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Posted: 11/11/2020 11:02:06 PM EDT
So it seems all factory Mini magazines are out of stock everywhere. Really sucks was looking to pick up a few to go with my Samson stock.
 Are the John Masen mags worth a shit?
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Posted: 11/12/2020 12:14:07 AM EDT
[#1]
I've only tested one of the pre-ban RamLine's in Commando's gun.
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Posted: 11/12/2020 12:55:50 AM EDT
[#2]
Full metal jacket, you got a message
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Posted: 11/12/2020 1:25:43 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've only tested one of the pre-ban RamLine's in Commando's gun. |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 4:50:12 PM EDT
[#4]
Ruger factory metal mags, no matter what capacity, are always a solid buy, unless damaged. Older Ruger metal mags might need their springs replaced. I bought a couple of metal, 30-rd Ruger mags back during the Ban days, which only needed new USGI mag springs to be fully GTG.
Some aftermarket Mini-14 mags may benefit from installation of modern Ruger mag followers. Info on perfectunion.com. Kinda tricky, and I feel for folks who are so new to the firearms scene that they did not see this coming. You older folks? No pity for you; a blind man could see this coming, and so should you have done. In view of election results, might be wise to buy some 5-rd or 10-rd mags in addition to normal cap mags, as "public" use mags. perfectunion.com Mini-14 forum, is probably the best place to look for magazine tips, but good Mini mags are scarce nowadays. Personally, just exhausted Tapco Mini-14 30-rd mag supplies from a vendor. Equally good Thermold 30-rd Mini-14 mgs also gone. Mini-30 mags, I dunno. No mag is GTG until tested. Good Luck! |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 5:04:02 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: In view of election results, might be wise to buy some 5-rd or 10-rd mags in addition to normal cap mags. |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 5:06:16 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Coulda sworn I read somewhere that the 10 round mags were awful in a way the 5 and 20 rounders aren't; any thoughts? |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 5:25:49 PM EDT
[#7]
I don't have experience with those in particular, but I've bought some no name mags for cheap once. I replaced all the parts with Ruger parts and I've never had a problem.
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Posted: 11/12/2020 5:34:53 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don't have experience with those in particular, but I've bought some no name mags for cheap once. I replaced all the parts with Ruger parts and I've never had a problem. Some aftermarket mags have cheap, weak springs. Others have followers that can best be replaced by proper Ruger followers, although not all aftermarket mags will accept Ruger followers. Sometimes, both. I bought a lot of Mini-14 mags back during the Ban, and had to destroy some of them because they simply could NOT be fixed. Could have sold them, but that would have been a scumbag move. |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 6:24:52 PM EDT
[#9]
Done
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Posted: 11/12/2020 6:37:04 PM EDT
[#10]
Magpul 30 round springs drop right into the pre-ban RamLines.
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Posted: 11/12/2020 8:54:10 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The only Mini-14 mags I've found reliable are Ruger brand curved 20rd and OE Brand Straight 20rd. I have 5 of each. The OE brand are sold by CTD when they get them in stock which is sporadic at best. Surprisingly, the OE brand 20 rd straight mags are 1/2 the price of Ruger's 20rd mags (Ruger doesn't make any mags as they subcontract them out), are better made, have a better latching plate, and fit better in the mag well than Ruger's current versions do. I've never heard of another Mini-14 mag maker who had reliable mags but as you can tell from the responses, there are others who've found some. Lots of GTG Ruger aftermarket mags out there, but lots more, like 25/75 ratio good/bad out there, and sometimes hard to tell by eye--except for gross feed lip issues or very crappy construction. In my experience, and possibly with mag spring/follower replacement: Ruger steel mags, Tapco Gen 2, and Thermold mags have been GTG, with some requiring new springs. Plenty of other brands, no longer made, and whose springs are now suspect until proven. FWIW, mag springs fail due to repeated cycles (use) and/or rust. Sitting at full capacity for decades ought not harm a well-made mag spring. For some reason, Magpul has zero interest in making Mini 14/30 mags. Perhaps if there were more folks e-mailing Magpul and asking for such, things might change. |
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Posted: 11/12/2020 8:59:09 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Magpul 30 round springs drop right into the pre-ban RamLines. Back during Ban years, I found it necessary to destroy quite a few mags that I could not re-habilitate. I could have sold them, with a warning to the buyer that the mags were junk, but no telling what the buyer might have done with the mags. Maybe re-sell them to an unsuspecting buyer. With current election results, no telling on future firearms spare parts availability, nor good mags. Get yours. Got mine. |
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Posted: 11/13/2020 10:54:23 PM EDT
[#13]
CDNN has some in stock. A little pricey at $45 a pop. Picked up a few anyway.
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Posted: 11/14/2020 2:48:42 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Best to ensure your magazines will accept (currently available) USGI mag springs. I've seen a few aftermarket mags, for various platforms, that would not accept USGI springs. UNSAT, IMHO. Have a few mag springs as back-ups. Back during Ban years, I found it necessary to destroy quite a few mags that I could not re-habilitate. I could have sold them, with a warning to the buyer that the mags were junk, but no telling what the buyer might have done with the mags. Maybe re-sell them to an unsuspecting buyer. With current election results, no telling on future firearms spare parts availability, nor good mags. Get yours. Got mine. I don't have a Mini, I just like to collect odd mags, and dual-purpose mags like the Ram Lines & the UniMag. Y'all should play around w/ 3-D printers. |
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Posted: 11/17/2020 6:57:41 AM EDT
[#15]
I bought 6 pro mags in the last two months . It was the steel curved 20 rounders. I have no issues at all with these mags. No stoppages. I did not change the followers or springs. The Ruger followers did not want to fit. So I just tried them as is. They been 100% good to go. This is there current production. I also got 2ea of pro mags 10 rounders. Satin plated . They are crap. I think it’s the spring. Fails to feed on left side feed lip at least 2 times a mag. The follower is a Ruger follower. The pro mag follower in the 10 rounders are crap. The 20 rounders are good to go . Cheers WarDawg
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Posted: 11/17/2020 7:26:27 AM EDT
[#16]
I've got some metal promag 20 round magazines that have been 100%. Its been a while, but they were pretty much the 2nd choice behind OEM on the perfect union forum at the time I bought them, around 2013.
The promag recommendation usually throws people off because a lot of their mags for other rifles suck. They seem to have mini 14 dialed in, though. The tapco 30 round was pretty much the ONLY 30 round magazine recommended, except for the much harder to find Ruger OEM. I never bothered, and I don't think Tapco is making anything since the buyout. |
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Posted: 11/21/2020 12:45:29 AM EDT
[#17]
The Pro Mag metal 20 rounders have worked fine for me. They appear to be very similar to the actual Ruger factory mags, which I suspect may be made by Pro Mag. The finish isn't quite as nice on the Pro Mags and the follower is slightly different. But otherwise they are very similarly constructed and the Pro Mags seem to work just as well as the factory Ruger mags. Ruger factory and metal Pro Mag are the only magazines currently in production I'd bother with. Back in the preban and ban era days, it was factory, PMI and John Masen that I had good luck with. I think the Ram-Line and Thermolds worked well too.
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Posted: 11/21/2020 12:59:52 AM EDT
[#18]
We tested one of my Ram-Lines in Commando223's Mini, and I've shot one in one of my ARs. It didn't quite fit an AR-180 magwell, but that might have been that particular gun, dunno.
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Posted: 11/21/2020 3:19:47 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: We tested one of my Ram-Lines in Commando223's Mini, and I've shot one in one of my ARs. It didn't quite fit an AR-180 magwell, but that might have been that particular gun, dunno. Just picked up a ram line on gunbroker, they seem hard to find. |
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Posted: 11/21/2020 10:11:17 PM EDT
[#20]
I've found all of mine at shows, including one still in the original packaging.
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Posted: 11/22/2020 12:36:38 AM EDT
[#21]
Quoted: So it seems all factory Mini magazines are out of stock everywhere. Really sucks was looking to pick up a few to go with my Samson stock. Are the John Masen mags worth a shit?@fullmetaljacket8 30-round factory mags in stock. $45 https://www.cdnnsports.com/mini-14-223-30rd-factory.html Edit: Missed your post above and saw you are already aware. 
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Posted: 11/22/2020 12:10:48 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've found all of mine at shows, including one still in the original packaging. The one I got was in original packaging as well. Seems like the bolt hold open tab on the follower is extremely weak. I’ve almost broken it off putting the mag in and out of my rifle. Definitely a cool mag seems really brittle though. Fits great in my 6920 also. |
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Posted: 11/22/2020 12:57:33 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The one I got was in original packaging as well. Seems like the bolt hold open tab on the follower is extremely weak. I’ve almost broken it off putting the mag in and out of my rifle. Definitely a cool mag seems really brittle though. Fits great in my 6920 also. I expect they're a bit brittle b/c they're clear & @ least 26 years old. |
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