New mini 14 tactical - which mods?

norway · Jan 4, 2015

Ok, im planning on purchasing a mini 14 tactical ... a mini 14 no #2. The first is a ranch, modded with a adjustable gas block and a supressor. Im not really that satisfied with it, since reliability has gone down after my mods, but it helps for reloading. The ranch rifle has been troublesome from the start though, after my first shot i couldnt pull back the slide and had to send it back to ruger to have it fixed. I usually get 1 jam / failoure to extract pr 30 round mag when i practice fire it (im going to ship it back again to have a gunsmith look at this though). But since its all i can have here, im sticking with ruger, because except for reliability issues with this particular rifle i like it, plus its the only rifle i can legally own of this type here.

The #2 which will be a mini 14 tactical stainless steel version thats kept as it is without mods to the gas system unlike the other one, except for a recoil buffer. Since im also planning on buying a gunsite scout, i want a laminate stock in the same color for it + an ultimak which i also have on my other mini 14 and which works excellent. I also want to get a new rear sight that can be adjusted with fingers or bullet for both. On it ill probably put an aimpoint pro or aimpont compm4. I might also have the chamber polished.

Im thinking a laminated stock is the best way to go for a rugged platform that will take hard use well allthough it adds some weight, but being more able to stand up to hard use than a plastic stock which might fracture/break from less its worth the weight (i figure). It should also make the platform more stiff and therefore more accurate, and from i read laminated stocks arent affected by moisture. It will also look damn handsome together with a ruger gunsite scout (same colors etc).

Any other mods you would do on it to optimize it in terms of reliability, ruggedness, functionality etc? Like a harder hammerspring?

jor-el · Jan 5, 2015

Tech Sight. Loads easier to adjust without tools, unlike the factory sight.

Smith Enterprises Good Iron muzzle brake. Actually works as a muzzle brake, unlike the factory flash hider.

I would look at changing to a smaller aperture gas bushing as the only mod to the gas system.

A good cleaning and lube when you get it.

MAYBE get a nitride coating for the barrel once you get it broken in.

norway · Jan 5, 2015

thanks alot for the reply

tech sights: exactly what im thinking

smith e. good iron muzzle break: not sure about this one.. The mini 14 tactical barrel is threaded i guess? In that case, if the smith e. muzzle break is threaded too, it might be worth it, but im more interested in putting a supressor on it, if it works with an unmodified gas system (if not i might do a recoil spring swap, see below). 223/5.56 kicks so little my guess is a muzzle break is hardly worth it and the stock flash hider is fine.

smaller gas bushing: nope, def not, that would make it less reliable, im keeping it as it is. I burned my fingers on putting an adjustable gas block on my mini 14 ranch so im not messing with the gas system again. But i might put in a stiffer recoil spring that can be changed out easy and def a recoil buffer. I dont care if this rifle spits brass to the moon as long as its reliable, im using the other one if im reloading.

nitride coating on barrel: Im getting the stainless steel version since i live in cold wet norway with salty ocean air blowing in and where rust is a huge issue on everything in metal. When googling it i get up threads explaining that while nitriding a barrel in regular carbon steel is a great idea to extend barrel life and have it corrosion proof, it will actually lower corrosion resistance in stainless steel because it reacts with the chromium. Neither this or melonite processing is good for stainless steel. Im going stainless steel because i want every part in this rifle to stand up well against the elements.

really apriciate the reply though

Mods im going to do so far:

- Tech sight
- Ultimak rail (and think ill ride an Aimpoint CompM4 w/ see-trough cups on it)
- Laminated stock
- Recoil buffer
- Have the chamber polished for max reliability
- Change the hammer spring (for harder primer strikes, recomended if you shoot steel cased ammo)
- MAYBE change the recoil spring to a stiffer one (but keep 2 softer standard recoil springs at hand since a stiffer recoil spring will reduce reliability, but could reduce wear on the rifle when i practice with it)

If i get ONE hickup with any type of 223/5.56 ammo in a original ruger magazine in this, i see the rifle as a failoure.

jgodwin2 · Jan 5, 2015

Maybe I'm just easy but the only thing I did to my Mini tac 182 was a set of Tech sights. It prefers 62gr. bullets. It was good to go right out of the box.
Best of luck on your mods. Worse ways to spend some bucks.
Richard

norway · Jan 5, 2015

Thanks for the input!

If it wasnt for the fact i put a supressor on the ranch rifle i wouldnt have bothered with the adjustable gas block either. It was for reloading,and it did help with that. My brass got thrown so hard into the wall at the range it was actually stuck in the wood like someone had taken a hammer and nailed it in when i ran a supressor. I could tune it down enough to avoid that and maybe have brass land 5-8 ft away, but the reliability went down bigtime too no matter how i adjusted it. So i wont do that again.

Ultimak rail is the one modification beside tech sights i see as a necessity - for mounting optics on it (i prefer it forward mounted and shoot with both eyes open since its alot quicker for me, plus it gives open access to the chamber instead of having a scope over it, it dont add weight and i feel the rifle balance better with that setup), and it dont hurt with a recoil buffer and polished chamber either. The rest are small tuneups thats nice to do, but not a must.

Pet-Rock · Jan 5, 2015

If you are looking for any "mods" to do to the mini, here is how I see it:

1) Trigger Job
2) Bed the rifle into the stock
3) Choate Ventilated Handguard

After that you can look into a reduced sized gas port bushing and call it good.

You could on a strut or one of the metal handguard (like Amega or Ultimak) too, but that is the end of the "functional" mods as I see it. Everything else is personal preferences and making your gun more uniquely yours.

norway · Jan 5, 2015

1) Trigger job: I found the stock trigger fine
2) Bedding, i cant see a 223/5.56 round have the range where i can defend that, it might have its merits on a 7.62x51mm rifle where you do 7-800 yard shots or more. An accu-strut etc just adds weight. Im not looking for a bench shooter / target rifle, i want it to have practical accurancy on the ranges where you'd use a 223/5.56 (3-500 yards max) and a stock mini 14 can do that.
3) Choate handguard doesnt have a rail which is what i look for, beside that im sure its fine. I prefer my optics forward mounted, i like the scout rifle setup and find rifles quicker to get on target when set up like that.

Then its the tech sights, since i want good iron sights as backup should my optics go down. And in deep wet snow and big temprature changes, fogged up and snow clogged optics is a problem so iron sights is a good thing in a place like this. A polished chamber will increase reliability in any case even if you havent had a jam yet and is allways a good thing to do aswell to reduce the risk of ever having a jam.

Again, thanks for input.

norway · Jan 5, 2015

Let me just add that i not only post this thread to figure out which mods to do on my specific mini 14, but also share experiences with others on mini 14 modifications regarding what works and what does not work.

So i want to say something about stocks, ive tried tactical stocks on the mini 14 and did not like it, it changed the way it handles/balance and made it heavy, even the all polymer tapco stock. I dare not even think how heavy a mini 14 with something like the scar stock will be, it would slow down a rifle that has one of its big advantages of being reliable and built like a tank but still light weight and quick handling as it comes from the factory. My friend has had several different stocks like the tapco and a few others but got rid of them all and put a standard walnut stock on it. The standard non-tactical wood or lamiate stock is my prefered stock for the mini14, and it can stand up to more abuse than one in plastic. The only way i'd go plastic on it, is if its the choate sidefolder (which isnt legal here since it makes the rifle too short). I read about the butler creek stock having the handle breaking off from just dropping the rifle on concrete, plus it has no good cheek rest, try putting your face against that steel bar in the cold winter, you might have your face frozen stuck to it.... brrrr.... The choate has some mill spec plastic so i think it should be able to take more than the butler creek, if not, correct me.

Anyway, a wood stock would not break or take any serious damage from getting dropped on concrete like that, and if you think of this as something more than just a rifle for shooting at targets or hunting, it must be able to take that kind of abuse easy, as should your optics which is why i like aimpoint. Keep this in mind when you mod your mini 14.

COBrien · Jan 5, 2015

A laminate stock, in and of itself, will not make your Mini-14 any more accurate or weather-proof than it is with the factory synthetic stock. IMO, since you're not looking for a bench rifle, the laminate will only add weight. It will look great (I love laminate stocks, myself), but it'll be significantly heavier than with the synthetic stock.

If you decide you want a laminate stock for purposes of accuracy, you're wasting your money by not bedding it. Again, JMO.

An UltiMAK handguard is a great choice for mounting optics. I love mine, but I wish it had more holes (and larger holes) for ventilation.

An Accu-Strut will not improve the accuracy of a Tactical Mini-14 or Mini-30. Kevin (founder and owner of Accu-Strut) has stated numerous times that the Accu-Strut is simply cosmetic on shorter-barreled rifles.

I would not suggest a heavier recoil spring, especially if you plan to mount optics on a handguard. A heavier spring will increase the impact of the operating rod assembly on the gas block, and increase the chances of damaging your expensive optic.

A .050" gas port bushing (or .065", if you're really worried about reliability) is really the better option here. I know you've stated you have reliability problems with your other Mini, but I can't help but think it's either your ammo or some other issue.

I have run my Mini-14 with a .045" gas port bushing for over 1,000 rounds. I shoot only commercial loads, most of which are government contract overruns (i.e., XM193, XM855). If you are handloading for your rifle and/or are using ammo that isn't as "hot," you may need a larger GPB. In any event, a .065" GPB should be more than enough to make your action cycle on even the lightest handloads.

Also, a good muzzle brake (I've heard great things about the Shrewd brakes) will improve your accuracy and follow-up shots. Ditch the flash hider (they're threaded, 1/2-28, IIRC) and pick up an actual brake.

norway · Jan 5, 2015

thanks again for many good points.

The wood stock or lamiate would simply be since its a rock solid stock and i trust it to hold up to hard use better than plastic. That its more rigid and possibly accurate is just from the theory of mine that plastic can bend/flex a little bit, but i havent tried a lamiate yet.

1/2-28 is the standard AR threading i think, so thats great, ill look into a muzzle break. But i will not toutch the gas system, it will run just as it comes from the factory, and i doubt ill do anything even if i put a supressor on it. I think an aimpoint should deal with the vibrations fine but i'll take your advice and drop the idea of swapping recoil spring and just keep it stock, since you made a good point

The ultimak doesnt have vent holes because the aluminium the ultimak is made of will lead the heat away from the barrel simply by the barrel radiating heat to it so the ultimak acts as a heat sink, thats why it gets hot when you shoot. Vent holes in the ultimak would only make it cool down slower, it doesnt have vent holes for the same reason a heatsink on an aluminium computer CPU doesnt have vent holes, a CPU heatsink instead try to max the surface area rather than minimize it with stuff like ventholes. The stock handguard actually blocks in more heat, so the ultimak helps cooling the barrel faster. Its a great product, the only downside with it is it can be a challenge to toutch if you do alot of shooting.

Pet-Rock · Jan 6, 2015

Norway,

We clearly have different views, which is great! I welcome the diversity; here is what I was simply trying to convey:

The two things that tightened up my groups the most were a trigger job and bedding the rifle into the stock. Everything I did after that (mo-reaper, reduced gas port bushing, choate handguard, etc) was secondary in accuracy gain to the trigger job and bedding.

A/J/S/USNRet · Jan 6, 2015

gefess2 · Jan 7, 2015

Minimal

I have 2 mini's, a Tactical and a Ranch. I accept the rifles for what they are, not horribly accurate, not terrible either, but very reliable if left mostly alone. I have Accustruts on mine, but no other mods. If you look closely at the design, it is a rugged, go anywhere, do anything weapon, not a one hole paper punch. Please modify it to your hearts content, but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't turn out to be, say, a McMillan sniper rifle. Reliability issues are an issue for Ruger, and they should be held accountable if the weapon fails to deliver

Misfire51 · Jan 7, 2015

OP , I will have to agree with everything the others have said here . I found that polishing the chamber on my 582 Tactical was one of the greatest improvements to the operation of the gun that I could have done.

Upon looking hard at the newer Minis chambers we found that they were very rough.
Using a Flex Hone and there honing oil , I gave the chamber about 6 good strokes at medium speed with a variable speed drill. The chamber has a good cross hatch like a car cylinder.

The gun functions flawlessly .

Depending on the ammo you run , you can do this about every 1000 or so rounds. If your using polymer coated stuff than it would be a good idea. Don't forget to use Ruger Mags. Check the bottom of the bolt and polish lightly, this will help when feeding.

The flex hone and oil can be bought at Brownells. Hope this helps.

Tony.

norway · Jan 7, 2015

Misfire51 said:
OP , I will have to agree with everything the others have said here . I found that polishing the chamber on my 582 Tactical was one of the greatest improvements to the operation of the gun that I could have done.

Upon looking hard at the newer Minis chambers we found that they were very rough.
Using a Flex Hone and there honing oil , I gave the chamber about 6 good strokes at medium speed with a variable speed drill. The chamber has a good cross hatch like a car cylinder.

The gun functions flawlessly .

Depending on the ammo you run , you can do this about every 1000 or so rounds. If your using polymer coated stuff than it would be a good idea. Don't forget to use Ruger Mags. Check the bottom of the bolt and polish lightly, this will help when feeding.

The flex hone and oil can be bought at Brownells. Hope this helps.

Tony.

This thread became just what i hoped for and ive changed my mind on several things. Thank you very much for all the replies. Lets summon up the mods i see happening based on what i have learned from your viewpoints:

- Tech sights
- Smith e. good iron muzzle break
- Chamber polish
- Ultimak rail (riding aimpoint compm4)
- Trigger job
- Hogue stock up for consideration instead of laminate stock

Last thing is a stiffer hammerspring. Will this put the firing pin in danger of getting damaged?

I'll post a pic here when the rifle is bought and upgraded. I might even do a youtube video on it

COBrien · Jan 7, 2015

There should be no need for a heavier hammer spring. Find ammo your rifle is reliable with (should be just about all ammo) and feed it a constant diet of that ammo.

Folks have used heavier hammer springs to try and get around the difficulties of Berdan-primed ammo (harder primers), and some have suffered broken firing pins as a result. Berdan-primed ammo requires more firing pin protrusion, not more force.

Having said that, Berdan-primed ammo is much more prevalent in 7.62x39mm (Mini-30) than in 5.56x45 or .223 Rem. You shouldn't have an issue.

Pet-Rock · Jan 7, 2015

^^^^^^^^What COBrien said^^^^^

That sounds like a bad idea. I have had no failures to set off a primer with stock trigger components. Hitting the firing pin harder will gain you no functional use in a rifle that is already functioning reliably IMO.

Now,
If yours is not setting them off reliably, that would be an issue to look into.

tri70 · Jan 8, 2015

So, does the suppressed mini shoot well?

norway · Jan 8, 2015

its accurate but unreliable, thats why im asking

i read something about a new gasblock having to fit precise and tight not to cause problems ... im guessing the problem is there, gasleaks between the barrel and the new adjustable gasblock, so it will be shipped to a gunsmith once im back in my country in a couple of months time (i fled the country temporary for warmer sunnier climates)..

COBrien · Jan 8, 2015

I know I'm taking the thread a bit off track, but why did you install the adjustable gas block? Was it before or after the suppressor? Have you tried firing your Mini with the suppressor and the factory gas block?

norway · Jan 9, 2015

yeah it was reliable for aprox 2-300 rounds after a gunsmith fixed the initial problem, didnt have any hickups then, but when i got the adjustable gas block the problems started. First i tried to install it myself but the stock gas bushing didnt fit, and then it was shipped off to the gunsmith again.

tri70 · Jan 8, 2015

One thing you can do is take a dowel rod close to the same size as your barrel where the gas block mates up and true the surface with fine grit emery cloth or sandpaper. The will insure good fit and stop gas leaks. Make sure the bushing is not too long also causing improper fit.

norway · Jan 9, 2015

thats what the gunsmith fixed, but he didnt have a mag to test reliability since i forgot to send it with the rifle and he lives on the other side of the country (he's the one that works for the .no ruger importer)

anyway, it'll get shipped back to the gunsmith when im back in .no, before march month is over

but i want another mini 14 in any case set up a bit different

tri70 · Jan 9, 2015

Mini is a great rifle, I have 3.

rc229 · Jan 12, 2015

I have a Mini 14 and a mini 30. Both do what they do. I did put the Hogue Ghili stock on the Mini 14 and will probably do the same on the Mini 30. I like that stock.
The only other mod was putting rings on the rod.

RC

COBrien · Jan 12, 2015

IMO, if installing the adjustable gas block caused the rifle to be unreliable, I would remove it and re-install the original gas block. If you want softer ejection, have someone fabricate a new gas port bushing for you with a .050" (1.27 mm) or .065" (1.65 mm) orifice. Your reliability should improve dramatically.

Scorpion of Mars · Jan 13, 2015

Norway is from Norway. Norway can have a suppressor in Norway. Therefore Norwayx2 suck!

Lucky dog!

mannymacfly · Mar 21, 2015

My Mini Tactical 5848 black will be here this week im so excited my only planned mods are GG&G pic rail for whatever optic I decide on / ASI Adjustable Gas Block / Accu Strut Socom 4 inch

W.R.Buchanan · Mar 26, 2015

Norway: Did you ever get your mini sorted out?

I was going to interject that I would install a Red Dot Sight and a Sling and be done with it but I didn't get here soon enough.

I would install a Red Dot Sight and a sling and be done with it. I would shoot it a bunch and decide if I wanted to go deeper into the gun. I think you will be able to do 99% of what you want to do with the gun with little or no mods whatsoever.

They respond really well to being shot for a while, as there is a break in period. A smaller Gas Bushing or an Adjustable Gas Block is the only other thing I have done to mine.

It is a very serviceable gun the way it is.

Randy

New mini 14 tactical - which mods?

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