ok I like challenges have an old mini (not ranch) finally got it to shoot say 2 in 100 after a lot of work and reloading. I have an Ar which shoots a lot better but im old fashened and like the look of woodand the action of Mi carbinweM14 ect ok. Just bought a new Mini ranch. well because I have the old one( not ranch) . The new ones have thicker barrels too. Heres my question? The front barrel band is locked tite and doesnt want to budge. Whats my best way to lossen the screws??? A small amount of heat from a torch Or solvent? Im thinking that if lossened a bit might help my group. Also Brownells now has a gas system which is adjustable and might help the groups also, so far my groups arent good with a multible reloads which work good for my old mini. Also bedded my old barrel which seemed to help but my new stock seems to fit tighter. How long to season the new barrell Ive got approx 300 rounds thru it with imacculate cleaning of the barrell. Hew all I want is 2 in at 100. Any suggestions? Need help. I like the mini 14. thanks

There is an attachment you can get for the Mini that fits under the barrel and basically stiffens it. I can't remember the name, there are two, one is a rip off of the other. Costs around $100. There is a website somewhere that specialises in the Mini 14. You can also get a good trigger job.
Peter.

Check out these folks: Accuracy Systems Inc I had them convert my older Mini to .204 Ruger, add a normal sized stock, trigger job and .750" diameter barrel. They did a really nice job and the rifle shoots under 1 moa with factory ammo. Plus, I dont have to deal with any of the silly California "black gun" issue like I would if I got an AR instead. You can almost surely get an AR to shoot better for less money, but if you want to stay with a Mini-14 these guys are the way to go.

I had a 'pre-ranch rifle' mini-14 and loved it! I got it to shoot MOA (sub-MOA, actually). I polished the trigger making it real smooth and crisp. I bedded the action (quite tricky) and put a leather buffer pad between the piston and cylinder. I neck sized only and used powder in the Varget class. Sierra bullets worked well but I settled on 52gr Hornady match even though they did not expand. They still worked well enough at reasonable distances.

That barrel band is just real tight. I took mine off to block the gas port and then again to fit a smaller port 'gas nipple' (which is what locates the barrel band on the barrel). Slow burning powder gave me good accuracy but worked the action too vigorously! When retightening those screws, be sure to pull them up evenly in small steps and torque them real tight again. Use a good quality Allen key wrench or it will slip and damage the screw hexes.

When you say, "with immaculate cleaning of the barrel", how exactly do you do that? From the muzzle end? Be sure to use a bore guide. Oh, I never actually cleaned my rifle bores. They got a dip of Hoppe's on a nylon brush after use, then another one followed by one or two clean patches and one final one dipped in benzene, before use. (I don't do the benzine thing anymore - just a dry patch or two).

the after market gas block will help groups and make it easy to police brass and get a buffer to go in the action it will help also.

Check out perfectunion.com It is a site dedicated to the mini 14 and has lots of information.
Regards, Keith

Thanks keith1! That is the forum I was thinking of!
Peter.

Thanks everyone appreciate all the info!! Im using 24.3 Hod BLC2 with 55gr IMI fmjthat I discovered years ago for my other mini. Presto after 300 Plus to season the barrel One to two inches at 100!! Think I can get it to 1 inch. Again any help with loosening the barrel bands?. Seems like red lock tite! Any more help would be appreciated also!! This is a great website isnt it ? The MINI is loved and hated isnt it? I think because its not black but you can get a black stock too!!! look at its history the M1carbine M1 garand and the M14 !!!!! good shooting to Yall from Kentucky

quote:

Again any help with loosening the barrel bands?. Seems like red lock tite!

OK, so it is Loctited! Heat it up to about 120°C (or is it 140°C?) Apologies for not knowing the °F value. That is not very hot - just above boiling point. Loctite breaks down when heated - by design. (Unless someone used the heat resistant one. Then you're in trouble! ) The red one is too strong for small screws. The blue one should have been used. But heat should sort it out! Good luck. Don’t use Loctite when reassembling. Those screws should be tight enough to not come loose on their own. (Unless someone decided that bedding the barrel band with Loctite and using only light clamping force would eliminate stress on the barrel? Now there's a thought!). And don’t be shy to expect sub-MOA from your mini-14. Great little rifle!

P.S. Mine was terrible with factory ammo. I do not remember whether it had a military spec chamber or not. At the time I did not know there was a difference.

As for a method of removing those Loc Tite allen head screws, take an allen wrench, (hold with vice grips/pliars,) old one if you have one, heat until cherry red, place in screw head and let the heat migrate into the screw for a while, then take a quality wrench to loosen. I tend to not put an open flame on these stubborn screws and the above approach usually does the trick. May take a few minutes or repeat of same, but believe they will break loose. just a suggestion

quote:

I tend to not put an open flame on these stubborn screws and the above approach usually does the trick. May take a few minutes or repeat of same, but believe they will break loose. just a suggestion

Good idea!
A gentle preheat of the part to a 'not very hot' temperature migh make it work first time. (Less heat than soft soldering is required to break down Loctite).

Thanks again to all you mini lovers like me!!if you live in the US of A and want another one get it now before Obama gets in!! Or an AR or high cap clips or 50cal ect ect ect!!! In the last month more guns have been sold than ever. It going to be bad news for gun lovers! Gestapo to disarm the citizens! I dont know how he got in period but if you arent currently a NRA member join now. good shooting to yall from Kentucky a gun loving state!!

The gas block screws on the Mini are "staked" by Ruger. The only way to break them loose is to get a good quality Allen Wrench and work them back and forth a little bit at a time. Heat will not break the stakes loose.

When re-installing the gas block make sure you align both halves exactly the same, use a feeler gauge. Do NOT over tighten these screws. For best accuracy the gas block screws should be torqued to 36 inch pounds, that's inch pounds.

Purchase a Buffertech shock buffer for the rear and make a shock buffer for the front(gas block) out of an old vaccuum cleaner belt. These buffers will eliminate metal to metal contact and improve accuracy.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=219931

Have the action bedded.
Have that horable trigger smoothed out.
Install the shock buffers.
Re-torque the gas block screws.
Install a muzzle break of flash hider
Install an Accu-Strut
Use handloads

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86

When removing coated or suborn screws requiring heat .

Pliers holding a nail heated red hot works or a soldering Iron also works well .

Some times placing properly fitting screw driver blade ( All metal no handle ) and giving it a sound

rap works wonders .

quote:

Have that horable trigger smoothed out.

That trigger becomes quite nice after smoothing!

I did not have much difficulty removing the gas block screws on my Mini-14. But they were tight! I took great care to torque them up evenly. Tight enough so they wouldn't come loose by themselves - I did not know the correct torque at the time.
I did most of the things steve4102 listed. What is an Accu-Strut? (I mentioned that I achieved sub-MOA with my Mini). I only tried two powders in mine. 'Small rifle' and 'medium rifle' (MR100 and MR200 from Somchem), aside from playing around with reduced loads. The medium power was way better and gave excellent results in my 303 Brit as well. BUT... it produced over vigorous ejection, which would occasionally bounce the case against the scope and jam the operating slide. I did eventually fit a smaller gas 'nipple'.

303, accustrut is one of the devices I referenced in my post. You can see it referred to at the perfectunion web site as well. As I understand it, it basically stiffens the barrel by clamping a rod underneath it. If you achieved sub moa without it then I suspect that you don't need it.
Peter.

I wonder why the guys at Ruger started staking those screws? Blue locktite works fine! Im afraid now I will break a screw that would be great!! Ruger has some good firearms but you just have to wonder why they do certain things. Thanks again guys for all the info! anyone else have any luck getting those screws loose? My old one isnt even locktited they come off easily!

quote:

If you achieved sub moa without it then I suspect that you don't need it.

I don't have that mini-14 anymore.
I shouldn't use the term "sub MOA" for my mini-14 - it makes it sound like a tack driver. It wasn't. Let's just say MOA - and then only with one type of bullet.

Hey Steve Ive tried to loosen those screws but they are staked pretty bad. Looks like maybe a lost cause. Will probably break a screw which I dont want to do! The main reason I wanted to take them off was to maybe install an adjustable gas block that I saw at Brownells. They say it slows down those cases for easier retrieval also say It improves accuracy. Has anyone done this or heard about it? Changed a nipple on my last one years ago with a stainless one for less cleaning. Cant remember do the gas block screws have to be removed for this? Can a smaller diameter nipple be installed? thanks

Hey Steve went to the perfect union thanks. Looks like I want to change the gas bushing to maybe a .045. Do you know if Brownells carries these off hand ?

You can get a set of bushings and an Adjustable Gas Block here.
http://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.com/mini_14_30_accessories.php ASI is tha manufacturer of the Adjustable gas block.

You will still have to remove the gas block to change the bushing.

Ruger Mini-30 with adjustable gas block.

Steve thanks again!! I like that rifle now Ill bet it shoots! You know those idiots at Ruger really did it with the staking!! Im afraid even a small impact wrench will break those screws!! They really messed up those threads!! Hey that gas system in the pic looks like for a bull barrel. I guess I could cut off the whole block with a dremel if im careful and order another one. Any one else have any ideas?

Phil, they have different gas blocks for different barrel diameters.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Philbilly:
I wonder why the guys at Ruger started staking those screws? ...

This is strictly a guess - to reduce the number of Customer Returns.

If your plan is to replace the Gas Block, new screws should come with it or not cost much at all.

Best of luck with the rifle.

Thanks again Peter Hot core and Steve4102!!

Let us know how you make out with those screws!
I have been toying with the idea of working on my Mini 14! Just have to figure out how to take it apart again.
Peter.

Dont know if its worth it ! Im down to 1 and a half at 100 with the reloads and still workin on it. Sure would like to replace that gas block . Im going to call Brownells and talk to a gunsmith about it. I love Brownells its the greatest company out there period!!!!! But I know you guys know it right!!!! good shootin to yall from Kentucky a gun loving state!!!

Phil did you contact Gun Doc at great Western Gunsmithing? After seeing your thread I disassembled my Mini 14 (early model stainless steel) yesterday and I am going to send off my trigger grooup to him. My understanding is that the gas block changes are just to adjust the gas porting so that the ejected brass doesn't go all over the place. I plan on trying a home grown version of the accu-strut. What loads are you using to get 1 1/2 inch groups?
Peter.

1 1/2 inch groups was all I could get with 'hunting' bullets. Only match bullets took me all the way to MOA.

On the gas port issue - since you are having trouble removing the gas block, why not look at restricting the piston? It is held in by a cross pin. You could even fit a 'needle' up into the gas nipple via the piston socket. The piston would then hold it in place. (Just make sure it has a head that will prevent it from going right up into the bore!)

quote:

Im going to call Brownells and talk to a gunsmith about it.

You may be better off calling Carl at ASI. ASI is the manufacturer of the Adjustable Gas Block. He did the custom barrel etc. on my Mini-30. Great guy to deal with.

Here is a link to his site.
http://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.com/index.php

Thanks Peter Steve and 303 guy! Actually havent called anyone yet been too busy. Ive got my new mini shooting 1 inch or better at 50 yds. At 100 its more finicky on the bullets. My best load is from a discontinued powder called accurate arms 2200. 19 to 19.5 grains does the best. At 100 with IMI fmj bullets it will do 1.5 inches with 3 shots . If I go 5 or 6 a flyer will make it 2 and a half inch group. Now I havent fully experimented with cold barrel versus hot will do that next. If I use 50 grain Speer TNT bullets it will do 2 and a half at 100. Or 3 quarter inch at 50. The TNTs I want to use for coyotes. I live in Kentucky so I dont get long 200yd shots very much. Also Im using a Weaver V10 variable so running shots should be good at 2 power! In Kentucky there is no limitation for coyote or fox hunting as far as caliber or clip capacity so Ill use a 20 rounder for sure. Last year a coyote got away runn ing 45 miles an hour and I had the wrong gun a bolt action. The next best powder is Hod BLC 2 24.3 grains . It will do 2 inches at 100 with flyers. By the way Im using Lake city brass and no crimp. Im thinking these lower velosity loads dont max the gas system and thats why hotter loads dont group as well. Just an idea. Wont these adj gas block systems make for better groups? Thanks again!

quote:

At 100 with IMI fmj bullets it will do 1.5 inches with 3 shots .

I'm not so sure about fmj's. Sierra's are supposed to be good and I do recall getting good results with them. I suspect that the slowest possible powder will give best results due to the nature of the barrel vibrations set up. The vigorous action of the slide takes place after the bullet has left the barrel but the initial 'kick' against the gas block may play a role. I did get good results with Speer 50gr bullets and reduced loads to mimic hornet performance. I recall hitting a critter three times in the chest a 160yds or so. That was a small critter! Somewhere along the line I lost the fact that Sierra 55gr worked well. Much later I came across a target with a 10 shot group around MOA, marked Sierra and I did have an empty Sierra bullet box. No factory ammo shot well in my mini-14 (3 MOA). I plugged off the gas port for a while and it was fun to shoot but it did not make any difference to accuracy. The slide was still in place being 'kicked' by the gas block. A least, that is what I thought was happening.

Good luck!

P.S You will have noticed by now that it is fun trying to make your mini-14 shoot well!
(I used mine as a varminter)!

Well 303 guy I dont know that its fun but It makes me feel good when I get the gun to shoot good. My Colt AR 15 Hbar will do 6 shots in a dime at 100 on a good day and that is what I wish my Mini would do. I see these race guns that are sent to speciality shops and I dont think a Mini I s worth that much money for me ok. ( I appreciate all the info very much from every one on this link!!) Ive got an older mini which I put a flash suppressor and folding stock on which I like too. I own a m1 carbine m1 garand too which I like. I like wood stocks much more than the black rifle look of an AR. thanks again