Mini 14 magazine issues

[Seadog]

Great, soon as I get rich I will run right out and do that.

Not trying to irritate you Rick. Just trying to help you out. I know from your previous posts and Coast Guard experience how much you hate the M16/AR15. I have AR15s, a Mini14 and a Mini30. and I really like them. All reliable and good guns with many rounds down range. The Ruger’s are magazine sensitive. And now you have learned that also like me.

Plastic magazines in certain weapons are destined for failure is all I and others are trying to get at. Even with a Pro Mag warranty. Kind of like Taurus, just avoid it and spare the future headaches. Even some of the aftermarket metal magazines for minis are quirky.

Ruger Mini 14s and Mini30s are some picky platforms when it comes to magazines. For some reason aftermarket producers for the most part just can’t get it right.

In my personal experience I have bought aftermarket magazines in the past and with the one exception of a brand I can’t remember now, those others all ended up getting left at the range in the trashcan. This was a long time ago. Too bad you weren’t around because I would’ve let you have them to tinker with.

 

[Foxfire5]

This right here!

Yes Sir. You are a true Patriot!

 

[RickN]

Not trying to irritate you Rick. Just trying to help you out. I know from your previous posts and Coast Guard experience how much you hate the M16/AR15. I have AR15s, a Mini14 and a Mini30. and I really like them. All reliable and good guns with many rounds down range. The Ruger’s are magazine sensitive. And now you have learned that also like me.

Plastic magazines in certain weapons are destined for failure is all I and others are trying to get at. Even with a Pro Mag warranty. Kind of like Taurus, just avoid it and spare the future headaches. Even some of the aftermarket metal magazines for minis are quirky.

Ruger Mini 14s and Mini30s are some picky platforms when it comes to magazines. For some reason aftermarket producers for the most part just can’t get it right.

In my personal experience I have bought aftermarket magazines in the past and with the one exception of a brand I can’t remember now, those others all ended up getting left at the range in the trashcan. This was a long time ago. Too bad you weren’t around because I would’ve let you have them to tinker with.

I have a Taurus I love too.

 

[Seadog]

I have a Taurus I love too.

I have a Taurus also. A PT22. It had been sent back 3 times for being a brand new piece of krap. The last time they sent me a totally new gun and kept the other one. This one actually works. Shouldn’t have to go through that.

Had an old 357 revolver Taurus. Back when they were made in Brazil. Being a military contractor back then they actually made good firearms and had QC. An ex of mine ended up keeping the gun. Beach tried using it to leverage me back. Haaa didn’t work. Old boy I bought it off of kept bugging me to buy it back. I gave him her address.

The American based company is hit or miss. I was with a good friend when he bought 2 new factory magazines at Gun World. What a mistake. Needless to say one mag wouldn’t lock in and the other would stick. Had to fight to get it out. Almost like it got Californiaized and was fixed in. The arse hat at gun world said they needed to be broke in and oiled. What a crock o shite. Wouldn’t take them back.

I’ve a bunch more stories about Taurus but have not desire to write it all down. A company with that hit or miss and a lack of QC definitely needs the warranty they have.

Glad you got lucky and have one that works properly.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I’d bet that the match guns don’t have factory springs or triggers for the most part. People altering springs or the fcg to make things faster and lighter. Lots of issues there. I’d say a good portion would be operator induced.

Exactly. Light primer strikes are a real non-issue with unmodified ARs. I've been shooting them since 1979...worked on them as a Red Hat in the Air Guard, carried them as a civilian cop, carried them as a Security Forces cop in the AF Reserve. I've never had a bad one.

And I'm also a Mini-14 fan. I have two. And a...generous supply...of original Ruger magazines. Oldie and a newer generation version:

 

[Seadog]

Exactly. Light primer strikes are a real non-issue with unmodified ARs. I've been shooting them since 1979...worked on them as a Red Hat in the Air Guard, carried them as a civilian cop, carried them as a Security Forces cop in the AF Reserve. I've never had a bad one.

And I'm also a Mini-14 fan. I have two. And a...generous supply...of original Ruger magazines. Oldie and a newer generation version:

View attachment 282236

View attachment 282237

Beautiful. I’ve a stainless 580 in one of the new Ruger AT-M Samson folding stocks. Then my old 180 Mini 30 in a Houge stock.

Wish they hadn’t got rid of the original rear sight. Cosmetics wise it just looks better than the ranch flip rear sight. Even the newer fixed rear sight is just eh. Be nice if they started making the GB prison models with the bayonet lug again like yours. Factory fixed or folding stock assembled rifles like yours would fly off the shelves. Or I’d imagine they would.

I’ve been looking around for a picatiny rail like the one you have. How do you like it? Remember who made it?

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I don't remember where I got that little rail for the Mini. I've looked thru emails and Amazon orders and can't find it. If I figure it out I'll let you know.

The Mini with the folder was originally just a GB model with standard wood stock. The folder is one of the Samson's in blue. They just started shipping those earlier this year. So I've sort of turned it into a fake GB/F model.

 

[HFS]

I have wished Mac Gar would make magazines for the .223 version.
I've always wanted a Mini 14 in case I have to disappear into the Los Angeles underground.*

*Would never encourage anybody to break ridiculous California law...or move to Los Angeles.

 

[RickN]

I don't remember where I got that little rail for the Mini. I've looked thru emails and Amazon orders and can't find it. If I figure it out I'll let you know.

The Mini with the folder was originally just a GB model with standard wood stock. The folder is one of the Samson's in blue. They just started shipping those earlier this year. So I've sort of turned it into a fake GB/F model.

You ever want to trade that wood GB stock for a plastic one let me know. My Mini 14 is a GB model with a black composite stock but I much prefer wood.

Oh and my Taurus is an old M66 revolver with a 6in tube. Not as nice as the Security Six or S&W M66 I had but it has not failed me yet. Only problem it has ever had was when the wife claimed it for several years and never took care of it.

 

[securitysix]

The problem with pro mags is that they are pro mags.

I have some ProMags for my Mini-14 and half of them (steel 20 rounders) have been excellent.

The other half are polymer 30 rounders, and they're garbage.