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Practically Shooting

Accurizing a Ruger Mini 14?


wwillson

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I've been considering purchasing another .223, so I'll have a second rifle to take prairie dogging out west. It would serve the as a backup rifle in case my Bushmaster had trouble and as a second shooting gun to let the Bushmaster cool between magazines. The more I think about driving 1,800 miles round trip with one rifle, the more I realize how silly it is not to have a backup.

I could just buy another Bushmaster, but it could be more fun to try a different platform. I can think of several criteria I would require from a rifle.

  • Reliable
  • Great trigger
  • Semi automatic
  • Low recoil
  • Accurate
  • Muzzle brake

The list could go on, but those really are the main criteria.

I considered a Mini-14, but stock they are simply not accurate enough for 200-400 yard shots at a PD.

I did a search here and found this thread about an Accuracy Systems Mini-14.

Now, I'm certainly not going to spend $6000 to accurize and accessorize a Mini, but for about $799 they will make a guarantee of sub 1" MOA.

I think the end cost would be about $400 more than just buying another Bushmaster.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,

Wayne

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Be the first to tell ya opinions are like noses, not all are the same and most smell. As we say in the country, no matter how you dress a pig, it's still a pig. Doing all of the work and buying the parts certainly does not make it worth near what you'll have in it. I'd put the money on anything but a Mini 14 platform.

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Because I have the chance, I will slip in the wise guy answer to the oft-asked "How do you accurize a Mini-14?".

That answer is: "Trade it for an AR-15".

Sorry. Had to.

I've had two Mini-14s, both standard .223 caliber non-Ranch models. One was fairly accurate though nothing great, and the other was terrible.

Both of mine came to me used, but one guy who is a Mini fan tells me that if you can buy one brand new so you know some joker hasn't taken it out and shot a bucket of ammo through it in an hour, they can shoot pretty well.

I don't know about that.

Maybe.

In my experience, Ruger rifles- regardless of model- tend to shoot really well...or not. When I was both shooting rifles and trading guns more, I would buy a Ruger 77 that shot great, then try another that would not shoot very well at all even though it was nearly identical. From paying attention at the gun shop, that was typical. Just counting the ones I owned or were owned by people I knew and trusted, it ran about 2/3 success/failure rate- meaning that two would shoot great then the third wouldn't do anything.

I have no explanation for that. I know all companies make a lemon now and then, but there seems to be an average you can count on. Ruger tends to be all or nothing.

Ruger made three of the better shooting rifles I've ever owned. They've also made some of the more frustrating.

As far as the Accuracy Systems Mini-14s go, I've thought about them and decided that I could buy any number of AR-15s for the same money or less that would shoot just as well. That's as far as I thought about it.

If you really want a .223 semiauto that is different, but shoots well, have you thought about an AR-180? That's pretty offbeat, and they can shoot pretty well.

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I just remembered hearing some say they helped accuracy on Minis by loosening the screws clamping the gas block to the barrel and allowing the operating rod to center up on it to eliminate any side pressure or twisting, then re-tightening the screws.

I have zero personal experience with this and haven't even seen it done, but from goofing around with Garands, I can see that it could make a difference. I have seen the operating rod piston end bearing hard against the gas block in one direction or another, which makes me think the gas block is installed the same way on every rifle using an alignment fixture, then the op rod is installed without checking for the actual relationship between the two components on that individual rifle. It sure couldn't hurt anything to tune this a little.

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  • 5 months later...

I got my submoa mini14 out of the box with 4Xscope under $1000

My mini14NRA came from the dealer for under $1000 with a 4Xbushnell scope and after zeroing it in my gunsmith shot 3 sub moa groups in a row. I did it twice in 5 tries, but that was me not the rifle. Best rifle I have ever owned. It is in

the same class as the bushmaster but the .223 5.56 round has it's limits. With all the recent improvments the mini14 is every thing you would ask of a .223 5.56 . The SUB MOA groups were done with 75GR match ammo from a 1/9 twist 16 1/8" barrel.

Where did you find that slick stock, I would sure like one.

oldarmy

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While an accurized mini would be fun. I would pick up another AR then you have another rifle with the same parts and magazines. I have been selling off the odds and ends and getting several of the same of exact rifle/handguns because of the same parts and mags and ammo .

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While an accurized mini would be fun. I would pick up another AR then you have another rifle with the same parts and magazines. I have been selling off the odds and ends and getting several of the same of exact rifle/handguns because of the same parts and mags and ammo .

Steve,

We think alike - exactly what I did, bought another AR.

Wayne

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