New Mini-14 owner

[opiejp]

I have been searching for a couple of years for another Mini-14. Well i finally found one,made in 1987 and is in 95% condition. Blue steel with wood stock. I have 1 factory Ruger 20rnd magazine and 6 Thermold 30 rounders.The rifle shoots great and i absolutely love it! I have a couple of questions concerning my newest toy. First the stock has a factory Ruger rubber butt-pad,not the usual curved plastic one like a 10/22. Second is the receiver is stamped .223.Should this rifle be ok with 5.56 ammo? According to what i have read,all mini-14's will safely fire the 5.56 except for the target model.The stock has kinda threw me for a loop,if anyone can shed some light on this,i would greatly appreciate it.I really like this rifle,even more than my AR-15! I have owned hundreds of Rugers over the years and have never had a single problem with any. Great guns!!!!

 

[DGW1949]

A 1987 model should have had the tradtional curved butt plate. Perhaps someone swaped the stock before you bought the gun, or added the rubber pad.
Ruger states in the manual that either .223 or .556 ammo can be fired in any Mini-14 EXCEPT the "target model". That said though, being's how we don't know the history of your 26 year old rifle, me thinks that it would be prudent to have a competent gunsmith verify it's chamber deminsions before assuming anything.
I'm with you on the Mini-14 VS an AR thing. I've been forced to use the Stoner platform a few times in the past, and have handled close to a dozen more since. Personaly, I got's no use for one. That said though, I don't find the Mini to be perfect either.....but that is a different subject, eh?

DGW

 

[rugerfreak]

I bought a new Ranch Rifle in 1987---it didn't have a rubber recoil pad---but the stock was straight and not curved, covered with a basic plastic buttplate.

5.56 is OK in your gun---says it in the owners manual but not on the gun