ago. And ITS BEEN NOTHING BUT ISSUES! It hasn't deterred me or left a bitter taste in my mouth about ruger or the mini.

I do like to tinker, and fix. .... which may have started my problems. I'm not even sure when i fired it first or how it shot to be completely honest. But i do know that early on i decided i wanted a bipod. Back than i shot basically off a bench. I got the harris bipod adapter but didn't like it at all.

My Next course of action was me figuring, what the hell, ill just take a sling nipple and shorten the threads, and put my own on there since this version doesn't have one. Remember i said i had a Synthetic stock? Well i guess theirs a reason that their is no sling stud on there. Turns out their is essentially ZERO room. i had the stock off of the rifle when i put the stud in, i wanted to make sure it wasn't protruding too far. ... i didnt do a very good job apparently. It put the slightest little dimple in the stock liner. My mini would jam up, (almost from the time i got it, not sure if i shot it before i did this or not) the mini would stove pipe, it would double feed, it would ... do a lot. It was from both that stupid little dimple and empty casings bouncing back off the scope rail into the action.

I eventually noticed the dimple in the liner and smoothed it out, as best i could, it did alright. but still jammed more than once a magazine. VERY frustrating. I ended up buying a new liner, and installing it. It shot well for a little bit, and i mean a little bit. (This has all happened over the course of two years, i really dont get a chance to shoot as often as i would like, and when i do I dont always shoot the mini) When i replaced the liner i also replaced the ejector plunger and spring.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I brought the mini (and a 700) to texas to go hog hunting while visiting a friend. After getting off the plane i figured I should re-zero. i figured the iron sights on my mini would be fine, so i'd just pop a few shots off because i hadn't shot the mini in a while, but ... the rounds wouldnt eject. They WOULD extract. but they wouldnt eject. it was basically like shooting a bolt.(who needs that? I already had my 700 there) I would fire, the bolt would slam back, and not knock the empty shell loose, so i would knock it off with my finger and shoot another one, it did this every shot. So i put it away and re-zerod my 700.

When I got home from texas, I ordered a new ejector. The old one looked a little rounded over on the edge... but only a little. I popped a new ejector in last weekend before heading up to our friends cabin. being in the negatives(temperature) and having to pick up the brass (because i wasnt gonna venture too far, i shot a mag or two off, and it worked flawlessly. I am hoping that all my problems are now solved. I want to love the gun, and for some stupid reason i do. But i really do have a good feeling about it now!
 
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#2 ·
Not enough information and without paragraphs it is very hard to read. What version of Mini do you have and what ammo are you shooting? Have you cleaned it lately and is it oiled. Some folks recommend very little oil on a Mini but I recommend the Mini have some oil on it. The owners manual will recommend how to oil the gun. I see you changed the ejector and the Mini is working better. kwg
 
#4 ·
Yeah. i just wish i got the chance to shoot more often. it would be nice to be able to walk out side after doing some work on it and shoot some to make sure its working.
Rather than wait a few weeks, forget what i even did, than try and tweak it, than wait a few weeks and do it all over again.
 
#6 ·
One thing Ive learned about mini's the last 30 years: If you dont screw with them, they are 100% reliable. If you try to change, or modify anything, the reliability goes down. The most common thing I see and hear about people doing, is going to an aftermarket stock. That seems to be about the most common denominator for when people start having problems with their mini. The only thing I have ever done to a facory stock that worked is to install the extended rubber buttpad, and refinish the wood after 15 years of getting beatin' up. Dont mess with it and you will be good. I dont even lubricate mine and it works everytime.
 
#7 ·
bipod/sling mount

...
My Next course of action was me figuring, what the hell, ill just take a sling nipple and shorten the threads, and put my own on there since this version doesn't have one. Remember i said i had a Synthetic stock? Well i guess theirs a reason that their is no sling stud on there. Turns out their is essentially ZERO room. i had the stock off of the rifle when i put the stud in, i wanted to make sure it wasn't protruding too far. ... i didnt do a very good job apparently. It put the slightest little dimple in the stock liner. My mini would jam up ...
Dunno about how thin the bottom of the synthetic stock is but on my 181s there was enough material to allow me to inlet a 3/4"x1-1/2" piece of 3/32" steel into the inside of the stock. I drilled and tapped it for the swivel stud, then finished the end of the swivel stud to be flush with the top of the reinforcing plate.

Is there room enough in the synthetic stock to use this approach?
 
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