Ruger mini hand guard options

29149 Views 30 Replies 8 Participants Last post by hawkguy, Sep 7, 2015

hawkguy

Discussion Starter · Aug 30, 2015

Ruger mini 14/30 hand guard options

just thought it might help to get a simple info thread out there on ruger mini hand guard options.

not sure that i even know all of them, so maybe we'll get some surprises.

if you have a rare hand guard (or even better, custom), please post some pics and give us some details. discuss which you prefer on your mini and how you feel it performs/looks in your opinion. even if you just left the factory hand guard on it, tell us what you think of it.

i know of several common options: factory, wood, choate, steel, and various scout rail systems.

below is the current factory hand guard, its not super popular from what i see and hear from most mini 14 owners. i think most dislike the look of the cover over the slide assembly. i know i do.

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hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #2 · Aug 30, 2015

2

i put the choate hand guard on my first mini 14. big improvement over the factory hand guard imo. but for my next one, i wanted something different....

i failed to find a wood HG at a decent price, so after some looking, i came across this steel ventilated hand guard. i'm not even sure who manufactured it, and it is obviously no longer made.

took some "tweaking" (and cursing) to get it to fit, but it now sits on my 583 tactical and i really really like it! in fact, i prefer its looks over even the choate hand guard!!!

my concern was if it would heat up and burn my hand, but that has not been the case thus far. i kinda wonder if it helps absorb some heat being that it is metal? haven't really tested that theory.

like this one. its a keeper!

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Scorpion of Mars

· #3 · Aug 31, 2015

Cmon Hawk, man up! Ya want a cooler barrel, ditch the handguard all together!

tri70

· #4 · Aug 31, 2015

He really wants a nice piece of wood!

Reactions: 1

Scorpion of Mars

· #5 · Aug 31, 2015

tri70 said:
He really wants a nice piece of wood!

Um

COBrien

· #6 · Aug 31, 2015

hawkguy said:
i failed to find a wood HG at a decent price, so after some looking, i came across this steel ventilated hand guard. i'm not even sure who manufactured it, and it is obviously no longer made.

like this one. its a keeper!

IIRC, that's a Federal Ordnance handguard. They were made from the '80s through the mid-90s.

I've always thought they were good-looking pieces.

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Bolero

· #7 · Aug 31, 2015

You'll probably get the same response from others, but I do like the Choate.

Wood is a nice retro touch (M1 carbine), but less practical (heat) and is also spendy and hard to find.

I guess the Choate is also retro in the sense of it resembling the M14 handguard.

hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 31, 2015

Bolero said:
You'll probably get the same response from others, but I do like the Choate.

Wood is a nice retro touch (M1 carbine), but less practical (heat) and is also spendy and hard to find.

I guess the Choate is also retro in the sense of it resembling the M14 handguard.

i like the choate a lot also. it is probably the best and most available after market hand guard currently. beats the hell outta the factory HG imo.

just wanted to see what some others might have out there & what they think of them.

many seem to use scout rails for replacement. wonder if any will chime in?

Reactions: 1

hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 31, 2015

COBrien said:
IIRC, that's a Federal Ordnance handguard. They were made from the '80s through the mid-90s.

I've always thought they were good-looking pieces.

thanks for the info. and yeah, i think they are pretty sharp looking also!

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Danmanrn

· #10 · Aug 31, 2015

The 1976 Liberty model Mini 14 came with a factory wooden hand guard with a steel attaching clip that looked like the old M1 Garand hand guard. I have never seen or been able to find a picture of how it attached to the barrel. It looks like it would be just like the M1 Garand that had groves on the barrel that it snapped into. The next step was the wood hand guard with the c-clip that pushed down and over the barrel. I don't have any pics to share or I would post them. If any are out there please share them. Thanks! Dan

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hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 2, 2015

not hearing any thunder from the scout rail guys? i know they are very popular among mini 14 owners!

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tri70

· #12 · Sep 3, 2015

I shoot a scout rail on my 196, it keeps the barrel sturdy and cool. I have a reflex on it and BC folder.

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hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #13 · Sep 3, 2015

tri70 said:
I shoot a scout rail on my 196, it keeps the barrel sturdy and cool. I have a reflex on it and BC folder.

lets see it, tri!!!

tri70

· #14 · Sep 3, 2015

Here is a pic for Scorp to drool over!

ImageShack - Photo Mar 29, 18 24 39.jpeg

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hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #15 · Sep 3, 2015

haven't seen this one much. do you think this was just a HG like mine that was polished, or did fed ordinance make a stainless version?

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hawkguy

Discussion Starter · #16 · Sep 3, 2015

this scout rail is SOOOO dang high!

suppose it is see through?

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Scorpion of Mars

· #17 · Sep 3, 2015

hawkguy said:
this scout rail is SOOOO dang high!

suppose it is see through?

I tried it. It is see-through, or at least theres a light at the end of the tunnel. It is hard to pick up the front sight. I also did not like the added weight up front.

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Scorpion of Mars

· #18 · Sep 3, 2015

hawkguy said:
haven't seen this one much. do you think this was just a HG like mine that was polished, or did fed ordinance make a stainless version?

I have seen a SS a few times

tri70

· #19 · Sep 3, 2015

hawkguy said:
haven't seen this one much. do you think this was just a HG like mine that was polished, or did fed ordinance make a stainless version?

That looks custom, if someone has a fab shop........

Reactions: 1

Rotten

· #20 · Sep 6, 2015

I'm really not sure why so many folks don't like the factory handguard. It is effective at keeping the hand from interfering with the slide, controls heat distortion and looks great. It's a distinctive look that makes the Mini instantly recognizable from anything else made. Taking that away really detracts from the aesthetics of the rifle but If people want to mess with perfection it's their own rifle and that's their business.

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