ANYONE COLLECT THESE?
MINI-14
- Thread starter rock 22
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I just started collecting this rifles and need to figure out what ammo they use. The owners manual on line states .223(5.56x45). So which is it? Research it on the Internet and it will tell not to use the5.56 unless your gun is made to fire this ammo. Then ask about mini 14 and they say ask Ruger. Ask Ruger no reply. My 2 mini 14 are 1997 years acording to Rugers website. How do you get the correct the correct answer? You go to buy ammo for.223 & they show the 5.56x46 ammo, in on store and on line. Does anyone know the correct answer? How about Ruger? Please let me know got sure the correct ammo. How can anyone collect and shoot a gun that has no real answer about ammo. I not alone, just search the Internet and there lots of people asking this question without a solid answer. They always say ask Ruger, well can't seem to get an answer from Ruger , so Ruger answer the question wil a 1997 Ruger mini 14 shoot 5.56x45 mo safely?
the ruger mini 14 will shoot either, all day every day
Three50seven
Buckeye
.223 = 5.56x45
same exact round.
Just like the .308 and the 7.62x51 or 7.62 NATO are all the same round.
One is a civilian designation and the other is military.
same exact round.
Just like the .308 and the 7.62x51 or 7.62 NATO are all the same round.
One is a civilian designation and the other is military.
Sorry, the .223 and the 5.56X45 are not the same rounds, for one thing the 5.56X45 is loaded to higher pressures. The .223 can be safely fired in rifles marked 5.56X45 but not the other way around.
Your owners manual will tell you what ammo is acceptable for your gun. You can find the manuals on line.
Your owners manual will tell you what ammo is acceptable for your gun. You can find the manuals on line.
chet15
Hawkeye
There has only ever been one person I ever knew that collected Mini-14's and he's not been with us now for close to ten years.
There are several collectible variations out there, but the ones that catch most people's eyes are those chambered for .222 or the factory folders.
The early Southport Mini with gold bead front sight also seemed to get a lot more attention a generation ago, but you hardly ever hear anybody get excited about it today. Same for any of the 180- prefix guns which also inludes those with a Liberty rollmarking.
Chet15
There are several collectible variations out there, but the ones that catch most people's eyes are those chambered for .222 or the factory folders.
The early Southport Mini with gold bead front sight also seemed to get a lot more attention a generation ago, but you hardly ever hear anybody get excited about it today. Same for any of the 180- prefix guns which also inludes those with a Liberty rollmarking.
Chet15
Three50seven
Buckeye
I found this on AR15.com, and this gentleman apparently got it from another source, but it appears to be accurate and well written. I've fired them interchangeably in a handful of different guns for years without a single issue, so apparently it's not that big of a deal, but I guess there is a difference.
"There always seems to be a lot of confusion over the difference between a .223 and a 5.56 chamber. Is it safe to shoot this? Is it safe to do that? More confusion is added when some manufacturers advertise rifles with .223/5.56 chambers. I found this 'excellent' explaination on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington) and wanted to share it on this forum.
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with the same external dimensions as the 5.56x45mm NATO military cartridge. It is loaded with a .224" diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from 40 up to 90 grains, though the most common loadings by far are 55 grains.
The primary difference between .223 Remington and 5.56 x 45 mm is that .223 is loaded to lower pressures and velocities compared to 5.56 mm. .223 Remington ammunition can be safely fired in a 5.56 mm chambered gun, but the reverse can be an unsafe combination. The additional pressure created by 5.56 mm ammo will frequently cause over-pressure problems such as difficult extraction, flowing brass, or popped primers, but in extreme cases, could damage or destroy the rifle. Chambers cut to .223 Remington specifications have a shorter leade (throat) area as well as slightly shorter headspace dimensions compared to 5.56 mm "military" chamber specs, which contributes to the pressure issues.
While the 5.56 mm and .223 cartridges are very similar, they are not identical. Military cases are made from thicker brass than commercial cases, which reduces the powder capacity (an important consideration for handloaders), and the NATO specification allows a higher chamber pressure. Test barrels made for 5.56mm NATO measure chamber pressure at the case mouth, as opposed to the SAAMI location. This difference accounts for upwards of 20,000+ psi difference in pressure measurements. That means that advertised pressure of 58,000 psi for 5.56mm NATO, is around 78,000 psi tested in .223 Rem test barrels (SAAMI .223 Rem Proof MAP is 78,500 psi so every 5.56mm round fired is a proof load, very dangerous). The 5.56 mm chambering, known as a NATO or mil-spec chambers, have a longer leade, which is the distance between the mouth of the cartridge and the point at which the rifling engages the bullet. The .223 chambering, known as the "SAAMI chamber", is allowed to have a shorter leade, and is only required to be proof tested to the lower SAAMI chamber pressure. To address these issues, various proprietary chambers exist, such as the Wylde chamber[2] or the Armalite chamber, which are designed to handle both 5.56 mm and .223 equally well.
Using commercial .223 cartridges in a 5.56-chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223-chambered gun due to the excessive leade. [3] Using 5.56 mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223-chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.[4] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56 mm, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56 mm ammunition. "
"There always seems to be a lot of confusion over the difference between a .223 and a 5.56 chamber. Is it safe to shoot this? Is it safe to do that? More confusion is added when some manufacturers advertise rifles with .223/5.56 chambers. I found this 'excellent' explaination on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington) and wanted to share it on this forum.
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with the same external dimensions as the 5.56x45mm NATO military cartridge. It is loaded with a .224" diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from 40 up to 90 grains, though the most common loadings by far are 55 grains.
The primary difference between .223 Remington and 5.56 x 45 mm is that .223 is loaded to lower pressures and velocities compared to 5.56 mm. .223 Remington ammunition can be safely fired in a 5.56 mm chambered gun, but the reverse can be an unsafe combination. The additional pressure created by 5.56 mm ammo will frequently cause over-pressure problems such as difficult extraction, flowing brass, or popped primers, but in extreme cases, could damage or destroy the rifle. Chambers cut to .223 Remington specifications have a shorter leade (throat) area as well as slightly shorter headspace dimensions compared to 5.56 mm "military" chamber specs, which contributes to the pressure issues.
While the 5.56 mm and .223 cartridges are very similar, they are not identical. Military cases are made from thicker brass than commercial cases, which reduces the powder capacity (an important consideration for handloaders), and the NATO specification allows a higher chamber pressure. Test barrels made for 5.56mm NATO measure chamber pressure at the case mouth, as opposed to the SAAMI location. This difference accounts for upwards of 20,000+ psi difference in pressure measurements. That means that advertised pressure of 58,000 psi for 5.56mm NATO, is around 78,000 psi tested in .223 Rem test barrels (SAAMI .223 Rem Proof MAP is 78,500 psi so every 5.56mm round fired is a proof load, very dangerous). The 5.56 mm chambering, known as a NATO or mil-spec chambers, have a longer leade, which is the distance between the mouth of the cartridge and the point at which the rifling engages the bullet. The .223 chambering, known as the "SAAMI chamber", is allowed to have a shorter leade, and is only required to be proof tested to the lower SAAMI chamber pressure. To address these issues, various proprietary chambers exist, such as the Wylde chamber[2] or the Armalite chamber, which are designed to handle both 5.56 mm and .223 equally well.
Using commercial .223 cartridges in a 5.56-chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223-chambered gun due to the excessive leade. [3] Using 5.56 mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223-chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.[4] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56 mm, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56 mm ammunition. "
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