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!
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!