Whatdayahdoo with an old 1982ish stainless Mini-14?

[Tallbald]

So here and now I have access to a reasonably priced, seldom shot safe queen pencil barreled stainless Mini-14 from the first year or so of the stainless production. Wood stock and all, as well as a Butler Creek folding stainless stock from back in the day to boot. Fella says it patterns rather than groups. Just wants to thin his stuff out, and he got this one new long ago.
I prefer my 77/357 carbine with putterbutt cast loads playing out at 50-75 yards for a morning of fun myself. And as one old writer said, "only accurate rifles are interesting", but I read nothing good about old Mini-14's in the accuracy department.
Can accuracy troubles with the old Mini's be remedied? Rebarrel? Anything? Hate to put any cash into what may only be a disappointment.
Thanks. Don.

 

[rugerjunkie]

Bought my first mini in roughly 1985 when I was still in high school. Back then I thought it was the cats ass even though ya couldn't hit anything with what you could say any real accuracy but I didn't care...I had 29 more rounds in the mag! Sold it when I was in my later 20's and was getting more into varmint rifles and like you said , started finding accurate rifles interesting. It was fun but I outgrew that stage and don't regret selling it at all. The one thing you can say about the mini is that it will eat anything you feed it and mine anyway never failed to function. So some credit for reliability has to go to the mini.

If it isnt something you enjoy then by all means turn it into something you do! With the current events , waiting a bit before selling might net you a bit more than what they sell for at the moment.

As far as "fixing" a mini's accuracy issues , it can be done , but I believe it's a ton of money that would be better spent on a more accurate platform.

 

[Jeepnik]

Say, maybe those accuracy issues is why the guy on The A Team never hit anybody.

Seriously, I've never been interested in the mini. But if you've got time it might be fun to see if you could find a load that worked well. I've heard they are finicky with regards to ammo selection accuracy wise.

 

[Tallbald]

I see. I don't reload .223, preferring the straight walled old rounds that work with carbide dies (.357/.38, ,45 Colt, .44 Magnum). I also cast for the old stuff and I hate buying commercial jacketed slugs. Really don't want to expand the reloading horizons at my age either. I think I'll pass on it and let some person buy it to SBR and thread it. Whatever turns their crank. Thanks folks. Don.
PS: I wonder if making it into an SBR would improve accuracy because of reduced barrel harmonics? Or just mess up the gas system and action function?

 

[DGW1949]

It's always seemed to me that there ain't much middle ground when it comes to the Mini-14. Some folks love 'em, some folks hate 'em.
Myself, I'm a big fan...but...I've owned (and/or worked with) enough of each variation from each era that I purty-much know what I'm doing, and why I wouldn't be without one...which BTW, has nothing to do with sitting at a bench trying to squeeze-out little 3-shot groups in search of bragging rights...just sayin'.

My point being that I'd not begin to recommend that anyone else buy a Mini-14 unless I knew exactly why he thought that he may want one.
Plus, if ya ask me, might-near all of the older Mini's which I see for sale are over priced for what I already know a perspective buyer will be getting, regardless of how nice it may look, or how little it has been fired. I mean really, why should one spend $600 or more on an old "pencil barreled" Mini and then turn around and spend even more in an attempt to get it to shoot/perform as well as a $750 581-up model will right out of the box?....heck, even as much as I like the Mini platform, doing that makes absolutely no sense to me.

DGW

 

[kmoore]

Just to mention, I got my 2nd mini-14 about 1982 an SS model. Shortly after that Ruger did a total recall on that SS. I believe it had been about reciever problems that needed to be fixed if you want to shoot it safely. Might be worth checking and see if it was repaired or even covered under that defect. I got mine fixed by Ruger and then tried to get it and the other Mini-14 to shoot small groups. That I failed on.

 

[mohavesam]

I dont know what the deal is on SS 1982 Mini 14s? Are there facts or conjecture?

 

[wunbe]

Tomato stake?

wunbe

 

[blume357]

I tried the shorter barrel on one and it did not totally fix the problem, neither did a vastly improved trigger or bedding the receiver.... also by shortening the barrel I had the guy but the aftermarket (Choate I think) flash suppressor back on with front sight and this changed the point of aim (lower) I ended up putting an ATI folding stock on this one and a red dot.... it is now a tactical kool rifle that is still only good for spraying and praying.... then again, I have not shot it in years... I did take it with me to the East Coast Ruger Gathering this weekend but only displayed it, did not shoot it. I think there are gun smiths that can put a new better barrel on one.

 

[mohavesam]

Mine shoots inside 3" at 100 yards with a $70 scope and Remington factory ammo. Cannot ask for better rifle. But I shoot it like a rifle, not a movie gun.
What was the problem aside from your barrel? (I know about side op levers and Ruger's bush-league triggers).

 

[DGW1949]

Mine shoots inside 3" at 100 yards with a $70 scope and Remington factory ammo. Cannot ask for better rifle. But I shoot it like a rifle, not a movie gun.
What was the problem aside from your barrel? (I know about side op levers and Ruger's bush-league triggers).

Just to answer your question as posed...aside from the rather crappy barrels used on all but the latest renditions, the most common QC-problems that I've encountered over the years are sloppy stock bedding and improperly installed gas blocks.
Plus, it's been my observation that a lot of owners do not realize that Ruger has used at least three different twist-rates for their Mini-14 over the years...which kinda-sorta tells me that a lot of the "won't stay on a pie plate" hype that we've all heard could very-well be the result of improper ammo selection.

Gets back to the old adage "barrel, bedding, bullets", which in some circles, are called 'the three B's of accuracy'.
Purty-basic stuff really, be it a bolt gun, Mini-14, a high end M1A Match Rifle, or whatever...ya really can't remove any of the three from the equation and expect to get optimum results.

DGW

 

[mohavesam]

When Atkinson was still a supplier to Ruger for barrels, it became known that WBR refused to pay more than $11 (eleven) dollars for a finished .223 Mini-14 barrel. He used to say "there are more receivers & op-rod assemblies in Ruger scrap bins than my barrels".

Ruger products are built to a price point, so this never alarmed me. But riflemen and GUNSMITHS knew how to get accuracy from a Mini14, and reliability was built in.

I still meet shooters who believe the earlier Mini 14s are "shotgun-accurate", even though they have never owned, improved, nor understood what the gun was designed for.

Lots of myth out there, that's all I'm saying. In my years, I've only fired one Mini14 that couldn't hit 3-4 MOA (better than most can shoot) without the normal accuracy improvements that are needed with almost every bolt gun in the same caliber.

 

[Sugar River]

Atkinson????
Perhaps you mean Wilson?

 

[57springer]

When Atkinson was still a supplier to Ruger for barrels, it became known that WBR refused to pay more than $11 (eleven) dollars for a finished .223 Mini-14 barrel. He used to say "there are more receivers & op-rod assemblies in Ruger scrap bins than my barrels".

Ruger products are built to a price point, so this never alarmed me. But riflemen and GUNSMITHS knew how to get accuracy from a Mini14, and reliability was built in.

I still meet shooters who believe the earlier Mini 14s are "shotgun-accurate", even though they have never owned, improved, nor understood what the gun was designed for.

Lots of myth out there, that's all I'm saying. In my years, I've only fired one Mini14 that couldn't hit 3-4 MOA (better than most can shoot) without the normal accuracy improvements that are needed with almost every bolt gun in the same caliber.

I agree I own 2 of them and they are not target rifles nor were they meant to be !

 

[RSIno1]

I bought a SS one in 1982. Put a floding stock on it and kept it on the boat. Sold it a couple years ago with 4 mags and orig stock for $750. It was a 3" grouper @ 100 yds.

 

[mohavesam]

Atkinson????
Perhaps you mean Wilson?

Bill Atkinson made some of the best-quality barrels and his customers included the US Olympic teams, USMC Sniper School, Winchester, Remington and Ruger and dedicated LR match shooters. He managed the then-new Prescott facility when WBR asked him personally (1985-86?). He insisted WBR buy button-cut rifled barrels and improve the Mini-14 in Prescott, but was rebuked and the Mini stayed in NH (despite workmanship complaints). He was reputedly the driving force behind the P-series pistols.

That was a long time ago. There are no Rugers making decisions at Ruger, anymore.

 

[rugerguy]

We have had quite a few of them over the years, and even back in the early,mid 80s won a rifle match at our gun club with mine, was hard to see 22 cal bullet holes down range, but still won two of three positions and overall, even got my US M-1 Garand (DCM) out of that match ...anyway like DGW said above you had to know what your barrel twist was , so use the heavy or lighter bullets accordingly, we never reloaded for ours ,shot DCM ammo, all makes and weights.....
as for the stainless issue back in or around 1982 they had failed to stamp the receiver/barrels, with the "SR" proof marked, did not do a proper ( or any) heat treat?? or failed to inspect them, so were recalled, checked and stamped..........we never had or saw any issues with them at the shop back then......as Mr. Ruger sales pitch was "the worlds most expensive plinker" 8) :roll: :wink:
Still have one of them around someplace, lots of ammo and mags, why screw around with something else we do not know about, its works and it hits ANYTHING we aim it at

NOTE: we will NOT use and get any of them in the 180 prefix range,,,,,,never :roll: