Ruger Mini 14 trigger

[cdet69]

Is it normal to be able to pull the trigger on a Ruger Mini 14 without the bolt being closed all the way. I had a cable lock slid through the action but was able to pull the trigger and hear the firing pin strike. This seems like it could lead to a real bad problem if a round does not chamber all the way and is able to be fired.

[Artful]

Garand type trigger system - you can have the bolt forward but not engaged but the tab on the firing pin won't be lined up to allow the firing pin to go forward to strike the primer.

The number one cause of slam fires in a Garand, Mini-14, M1 or M14 is soft, commercial primers.
(MILSPEC primers are fine.) I've seen or heard about a dozen over the years and all of them were from this.

The number two cause of slam fires is a broken firing pin lodged in the bolt face with the tip jammed forward.
Or Held forward by Grease. This happens in SKS's or AK's as well. You should inspect your firing pin when you clean it.
If the gun malfunctions, check this as well.

Firing out of battery is actually much, MUCH more uncommon to almost unheard of in these types of rifle.
The safety bridge keeps the firing pin to the rear until it has lost enough momentum to set off the primer prematurely
and there would have to be a problem with that along with a cartridge case/bullet combo that is too long.

What is often incorrectly described as an "out of battery fire" is actually a "slam fire." due to soft primer cups in reloads.
I always us CCI or Winchester Mil-spec for reloading .223/5.56 and my .308 WCF/7.62x51 and of course .30'06 for Garands.

Notch that firing pin has to align with to allow it to strike a primer.
http://www.garandgear.com/images/tutorials/Ins1.jpg

NOT in Battery - Firing pin NOT Aligned
http://www.garandgear.com/images/tutorials/Ins3.jpg

In Battery - firing pin aligned
http://www.garandgear.com/images/tutorials/Ins2.jpg

http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-failure-to-fire/86-part-inspection

http://www.garandgear.com/how-to-grease-your-m1-garand

http://www.garandflash.com/feeding.html

http://www.garandflash.com/trigger.html

http://www.garandflash.com/action.html

[cdet69]

Thanks. That answers my question to a t.

[bushboy]

Thanks for the explanation and pic's Artful.

[MtGun44]

Great explanation and pix.

Did a post mortem on a Chinese M14 that fired unlocked. Near as I could tell, the bridge was out
of spec and did not do what it was supposed to do. Impossible to directly measure, the factory
used gages, not readily available. Best measurements I could make, pretty sure that was what
destroyed the rifle.

Bill