Lngstrt
Single-Sixer
Would I be correct in assuming this is not a genuine Ruger made hand guard??
Mini Hand Guard
- Thread starter Lngstrt
- Start date
Help Support Ruger Forum:
daveg.inkc
Hunter
mine had a round button on top I had to remove for some reason,, maybe scope? its been a while,, I thought Rugers name was on it
Lngstrt
Single-Sixer
COSteve said:
Thanks for the info ....
Looks like a nice option but I like to keep things original if possible. I took an aftermarket 'tacti-cool' folding stock off of it (a 181 Series) and returned it to it's wood suit.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
Does this part say "Feather" ?
Ram-Line made a handguard almost identical? right at the end of the original 180-series production (while Ruger still sold the Mini 14 with a wooden handguard), and later sold the same model directly to Ruger. The supplied parts were glass-filled plastic and usually had a sharp-cornered, stamped-metal tension clip. The one pictured seems to have rounded corners?
The handguard serves two purposes; to protect the shooter from steaming heat of the barrel & op system, and to keep the op rod from contacting fingers during the cycle.
Ram-Line made a handguard almost identical? right at the end of the original 180-series production (while Ruger still sold the Mini 14 with a wooden handguard), and later sold the same model directly to Ruger. The supplied parts were glass-filled plastic and usually had a sharp-cornered, stamped-metal tension clip. The one pictured seems to have rounded corners?
The handguard serves two purposes; to protect the shooter from steaming heat of the barrel & op system, and to keep the op rod from contacting fingers during the cycle.
Lngstrt
Single-Sixer
mohavesam said:
It does say "FEATHER PAT PEND". The spring clip does have rounded ends.
It has been on a 181 series Mini that my Dad bought at a gun show in the mid '80s. It's been in back-of-the-closet storage for almost 30 years alongside a 180 series. Dad had put a Choate fixed tactical stock on it. I found the original stock in the garage and switched it back. The 180 has it's original stock with wood hand guard.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
No, it is still true as one can easily place fingers on the ruger op rod . feel free to try it. The cover pictured and others do prevent this effectively.
The pictured hand guard is not a Ruger part. Given the history of the OP's gun, I suspect that it was added when the original stock was changed-out.
And just so he'll know, the "correct" hand guard for the rifle in question would the second variation of Ruger's wooden hand guard which first appeared on the 181-rifles....."second variation" meaning that it attaches much differently than the 180 guard. If anyone cares to "google-up" some photos of the two, you'll see that the differences are quite obvious.
Hope this helped.
DGW
And just so he'll know, the "correct" hand guard for the rifle in question would the second variation of Ruger's wooden hand guard which first appeared on the 181-rifles....."second variation" meaning that it attaches much differently than the 180 guard. If anyone cares to "google-up" some photos of the two, you'll see that the differences are quite obvious.
Hope this helped.
DGW
mohavesam
Hawkeye
Sounds personal? Lets hope its not. Re-read the posts if you want, but fingers can touch the op rod and grip-exposed moving parts is one of the issues Ruger engineers were handed when they went to the cheaper fiberglass-then plastic handguard. Even for a real man's man, hi-speed moving metal under your grip fingers can ruin shot accuracy or worse, recall Ruger being pretty lawyer conscious in the mid-70's. So no more wooden hats.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
Huh. I wonder why Ruger NH engineering and procurement went to the op-rod cover design when they ditched the wooden type? If you say there's no engineering/safety benefit, then I guess its so. Someone should then change the text covering:"...to protect the hand from moving operating rod..." from Wilson's Ruger & his Guns books...
Seems like a note to the CEO is in order to let them know the current design covering the op rod is just a useless waste of material and money! They should know what you know!
Seems like a note to the CEO is in order to let them know the current design covering the op rod is just a useless waste of material and money! They should know what you know!
mohavesam
Hawkeye
my only point was that the cover serves the purpose of protecting the hand & fingers. Wilson's book says this by quoting engineers who designed the thing to improve on the original, which did not extend to cover the oprod, to the current part which does for a reason; The manuals describe p/n MA16600B as a Handguard. And CS calls it a handguard. Thats all.
Lngstrt
Single-Sixer
Well .........
The only important issue for me is to return it as close as possible to the parts mix that came out of the bland white and red Ruger box a-way-back-when!!
Otherwise, the handguard is only borderline functional for me. 8)
Other than that, something like the Choate piece would appeal ..... a little more M14-ish, looks wise.
The only important issue for me is to return it as close as possible to the parts mix that came out of the bland white and red Ruger box a-way-back-when!!
Otherwise, the handguard is only borderline functional for me. 8)
Other than that, something like the Choate piece would appeal ..... a little more M14-ish, looks wise.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
Really?
