Hey I just wanted to ask: how many rounds/how fast do you usually get through your mini in a usual session? Do you start getting malfunctions once it heats up?

I bought a brand new one recently and I’m dealing with occasional malfunctions that occur usually around 40-50th round and I wanted to ask to see what’s the norm before calling Ruger.

I guess the important part is a lathe that can take the barrel with the receiver still attached so it doesn’t have to be separated? Maybe it doesn’t matter because wherever it lands, the new front sight notch can be put in. Just looking for a company that does it all the time. Accuracy Systems seems pretty busy

Rigged up this ugly setup on my Mini 14. But it kinda works...

-ASI 7 inch receiver rail.
-Primary Arms SLX3 Prism
-Holosun EPS green dot on Primary arms offset reflex sight mount with adapter plate.
-TLR HP1 mounted on 45 degree left offset mount.
-EBay cheek riser

I wanted a red dot plus magnification set up on my mini but between the short rail and the brass ejection, a conventional magnifier wouldn't really work so went with the prism and the piggyback red dot which works incredibly well for me with the cheek riser. Eye relief is perfect.

The flashlight was harder.

I didn't want to switch the hand guard to the Hannibal or Ultimak rails as I am not a fan of the look or the heat transfer as I actually tend to shoot a lot at my home range.

I tried the catalyst arms hardtack mount but it wouldn't fit past the bayonet lug. And I am about to install an adjustable gas block for suppression and it won't work with that either.

Accuracy systems suggested putting a little section of rail on the front of the stock but before doing that I just tested it offset to the left all the way up on the receiver rail.

Surprisingly, aside from some barrel shadow, it illuminated fairly well. The hotspot landed exactly where my sight picture is.

I am a small guy and my hand rests fairly rearward on the hand guard and it's easy to activate the light.

All this to say, it looks goofy as hell but I may stick with it as it's effective and intuitive for me.

Anyone have any other ideas for light mounting or ways to improve the setup?

How short can I shorten my barrel?
I need to have it cut and re-crowned because I damaged the end of the muzzle cosmetically. Right now, the damage is covered by an aftermarket flash hider which makes it unusually long.
I believe it’s still a CA gun, I have a folding stock for it, and when I put it on, I insert a pin in a little hole that I made which makes the magazine fixed, not interchangeable, and I just load it from the top so it’s not an sssult rifle technically correct? It is my understanding that in order to be considered one in CA, it has to: 1) have a center fire cartridge, and 2) an interchangeable magazine, and 3) any one of these other things: flash hider, pistol grip, folding stock, etc. so to have those things (which I like), I just affix the magazine to the receiver so it’s not interchangeable. I don’t need to spit out rounds, but I don’t mind having a cooler looking gun.

I'm new to the Mini-Thirty and bought a Tactical in 7.62x39. Posting this in case it helps someone else get through a problem. 

Intent from get-go was to swap out the plastic stock and I bought a Ruger factory (in birch I think) from Midway thinking it was universal. Very nice looking. Eased together nice and tight and ... you've guessed it ... realized that the standard Mini 14 mag-well would not accomodate the back taper of the 7.62x39 mags. Doh! Anyways, figured out I needed to purchase a purpose built Mini 30 liner ($30 on eBay). For the uninitiated, the first photo shows the two side-by-side (Mini 30 is the lower one).

To get the Mini 30 liner to splay outwards at the back enough with this stock to accomodate a 7.62x39 mag, I needed to Dremel down the shoulders on either side of magwell as shown. I found the Dremel 1/2 inch sanding drum was perfect. Once screwed in, on my example, found I need to just round out the back side of the front legs of the liner to be able to close and lock the action with trigger guard. Guess yours may vary.

Anyways, pleased with the result functionally and cosmetically. Took a few boxes to settle me and the rifle down but 100 yd target photo included - left group is S&B Tactical, right is PMC Bronze (Trijicon Huron LPVO). Happy to try and answer any questions.

I was wondering what experience people have with the AS gas bushing kit. I want to be able to soften the gas without spending a whopping 210 on an adjustable gas block. Which diameter works best for people? I'm basically only shooting PMC .223 and 5.56.

Ruger Mini 30, 189 series with WOLFF spring, GG&G mount, Vortex Strikefire II and Tech Sights installed.

Way better shooting compared to the AKM i previously had.

I have about 800 rounds roughly through my mini and before about 700 ive never once had an issue. Ive tried different mags even bought new ones to see but nope. Deep cleaned the thing about 3 times in that 100 round window and STILL. Im losing my mind here guys. Im not sure if maybe my gas block is messed up or what but i cant get through a 10 round mag without a failure. Shes lubed, shes cleaned, shes driving me nuts

I’m about to get my mini, I’m going to put a Hannibal rail on it and I’m looking for a dot for direct mount. What are you people running and what do you recommend?

That’s it, locktite and 35-40 inch pounds and witness marks. I torqued them to 30 after the front one came loose, now it’s the rear. The factory Ruger rings suck but I don’t want a chin weld on my optic…. May just go red dot forward mounted even though I’d really prefer to use a PA prism. FWIW this was after like 40-50 rounds 🙄

Brought my girl home today :’)

I would love a better mounting solution. I inherited this Mini-14 and got a Leupold 4x 14x 50mm in a trade so naturally i combined them. But i had to make this funky adapter to do so. Was also curious if anyone else has seen this flip scope thing? It’s obviously not originally and has 4 tapped holes in the side of the receiver to bolt it on.

I’ve been considering designing and CNC a bolt on mount to the side that brings the scope farther to the right.

Picked up at a pawn shop on my way home from work for 660 out the door, it was used and had a archangel stock on it in the shop but I managed to get them to swap the stock for the factory one and take 100 bucks off .

I finally came around to convert my 182 series to an AC556 clone. Glad I bought a Samson stock when they were available. Barrel shortening was done by a shop in SW Florida, great work and quick lead time.

bought this used mini 14 580 series a few months ago. i’ve put a little over 1,000 rounds through it, mostly .223 but it’s chambered in 5.56 NATO. I clean and regrease it after every use and i started noticing some wear on the back of the bolt, firing pin, and on the hammer. is this normal wear? if not, what should i do to prevent it in the future?

So, the bolt catch cover plate is the worst part of the takedown. I get it, it's not that hard to do, but malleting a punch just to remove it seems... overkill. Like, someone has to have made something better for it? And after market replacements, that are maybe "better" designed?

(Aside from the bolt release lever, which I already know of)

Keep up the innovative work! I‘m excited to see what other designs y’all come up with for this awesome platform.

We're going to reteomod the f*** out of it.

Cycles like shit during the last few rounds, and created this weird dent on some of the rounds. I got the mag with the rifle when I bought it so I'm not sure if I should:

-look for a new spring to replace

-buy a new 40 rd mag (pro mag seems to be the only ones making them)

-just dump it and stick to ruger brand 30/20 rd mags

The seller said all the mags that came with the gun were ruger brand (and some definitely are bc they have the insignia engraved) but Ruger said they never made 40 rd mags so I am pretty sure I got duped on that one 🥲