@wmass did you get the rifle back from Carl? If so how does it look And shoot? Since moving back to NC I haven’t had a chance to get my Accuracy Systems Mini-14 out to the range here but on It’s one trip to Westwood it was lights out at 300 yards with 55 gr match ammo.
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General Mini 14 Thread
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@wmass did you get the rifle back from Carl? If so how does it look And shoot? Since moving back to NC I haven’t had a chance to get my Accuracy Systems Mini-14 out to the range here but on It’s one trip to Westwood it was lights out at 300 yards with 55 gr match ammo.
@92G yup. Got it back right before Rona. The machine work is on point but it looks like an apprentice reassembled it. Gas block screws were mangled and every few rounds the trigger group would separate. They messed with channel liner and lost the end cap. This allowed enough play for the group to dislodge. I ordered up a new channel liner and it runs perfectly. I had them install one of their take off taper barrels. It is a huge improvement over the 1981 pencil barrel. Once ammo becomes more available I’ll try for groups. Hopefully this week I’ll find time for some reloading. If so I’ll run a couple different charges to see if it has a preference. I would definitely like to see a mini run at 300. My range is only 115ish
hennypenny
NES Member
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Been very happy with the parts Accuracy Systems offers. Sorry to hear about your reassembly issues.
wow I’m surprised the work was shotty in a few areas. Thankfully sounds like your barrel and action are done right but still weird for gas block and trigger group to be dicked up. Carl would probably want to know.
So I did order a set of Wylde Custom Gear pouches (2 wide by 2 magazines deep to fit on the front a carrier adjacent a HSGI bleeder pouch). They would work better (probably perfect) with 20 round Mini-14 Magazines, but them seem to be fine (maybe adjust the bungies tighter) with 10 round magazines (EDIT: if you use aftermarket magazines other than Ruger's like John Masen's the magazines are much taller and fit better in these pouches without any need to modify Magpul tabs to make them fit the magazine wells) if you use the modified Magpul pull tabs I posted earlier in the thread.
wildecustomgear.com
I need to tighten the bungies slightly, but otherwise they are fairly secure to begin with.
Without Magpul tabs the 10 round magazines there's no active retention other than the friction against the pouch. If I had used Essatac's shorty M4 kydex pouches instead of these, I don't think I'd be able to get a good enough of a grasp on the magazines to get them out.
These are $15-$50 pouches depending on your configuration single row/double row 1/2/3 across + color options made in the USA. High quality and highly recommended.
Edit: 10 rounders made by John Masen which are much longer than the Ruger factory magazines should be able to use the Magpul pull tabs without cutting them and will most definitely work better in the pouches.
AR 15 Magazine Pouch | 10 Round | Perfect Fit | Military Spec – Wilde Custom Gear | Tactical Nylon | Built For Battle
The Wilde Custom Gear AR 15 Rifle Magazine Pouch is custom built to give your 10 round AR 15 magazine a perfect fit.
wildecustomgear.com
I need to tighten the bungies slightly, but otherwise they are fairly secure to begin with.
Without Magpul tabs the 10 round magazines there's no active retention other than the friction against the pouch. If I had used Essatac's shorty M4 kydex pouches instead of these, I don't think I'd be able to get a good enough of a grasp on the magazines to get them out.
These are $15-$50 pouches depending on your configuration single row/double row 1/2/3 across + color options made in the USA. High quality and highly recommended.
Edit: 10 rounders made by John Masen which are much longer than the Ruger factory magazines should be able to use the Magpul pull tabs without cutting them and will most definitely work better in the pouches.
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Uncle Buck
NES Member
Guy in Canada is making a light weight chassis inspired by Sage stocks (1.7lbs 6061 aluminum chassis) that accepts Magpul MLOCK parts.
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6wSAOYpyT5/
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9R4_3zJfFy/
Slap a fixed Magpul MOE on there and it would be pretty sexy for MA.
Seriously, why can't Magpul make an affordable version of a chassis like this?
Slap a DoubleStar skeleton stock on, look even sexier. Finished this this morning.
I love the skeleton stock. I have two. Wouldn’t that interfere with getting a good purchase on the grip? Seems like the socom or other designs that utilize just the tube would make more sense. Something like the magul fixed carbine would work good.
Uncle Buck
NES Member
Didn't think about that until you mentioned it. I've handled it several times and didn't notice any interference. Just picked it up again to check and you can feel it touching the web between your thumb and forefinger, but doesn't interfere with the purchase on the grip. If for some reason it's not comfortable shooting I'll swap it out. But I don't think it will.
Uncle Buck
NES Member
It's a fixed stock. It just slips over you standard A2 buffer tube,
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That chassis system just takes AR buffer tubes, no folding. And the DoubleStar Skeleton stock is fixed. That can easily be determined by a 2 minute google search, Mr. better educated than everyone.
This was literally the second result for “DoubleStar skeleton stock”: (ARFX) Skeleton Stock Assembly (QD Swivel Not Included)
If you’re concerned about AWB features, there are lots of pre-ban Mini-14s around and they don’t command a premium over new Mini-14s. The old pencil barrels suck, but you can get new ones installed, like wmass got.
![[dance]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/033.gif "Dance [dance]")
Thanks. 
I wound up taking the Ultimak rail off my Mini-14 today because it was tilting the gas pipe enough to bind on the operating rod. Turns out my barrel is machined with enough of a taper that the ASI adjustable gas block doesn't sit perfectly flush even with the gas bushing at the perfect length, so the Ultimak has to be machined slightly to fit with a sufficient gap (mine had no gap to the bottom half of the gas block) to sit properly level. I guess I'm not the only person who has run into this rare problem, so I thought to mention it here. I can't believe how much money I've thrown into this rifle over time and circled back to almost where I started again. (EDIT: Spoke with ASI and they said to use an aluminum shim between the barrel and lower gas block to get gas pipe level back to front or file down the Ultimak slightly at the front to get a sufficient enough gap to account for the barrel not providing a perfectly level surface on my rifle.)
ASI does have some new handguards.
Ventilated wood
Machined aluminum similar to Choate Machine Tool's polymer ventilated handguard in various finishes. I'm thinking this might be the best possible heat sink for a Mini-14 barrel out there because of a combination of the material and airflow compared to the other picatinny rails that for whatever reason aren't designed for much airflow.
ASI does have some new handguards.
Machined aluminum similar to Choate Machine Tool's polymer ventilated handguard in various finishes. I'm thinking this might be the best possible heat sink for a Mini-14 barrel out there because of a combination of the material and airflow compared to the other picatinny rails that for whatever reason aren't designed for much airflow.
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Because at the time when I was trying to take the factory gas block off to put in reduced bushings, one of the screws was in so tight from the factory it was impossible to remove I had to use a screw extractor to snap the head off, which cracked the original top half of the gas block. Then, I realized that somehow I managed to lose the reduced bushings during the month or so I was fighting to get the stubborn screw out. So at that point needing to replace the top half of the gas block and order another set of bushings, I said "screw it" (no pun intended) and ordered the fancy adjustable gas block.
I was a bit concerned that the usual .45 or whatever bushing for temperate weather with decent ammo wasn't 100% reliable in the coldest of weather or with steel cased, so I wanted the ability to adjust a bit for temperature & ammo quality on the fly if need be.
I like the look of the adjustment knob anyway. The stock mini to me looks like a M14/M1A missing something because of that empty real estate at the bottom of the gas block without the gas tube. The aluminum is lighter and will help with heat dissipation at the point where one has to worry about the barrel getting hot & flexible.
I forgotten how light the mini is with the composite ventilated handguard and how well it balances with the traditional wood or factory fiberglass stock. I put 1-1/4" Grovtec swivels on it today with a Magpul MS1 sling after liking the MS4 sling when I have the Grovtec rear & Haley Strategic front QD sockets on the Samson Folding stock & the Ultimak a few months back. The people on the months long wait list for Samson stocks are probably going to kill me now for buying one that will be a paperweight spare until my bum wrist acts up again. The ergonomics of factory 10 round magazines with the Samson stock aren't great either vs. the traditional one. I really need to get out to Four Seasons to buy some of the 20s they've pinned down to 10s on the basis of fitting well in pouches and simple ease of handling.
I'll probably find new dumb ways to waste money like those aluminum handguards (wonder what they weigh) I just posted or cutting down a M1 Carbine bayonet lug, drilling out the rivets, and bolting onto my rifle just as a f-you Massachusetts since I can have another feature below the limit without paying for barrel threading at a gunsmith.
All this because I was too poor at the time to buy a M1A, Tavor, or Sig 556 SCM (when they weren't unicorns) and I probably spent enough tinkering with the mini at this point I could/should have. Well that and growing up watching the A-Team....
Cut immediately behind the lug on the bottom.
Edit:
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Mini-14 185 series in a Tapco stockWell ****.... my Cogburn Arsenal clamp on bayonet lug was delivered yesterday and it turns out M4 bayonets do have a slightly different lug shape than M7 & M9 bayonets. One cannot use a M4 bayonet with the lugs meant for the later bayonets. Guess I will trying buying a M7 bayonet and plugging in a rubber grommet (hope it is milspec rubber that won't melt...) to the muzzle ring (someone suggested this in the review section of clamp on lugs on Cogburn's website) to see if that will work with the end (.5625" dia) of a 580+ series .625" barrel.
Well the Cogburn Arsenal clamp on bayonet mounts works with a M7 and a rubber grommet as a spear at least on a 581+ Ranch Rifle series. Used a Midwest Fasteners rubber grommet with an ID of 5/8", but otherwise the same dimensions as the rubberfeetwarehouse version above. The rubber is probably only rated for 250f and where it protrudes past the muzzle crown I wouldn't feel safe firing the rifle with the bayonet fixed. Could maybe try it prone behind some sand bags to see how quickly the muzzle blast buggers things, but otherwise I don't think there's a safe way to test it.
With the Cogburn Arsenal stripper clip guide, Tech-Sight adjustable sight, 1911 buffer bushing, Choate ventilated handguard, Accuracy Systems adjustable gas block, MagPul 1-1/4" sling on Grovtec QD swivels and the Cogburn Arsenal bayonet mount it does really look like a M1 carbine had a bastard child with a M14.
Top looks similar to the gas block. Matches finish on the bayonet!
Rubber grommet to reduce the muzzle ring opening.
Awwww yeah for fightin' commies! 
locked in and on
Slight gap around the barrel, muzzle sits back. Maybe should have ordered the 1/2" ID grommet to squeeze around the .5625" DIA barrel end (.625" necks down to this measurement past the front sight on the 580+ series). Takes a good push down on the bayonet to get it to click and lock onto the lug securely.
EDIT: Don't do any of this funny business with a grommet. Use a pin on John Masen combination muzzle break & flash hider (two different models made one for 180 series one for 580 series so order the correct one) cut down to just be a muzzle brake. See later post below.
Well the Cogburn Arsenal clamp on bayonet mounts works with a M7 and a rubber grommet as a spear at least on a 581+ Ranch Rifle series.
With the Cogburn Arsenal stripper clip guide, Tech-Sight adjustable sight, 1911 buffer bushing, Choate ventilated handguard, Accuracy Systems adjustable gas block, MagPul 1-1/4" sling on Grovtec QD swivels and the Cogburn Arsenal bayonet mount it does really look like a M1 carbine had a bastard child with a M14.
Top looks similar to the gas block. Matches finish on the bayonet!
Rubber grommet to reduce the muzzle ring opening.
Awwww yeah for fightin' commies! 
locked in and on
EDIT: Don't do any of this funny business with a grommet. Use a pin on John Masen combination muzzle break & flash hider (two different models made one for 180 series one for 580 series so order the correct one) cut down to just be a muzzle brake. See later post below.
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Picked up a John Masen 10 round magazine to compare the size to Ruger factory magazines. It is significantly longer and fits in pouches design for 10 round AR/STANAG magazines well. 3-3/4" tall. EDIT: see my later post on the magazine below. Needs some tweaks to get up to Ruger factory performance.
As far as my adventures in fitting modern US bayonets to a 582+ series Ranch Rifle without a factory muzzle device or threading, I gave up on the o-ring idea and rubber grommets making up the dimensional difference between the barrel and muzzle ring due to the issue of not being able to safely fire with the bayonet fixed.
I realized that the pin on John Masen muzzle brake/flash hider combo make for the 580+ series is the same diameter as a standard M16 flash hider with the flared flash hider portion of the John Masen muzzle brake cut off (which conveniently also makes it mass compliant). So I chopped one down with a hacksaw, dressed the end with a bastard file, lightly sanded (maybe a 100th of an inch if that, just needs an ever so slight polish) the outer (first) ring at the end of the muzzle break to easily slide through the bayonet muzzle ring, and then used a G-96 gun blue pen stick to touch up the muzzle brake. Pressed the front sight into the muzzle brake by resting the rifle muzzle down on the floor over a board, tapped a 3/4"x1/8" roll pin in in place of the factory 9/16"x1/8" roll pin (John Masen, I think in error supplied a solid pin instead of a roll pin which doesn't fit -which required a walk down to the local hardware store) into place, and everything is snug now with no wobble. Bayonet fits securely against the front sight with no wobble. I'll post another picture when my camera batteries recharge, but for now here's the muzzle brake mounted.
Edit: updated with photos Yes I know I put the sling on backwards, fixed that already.
As far as my adventures in fitting modern US bayonets to a 582+ series Ranch Rifle without a factory muzzle device or threading, I gave up on the o-ring idea and rubber grommets making up the dimensional difference between the barrel and muzzle ring due to the issue of not being able to safely fire with the bayonet fixed.
I realized that the pin on John Masen muzzle brake/flash hider combo make for the 580+ series is the same diameter as a standard M16 flash hider with the flared flash hider portion of the John Masen muzzle brake cut off (which conveniently also makes it mass compliant). So I chopped one down with a hacksaw, dressed the end with a bastard file, lightly sanded (maybe a 100th of an inch if that, just needs an ever so slight polish) the outer (first) ring at the end of the muzzle break to easily slide through the bayonet muzzle ring, and then used a G-96 gun blue pen stick to touch up the muzzle brake. Pressed the front sight into the muzzle brake by resting the rifle muzzle down on the floor over a board, tapped a 3/4"x1/8" roll pin in in place of the factory 9/16"x1/8" roll pin (John Masen, I think in error supplied a solid pin instead of a roll pin which doesn't fit -which required a walk down to the local hardware store) into place, and everything is snug now with no wobble. Bayonet fits securely against the front sight with no wobble. I'll post another picture when my camera batteries recharge, but for now here's the muzzle brake mounted.
Edit: updated with photos Yes I know I put the sling on backwards, fixed that already.
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Channeling my inner Sergeant Bosco Albert "B. A." Baracus,
I messed around with the 10 round John Masen magazine a bit more tonight and figured out how to get them working as good as Ruger factory magazines with some minor tweaking. There's no need to replace any of the JM parts. All you need is a 7/32" drill bit and some sandpaper.
The JM follower has rough casting marks at the back edge and sides. Sanding these smooth allows the follower to freely side up and down within the magazine body without getting stuck against the power coat. Additionally the bolt catch triangle will function properly if the follower is properly fitted to slide all the way up into the left side feed lip. I think the common problem with these magazines not holding the bolt open and feeding the last round or two is because the followers are not properly cleaned up after being cast so that they bind against the sides of the magazine and do not fully rise to the underside of the left feed lip. Took me all of five minutes of lightly sanding the edges to get the follower to work as it should.
Additionally the JM magazines use a hook rather than a welded flat tab magazine catch tab, which is similar to Ruger's 5 round magazines. The powder coat will sometimes get stuck on the magazine release upon attempting to remove the magazine from the rifle unless the release is continuously held down. Some sanding (re-blue with a bluing pen afterwards) and or light taps with a mallet to flatten down the tab to match the factory magazine profile will solve that sticking issue.
The base plate is similarly to Ruger's 5 round magazine except that the hole for depressing the internal retainer clip isn't drilled. Carefully (slowly and don't press too hard or you will hit the retainer) drill the circle cast on the magazine out with a 7/32" drill bit to create the hole to provide access to the retainer. Press the retainer down with one screwdriver while you use a flat head screwdriver to pry the back lip of the baseplate up slightly and slide the base plate off. You'll notice a ramp cast below the main groove of the base plate which catches the back lip of the magazine making it impossible to slide the baseplate off without prying it up. Sand that ramp down enough to make the top part that goes into the magazine well flush, and with the service hole you've just drilled, the base plate will now easily slide off just like the factory magazines when the retainer clip is pressed.
This is about 5-10 minutes worth of fussing to get the followers, catch tab, and base plates to get them running the same as Ruger factory magazines.
Why use JM magazines over Ruger factory magazines to begin with? Short answer is length. They are longer and will fit in 10 round AR15 pouches and will fit MagPul rubber pull tabs. Quite a bit more ergonomic than the shorty Ruger magazines.
Now of course you could replace the follower, base plate, and retainer with flawless Ruger factory parts and just use the JM spring & magazine shell; but NES is full of skinflints and I pitied you fools.
I messed around with the 10 round John Masen magazine a bit more tonight and figured out how to get them working as good as Ruger factory magazines with some minor tweaking. There's no need to replace any of the JM parts. All you need is a 7/32" drill bit and some sandpaper.
The JM follower has rough casting marks at the back edge and sides. Sanding these smooth allows the follower to freely side up and down within the magazine body without getting stuck against the power coat. Additionally the bolt catch triangle will function properly if the follower is properly fitted to slide all the way up into the left side feed lip. I think the common problem with these magazines not holding the bolt open and feeding the last round or two is because the followers are not properly cleaned up after being cast so that they bind against the sides of the magazine and do not fully rise to the underside of the left feed lip. Took me all of five minutes of lightly sanding the edges to get the follower to work as it should.
Additionally the JM magazines use a hook rather than a welded flat tab magazine catch tab, which is similar to Ruger's 5 round magazines. The powder coat will sometimes get stuck on the magazine release upon attempting to remove the magazine from the rifle unless the release is continuously held down. Some sanding (re-blue with a bluing pen afterwards) and or light taps with a mallet to flatten down the tab to match the factory magazine profile will solve that sticking issue.
The base plate is similarly to Ruger's 5 round magazine except that the hole for depressing the internal retainer clip isn't drilled. Carefully (slowly and don't press too hard or you will hit the retainer) drill the circle cast on the magazine out with a 7/32" drill bit to create the hole to provide access to the retainer. Press the retainer down with one screwdriver while you use a flat head screwdriver to pry the back lip of the baseplate up slightly and slide the base plate off. You'll notice a ramp cast below the main groove of the base plate which catches the back lip of the magazine making it impossible to slide the baseplate off without prying it up. Sand that ramp down enough to make the top part that goes into the magazine well flush, and with the service hole you've just drilled, the base plate will now easily slide off just like the factory magazines when the retainer clip is pressed.
This is about 5-10 minutes worth of fussing to get the followers, catch tab, and base plates to get them running the same as Ruger factory magazines.
Why use JM magazines over Ruger factory magazines to begin with? Short answer is length. They are longer and will fit in 10 round AR15 pouches and will fit MagPul rubber pull tabs. Quite a bit more ergonomic than the shorty Ruger magazines.
Now of course you could replace the follower, base plate, and retainer with flawless Ruger factory parts and just use the JM spring & magazine shell; but NES is full of skinflints and I pitied you fools.
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