Archived Posts » 59,859,448
mINI-14 Tac. Flash suppressor
9/15/2011 1:59:00 PM
Hi guys. So I'm looking into the mini platform again after seeing that Ruger changed some things that really held me back from being comfortable with the rifle (SIGHTS, bbl. thickness, threaded muzzle...). How well does the factory flash suppressor work? My last mini, bare bbl. would throw basketball sized flame. Anyone put a Vortex/aftermarket flash suppressor on their rifle? Any effect on accuracy? TIA.
9/16/2011 10:27:02 AM
My experience has been very favorable, using the factory flash suppressor. I was issued my first Mini-14GB in the mid-80's, and carried one on-duty until about 2005, when I switched over the the M4 platform. I've done a considerable amount of shooting in diminished light, and I think that the Ruger suppressor is at least as effective in curbing the effects of flash to the shooter as the A2 USGI flash suppressor is. A lot of that is dependent on barrel length and what load you are shooting. I'm currently shooting a 580 series Tactical (personal weapon) and with Winchester Ranger 64gr SP's the flash is minimal. I don't know if Winchester uses flash retardant in their law enforcement rifle ammo, like they do in their pistol ammo, so that may be a factor if they do.
9/18/2011 6:48:18 PM
The Choate combo flash suppressor and military-style winged front sight unit is hard to beat. It is a slip-over device once the OEM front sight is removed, although the barrel will have to be cross-drilled to accept the roll pin that secures the unit.
some folks don't bother with this, and simply dimple the surface of the barrel where the allen screw tightens down. If you elect to go this route, make sure your allen screw has a point on it. This will work, but the purpose of the cross-drilled roll pin is to give much greater strength to the mounting of the device, thus allowing use of the bayonet if you have an adaptor (bayonet butt anchor) for same.
If using the bayonet is not in your plans, drill a small divot in the barrel after making damn sure the Choate unit is dead-nuts vertical, and use a pointed stainless steel allen screw, with Loc-Tite. Put the allen screw into the jaws of your drill press, and file/stone a point onto it that matches the barrel divot. Buy a spare allen screw and practice on that.
I don't know if these units are currently available for newer, larger diameter barrels, and don't know if they can be bored-out to accomplish this goal. The new OEM Ruger front sights and flash-suppressors appear to leave little to be desired.
If you have an older MIni, then installing the Choate is more-or-less a no-brainer, IMHO.
John Masen used to make some much longer M-14 look-alike flash suppressors, the early versions having the winged mil-style front sight and a bayo attachment point. Not to be confused with so-called muzzle brakes offered during the Ban era, and long afterwards. The FS units had slits like the M-16 and M-14, while the 'brakes" had drilled holes.
The Masen FS units added un-needed length to the Mini, and were, IMHO, inadequately secured to the barrel to make use of the bayonet a wise proposition. Frankly, using a bayonet on any slender-barreled Mini is probably asking for a bent barrel, IMHO, but the Masen units hung the bayo way out past the end of the barrel, while the Choate (with bayo adaptor) brings the bayo further back towards the muzzle, thus reducing the possibility of bending the barrel.
I have both, and use the Choate. YMMV. The older Minis, like any rifle with a slender barel, benefit considerably from hanging some extra weight way out at the end of the barrel. The added mass reduces barrel whip, and has been proven to be an aid to accuracy overall. so, adding a Choate, for example, reduces flash, gives a much better sight picture, and aids in accuracy. See why I called it a no-brainer?
some folks don't bother with this, and simply dimple the surface of the barrel where the allen screw tightens down. If you elect to go this route, make sure your allen screw has a point on it. This will work, but the purpose of the cross-drilled roll pin is to give much greater strength to the mounting of the device, thus allowing use of the bayonet if you have an adaptor (bayonet butt anchor) for same.
If using the bayonet is not in your plans, drill a small divot in the barrel after making damn sure the Choate unit is dead-nuts vertical, and use a pointed stainless steel allen screw, with Loc-Tite. Put the allen screw into the jaws of your drill press, and file/stone a point onto it that matches the barrel divot. Buy a spare allen screw and practice on that.
I don't know if these units are currently available for newer, larger diameter barrels, and don't know if they can be bored-out to accomplish this goal. The new OEM Ruger front sights and flash-suppressors appear to leave little to be desired.
If you have an older MIni, then installing the Choate is more-or-less a no-brainer, IMHO.
John Masen used to make some much longer M-14 look-alike flash suppressors, the early versions having the winged mil-style front sight and a bayo attachment point. Not to be confused with so-called muzzle brakes offered during the Ban era, and long afterwards. The FS units had slits like the M-16 and M-14, while the 'brakes" had drilled holes.
The Masen FS units added un-needed length to the Mini, and were, IMHO, inadequately secured to the barrel to make use of the bayonet a wise proposition. Frankly, using a bayonet on any slender-barreled Mini is probably asking for a bent barrel, IMHO, but the Masen units hung the bayo way out past the end of the barrel, while the Choate (with bayo adaptor) brings the bayo further back towards the muzzle, thus reducing the possibility of bending the barrel.
I have both, and use the Choate. YMMV. The older Minis, like any rifle with a slender barel, benefit considerably from hanging some extra weight way out at the end of the barrel. The added mass reduces barrel whip, and has been proven to be an aid to accuracy overall. so, adding a Choate, for example, reduces flash, gives a much better sight picture, and aids in accuracy. See why I called it a no-brainer?
9/18/2011 7:07:01 PM
I hear ya RAF. Part of me wants to find an older mini in a pawn shop and rework it. Depending on how little I can get the rifle for of course. Newer mini's may be a "better" option as I don't have alot of time on my hands, & already has decent upgrades . Thanks for the input guys!
9/18/2011 7:41:07 PM
Originally Posted By SamK:
I hear ya RAF. Part of me wants to find an older mini in a pawn shop and rework it. Depending on how little I can get the rifle for of course. Newer mini's may be a "better" option as I don't have alot of time on my hands, & already has decent upgrades . Thanks for the input guys!
I hear ya RAF. Part of me wants to find an older mini in a pawn shop and rework it. Depending on how little I can get the rifle for of course. Newer mini's may be a "better" option as I don't have alot of time on my hands, & already has decent upgrades . Thanks for the input guys!
Generally, I don't advocate buying older Minis unless it is very cheaply done, as very often the muzzle of the barrel has been trashed due to improper cleaning technique/tools. Thus, at a minimum, older Minis will need an inexpensive re-crowning, or perhaps a new barrel. Not cheap, and I don't know if the Ruger factory will retrofit newer, thicker barrels to older Minis. That would be worth knowing.
Aside from that, geting the most out of an older pencil-barreled Mini gets to be involved. Most of it is simple, inexpensive user-done stuff, but most folks can't be bothered with this sort of thing.
I would approach buying any older Mini on the basis of planning to replace the barrel, and figuring that expense into the purchase price. It's possible that a simple, inexpensive re-crowining will restore OEM accuracy, but not at all for sure, and you can't say for sure at point of sale.
Another possible remedy for a badly messed-up muzzle is to counterbore the first inch or so of the bore. This is definitely a job for a gunsmith, but if the rest of the barrel is OK, you will wind up with good, if somewhat shortened rifling, and the thing should shoot as well as a new barrel. Counterboring is not terribly expensive; certainly less expensive that a new barrel, and also less expensive than missing a lot due to a screwed-up muzzle.
Beyond that, there is time and $ spent on accurizing the the thing, and that has to be considered also.
I've won a lot of bets with my Mini, shooting better with it than some unfortunate folks shot with their shorty ARs. OTOH, when shooting their shorty ARs, I did better than they did. I figure it was a combo of my skill (not world-class, by any means) and mostly my not choking up under pressure. I never needed to replace my Mini's OEM pencil barrel, and not having to go to that expense was a BIg factor in keeping it.
So, if buying an older Mini, add some $ into the equation,unless you get REAL lucky. Buying a brand-new Mini is another proposition altogether, what with the new barrel, tighter machining tolerances, and better sights and so on.
9/19/2011 12:05:15 AM
I'm going to agree with Raf on this one. I would highly suggest that you buy a current production Tactical over any of the pencil barreled pawn shop Mini's. Yes, there is "one in a thousand" of the pencil barreled guns that evidently shoot lights out, but you stand a much higher rate of success by purchasing a new Tactical model. They are great rifles, and will impress you with their accuracy.
9/22/2011 10:11:35 PM
The factory flash suppressor works extremely well.
9/23/2011 9:30:17 PM
My interest grows...(and bank account may shrink)....
