Ran the Mini 14 at the 3 Gun yesterday!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Last Friday I went to the OVGC Range to sight in my AR and try to get my Mini 14 to run with my Tapco Mags which I have had problems with.

The wind was blowing 40+mph and it was starting to rain so I just shot dirt clods and gongs at 50-300 yards and got the AR closer. A paper target would not have stood up against the wind.

The Mini 14 has held it's zero for years now, and I found out that simply NOT loading 30 rounds in the mags allowed them to run perfectly. I hit a 2x3' gong at 200 yards 15 times in a row off hand and found that all 5 mags worked perfectly. So I figured it out all by myself!

So yesterday I brought the Mini 14 to the 3 Gun Shoot at the Winchester Canyon Gun Club Santa Barbara and fired against a dozen AR's.

I shot the first 2/3's of the rifle course offhand and was clean all the way up thru the first 18 shots and then my support arm was starting to get really tired and I missed a few so I dropped down and supported off a barrier for the last few targets. I ended up with 30 shots for 22 necessary hits. All my misses were at the last 5 targets and that wasn't the gun,,, it was me getting wore out.

Lots of questions about the gun afterwards as many there had never heard of a Mini 14/30?

Also shot my Mossberg 500 and Glock 21 SF and shot everything pretty good I placed in the upper 1/3 of the group.

It was a good day with friends and the weather was beautiful !!!

Here's a pic of the gun with the Tapco mag in it, and the shotgun, everybody knows what a Glock looks like..

Randy

[murf205]

Good job Randy. I have hesitated buying 30 rnd mags for my Mini 14 for just that reason. I can get buy with 20 rounders that will feed better than 30's that don't. The Ruger magazines are more expensive but they run like a Swiss watch. Do you still have the original gas port in that gun? Mine is a later model with the heavier taper barrel like yours and it is more accurate than the 2 previous ones I had. I have read where the smaller gas port to keep the action from running so hard (brass launcher) and a buffer will aid the accuracy. Ditto on the support arm getting tired. The little rifle will surprise you when you first pick one up because of the weight.

[djryan13]

Good job. Hannibal would be proud!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Murf: Mine has an adjustable gas piston which ASI used to make. I had to drill a hole in the Gas Block for the Adjustment Screw to stick out. It is open one turn, drops empties 5 feet to the right.

Toning down the Gas System with either an Adjustable Gas Block or an .040 or .045 gas bushing is the hot tip for extracting accuracy from these guns.

Randy.

[murf205]

Thanks, I was wondering which bushing to start out with. I've got to do something because in factory trim, they throw brass about as far as they do boolits.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Murf: these guns require about a good 800+ rounds to break in properly. After that they settle down nicely and if you are running your reloads once you settle on one they preform very well.

My standard Load is 25.0 gr of W748/BL-C2 with a 55 gr FMJBT bullet This is slightly below max but runs the gun smoothly. My gun also has the 1911 buffer in it, but it does't get hit that hard as I have the gas choked down alot and the action isn't running that fast. It is plenty fast, but in comparison relatively slow when compared to the stock gas flow.

With muffs on the gun goes,,, kerplink,,,plunk every time. After you have fired hundreds of rounds in a class it kind of becomes expected and means the gun is working right. This gun was my first .223 carbine which I got in 2005 which was during the Assault Weapons Ban, I didn't get an AR util 2012 After the ban was lifted and I figured I should get one before they were outlawed again. I hardly shoot the AR now as I have several other guns I like better.

Randy

[Gtek]

Choking one down is a very positive move for everything involved. As with any design there are little things that go on, play with them long enough and one will see. The gas system leverage giving the normal barrel whip a real kick in the pants half way down the pipe helps nothing in the accuracy department. One wonders why they so over gassed it when a 40 something percent reduction in orifice they run just fine.

[Dapaki]

Murf: ...I had to drill a hole in the Gas Block for the Adjustment Screw to stick out. It is open one turn, drops empties 5 feet to the right...

Randy.

Great idea! I ditched the wood in favor of the Archangel plastic stock and got it re-barreled since minute of barn was unacceptable, its a 186 series and I bought it new but have never thought of using it in three gun, my 16" AR weights 1/2 as much.

[30calflash]

Randy congrats on your performance at the match. It's good when things come together.

I've just recently heard about the gas port bushings, they sound like something the rifle can really use. Any idea how they work on an older 180's series rifle?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Randy congrats on your performance at the match. It's good when things come together.

I've just recently heard about the gas port bushings, they sound like something the rifle can really use. Any idea how they work on an older 180's series rifle?

The same way, just make sure when you get them, they are the correct size for 180 series rifles. I don't know the exact difference (I think it is the OAL of the bushing) , but they are slightly different than for 580 series and above. You'll see on the ASI page listed.

https://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.c...ushing-Kit.php

Note; you also put a 1911 buffer behind the op rod and that will soften any hits to the receiver.

Here's the deal guys Mini 14's as they come from the Factory have a too large gas bushing which will allow the gun to cycle with any ammo. However it is way too big for most ammo and results in your brass being thrown as much as 50 feet to the right. it also results in the big chunk of steel on the op rod to impact the front of the Receiver with enough force to reposition it in the stock with EVERY SHOT!!!

This is NOT conducive of any kind of accuracy. Simply changing out the stock .085 bushing for a .040 or .045 bushing will alleviate this problem and accuracy will be greatly improved. This is NOT hard to change out, and if you can run an Allen Wrench you can do it, and I assure you it is well worth the effort and $30 for the kit of 4 bushings. Or you can buy one of their adjustable gas blocks which gives you complete adjustability.

Randy

[Gtek]

There has also been discussions over the years about gas block installation affecting accuracy due to uneven induced stresses on barrel. I can neither confirm or deny results due to no testing, but after reading this several times thought maybe something could be there. What I have done is tighten to where it looks good just finger snug with 90 Allen. Measure gap both sides with a feeler gauge, add and divide by two. Remove screws clean and apply Loc-Tite to all, using found known dimension run down to snug with Allen on feeler laying parallel to barrel against screws in side of block, back of 1/4 turn, repeat other side. Now X pattern 1/4 turns down to good and snug then final torque to 18-20 inch pounds. They are not match guns but they can be tuned into acceptable.

[murf205]

Murf: these guns require about a good 800+ rounds to break in properly. After that they settle down nicely and if you are running your reloads once you settle on one they preform very well.

My standard Load is 25.0 gr of W748/BL-C2 with a 55 gr FMJBT bullet This is slightly below max but runs the gun smoothly. My gun also has the 1911 buffer in it, but it does't get hit that hard as I have the gas choked down alot and the action isn't running that fast. It is plenty fast, but in comparison relatively slow when compared to the stock gas flow.

With muffs on the gun goes,,, kerplink,,,plunk every time. After you have fired hundreds of rounds in a class it kind of becomes expected and means the gun is working right. This gun was my first .223 carbine which I got in 2005 which was during the Assault Weapons Ban, I didn't get an AR util 2012 After the ban was lifted and I figured I should get one before they were outlawed again. I hardly shoot the AR now as I have several other guns I like better.

Randy

Randy, my load is 26 grs of TAC and a 55 gr Nosler BT or a Midsouth 55 gr bulk spitzer. My gun will shoot it into about 2" @ 100yds in it's stock form with a fixrd 4x Leupold. I firmly believe it will do better and I am going to give it your treatment as soon as I can. I don't know exactly how many rnds it has had through it as I bought it new in as new condition. It is my 3rd Mini 14 and is the best shooting one by far. I was fortunate enough to resist buying an AR platform rifle because I was trained with an M-14, courtesy of the U S Army, and later the M-16. I hated that Buck Rogers looking thing and try as I might, I am an older(Geezer), I just can't warm up to it. Thanks for the advice, my buffers just came in the mail and I am looking for a single bushing in the .040 to .045 to put in it. I know it will never be a bench rest competition gun but I'd be tickled to get it to shoot like yours.

[Conditor22]

If you call them at Tel: (303) 822-6849 you can order just one bushing, I just ordered the .040

[Gtek]

A fresh 11 degree muzzle rarely ever hurts.

[303Guy]

I fitted a scope to my mini-14 (original model) but with the vigorous cycling I would frequently get cases stuck in the bolt so I made a gasport bush with a much smaller hole and that sorted out the problem. Cases would drop right next to me. I was getting a split group with this thing so I tried Hornady match 52gr and those gave me 1 1/2 MOA ten shot groups. My favourite gun. I never missed with it, even out to 200yds although most shots were within 100yds or so. I swapped it for an Anschutz 22 hornet when I moved to NZ. I still miss that mini-14 though but I would have lost it after our Christchurch massacre anyway. Not that I've actually shot the hornet since some time before that anyway and I had a lot of fun with the hornet. Still, I miss that mini.

You know, I don't recall checking the accuracy after changing the gasport bush. I wonder whether it made any difference?

[murf205]

1 1/2" for 10 shots is pretty darn good. It is a realistic indicator of what to expect from a rifle. The only problem is that they are usually harder to boast about because they get bigger that 3 or 5 shot groups-in most of my guns anyway. I hate that you guys lost your semi-auto guns. I hope the government compensated the owners for them instead of seizing them.

[murf205]

If you call them at Tel: (303) 822-6849 you can order just one bushing, I just ordered the .040

I sent them an email and the response was "No". They said that I would have to buy the whole set.

[W.R.Buchanan]

murf: go over to Perfect Union https://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/ and dig around in that forum. There is a guy who makes and sells bushings, Not ASI.

Lots of guys use him.

Randy

[FergusonTO35]

If you dont mind my asking, how is it that you are using 30 round mags in CA? Are they just not enforcing it where you are at? Not trying to be political, just wondering.

[303Guy]

1 1/2" for 10 shots is pretty darn good. It is a realistic indicator of what to expect from a rifle. The only problem is that they are usually harder to boast about because they get bigger that 3 or 5 shot groups-in most of my guns anyway. I hate that you guys lost your semi-auto guns. I hope the government compensated the owners for them instead of seizing them.

Yes they did compensate. They also paid for the mods to my 15 round tubular mag 22 Remington to reduce it to 10 rounds.