Problem with Mini 14 mags.....

[APIT]

I've been last Saturday on a range and shoot arround 400rds out of my mini 14's but I used new 30rd mags i got instead of the Ruger 10rd mags...

If you shoot the 30rds slowly maybe a round a second they're working great but if you try to shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger I've got problems after 3 or 4 rds....

Any idea what's the problem??? The Mag was a 30rd LEO or export only mag but it's not that good,...!

regards APIT

[Amish_Bill]

It sounds like the springs might be a bit weak, or the follower might not be sliding freely in the body.

What brand are these mags?

What exact type of failure were you getting?

[APIT]

What brand??? No idea, the only marking on the bottom of the Mag is "LEO or export only".....

The failure is the cartidges didn't get into the chamber, they got out of the mag but not into the chamber.... the bolt hits the cartidge out out of the mag and the cartridge stops at the reciever but isn't getting into the chamber.

If i shoot the same fast with the Ruger 5rd or 10rd mags i never got this failure before!

regards APIT

[Amish_Bill]

Hmm... When you're shooting, you're not holding the mag or letting the mag rest on anything, are you?

When the round doesn't make it all the way into the chamber, is it what's holding the bolt back or is the bolt snagging on something else?

I'm suspecting the mag may be seating (or shifing around to be) a touch too deeply into the rifle. That could make it bind on the bolt.

Do you have any odd rub marks or scrapes on the 30 round feed lips that aren't on the feed lips of the mags that work?

[Cuznguido]

In addition to the above helpful comments, not meaning to be brash or anything, but there is some real junk out there in the mags, especially for the mini's. I'm really careful when buying mags for the mini and still get a bad one every so often

[APIT]

@ Amish_Bill: Imagine the problems that way....... But like i said it's ONLY if i shoot fast!

@Cuznguido : I Figured out that myself. So which mags are it's money worth???

regards APIT

[Amish_Bill]

That pic makes me think it's a feed lip problem.
Which side of the mag did that round feed from?
Does it always jam to the same side?

[APIT]

Originally posted by Amish_Bill:
That pic makes me think it's a feed lip problem.
Which side of the mag did that round feed from?
Does it always jam to the same side?

I don't know from which side the round got feed.... I have to look for that the next time on the range.

Yes, it always jams to the same side.

[Amish_Bill]

I can't guarranty it, but I'm thinking that the problem is the feed lips. Compare them, both empty and loaded, to the feed lips on one of your good mags. I'm willing to bet that one of them is shorter or open wider than it should be.

[simon jester]

USA mags *suck*, at least in a mini....

[Amish_Bill]

Simon - USA mags suck in ALL cases except one... the old hybrid weld-up mags for 7.62x39 AR-15s.

... but I don't think this guy was talking about USA mags.

[RaceBannon]

Try the old machinegunner's trick: Load a thirty rd. mag with 25 rds. to avoid over-stressing the springs.

[deputygadget]

Ruger does not produce the 30rd mags any more even for law enforcement. Although many LEO 30s are in the pipeline. The way the mag seats in the mini dosen't seem to lend itself to long mags. Too little support for the mag body.

The mag you describe is not a RUGER mag as the side of RUGER's restricted mags are stamped "Restricted LE gov use only 9/94" or similar mantra.

Ruger also suggests that their 20rd mags be used instead their 30rds for any life saving activities.

[deputygadget]

Forgot to add if you got LEO mags already try to get some real RUGER ones and they won't hang up.

[STLSNIPER]

I have a Mini-30 that had the same problem. Try this: Get or borrow an electric grinder. SLOWLY grind the metal down on the front of the clip and make it even in the front. Then put a round or two in the clip and see if the bullet(looking straight at the clip) has at least over half of its case over the lip you grinded. Repeat until you get the view I explained above. I have done this with one USA-MAG 50rd clip, and two 30rd clips(unknown make) and they work flawlessly. Also; the Ruger Mini-14 & 30's load better with Brass loads instead of the Russian made steel painted ones like Wolf and Brown Bear.

Hope this helps.......