[RW26]

Hey Mini people. I come up with something that I wonder if it's been explored before. I reload for all my bolt rifles and an important part of getting that less than 1 MOA I'm always striving for, is seating depth of the bullet. I checked my Mini and found When loads are seated to fit into the clip, it has a good 3/16" or better, of freebore in the chamber throat. I've always seated the bullets for about all my guns about 1/16" from touching the lands and groves and gotten the best accuracy. I expermented seating some loads with the bullets barely in the case but after 1 shot, I had the problem that haunts me of the firing pin break on me again. This is another problem I've been dealing with and think I've got the answer, but my self manufactured (with no lathe) pins aren't getting tempered right. Thanks to Ruger not making them available without sending the gun in, I've resorted to trying my creative skills. Enough rambling on my part. Does anyone have any testamony to bestow upon this subject? :usa:

 

[cajungeo]

Hey RW, maybe I need another cup of coffie this morning, but I'm having a little dificulty in determining you question. Is it about bullet seating depth, or you making a firing pin without a lathe? Can you restate the question for us?

 

[RW26]

Sorry bout that. I gess it's 2 parts here. 1. Has anyone ever experimented with bullet seating depth in the Mini? I know with my bolt rifles it makes a difference. The barrel on mine has quit a bit of freebore when the bullet is seated so they fit the clip.
2. Firing pins. I've had a problem remedying my firing pin problem. I replaced a broken tip pin with one I ordered from Numrich Arms Parts. It was smaller compared to the factoy one and didn't last long. I manufactured one from some drill rod and it seems to be working ok. I put the drill rod in a drill and turned it down on a stationary ginder. It was a quick easy fix and I shaped it to fit my bolt. Has anyone tried this before?

 

[cajungeo]

Hey RW. I have experminted with the seating depth. The magazine is the limiting factor. If I remember I measured about .092" distance to the lands, with the bullet seated to COL 2.270". This only gives .010" clearance to the mag. The only way to go longer is to make it a single shot, and not use the mag.

The danger in seating it longer in the mini is the excessive recoil of the mini causes the bullet to shift in the neck especially with boat tails. I'm refering to less than full bullet to neck contact. As you know if the bullet shifts inward the pressure can exceed the safe limit, and cause some bad things to happen. So either crimping the case to bullet or reducing the recoil (smaller gas port bushing, and shock buffer). I'm pretty happy with mine. It shoots 1.15 avg groups. I don't crimp, but I reduced the recoil, and monitered the COL when shooting.

We had some members last year with broken pins (I believe they were shooting, berdian primed Wolf). They got the replacement pins from numerich, and like yours it didn't last long. Final fix was to send it to Ruger for repair it didn't cost anything except shipping. They won't sell you a pin. It is a fitted part.

You mentioned the numerich pin was small? I have heard there are 3 different sizes for the mini, depending on model, series etc.

You are the first to come up with a home made pin. What sort of steel did you use? Did you have to heat treat and temper it?

 

[RW26]

Hey Cajungeo. I made the pin from the shank of a long drill bit. I believe the size was 7/32". I changed some things that seem to work. 1. I didn't know what to do for the end that the hammer strikes. The little ear that hangs down and catches a part of the reciever as it goes into battery. Looking at other weapons with floating firing pins, I decided to see what would happen without that part on it. 2. The long cutout that allows for the extractor pin to pass by and hold the firing pin in place, I limited it to just about 1/2" . I didn't see the reason for the longer cutout. The firing pin floats back and forth fine. It fits the bolt nicely and in firing the gun it has worked perfect so far. I didn't get it real hot when I shaped it so the shank kept its temper. I've put about 30 rounds through it.
I like the challenge of making things myself such as the firing pin. If I'm up against a problem of not being able to easily get a part such as that, I attempt to make it. So far I've had good luck in my creations.

 

[cajungeo]

Hey guys, I just want to point out making firing pins can be very dangerous! As if its a bit long, or the tip is too sharp, you can punch a hole thru the primer, causing the hot gasses to take out an eye or two. I would highly recommend a gun smith do this type of work. It is flirting with danger

 

[cw2go]

Originally posted by RW26
Hey Cajungeo. I made the pin from the shank of a long drill bit. I believe the size was 7/32". I changed some things that seem to work. 1. I didn't know what to do for the end that the hammer strikes. The little ear that hangs down and catches a part of the reciever as it goes into battery. Looking at other weapons with floating firing pins, I decided to see what would happen without that part on it. 2. The long cutout that allows for the extractor pin to pass by and hold the firing pin in place, I limited it to just about 1/2" . I didn't see the reason for the longer cutout. The firing pin floats back and forth fine. It fits the bolt nicely and in firing the gun it has worked perfect so far.

WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. YOU HAVE DEFEATED AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY FEATURE, AND YOU HAVE AN UNSAFE RIFLE. DO NOT FIRE YOUR RIFLE IN THIS CONFIGURATION.

The firing pin tail is of absolutely crucial importance -- it catches on the helical cut in the safety bridge, which "captures" the firing pin until the bolt rotates into battery (i.e.- achieves lug engagement and lockup). (This is something easy to show to someone, but difficut to explain just in text.) Right now, your rifle can EASILY fire before the bolt lugs are locked up. If this happens, it is not a malfunction, because you eliminated the part of the system which prevents it from firing out of battery.

The bolt slams a new cartridge into the chamber with considerable force, and it uses a floating (inertial) firing pin, and the firing pin will slam into the next primer EVERY time the gun is fired without the firing pin tail being captured. This happens by inertial alone, it is not a malfunction. Even in normal conditions, primers may be lightly dimpled by the firing pin as they are seated (if you were to extract a chambered round to inspect the primer, some may show this tiny dimple). It is ONLY the firing pin tail which prevents an out-of-battery ignition, which will send your bolt flying back at your face and possibly DISINTEGRATE your action. If you are handloading with soft primers (like Federals), or you have one high primer, it could also go off out of battery. If the firing pin sticks forward in the bolt, your Mini WILL go full auto as long as it is stuck. If you trip the trigger early, or it "bump fires", you WILL destroy your rifle. If you spend a few minutes examining how the action works with the normal firing pin, you should be able to figure out how this all works, especially if you drop the hammer with the bolt back and let it follow the bolt forward.

I don't mean to be harsh, but doing this sort of home repair without understanding the mechanism is monumentally stupid. Every little bend, cut, ledge, or other feature is there for a purpose. If you don't understand the reason for some feature, and just eliminate it, you are doing something really dumb which could cost you your eyesight, or worse. PLEASE seek the assistance of a knowledgeable M1/M14 armorer before firing it with ANYTHING changed. Send the bolt to Ruger, and get it done right. If you want to learn more, you can look at the Kuhnhausen manual on Garand-type actions, or Duff books on the M14/M1A.

I'm sorry if this post sounds rude, but you need to clearly understand that what you have done can maim or kill you, possibly the next time you pull the trigger. This will probably happen if you keep firing it.

Please do not take this lightly. Years ago, in the airplane in a skydiving competiton, I had a conversation with a guy on another team about an item of questionable safety on his gear. He told me "... if I ever had a malfunction, I'd be dead." That night, he saw his last sunset, and the next day, he proved himself right. I watched him fall to his death, and it is not something I am likely to forget in this lifetime.
PULL THE FIRING PIN OUT OF YOUR RIFLE, NOW, AND DESTROY IT so you will not be tempted to fire it. Then send it to Ruger for proper repair.

-- cw

 

[RW26]

Thank you, guys. That's exactly the info I was wondering about. I'm always learning and it's from guys like you. Sometimes I know just enough to get myself in a pickel. This forum is great for the number of experienced people that share their knowledge.

 

[Swordslinger]

Rw,

Its takes a man to take constructive critisizm the way you did. It goes to show you are of a much higher caliber that .224

 

[RW26]

Thanks Swordslinger. One thing in my 51 years of life on this earth I have learned is that there are many that been there, seen it, and done it. When I was a kid I knew everything, Didn't we all? I enjoy working on firearms and have built quit a few. Some trial and error. A person is always learning. Great Forum :usa: