mini 14 synthetic stocks...

i'm looking to buy a mini 14 tactical and need some input.

there aren't any available to look at and heft here locally at the gunshops, but i was able to check out a 10/22 with the synthetic stock.
frankly i wasn't impressed. it felt hollow and... cheap.

is the synthetic stock on the mini 14 the same? i like some weight to the feel of a rifle.
so, would a hogue overmolded stock be an improvement? or are they basically the same?

help me make a good decision here.

thanks.

thanks for the suggestion ARvark, but that's not really my style . the flash hider is about as tactical as i want to get.

just wondering, does the factory ruger synthetic stock come with the pillar bedding like the hogue stock does?

or i could bite the bullet and shell out about $800 for deluxe tactical version with the fancy circassian walnut stock .

I think you can get the tactical with the circassian walnut from CDNN for $699.

The factory synthethic is adequate. Lots of folks like the Hogues (you can get it in OD for $80 off the ruger website).

It appears that the conventional-stock version of the Mini-14 Tactical has some sort of seperate butt plate/pad. No doubt the stock is hollow, but this can actually be an an asset, not a flaw.

If the buttplate is screwed-on, simply remove it, and you have a ton of room for emergency cleaning kits/supplies spare parts, ammo, or whatever you wish. Depending on how much weight you add to the rear of the rifle, you will cause the center of balance of the rifle to shift to the rear. This makes the carbine feel "livlier" in the hands, and might actually neccessary if you add accessories to the forward end of the rifle.

Just baggie-up everything stored within, and pad out unused volume with baggied-up cleaning patches, to eliminate rattles and hollow sound.

I went the other direction on the 14 and a 10/22 stock.


The hollow stock just felt, well, cheap. Both guns were front end heavy to the point of just plain poor balance. I drilled a hole in the lower part of the butt, and another in the top part of the receiver channel. About 1/3 of a can of DAP TEX expanding foam insulation filled both stocks.

I let them sit for a day, trimmed off the excess that came out, then a bit of black paint over the two holes.


Balance has been restored, and they both just seem more solid.

lots of good options here.

any of you guys swapped a hogue stock for the factory one?
does the ruger synthetic stock have a metal forend liner and does it need to be transfered to the hogue stock? from what i gather, the swap should be a simple drop-in job.

anybody?

The standard synthetic is cheap, nasty and short (IMO). Mine came with a Butler Creek folder which is fairly heavy and solid. I actually really quite like the stock and found it worked well, even with optics. It felt comfortable for all shooting positions, including prone.

I now have Federal Ordnance underfolder on it with a wooden heat shield. So, so much lighter and slimmer than the BC and synthetic shield. The Fed is of course made of wood, and a little expensive. Folded, the rifle is only slightly longer than a 20" inch barrelled AUG. Overall the BC is more practical and comfortable.

Project stages (At the moment) with wood furniture:



Synthetic original set-up:

I like the Hogue stocks myself
they are MUCH better than the factory stocks; they are top notch in my opinion.

if i cant put a Factory Folder on it, then a Hogue is what i prefer...
dont really care for the Tapco because they dont feel like they are up to par, at least for me
the factory Ruger stocks are kind of thin/hollow feeling.

i also dont care for the strikeforce stocks by ATI,
its the plastic, the pistol grip, overall look, and the collapsible stock that just does not seem to be at home on the Mini...
i think it looks slightly better than the Tapco.

the SCAR stock is nice, its aluminum
it was the first of the modern "duty use" quality tactical stocks for the gun

the TROY stock is way overpriced....
but, i bet the Troy is the best of all the stocks; they are are priced lower now than they used to be.
(lets just say, if i could afford it, i would give it a shot...)

so, i would go with the SCAR if you want that tactical approach or the Hogue if you want the traditional approach
personally, i think the Hogue is the best stock for the money for the Mini platform

also, you have to get another forearm liner or reuse the one that came with your original stock...
its an aluminum liner that fits inside the stock where the gas system operates ....

but, thats my 2 cents....
Tapco and Strikeforce stocks are not bad by any means. i just dont like the look of them on the Mini-platform, and that is a personal preference



I would go with the Tactical and get a Hogue stock (color is your preference) then reuse your forearm liner that came with your synthetic stock. I am going to do this exact thing w/ the next mini that I buy....
its on my "gun-list"

p.s. i have handled Mini-14 w/ Hogue stocks, not shot but handled, and i am impressed with it so much that it is a sure thing for my planned tactical-mini.
it feels solid and i like the texture.

Another vote for the Hogue stock. It did take a bit of filing to get the action to drop in. Fitting the forearm liner was not as easy as the instructions make it out to be. I had to get creative with a dowel and a dead blow hammer. YMMV on the fit. BTW I bought a new liner when I got the stock since I still want the option of a wood stock.

Despite the glitches, now that it's fitted I'm really liking the Hogue stock.

I've been using a Ramline composite stock for years with great success. It has a good tight fit.

thanks, Gunsby_Blazen (and all other posters),

the hogue stock in basic black is the way i'll go.

RAD!

I will add something to my "Tips" thread which might be of interest in this connection

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