[mikefelix]

Hope this doesn't sound crazy but being short 5'4", I love my Mini 14 but would love a short stock! I really don't want a collapsible stock, I have the factory black one. Can it be cut down, if so how do change the butt? Or does any company sell a shorter LOP one? Thanks for any help!

 

[hoagie90]

The factory synthetic is one of the shortest LOP stocks on the market. Maybe a pistol grip stock with a telescoping butt stock?

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[hawkguy]

true, but i still think the old school "curved butt" factory wood stocks are the shorter LOP, even compared to the factory synthetic.

i'm not a big guy...well, a helluva lot bigger then you:lol:, but i have always liked a short LOP in a carbine. check ebay for the curved butt wood stocks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ruger-Mini-14-Stock/323937867130?hash=item4b6c33957a:g:tHAAAOSwI6Rdl5Rp

The factory synthetic is one of the shortest LOP stocks on the market. Maybe a pistol grip stock with a telescoping butt stock?

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[sandog]

Of the 3 Ruger stocks, the new wood one with the rubber butt pad is the longest, synthetic is in the middle and the shortest is the old style wood stock that hawkguy mentioned.
Most of the aftermarket stocks like Hogue and Choate are pretty long.
I believe Hogue makes a collapsible AR type stock like Hoagie said, but if you want to stick with wood, the old style Ruger stock is the shortest.

I like the LOP of my old school stock, and I'm just under 6 feet.
But it is heavier, nearly a pound. I like carrying my synthetic stocked Mini better.

I looked into shortening the synthetic stock Mini-30 I gave to my daughter, as she is 5'3". Maybe there is a way, but it won't be easy. When you take off the butt pad, you'll see the screws for it go into molded tabs that will disappear if you shorten the stock.
Maybe after shortening you could epoxy the butt pad to the stock, but you'll no longer have any way to screw it on.

E bay for the old stock, or hit the gun shows. I've bought a couple like that, as guys want to sell the original wood stock because they bought some Tacticool abortion stock for their Mini.

I find the old style stocks with the curved plastic butt plate a bit slippery, I fixed that with a strip of skateboard tape:

I like to put the rear sling swivel at the top of the stock ( and the front one on the side) and with the old style stock, you don't have to drill a new hole for it. Just screw your swivel into the topmost butt plate screw hole, same thread size:

The old style wood stocks are not just shorter, they are slimmer, although with a bit more square edges front and back. Cool stocks, quick to shoulder and point.

 

[hoagie90]

Of the 3 Ruger stocks, the new wood one with the rubber butt pad is the longest, synthetic is in the middle and the shortest is the old style wood stock that hawkguy mentioned.
Most of the aftermarket stocks like Hogue and Choate are pretty long.
I believe Hogue makes a collapsible AR type stock like Hoagie said, but if you want to stick with wood, the old style Ruger stock is the shortest.

I like the LOP of my old school stock, and I'm just under 6 feet.
But it is heavier, nearly a pound. I like carrying my synthetic stocked Mini better.

I looked into shortening the synthetic stock Mini-30 I gave to my daughter, as she is 5'3". Maybe there is a way, but it won't be easy. When you take off the butt pad, you'll see the screws for it go into molded tabs that will disappear if you shorten the stock.
Maybe after shortening you could epoxy the butt pad to the stock, but you'll no longer have any way to screw it on.

E bay for the old stock, or hit the gun shows. I've bought a couple like that, as guys want to sell the original wood stock because they bought some Tacticool abortion stock for their Mini.

I find the old style stocks with the curved plastic butt plate a bit slippery, I fixed that with a strip of skateboard tape:

I like to put the rear sling swivel at the top of the stock ( and the front one on the side) and with the old style stock, you don't have to drill a new hole for it. Just screw your swivel into the topmost butt plate screw, same thread size:

The old style wood stocks are not just shorter, they are slimmer, although with a bit more square edges front and back. Cool stocks, quick to shoulder and point.

Choate makes the adjustable stock, the fore end on all Choate stocks other than the conventional are too pliable in my opinion.

Hogue Overmold stocks are nice, but heavier than the factory synthetic and also longer.

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[Beck]

I'm partial to the old curved butt wood stock as well. I'm just over 6 ft (barely) and my reach is a bit too long for the curved stock to fit just right. Sandog's grip tape idea is genius.

I needed my length of pull a bit longer, so I bought one of those John Mason recoil pads that adds about an inch to the curved stock. That was a hair too long. Later I lucked into a similar recoil pad made by Choate, which is a better product. It's all rubber so I was able to shape it with a sander and take about 1/4 inch off the length. Now it's just right for my reach.

So yeah, anyway the wood stocks with the curved butt are pretty short... a bit too short for some, which would probably make it just perfect for those needing a shorter length of pull.

 

[RJF]

I took another approach: got a new factory wood stock and using a radial-arm saw, cut off an inch from the butt. Not really a "clean" cut, but functional. Then re-installed the rubber butt plate. It is now about the length of the factory synthetic stock. Had to trim down the butt plate as it was wider than the narrower end after cutting.

I can't think of anything that would preclude taking off another inch or two, and then adjust the butt-plate's size (or replace it with metal or some other firm material).

Good luck!

 

[kwg020]

I took another approach: got a new factory wood stock and using a radial-arm saw, cut off an inch from the butt. Not really a "clean" cut, but functional. Then re-installed the rubber butt plate. It is now about the length of the factory synthetic stock. Had to trim down the butt plate as it was wider than the narrower end after cutting.

I can't think of anything that would preclude taking off another inch or two, and then adjust the butt-plate's size (or replace it with metal or some other firm material).

Good luck!

I picked up a laminated Mini 14 stock may years ago from Brownells. It had a similar butt length to the new Mini stocks. I took 3/4 of an inch off and it is almost the same exact length of pull as my M1 Garands and only slightly longer than the original curved butt stocks. I used a table saw and spent a considerable amount of time measuring before cutting but in the end, it was worth it.

That rifle has an ASI Conservative package .625 barrel of 18" and with the cut down stock it is just a tad under 37" long. The perfect size for packing around the woods and farm. The stainless .625" barrel looks very similar to the .560 inch barrel from a distance but it shoots so much better than the .560 barrel ever did or ever would shoot even with all the Mini accuracy tweaks.

kwg

 

[hoagie90]

I picked up a laminated Mini 14 stock may years ago from Brownells. It had a similar butt length to the new Mini stocks. I took 3/4 of an inch off and it is almost the same exact length of pull as my M1 Garands and only slightly longer than the original curved butt stocks. I used a table saw and spent a considerable amount of time measuring before cutting but in the end, it was worth it.

That rifle has an ASI Conservative package .625 barrel of 18" and with the cut down stock it is just a tad under 37" long. The perfect size for packing around the woods and farm. The stainless .625" barrel looks very similar to the .560 inch barrel from a distance but it shoots so much better than the .560 barrel ever did or ever would shoot even with all the Mini accuracy tweaks.

kwg

What barrel clamped rail is that?

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[kwg020]

Hello hoagie
That is a UTG I picked up off the internet. I use it primarily as a heat sink. I have it butted up against the gas block to capture the heat and radiate it off. UTG used to be pretty iffy about their quality but in the last few years they have picked up the quality and are making decent stuff.

kwg

 

[mtngunr]

I have yet to pull the pad on my black stock, and no idea if screw anchor points extend deep enough for trimming. Nor do I know if the plastic stock pad is solid and grindable to fit to the smaller diameter trimmed stock. The pad for the wood stock certainly comes covered with flashing and is ground to fit, and no problem as for screw anchor points. If my gun were not stainless, I already would have dropped the $99 for the currently in stock at Midway factory wood stock for a blued gun, as it comes with the magwell reinforce/screws/lockwashers, and barrel channel liner, a stainless and black gun lacks the magwell reinforce and screws/washers which add up in cost...

If cost is no object, you can buy a Boyds $150 stock and for circa $30 can specify length of pull...Boyds says their stocks do not use the reinforce and mounting hardware...

Truthfully I miss my old black plastic Butler Creek folding boat anchor only because it used the reinforce, and had the screws in sides....and I like visible screws/pins/lugs in stocks, for some reason...well, the reason was, it was built to last, and looked it.

 

[mtngunr]

...just checked the plastic stock, the screw bosses do continue inside stock....hang up is that buttpad plugs into stock to prevent shifting, and with stock shortened, this will no longer happen....it will sit perched on mouth of hollow stock with only screws holding it from getting moved sideways....when viewed from rear, the hollow stock has two horizontal stiffening ribs running across stock, and them thicker where screws go into them...that is all which would hold the pad...might even flex and move with too much grinder pressure, as no surface friction or contact aside from circumference and on thin ribs...worth a shot, though, but maybe with a pad with solid hard back as on the wood stocked guns...

or, maybe just shorten wood without any trouble whatsoever if cut straight and smooth...for same above mentioned $150, a check of Midway shows that, in addition to the complete stock for blued guns, they have the stainless receiver liner, screws, lockwashers for less than Numrich, the barrel channel liner from the plastic stock would hopefully fit in the wood, and can build the stainless/wood as sold by them already, also robbing the stainless sling stud and loop from the plastic.

 

[mikefelix]

kwg020, that's a sharp Mini 14!!!

 

[mikefelix]

Thank you everyone for your experience and your thoughts! Mine is black polymer and stainless, I love the look but I'm thinking of checking into a wood stock.

 

[mtngunr]

if you cut the wood, use a very fine toothed saw, and tightly tape/mask the area to be cut, and lighten feed or pressure when blade approaches far side, all to prevent bowing out and splintering surface grain on far side, and you get that clean professional cut.

 

[kwg020]

kwg020, that's a sharp Mini 14!!!

Thank you. ASI did a great job on the new barrel. It is so much more accurate than the original barrel it's not even funny. I did bed the receiver to the stock with JB Weld since the stock was predominately gray but nothing else. I can switch ammo without having to worry about major changes in the POI. (minor changes between fast and slow powders) Yes, it cost some money but I had this done before Ruger brought out their new barrel in 2005 so the options were limited.

I had a skinny barrel early 580 and I struggled to find an accurate load for it. And once I found it, if I changed powders or bullets I had to start all over. I had access to a lathe and I installed the newer Ruger barrel on it and fixed that wondering POI problem. I really think that is the issue with the skinny barrel Mini's is, any changes in ammo means a whole new POI plus barrel heat inherited with the skinny barrels.

kwg

 

[tri70]

Wood stocks are very common, maybe get one and cut a couple inches off and see how it feels. You can add a little back with a cushion butt plate.

 

[SAN14]

Mtngunr, I shortened one of my synthetic Ruger stocks and it was quite some work. I took off about an inch and re-attatched the factory butt pad. As you noted, the pad is recessed into the butt so I had to carefully re-cut that to match the new couture.
The pad has a metal plate embedded in it and I discovered that fact while grinding it down to fit the new shape of the stock. A little of that metal now protrudes at the bottom of the pad but is is sandwiched between rubber on both the stock and shoulder sides and doesn't hinder use at all....just a little cosmetic oops.

 

[mtngunr]

Mtngunr, I shortened one of my synthetic Ruger stocks and it was quite some work. I took off about an inch and re-attatched the factory butt pad. As you noted, the pad is recessed into the butt so I had to carefully re-cut that to match the new couture.
The pad has a metal plate embedded in it and I discovered that fact while grinding it down to fit the new shape of the stock. A little of that metal now protrudes at the bottom of the pad but is is sandwiched between rubber on both the stock and shoulder sides and doesn't hinder use at all....just a little cosmetic oops.

I figured as much for the backer, given it uses different screws than the grind to fit pad as used on the wood....am not pulling both wood and plastic stock pads just to check if holes somehow match, as normally they will not, and if going thru all that, would just as soon buy a new pad of thinner make and create own template and holes.

Again, shortening the wood stock and grinding its pad meant to be ground seems the best bet, and just throughly paint it prior to final assembly if waterproof is wanted. I doubt that even if the grindable pad has pockets, that they would be found only in grinding away excess left from whacking an inch.

To my eyes, the wood stock appears longer than synthetic by the 1/2" thick pad, and both stocks easily shortened with only a flat plate vs pad, and no cutting at all...

 

[51colt]

Mike, I think you can cut down your stock. Years ago I fitted an M16 trapdoor but plate to my 197 Ranch rifle with a synthetic stock. Cut the stock down. I would take my time and use tape to mark the stock. You can probably refit your Ruger butt plate if not you can get an aftermarket. New attachment points can be made from wood and can be epoxied in place.