Mini14 rebuild

[N555]

I already made the mini14 suck less just load developing, it really likes my 64gr tipped matchkings with a start load of H322.
My Mini14 has had a lot of rounds through it. The gun is a 183 serries barrel is worn and was a bit pitted when I got it in the late 1990s. Then I got ahold of it and shot it a lot.
I say no point in going into teotwawki with a worn out gun, that you know is worn out. Not a matter of "if" but "when".

One thing I definitely would like and can use no matter what direction I go is a trigger job. And an actual professional trigger job, might as well use professionals for something at some point.
What I would like to do is put a new hammer forged, cut down, 1/2x28 threaded, 580 series stainless barrel with 1:9 twist. An adjustable gas block. And that would be a pretty good start.

Step one, get the stuff to take the mini14 apart.
Power Custom sells the receiver and barrel blocks that fit their wrench and vise attachments.
The blocks are $40 and $50 each. Okay, not too bad about a $100 for both. Then I saw the price of the wrench and vise block. They're $100 each, that's potentially $300 just to take the gun apart. How about no. So I made my own wrench tonight. I had some solid 1x1.25 inch bar that I got for free and my drill press. To build the vise protector I'll just remake the shoter bit of the wrench 2 more times.
Just need some 5 and 6 inch long 1/2 inch thread bolts.
I'll use them and sell them, the barrel blocks, receiver blocks, vise protector and wrench for $200 when I'm done.

If that won't do it I don't know what will.

The high frequency, very efficient induction heating coil. Just the right size and shape, a slight oval, for the mini14 receiver. The induction heater heats the outside of any metal object nice and evenly. I'm not using a torch.

Mine, not for sale.
This thing is perfect for taking apart carbon locked silencers, interference fit gears and pulleys.

 

[Speedo66]

There are a few companies where you just send your trigger group and they modify it, ASI is one.

Most will be under $100.

There are also some Youtube videos that take you step by step to doing your own. I'm going to attempt that, one of these days. lol

Good luck with your project!

 

[N555]

Yeah the trigger is a going to accuracy systems.
Edit: trigger is not going down the road.

 

[David Hoback]

I would do the trigger for free. Because, well.. that’s what I do, LOL. Do a search for “Dave Hoback trigger job”, and you can see what I do.

Better yet… you should do your own! Seems you have a good handle DIY work. The mini is a super easy trigger to enhance. Here is a complete 3-part tutorial on working it over and even installing an over-travel stop.


I advise against paying an online company for stock trigger work. Only because over 2-decades of setting up triggers, I’ve seen so many people receive substandard work for their money.(really the last 12 years) Doing trigger work really is a lost art with anyone except 1911 builders. And that’s because ALL 1911 triggers need to be custom fit. But in this work, because are all about “drop in” triggers. Even most online gunsmiths/builders. Very few will do much. A place charging you $100 for “trigger work”…..all they are going to do is polish a couple edges with a Dreme-BARELY at that! And forget about the over travel stop. But that’s just what what I’ve seen.

 

[N555]

I would do the trigger for free. Because, well.. that’s what I do, LOL. Do a search for “Dave Hoback trigger job”, and you can see what I do.

Better yet… you should do your own! Seems you have a good handle DIY work. The mini is a super easy trigger to enhance. Here is a complete 3-part tutorial on working it over and even installing an over-travel stop.


I advise against paying an online company for stock trigger work. Only because over 2-decades of setting up triggers, I’ve seen so many people receive substandard work for their money.(really the last 12 years) Doing trigger work really is a lost art with anyone except 1911 builders. And that’s because ALL 1911 triggers need to be custom fit. But in this work, because are all about “drop in” triggers. Even most online gunsmiths/builders. Very few will do much. A place charging you $100 for “trigger work”…..all they are going to do is polish a couple edges with a Dreme-BARELY at that! And forget about the over travel stop. But that’s just what what I’ve seen.

What? That's all they do?
I might play with the springs while I have it apart.
I was going to send it off today, but I will try my hand at it.
My trigger breaks at a pretty consistent 5.5lb.
I have found that a heavy sport trigger can add a good inch to to group size at 100yd.
So, tonight, dermal go brrrrrrrr.

 

[David Hoback]

You watch those 3 videos my friend. If you don’t have stones, you can use sandpaper on a flat edge tool, piece of scrap steel or Aluminum. Just something FLAT. Try 400grit to smooth & 1000grit to polish. DON’T use a Dremel! I’ve been telling people for years: a Dremel is NOT friend to a trigger job! And I believe there are lighter springs you can order.

If you run into trouble, or have a question, give me a shout. I’m happy to help. I know you don’t know me, but like I said, I can back up my experience with a simple Google search. You’ll find a whole bunch of what I’ve I’ve done.

 

[N555]

I wasn't really going to use a dermal, that much. Just the felt polishing buffer and mostly use it on the bolt and the part of the hammer the contacts the bolt.
I have a bench top belt sander with a warn out belt that polishes more than it sands.
I did cut down the seer spring and bent the trigger return to be a bit lighter.
After a few hours of trying to learn how to do a trigger job and figure it out I got it down to no take up and very little creep and it breaks at about 2lb. Which is probably too light, 2lb with no take up and no creep would be scary. I can turn the trigger pull back up with a new seer spring or bending the trigger return spring back to normal. If it's too light, too scary or if it slam fires I will turn up turn the pull force.
I searched a bit, trigger jobs didn't seem over complex, just takes time to do it right.

 

[David Hoback]

Your welcome

Seriously, good stuff. I’m glad for you; taking it on yourself. Just remember: the mating edges of any trigger/hammer/sear, MUST be completely flat. That is why a Dremel is not advisable. It doesn’t do flat very well. I actually made my own machine & jigs to hold parts perfectly still while stoning.

 

[N555]

I stoned that mini14 trigger and hammer like a biblical whore.
If you know what they look like before, this one is pretty tight.

 

[David Hoback]

Oh boy… yeah ya took that down a *smidge*. Little bit more taken off that I do. Two things just to watch for. Obviously “Doubling” if it happens. Also, Ruger uses investment cast parts. And the parts are Case hardened. It’s a picture, so I’m not saying for sure, but I just hope you didn’t go through the Case hardened material. If it starts feeling sticking, or feels different every trigger pull, that’s a tell. It’s lower than I take them, but if you’re good, good.

It’s funny. The Mini 14 isn’t even among my favorites. I don’t own one. But I do enjoy working on them very much. To my good friend, the Mini 14 is his top choice for a Semi medium cal weapon. He’s owned the same one for like 22+ years. His was the first I ever touched. Many years ago, his was having the cases swell in the chamber. And so we did a bit of relaxing the chamber. It never had another problem. And still shoots well as it ever did. One good thing about their “Factory Inaccuracy. They don’t really get worse after many thousands of rounds! LOL!

 

[N555]

I say 10% chance the case hardening is gone on the hammer from anywhere.
If it's only .020"" deep its probably gone from the lobe on the trigger. But I did only see higher carbon steel lookiing sparks when using the belt sander. Then finished with a stone.
I think mine is average accuracy but has potential.
It's exceptionally bad with certain heavier factory ammo but then is acceptable even by AR standards with the same weight bullet but using a 223 starting load with faster powder.

 

[David Hoback]

Seeing sparks on the grinder isn’t a very good litmus test in case hardening. The Carbon content is not that significant to make a difference. But like I said, I can’t tell from the picture or knowing the depth Ruger goes to.

You’ll only know in time with shooting. If after a couple hundred rounds, the trigger still feels the same, I’d say you’re GTG. If you develops problems…new trigger time.

I’d order the Jard if something happened.
https://jardinc.com/jard-ruger-mini14-trigger

 

[N555]

It didn't put up any fight. I believe it was lock tighted in place. I was ready to go to war with thia barrel and receiver. The inductive heater fried the locktight.
When they put it together at the factory I think they slather the threads in probably red locktight, hand tighten and then torque 1/4 of a turn and put the barrel in a fixture and drill the gas port and extractor pit.

Looks like my clocking is off a little bit, only about 180 degrees.

Mini barrel thread pattern:
0.800 by 20tpi.
Really closer to 0.805

With a 20tpi each full rotation is 50 thousands, so half a turn, and I'm only off by about 25 thousands.
Looks like I'll need a chamber finishing reamer.


Southbend go rEeeeeeeeeeeeweee!

 

[LoonWulf]

Fun thread, i watchy!

 

[David Hoback]

Yeeerp! Big fan of DIY. Started ALL my Gunsmithing/Building, custom Knifemaking & metal machining by first being a DIY’er. Good stuff!

Watching with great interest.

 

[N555]

I got a 223wylde finishing reamer off midway usa dot com.
So the 183/580 hybrid will be chambered in the 223-5.56 hybrid chamber.
They raised their reamer prices $25 from 2-3 weeks ago when I last priced them, now they are $150. Transitory inflation my arse.
The mini will be fed a strict diet of 223 but I want it to be able to fire full power 5.56mm rounds too if needed.

 

[N555]

I got the barrel about 99% clocked, I need to take off about another thousandth or less, I thought I had it.
The bolt almost goes into battery on an empty chamber. That's perfect, I can dermal I mean hand fit it.
The head space is way in, around 10 thousands too short on the go gauge, but I screwed the barrel around 22 thousands further into the receiver....
Still see no reason why a 580 barrel can't go on a 180 series gun.

First try threading the barrel was a mulligan. The barrel will be approximately 17.76 inches long.

 

[N555]

The barrel is clocked. It's more like 1/8 of a turn to full torque. Trimmed the barrel back so it's flush with the receiver and the bolt goes half way into battery on an empty chamber. The extractor is hitting on the extractor carve out.
Dermal go burrrrrrrrr...
I'm removing material from the barrel, no where else. I'm not grinding any metal off the bolt or receiver.

Don't buy gunsmithing stuff off midway usa dot com. I got their 223wylde chamber reamer on Thursday and it still hasn't shipped according to UPS.
I'll retract that if it shows up today or tomorrow.
My guess is they don't actually have those instock. My advice, buy gunsmithing stuff from brownell's.
Brownell's is always a day or slower than midway but they never took a week on tooling.
But brownell's does appear to have a habit of selling primers they don't have, taking 4 to 5 days just to ship them some times.

 

[N555]

The chamber ream came in Friday. That only took 9 days. This weekend we make metal chips.
After careful measurement on an empty chamber versus loaded with the go gauge it looks like I have at least 30 thousands to hog out, maybe as much as 45 thousands, so that will pretty much get me down to 100% fresh metal,

 

[N555]

It is done, kind of, at least all the hard stuff.
Let me just say head spacing a mini14 sucks. That's all there is to it. I put it together and took it apart probably 20 times. I fitted the bolt to the barrel with nothing in the chamber, dermaled the barrel to the bolt so the bolt would go into battery on that empty chamber. Stripped the bolt and took probably about 20 thousands off the first go thought I blew past correct headapacing, but I did not, then I walked it in probably 1 or 2 thousands at a time till the bolt closed tight on the go gauge. There's no wiggle at all when the bolt is in the full lock up with the go gauge on a stripped bolt. The "no go gauge" is what I would say is about 10 thousands or less out of battery.
Then put the bolt together and chambered the go gauge with the extractor on and it wouldn't go into battery, had to carve a few more thousands off the extractor relief cut.
What ever a gunsmith wants to replace the barrel on one of these, just pay the man, it's worth it.

To celebrate let me sing you the song of my peoples:

Chamber reamer go grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I still don't have the gas block. I should probably proof fire it wit no gas block and see if it blows up.



Yep thats a 180 series receiver with a 583ish barrel with a 223wylde chamber. So it can be done.
I would not recommend diy.

 

[N555]

I fired my hottest stands load in the 180/580/Wylde mini14 and it didn't blow up. So order the gas block. The chamber needs to be polished and now I have some fire formed cases I can use as polishing arbors.
I have fired some pretty hot rounds through the original barrel, I don't know why it would fail with a new barrel with correct head spacing.