[tunedcivic]

took my mini to the range to try some wolf and SA ammo... well it took the new 20 rounder the first couple times then finally it refused all magazines including the 5 rounder. Anybody know what might be wrong. Bolt cant be pulled back all the time, and sometimes it comes back but the next round wont chamber (gets hung up).

 

[Tady45]

Hey Tuned...... Wow what a bummer. I am sorry to hear about your Mini. I will not even venture a guess on what is wrong. I am sure however, that you wil get the correct information from this forum! I will be watching as well, just in case......

Good luck

Larry

 

[Satan2655]

Any other modifications you've done lately, like recoil buffers, etc.?

When you say it 'refused' magazines, what exactly do you mean? Sounds like something may be jammed in the magazine latch mechanism, or the spring on the latch is broken. Open it up and take a look inside. Also, look at the little 'stud' inside the magazine well and see if it's bent, or dirty.

If you were rapid firing and getting carried away, then who knows what could be wrong. Again, take 'er apart and take a peek.

Whadju do to it?!?!

 

[Flak 2]

Remove the trigger group and take it out off the stock. Now see if the action will cycle by hand without the trigger group? Are you trying to insert a loaded magazine into your Mini with the bolt closed? Lock the bolt back and insert the magazine. Need more info. This is a standard mini and not a Ranch model right?

 

[tunedcivic]

its a SS ranch

Anyway i never previously had to pull back the bolt when loading a mag except when chambering a round.

Sometimes the bolt wont go back, and sometimes it will... sometimes it will chamber a round from the 5 cap ruger mag, and other times it will only go back an 1 1/2 inches or so.

Any of you guys had this problem? Would Ruger fix it?

 

[tunedcivic]

this only happened after using SA and wolf ammo, but the gun seems damaged... i guess i will wait till im home again to investigate it though.

 

[Flak 2]

Well since you have a ranch you don't have to worry about the front mag latch. I've never had to good of luck inserting loaded mags in a mini with the bolt closed. When you get home where you can inspect your rifle look at the ejector also, the ranch has a fixed ejector. I'd still pull the action out of the stock and see if it will cycle by hand without the trigger group in it. It could be a number of things. Post again when you have access to your rifle.Yes Ruger will fix it.

 

[Satan2655]

Just send it to me.

 

[boogeyman]

take a very good light, and inspect it close. very wierd situation.sorry

 

[cajungeo]

Sorry about your mini tunedcivic, I pulled the stock off my ss ranch to see if I could see what would cause your symptoms. You might want to check the pin on the bottom of the bolt. If I'm not mistaken this pin holds the firing pin in place. If it petruded it could hang up on your mag or push into your cartridge cases, thus keeping the mag from seating. You might also inspect the fwd magazine aligning pin, for being cracked or broken. ( the pin in the receiver that fits into the hole on the upper fwd hole of your mag). You might also to inspect the bolt back locking arm, for bent or broken (remember with your mag wont lock in place with the trigger group out, but its easer to see in there). Maby our armmor guy can shed additional light on your problem?

 

[Mike223]

This is my take on the situation. I could be way off base since I have not seen the gun and problem in person.

I don't think it has anything to do with the ammo or even the mag. I think the bolt is hanging on something in the trigger assembly. This could be happening due to the gun being in somewhat of a bind, perhaps from the stock being twisted slightly on the barrel. I have noticed upon field-stripping my mini, that there is some play. This usually results in the slide not sitting correctly in the gas block, but can also affect the slide and bolt alignment with the trigger assembly.
Try to correct this problem by:
1. Remove your magazine and check to make sure it is unloaded.
2. Manually press the slide lock and work the slide/bolt a few times to see if you can duplicate the problem. You might try rotating the gun in different ways to see if gravity will affect the action. (Try holding the gun with trigger facing up.)
3. Wether you can or cannot duplicate the problem, field strip your rifle and begin to reassemble it. Once you get your spring back in, work your action so you can visually see what is going on in there. Complete reassembly.

I am hoping that in this process you will notice your bolt getting hung somewhere. By simply stripping and reassembling your rifle, it should correct any "misallignment". But there again, I might be off base. But it never hurts to get a little more familiar with your gun.

 

[tunedcivic]

thanks for the advice... i'm gonna field strip it and see whats going on.

 

[Mike223]

Let me know how it goes. Just out of cureosity, did you happen to strip your gun prior to shooting it the time you happened upon your problem? I meant to ask you before, but forgot.

 

[tunedcivic]

Originally posted by Mike223
Let me know how it goes. Just out of cureosity, did you happen to strip your gun prior to shooting it the time you happened upon your problem? I meant to ask you before, but forgot.

never taken it apart before... ive only had it since december and have put less then 250 rounds through it.

 

[Flak 2]

Cajungeo theres no pin to hold the firing pin in, the extractor holds it in. Thats the bottom of the extractor your lookin at.

 

[KING]

This may not apply to your rifle. If nothing mechanical is wrong, but you said it wouldn't chamber a round? I read a warning from the Olympic Arms Web site that said they have had several of their AR's rtnd. to them that wouldn't chamber. Their solution is don't shoot lacquer coated ammo. Seems after shooting enough of the laquer coated ammo in their AR's the laquer was melting and coating the chambers. They said as long as the gun was hot and you continued to fire the rounds continued to chamber. Stop and let the laquer cool and they couldn't chamber rounds. This of course according to them happened because their chambers are match chambers or tight. Hope it is something simple like that, that you could clean out. Good luck and good shooting. PS. Make sure the Screws that hold the magazine well to the stock are tight.

 

[tunedcivic]

i shot some Wolf ammo... is that laquered?

 

[goodorbit]

The steel (silver colored) shells are. I have stayed away form the wolf stuff for that reason.
I would try a heavy duty brake cleaner (careful not to get any on anything but metal) I have used it to successfully remove a variety of nasty stuff from metal. Try in an out of the way spot first, I have no idea what it does to blueing. Probalby nothing , but better safe than sorry.
Sorry man that does not sound like fun.

My .02

 

[MW740]

I have put over 1,000 rnds of Wolf 55grn FMJ through my Mini with no sign of laquer buildup at all. I read that the laquer can be a problem in some firearms a few days after I bought the case of Wolf (of course). Since then I have read several accounts of guys trying to melt the laquer in the chamber of their ARs by dumping several consecutive 30 rnd mags down range. Those tests resulted in no melting of the laquer. Of course it cannot hurt to give your chamber a thorough cleaning.

 

[Satan2655]

I've been using Wolf .223 ammo for quite some time now and have had zero problems with it.

The only Wolf problems I have had were with 7.62x39mm duds (and only a handful in 1,000 rounds).

I've never seen the laquer melt or build up...

Have you field stripped the gun yet? The problem may be obvious. (If there's parts rattling around in there, it probably has something to do with it! )