G-MAN Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 My Mini-14 Tactical arrived today. I just got through field stripping and cleaning it. Man was this thing dirty. If they only fire one proof round through it that is some dirty propellant they are using. It breaks down just like my M1 Garand, just a lot less little doo-dads because of the box magazine. But getting the recoil spring back in is a real PITA.Didn't the receiver on the Mini-14 used to have "Ruger Mini-14" stamped on the back hump? Mine has "Ruger Ranch Rifle."Off to the range tomorrow to see how it does with the iron sights. Still got to find a decent, inexpensive scope for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-MAN Posted January 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Another thing I noticed: The Mini-14 has a free floating firing pin just like the Garand and M14. This is one of the reasons it's generally recomended that you only fire military ball with hard primers in these guns. But Ruger says you can fire standard .223 Remington or 5.56 military in the Mini-14. So why is the Mini-14 immune to slam fires from std ammo and the Garand and M14 are not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwillson Posted January 16, 2010 Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 G-Man,Is the Mini-14 derived from the Garand and/or M14? Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-MAN Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 G-Man,Is the Mini-14 derived from the Garand and/or M14? Wayne I think "derived from the Garand action" would be a better way to characterize the Mini-14. The gun itself is not based on either the M1 or the M14.The bolt and carrier are pure M1/M14 with the exception of the change made to the ejector with the introduction of the Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. Where Ruger made a significant change from the M14 was in the gas system. Ruger uses a fixed piston and a self adjusting, moving gas cylinder.I have read that if Ruger had begun development of the AC556/Mini-14 ten years before they did, there is a very good chance the rifle you see our troops carrying today would be some version of the Mini-14 instead of some version of Eugene Stoner's AR15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveM Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 I thought you couldn't fire military spec 5.56 ammo in the Mini-14? If you can, I wish I had known that years ago, I bought my Mini-14 back in '95 and only ever fired commercially made ammo in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-MAN Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 I thought you couldn't fire military spec 5.56 ammo in the Mini-14? If you can, I wish I had known that years ago, I bought my Mini-14 back in '95 and only ever fired commercially made ammo in it! Nope. The only Mini-14 that is chambered ONLY for .223 Remington is the Target version. All others are chambered for and can shoot both 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveM Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Good to know! Thanks!! What bullet weight works best for the mini, the 55 grain or 62 grain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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