Media Guy is useful...

[rp]

sometimes.

I prefer a Mini-14 to all of those AR's y'all seem to have. Problem is that during a move about 2 years ago I misplaced my 2 five round magazines. I have looked everywhere I could and I just can't find them. I have found all kinds of other stuff I should just toss but that won't happen with this pack rat.

Anyway, I went on line at Ruger.com. About $25 there and add shipping. Checked ebay and such. Some people are too proud of those things. On my way to Shooters Choice ( and I could call but I wanted to look) I called Media Guy, who to Dakota's Day's (aka Eric) demise, works at Palmetto State Armory with him.

Media Guy was kind enough to check inventory and told me they had two at the northeast Columbia store. As I was on that side of town I dropped in. Found them promptly and there was a third, not two. Media Guy cannot count. Y'all now have ZERO if you are counting, Media Guy.

And the nice thing is that even with the SC sales tax and Richland County's hand in your pocket I came out much cheaper than Ruger.com or anything on Ebay and Midway and Brownells'. Don't start on the cost of gas because I'm going to those stores anyway.

Just saying, shop local. I still need to check Shooter's Choice inventory.

[WoodieSC]

Congrats, rp. I've got several of those but don't plan on parting with them for now.

What kind of 100 yd group can you get with that rifle?

[rp]

It all depends on the ammo. 55 gr of most everything works best. I have some Black Hills I want to try before my son finds it and burns that ammo up. I have not got a 1" group out of anything. A little over 2" is a norm. But thats a MOA of coyote all day long. And that's on a rest. I plan to get a scope on it too.

[WoodieSC]

It all depends on the ammo. 55 gr of most everything works best. I have some Black Hills I want to try before my son finds it and burns that ammo up. I have not got a 1" group out of anything. A little over 2" is a norm. But thats a MOA of coyote all day long. And that's on a rest. I plan to get a scope on it too.

Have you done any accurizing or anything on it, such as opening up the gas bushing, shortening or stiffening the barrel, etc? Is yours an original or new model?

The original Mini-14 used to have a reputation for "Minute of Basketball" accuracy without any 'smithing efforts. With a little trigger smoothing and a barrel stiffener, mine came down from 'maybe hitting the target' to about .8" or so at 50 yds with a red dot optic. I haven't done any recent 100 yd shooting with it other than to miss a couple of coyotes out back, and I can't blame the rifle for those.

[rp]

No I havent. Just have not made the time to do so. I've heard it can be done. This is not an old gun and doesn't have the pencil thin barrel. I start at an advantage.

[WoodieSC]

How far does that rifle fling the empty brass, and which direction, e.g., 2:00, 3:00, etc?

I need to put a larger gas bushing in mine as it flings them maybe 21'-25'. At least I know where they'll be, but it's over-gassed, for sure.

I keep thinking about getting rid of this one for another AR or AK, but being a nice SS Ranch Rifle it's tough to let it go.

[Swamp Rat]

I bought one back in the early '80s. Took it to a local gun shop to have an AR-15 style flash hider and front sight put on it. They couldn't get the front sight off, so they cut the damn barrel off behind the sight and put the brake on. I was livid. It DID make for a neat look, back when I cared about form over function, and the sight picture improved.

That gun would reliably shoot about 2" at 100 yards with cheap ball ammo.

[WoodieSC]

A few years back, a couple of guys on a Ruger forum did some testing with their Mini-14's. The net result after changing gas bushings, trigger jobs, bedding, etc, came down to cutting the barrels down to about 16.5-16.75" and recrowning. In all cases there was substantial improvement in group sizes.

Then a guy started a project to develop a barrel stiffener similar to the M1?, I don't recall, but tat stiffener is now probably one of the most popular after-market accessories. I made an aluminum sleeve one with my neighbor with no barrel shortening and it shoots as well as my older AR, or better.

[MediaGuy]

Thanks for the compliment I think. I knew there were three at the store, I told you there were two so you wouldn't call complaining if someone purchased one between when I told you how many there were and your arrival of the store.

[rp]

MG, that's bullcrap. Even the fella at the register had to add an item to inventory so he could sell it. It was called "Misc" on my invoice.

In journalism school they teach y'all to come up with solutions like that. It's called "fake news."

[MediaGuy]

I found it in inventory no problem, must have been operator error at the POS.
We had a term for people like you in journalism school, "ungrateful asshole" ��

[rp]

I found it in inventory no problem, must have been operator error at the POS.
We had a term for people like you in journalism school, "ungrateful asshole" ��

I'm a grateful asshole, butthaid. You said two were there. Three were there. If you found 3 it is because he added one at the register.

And by the way, I do hope your wife hasn't skinned you having to ride all the way to New Orleans with you.