Ten round Mini-14 mags? Nine rounds is more like it.

[gwnorth]

My two 10 rounders behave this way in my 581 series ranch and 582 series tactical. And no, use has not changed it. Posts over at perfectunion.com indicate the 5 round mags are the same way. The explanation I've always gotten is that these mags must strictly adhere to state's with capacity limitations if Ruger wishes to keep selling mini's in such states. Obviously the 20 round mags never need meet such restrictive requirements.

My understanding is that in states with restrictions manufacturers must make their mags to ensure they cannot ever hold more than the maximum allowed number of rounds.

 

[parabellum]

Well, that clears things up nicely.

Thanks

 

[Turbojet]

My 5 round mag is that way also. I have to lock the bolt back to insert the mag or it will damage the top cartridge.

 

[mrmike7189]

i have 3 10 round ruger mags, in a 581 series mini.( never had a problem like this.)
Interesting.....maybe there is a hickup in the magazine or the manner in which they are inserted into the gun, or the rifle was disassembled and the bolt was put back together wrong? who knows? :?:

 

[Pal Val]

I said I wasn''t going to argue. Point of clarification - A long gun with a loaded magazine inserted is considered loaded in most states. If it's legal in your state, more power to you. It's not in mine.

 

[parabellum]

Point of clarification - A long gun with a loaded magazine inserted is considered loaded in most states. If it's legal in your state, more power to you. It's not in mine.

This has nothing to do with the point at hand. Zero. Nada.

If you bothered to actually read this thread, you'd see it begins with me describing something of a mechanical nature; load magazine to capacity, insert magazine into rifle with difficulty, discover compromised cartridge case.

Just as with your previous comments, I cannot for the life of me understand how you've arrived at your conclusions. It's as if you're having your own separate discussion in your head about this.

And just for the record (and once again noting that it has absolutely nothing to do with my question in this thread)- in my state, I can carry a loaded rifle or pistol in my vehicle if I please. I tell you this because this question seems to have been troubling you, so now you can put your mind at ease.

 

[Rick Courtright]

If you consider a rifle with a locked and loaded magazine to be in a "safe condition", and you intend to carry the gun like that in a boot carrier, I will not argue with you. You already said plenty.

Hi, Val

Not standing up for any one position, but I find it interesting out here in CA that carrying a gun in a vehicle w/ (a) round(s) in the magazine, but on an empty chamber, is considered a Penal Code violation: the PC defines that firearm as "loaded." But DFG (per the Fish & Game Code) considers the firearm to be "unloaded" in the vehicle as long as there's no live round in the CHAMBER--you CAN have the mag loaded. There's some jurisdictional issue involved, too: if you're on pavement, PC applies, but get off on a dirt road, and F&GC becomes operative. Or so the DFG Lt. giving the seminar said... Sheesh!

As to Parabellum's quandary, I don't know from personal experience, but I think I'm going to the range Friday w/ my brother in law, and I'll try to remember to ask him if he's run into this w/ his Mini (about two years old.)

Rick C

 

[Pal Val]

Thanks, Rick! I won't discuss my point anymore in deference to Parabellum's indication that he wishes to discuss only the mechanics of the thing. I read again the Ruger manual for the Mini-14 and found it ambiguous on the practice of snapping in a loaded magazine with the bolt closed. So, i'll leave it to personal experience.

Personally, the Mini-14 being a close follower of the old Garand design, I would lean towards loading a magazine only with the bolt open. The M-1 had to be loaded like that, and I was instructed on the M-14 to load with an open bolt, although I must admit to having locked and loaded more han one magazine into an M-14 with the bolt closed with no big problem. I trained with the M-14, and later was a small-arms instructor on it, if that will count for anything. I remember loading 18 rounds in the 20-round magazine simply because topping it off invited jams. Remember tapping the magazine on your helmet to make sure the bullets were aligned right? Could that be also possibly true of the Mini-14?

BTW, Pennsylvania doesn't allow hunting with semi-auto rifles. Allso, a loaded magazine inserted, even if the chamber is empty, makes the gun "loaded", and in violation of Commonwealth law if carrying in a vehicle. I haven't researched federal law on the matter, but it makes little difference to me. I'm not taking a case to court anytime soon. (With my apologies to Parabellum for straying from the subject again.)

 

[parabellum]

:roll:

Thanks for your consistency. You've missed the point of my thread and posted non sequitur repsonses all the way through it. Consistently

You finished now? Or is there something else unrelated to my question that you want to put in here?

 

[Silent Sam]

Actually the manual says you can insert a magazine on an open or closed bolt. It does not specifically address 10 rnd mags, nor would I expect it to. Ruger has the answer specific to ten rounders.

 

[parabellum]

I appreciate your efforts, Sam, but nothing the guy has posted in this thread has been helpful to my original question. All he's done is make a bunch of assumptions. For example- it has not occurred to him that I would have the life experience and the presence of mind to ensure I am able to legally carry a firearm in a loaded condition in my vehicle.
Instead, he comes up with all this stuff about what's legal in his state, when I have clearly stated early on in this thread that I am in the South, which is to say, not in his state.
My approach to such questions a man asks in these forums is to pay that man the compliment of assuming that since he is posing questions about the mechanics of a firearm and mentions in passing that he intends to carry it in a vehicle, he is alreadys familiar with and in compliance with any applicable laws.

But no, this guy assumes I lack the foresight to check these things, and that I'm ignorantly riding around in my vehicle with loaded firearms in violation of my state's laws. Nice.

No doubt he'll now come back in this thread and tell me the color of his dog, or what he had for dinner last night. Such information would be as useful to me and as pertinent to the subject at hand as anything else he's posted in here.

 

[gfw1985]

I have found totally ignoring posts irrelevant to my issue the best way. Acknowleging their being only gives them more to work with. Good luck with your problem.

 

[parabellum]

I have found totally ignoring posts irrelevant to my issue the best way. Acknowleging their being only gives them more to work with. Good luck with your problem.

I'm perfectly comfortable sharpening my claws on any member who wants to act as a scratching post.

It is, shall we say, a habit developed from managing web forums for years.

Thanks, though. It's excellent advice. :wink:

 

[Rick Courtright]

It seems to me that the only way these mags can be called 10 rounders is if they are locked into the rifle with the bolt locked back, and then a round is chambered. Otherwise, the topmost round is damaged.

Someone please tell me what I'm missing. Two rifles, three mags. Same result each time.

Hi,

Well...

Just went to look at the Ruger website. It appears they have two conventions for listing capacity: the Minis and .22s are listed as 5 rounds, 10 rds, etc. At least some of the center fire pistols (didn't look at all of 'em) are listed as 10+1, 15+1, etc.

If I knew nothing else, I'd suggest the LACK of the +1 designation indicates Ruger intends the mag to be loaded into the firearm in a "bolt open" condition. But living in CA, I'm gonna join the tinfoil hat crew and suggest maybe there's been a change in mag design to ensure that we DON'T get one of those "instant felony" specimens that can fit an extra round.

Especially since Ruger's infamous "quality control" is, IME at least, still as "tolerant of tolerances" as it's been for years... (that's as nicely as I could say "sloppy" using alternate spellings) It's probably a lot easier to design a mag that "barely" holds the advertised count, as opposed to having to keep everything dead nuts so a little wear doesn't allow an extra round.

As someone already suggested, though, it might be worth a call to Ruger just to see what they have to say. And I will try to ask my BIL on Friday... and just so I don't sound too ignorant when I do: if you load 10 in the mag and insert it into a "bolt open" rifle, no problem? It's only when you insert a mag w/ 10 rds against a closed bolt that it gets ugly?

Rick C

 

[Pal Val]

I'm perfectly comfortable sharpening my claws on any member who wants to act as a scratching post.
[/quote]

Sir, I expected you to note that I apologized in my latest post. A gentleman would have been satisfied with that. No need to discuss any more.

 

[parabellum]

A gentleman would have been satisfied with that. No need to discuss any more.

An intelligent man would have paid me the courtesy of operating under the assumption that I am bright enough and experienced enough in this life to have already ensured I am in compliance with my state's laws.

Instead, you made the assumption I had not bothered to check, and continued along the same lines after I had told you that it's legal for me to carry a loaded firearm in my vehicle.

And as far as your apology goes, this is what you say just before you apologize:

I haven't researched federal law on the matter, but it makes little difference to me. I'm not taking a case to court anytime soon.

Get it through your skull- I am in compliance with my state's laws in this matter, and I don't appreciate the inference I am not, with this "I'm not taking a case to court anytime soon" garbage. This ain't Pennsylvania, mmkay? I live in a free state.

Please, just stay out of my thread. You've been of no help whatsoever. Your presence in this thread has been nothing but a distraction, and now that you've once again said that you're through with this thread, I've no doubt I'll see further comments from you.

 

[Architorture23]

My Mini 30 loads 5 round mags under a closed bolt just fine, fwiw, so I do not think the fact that the action derives from a Garand to have much to do with it.

I have never seen any other rifle with a detachable magazine NOT load just fine under a closed bolt so I definitely think if Ruger did actually design it this way, then they got it wrong. IMO, a rifle that accepts a 10 round magazine should be able to hold 11 rounds total. Period.

 

[parabellum]

My Mini 30 loads 5 round mags under a closed bolt just fine, fwiw, so I do not think the fact that the action derives from a Garand to have much to do with it.

Yes, and I can lock fully-loaded magazines into my M1A rifles with the bolt closed, without crushing cases.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I have found totally ignoring posts irrelevant to my issue the best way. Acknowleging their being only gives them more to work with. Good luck with your problem.

I'm perfectly comfortable sharpening my claws on any member who wants to act as a scratching post.

It is, shall we say, a habit developed from managing web forums for years.

Thanks, though. It's excellent advice. :wink:

Man, it's wonderful to watch a pro in action. It's like the old days.

Carry on, good fellow.

 

[Leucoandro]

Once I ordered three factory ruger 15 round 9mm mags from CDNN. I was only able to load 14 rounds into them. I made sure they were 9mm mags, with 9mm followers. The mags were 9mm and the followers 9mm as well.

I took the follower out of the new mags and compared it with my old 15 round mag. Sure enough, Ruger put the wrong 9mm follower in (10 round mag follower?), as the overall length was about 1/2" longer than the original mag. A Quick job with a small handsaw cured the problem.


Charlie