Mini 14 Advice Needed

[JBP]

I just ended up buying a new Mini 14 Ranch Rifle. Any local retailers who had used Mini 14's wanted almost as much for them as a new in box gun and the private party sellers were offering guns that had been monkeyed with or modified to make them tacticool.

While I generally feel that older productions guns like Rugers, Smith & Wessons and Colts are made better, from what I understand the newest Mini 14's have the accuracy issues that hampered the older guns addressed so I'd rather spend a few hundred extra than to attempt to modify or tune an older, used gun.

I did the same as you and opted for a new Mini 14. I wanted a 5.56 over a .223 and most of the older ones were those. Also Ruger won't service some of the older models. Forget the serial number range of those bur it's on the Ruger web site. 1st time to the range the bolt locked back after 50 rounds. Sent it back to Ruger. They covered shipping both ways and had it back within 10 days. No hiccups the 2nd time to the range. Not a tack driver but no worse than I expected.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I recently acquired a 585 series blued Ranch Rifle. I put a 3-9x Burris on it and first range trip yielded some groups right around 2" with fmj 55 grain stuff. I'm hoping some handloads it likes may make it an 1 1/2" shooter. We'll see... I like the configuration and the trigger, while not match grade, isn't horrible.

 

[Walter Rego]

If a new Mini-14 rifle will shoot 2 MOA with good ammo I'll be happy. I suspect they can shoot a little better with select handloads but the current supply of new, unfired brass, suitable powders and target grade or premium hunting bullets is another story.

I located some Winchester M855 62 gr. "green tip" ammo, plus some Winchester M193 55 gr. NATO ammo and a couple of boxes of Hornady 55 & 62 gr. ammo and hopefully some of those will meet a 2.0 to 2.5 MOA expectation. If I wanted 1 MOA I would have bought a bolt action varmint rifle in .223 but that's not why I wanted a Mini-14.

 

[DGW1949]

If a new Mini-14 rifle will shoot 2 MOA with good ammo I'll be happy. I suspect they can shoot a little better with select handloads but the current supply of new, unfired brass, suitable powders and target grade or premium hunting bullets is another story.

I located some Winchester M855 62 gr. "green tip" ammo, plus some Winchester M193 55 gr. NATO ammo and a couple of boxes of Hornady 55 & 62 gr. ammo and hopefully some of those will meet a 2.0 to 2.5 MOA expectation. If I wanted 1 MOA I would have bought a bolt action varmint rifle in .223 but that's not why I wanted a Mini-14.

In my experience, Winchester M855 is way down the list for accurate "Green Tip" ammo....meaning that in my testing, it averaged 5-6 MOA out of the same 1-9 twist Mini-14 that will consistently do 1 1/2-2 MOA shooting PMC X-Tac M855.....Those figures were the result of averaging three 5-shot groups from my warmed-up 582-Series, blued and wood Mini-14....

.....Hope this helps.

DGW

 

[unodemo]

The Mini 14 is widely considered a 'Ranch Rifle'. Inconspicuous, light, short, packable (with maybe a sling), open sights, semi-auto, effective to 300yds, easy felt recoil and muzzle rise for faster follow-up shots. It is not a precision rifle. I might put a laser light on it for point and click work. It'll plink, knock off the occasional pest out to 100yds, and be ready for when someone messes around and now it's time for them to find out.

The one thing that hangs up a Mini 14 is non-Ruger mags. Pay once, cry once, and get the genuine Ruger mags.

 

[abosely]

I'm waiting for 6mm which is very doable.

I made 6mm, 6.5mm & 30 Cal cartridges wildcat. 6-220 Russian, 6.5-Russian and 30-220 Russian.
Based on (surprisingly enough) the 220 Russian case.

Yes the 30-220 R is very similar to the 7.62x39 but the chamber is designed to optimize accuracy.

Will feed through stock Ruger Mini 30 magazines.
Only need to rebarrel to 6mm, 6.5mm or .308 and done.

Cases can be made from any .445 head cases, 6.5 Grendel, ARC 6mm & 6.5mm etc
Full length size, neck up or down depending on which cal want and what case starting with.

No case shorting or fire forming.

I'm using Lapua 220 Russian brass for my 30-220 Russian build.
Just neck up cases, can go from 22 cal to .308 in one operation, but I'm going from 22 cal to 6mm & then .308.
Neck size and turn becks to .012 wall thickness for uniform case necks.

I want SR primer brass, Lapua 7.62x39 brass is LR primer.

Ray Gross at Manson spaced the chambers for neck diameter, free bore, throat etc

Waiting for Mansion to finish the reamer so can finish build.

Carl at Accuracy Systems is building the rifle. Have Krieger cut rifling, SS 5R .308, 18" barrel.

I worked on action smoothing and polishing everything. Making custom English Walnut stock, Alaska Arms 30mm Quick Detachable scope rings.
Neil Jones will make set of reloading dies to match the chamber after firing 3 cases 3 times and only neck sizing.

I had a Lee 7.62x39 FL sizing die modified to take neck size bushings. The Lee seating die will seat bullets in any of the 3 cartridges.
Can have Lee Factory Crimp die made for 6mm or 6.5mm. The 7.62x39 Factory Crimp die works for the 30-220 R.

This isn't a commercial endeavor, happy to share any & all info, reamer drawings etc
If anyone is interested in this Manson has the reamer drawings and can make reamer.

The 30-220 R has about 2-2.5gr less capacity than 6.5 Grendel, 6mm, 6.5mm ARC cases.
But the reason for them is to be able to have cartridges with very close the same performance as the straighter wall cartridges that won't feed in Mini mags.

If anyone is interested in the build I can make a build thread on the 30-220 R.

Cheers, Allen

 

[dove290119]

My 195 series Mini is reasonably accurate but will throw a flier every now and then. My barrel is also a 1/9 twist, which is ok but 1/7 is better.