Armory Sponsor
Posted: 12/15/2024 12:16:49 PM EDT
| Like an itch that I can't scratch, this idea won't go away. For anyone that has done this (pillar bedding) , was the result worth the effort? Have an old Mini with a wood stock and barrel strut that will shoot two inch groups at 50 yards. Also a Mini 30 with the synthetic stock that is over gassed. I bought the gas bushing kit for the mini 30. My regular shop won't do the bushing and the guy recommended made sure I knew how difficut it was going to be.. |
Correlation does not imply causation. Disparate outcomes do not imply disparate treatment.
|
i have bedded the stock on my mini14 using JB Weld, changed out the gas orifice, slicked up the trigger a little and torqued the gas block using the info from PerfectUnion. |
"I came into this world naked, screaming, & covered with someone else`s blood. I plan on going out the same way."
|
Technically, you glass bed the action of a Mini14, as there is no receiver screws pulling it into the stock. There is info. online for doing M-14 type rifles and the concept is pretty much the same. As to the Mini30 gas bushing, it's very easy to do. Just make sure you have the correct allen wrenches and an inch-pound torque wrench. Your "gunsmith is a douche bag. Again, there are videos showing how it's done. |
|
I have an early 180 series Mini 14 as well as a slightly later 184 series Mini 14 and a 187 series Mini 14 Ranch Rifle. The 180 series was 2 MOA in factory form, in part because it has a lighter slide and bolt as well as an .052” gas port bushing. With less reciprocating mass abs not being massively over gassed it has much less vibration, better barrel harmonics and much better accuracy. Ruger then designed the select fire AC-556 for military use and IIRC a single foreign military contract. They used a much heavier slide, a heavier bolt, and larger, heavier, deeper gas block as well as a deeper stock to hold it all. They also used a .080” gas port bushing so all that extra weight also has excessive slide velocity. I suspect it was for greater reliability when dirty. Unfortunately, they decided to use the same AC-556 parts on the 181 and later series Mini 14s. All that extra slide weight and velocity equates to poor accuracy in the 3-5 MOA range. They also played musical rifling twists starting with a perfectly reasonable 1:10 twist, before moving to the poor choice for 55 gr and 62 gr FMJ 1:7 twist, before going to a more utilitarian 1:9” twist. Consequently accuracy with budget 55gr FMJ range ammo can be really bad with the 1:7” twist examples. —— I bought the 184 series after someone had cut it down to 16”, probably seeking better accuracy. It shot 5 MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards. I improved the accuracy by: - installing a Choate combination flash hider and front sight as both the Browning and A1 style have long been known to add enough muzzle weight to improve barrel harmonics. - adding a SOCOM sized Accustrut, and installing it using an end mill to create divots for the set screws to make it a little more solid installation. - installing a .045” gas port bushing to reduce the amount of gas and slide velocity. - torquing the gas block screws to a consistent 20 inch pounds. - installing a Mini 14 Shok buffer. - installing a tech sights rear sight. I also thinned the front sight to give the same sight picture as my M1A Supermatch. The end result was consistent 1.5 MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards with Hornady 55 gr FMJBT bullets. I did the same thing with my NC state surplus 187 series Mini 14 Ranch Rifle and got identical accuracy, I also added a new stock, but that by itself didn’t improve accuracy, even though it was a snugger fit.  I used to bed M1As and M1Garands for other service rifle shooters as part of overall accurizing and I could probably adapt the process for the Mini 14 ( although figuring out how much down pressure to put on the barrel via gas block would be trial and error). And frankly I am not seeing enough dispersion to make it worth while. Both of my accurized Mini 14s shoot as well as my Colt SP1.  The 184 series now lives in a Sampson stock.  Replacing the gas port bushing is a 15-20 minute job if you go slow and don’t know what you are doing. Just be sure to get the gaps between each side even using regular auto store or harbor freight feeler gauges and torque the screws to 20” pounds. If your gunsmith thinks that’s difficult, he just doesn’t know what he is talking about. |
|
Originally Posted By Stahlgewehr762: Is there any issue with the staking on the gas block screws damaging the threads in the upper gas block, during removal of the screws? Depends on how much the staking displaced metal. However, I've never seen a Ruger factory gas block staking that didn't come loose after I applied the proper tools. Now if someone applied red loctite, etc. to the threads, that might be a different story and a good amount of heat may be called for. |
|
Originally Posted By Stahlgewehr762: The gas block screws are staked by Ruger, from the factory. Hence, you must remove the previously-staked screws in order to remove the gas block. I own three of them. All have had the gas blocks removed and reinstalled. None of them have shot loose. That’s the point. |
|
Originally Posted By Stahlgewehr762: Is there any issue with the staking on the gas block screws damaging the threads in the upper gas block, during removal of the screws? |
|
Originally Posted By Flyboy77: Like an itch that I can't scratch, this idea won't go away. For anyone that has done this (pillar bedding) , was the result worth the effort? Have an old Mini with a wood stock and barrel strut that will shoot two inch groups at 50 yards. Also a Mini 30 with the synthetic stock that is over gassed. I bought the gas bushing kit for the mini 30. My regular shop won't do the bushing and the guy recommended made sure I knew how difficut it was going to be.. Re: Gas bushing install. This is simple enough and I question your gunsmith's being unwilling to do it. Gas bushing installation instructions Here If your gunsmith won't install the bushings after reading the instructions, suggest finding a new gunsmith. AFAIK, different gas bushing kits for Mini-14 and Mini-30, so use the right kit. |
|
IIRC, Accuracy Systems Inc. has posted pix of their Pillar bedding procedure. IMHO, most users of Syn stocks need not go through this expensive process. Most Syn stock users can "shim" their stocks to tightly fit their receivers. NO bedding required. Personally, BTDT on many different syn stocks. "Loose" fitting wooden stocks are another matter, since such stocks will change in overall fit due to multiple causes--aside from their initially being "loose" in fitment, and so defective. One of the "underlying" causes of "early" Mini-14 "inaccuracy" claims is likely due to ill-fitting Ruger Wooden stocks, amongst many other possible causes. Strongly suggest that a "Tight-fitting" Syn stock is likely "Miles ahead" of an ill-fitting OEM wooden stock. |
Armory Sponsor