[maxglock21]

Hi all.....

I was at the range on Saturday, and i was firing the Mini. Ok, evreything's goin good until the 3RD round......

It was a FTE. I thought...Ok it's a mechanical device, it's bound to happen. But it wasn't just a one time deal. I fired 75 rounds that day and had at least 15 FTE. But here's the strange part.

If I bring the operating bar? back the whole way and let it go, it will go completely into battery, and when I pull it back, it grabs the casing like there's no problem.

Well, i'm kinda new with semi-auto's, so please don't rag on me for not having the correcct terms and all. Just a few questions.

My shooting buddy's dad mentinoned something about the Mini being gas operated, and that the gas port might be dirty, affecting the whole operation.

Is that the part that rides on top of the barrel and attaches to the bolt? If so, how would I go about cleaning it properly. Would this be the reaon that it jammed so frequently?

It jammed on with all of the magazines i have, and it never has jammed before Saturday, so I'm kinda nervous as to why it would start to FTE all the time.

Any other ideas/ suggestion?

Thanks in advance.
Jon

BTW......
This is the first time posting here, and I have to say, from what I've read, that this is a great Mini - 14 community! Take care all.:usa:

 

[davey]

Couple of questions which might help shed light on the problem.

Is it a standard mini or a ranch model?

When it fails to eject (FTE right?), does it try to force the next round into the chamber (blocked by the stuck case)?

Does the extractor look dirty or worn?

What ammo are you using?

When was the last time you cleaned your mini, and how many rounds has it been since then?

About how old is your rifle, and how many rounds have been through it by you and possible previous owners?

I don't know if I can help solve this, but there are many knowledgeable people here who mostly likely will be able to help you out. (cajungeo, Mike in Oregon, R6721 to name a few...)

-davey

 

[maxglock21]

Davey:

Thanks for replying so quickly and any insight is always appreciated. Here are the answers to the questions you asked.

I have a Ranch Model.

Yes, it does try to force the next round in to the chamber.

Extractor doesn't look dirty, but as this is my first Mini, I don't know what the extractor is supposed to look like.

Winchest .223 Rem, 40 round value pack from Wally World. (White Box)

I cleaned it about a week before I shot it on Saturday. I cleaned it tonight, and boy was it ever dirty in the gas port? Sorry, I still don't know if that's the rigt part name for it. It had only been 3 rounds when it went on the fritz.

My ranch is approx. 8 years old, and I don't know how many rounds were fired by the previous owner. However, the crown is impeccable, and the bore was almost in mint condition when I purchased it.


Thanks again for the reply and any help is appreciated. :usa:

 

[davey]

Sorry..... a few more questions.

Do you have any mods or is it factory original. (Recoil buffer, muzzle brake, bushing kit, etc?)

Also, did you try a factory mag and does the same thing happen?

Does it make a difference if you slow fire or rapid fire?

-davey

 

[gutpile]

i would think that you can rule out a magazine problem, the mag wouldnt cause a case to be stuck in the chamber, i would think it would either be an ammo problem or a dirty or pitted chamber.

 

[gutpile]

....or possibly a worn extractor not gripping the case rim, i find it a bit unusual because i have owned 3 minis and been shooting them for 25 years and failure to extract is something that i have never heard of anyone having a problem with in a mini-14....oh by the way i read in the news this morning that the POW's from Iraq were having rifle malfuntions when they were captured, seems the M-16's were choking on the sand, makes ya wonder how that all would have turned out had they been issued a trusty mini-14 don't it.....

 

[cajungeo]

Welcome to the forum maxglock21. Sorry to hear about your mini, but we may be able to help. FTE dosen't give us enough info to work with. When your mini jams, where is the empty case? In the chamber (Failure to Extract), or stovepiped (Failure to Eject)?

You said it never happened before sat. What have you done thats different since the last time you shot it. Added a Shock/Recoil buffer perhaps?

Am only concerned with using the Ruger mags now. The aftermarket ones may only confuse the issuue.

 

[maxglock21]

Hi all,

Thanks for replying. I really appreciate people takinng time out of their lives to try and help a guy out with his problem.

Ok here goes....

Davey:

The only mod I have is a Choate pistol grip stock. Action is completely stock

I tried a factory 20 rounder, and it jammed just like the aftermarket ones did.

I didn't rapid fire, as it would jam about periodically.

Carjungeo:

When my Mini jams, the empty case is still in the chamber, and the next round is trying to be forced into it.

I cleaned and lubed it like I normally do, nothing different.

Ok, I just thought of a few questions for you folks.

1. Does anybody have a link to a page/ online manual that would show me how to properly clean the Mini 14?

I clean it just like every other rifle I own; Hoppes Semi Auto bore cleaner, and then I wipe out the action and receiver as best I can, so that when it is dry and I run my fingers on it, I don't have any gold flakes, or black smudge marks on my fingers.

2. How do I go about cleaning the action bar? ( I think that's what it's called[ it's the piece that connects to the bolt and rides on the barrel. It has several holes in it and connects to a small cylinder that is right below the barrel, about where the stock's end is.] )

3. Why would a particular ammo cause the gun to fail to extract?
Just curious as to why one kind of ammo would make it FTE, as opposed to another. Also, I only fire Winchester 5.56 and .223 Rem. Same company, different specs, shouldn't they both function in the Mini?

Once again. Thank you all for trying to help.

Jon:usa:

 

[bubba052698]

Hi Maxglock21,

Here's a thought.. When your mag is empty, does the bolt stay back? The bolt lock (the button on the top of your receiver) has a metal "finger" that sticks out and hits the case when the bolt comes back, thus popping the round out of your gun.

When you say the round is still in your chamber, do you mean it stays on the bolt? Or does it just flop around in the chamber?

I definitely don't know as much as the gurus on this forum, just trying to offer some help

 

[maxglock21]

Hi all!

Bubba052698, in answer to your question, the bolt will stay open on a epmty magazine. Also, the empty case is still fully in the reciever when the next round is trying to be forced into it.

I think it may be the fact that I may not be cleaning it correctly, that might be causing the malfunctions. I'm going to go to the range tomorrow and see what happens. Hopefully it will be back to normal, as I gave it a thourough cleaning yesterday.

Jon
:usa:

 

[quadfan]

A little trick that I use to clean the chamber really well might work for you.First fieldstrip the gun,which is very easy to do.Then take a .223 chamber brush (like the one that comes in an m16 cleaning kit) and put it on a flexable shaft at least 6" long. Then attach the other end of the flexable shaft to a drill (cordless or electric). Then stuff the chamber brush (saturated with cleaning ajent of your choice) and power the drill. Let it spin slowly and then faster moving it in and out a little. 30seconds of this should do the trick! This will get the powder residue normal cleaning won't.

 

[gutpile]

good advice quadfan, i use a chamber brush i picked up at a gun show, it has a 6 inch flexible braided steel cable, (enclosed in clear plastic) with a brass brush on the end and it has a T-handle on the other end, its made just for chamber cleaning on .223 auto rifles. giving the chamber a good brushing might eliminate his problems.

 

[dvdstdg]

Are the case heads deformed or torn? It seems to me that if your fired cases are sticking in the chamber the extractor should be tearing the head or at least leaving noticable deformation or marks. Maybe the bolt is dirty and the extractor isn't getting a good grip on the case head. Check out this link on how to tear down your bolt for cleaning.

http://www.rugerforum.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000865.html

 

[davey]

So here's what I'm thinking: (and if anyone sees I'm missing something or in error please chime in) The extractor is probably ok (not broken or overly worn), since it will remove other cartridges and will remove the ones which don't extract if you simply recycle the bolt. That would indicate to me that when the bold closes, the extractor isn't reliably clipping all the way onto the rim of the cartridge. Assuming the case heads aren't deformed or torn as dvdstdg mentioned, the question is why is it not locking onto the rim. I would then look at three areas (in order of likelihood).

1) The gas system is so dirty that its actually restricting the gas operating the action. This may result in cycling reliably most of the time, and while it is trying to feed the next round, it might not be slamming home hard enough to seat the extractor correctly.

2) The extractor is dirty to the point where it is not reliably catching on the rim of the cartridge.

3) The spring which pushes your bolt forward has aged / worn to the point where it is not reliably getting the extractor seated (least likely since it will seat correctly if you manually cycle it).

I hope that helps. Of course, as with any mechanical system, it could be a combination of the above listed or other things contributing to a problem which you haven't seen until now. Seems like the course of action you are currently pursuing may help. You may want to completely disassemble your rifle and clean each any every part. Cleaning out the gas block and disassembling and cleaning the bolt may help, however if you haven't stripped your rifle down that far before and are not comfortable with it, you may want to take to a qualified gun smith. Ruger advises not stripping down things like the gas block or the bolt. If you do a search you should be able to come with procedures and discussions on both. Good luck and let us know how it works out after your last cleaning.

-davey

 

[cajungeo]

After cleaning, with a chamber brush, if it still jams, try a different brand/type of ammo to see if your problem goes away. I use the same ammo you do, and have never had a problem with it, but you can get a bad batch once or twice in a lifetime.

Is the empty case stuck in the chamber? (high pressure or dirty chamber). Or is it loose?

 

[quadfan]

Originally posted by gutpile
good advice quadfan, i use a chamber brush i picked up at a gun show, it has a 6 inch flexible braided steel cable, (enclosed in clear plastic) with a brass brush on the end and it has a T-handle on the other end, its made just for chamber cleaning on .223 auto rifles. giving the chamber a good brushing might eliminate his problems.

Yep, you got the same setup. Only I got fed up with the T-handle and opted for the powerdrill. I learned that trick,and a few others in the Marines,only for an M16,it's a straight shot and you just use a straight length of cleaning rod. It saves wear and tear on the elbows!

 

[maxglock21]

Hi all,

I was at the range today.....

And I think that we can safely say that the extractor was the problem.....wanna know why?


Ok, goes something like this. Load a mag, chamber a round.....BOOM. (It's a good boom), but then it jams....so I take a look down on the bolt and guess what is missing? You got it...the extractor! Never had a gun lose a piece while i was firing.

So anyway, i get all p'd off and start looking around for the extractor, and I finally find it, only it has been sheared clean off of the bolt and on the ground. WTF is that about..? I think whomever cleaned it last didn't put the bolt back together properly and it was just a matter of time till it broke. Probably why the FTE's all of a sudden, maybe a piece had worked it's way loose or something?

So anyway, I take the gun back to where i bought it, and the smith said that he'll fix it for free. That's downright decent of him, and I really didn't think he'd do anything. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it works when the new parts come in. BTW, he's ordered a hardened extractor and is gonna give me a free 30 round RUGER mag!! Rock on!

Guess there still are decent people around, and you guys and girls are some of them!

Thanks for all the help, and I'll keep you folks up to date, and once again, thanks for all the help that you've offered! :usa:

Jon

 

[gutpile]

glad you are on the track of fixing your problem, the really great thing about a mini-14 is that although they can break, it is a rare event, seems to me, they are about as reliable as you can get, (as long as you use ruger magazines) about as tough as a 336 marlin, they keep going and going.....

 

[cajungeo]

maxglock21 glad ya found the problem. We have had a couple of broken extractors in this forum, but it is usually a reliable part.