I know this is an AR15 forum, but I have a mini 14 question. I shoot my mini 14 for the first time yesterday and I have nine 30 USA mags. The USA mags worked great until the last shoot. The last round would not feed. It would sort of fall out of the mag and either jam or fall out of the rifle? This happened with several mags. Are there any suggested fixes to the mags other then the usual use them for target practice? I also shoot my new Bushy M4 for the first time. No problems to report:) But I was more accurate with the mini 14. It took more practice with the M4, but the groups did improve at the end of the day.

The USA mags are easily fixable. It too can be a functioning member of society.

You could put it in the trash where it will contribute to the eventual closing of a landfill near you.

You could encase it in plexiglass with a sign below saying "NEVER AGAIN!" If this prevents just one person somewhere from making the same mistake of purchasing a USA mag like you did, it'll all be worth it!

USA mags make great doorstops!

You could dig deep in business records until you find that USA's parent company USSR was trying to singlehandedly trying to make every American mag fed weapon useless, priming us for invasion! I'm sure it's true!

Send it to me. I'm working on a new invention called a Mag-a-pult. It may be able to fling a mag about 400 meters but so far I've only tested it on the one USA mag I owned and I think I killed a low flying chicken!

Keep it, and once in a while take it out and stare forlornly at it. Thinking of the potential that a well manufactured magazine has to deliver thousands of rounds flawlessly fed to your weapon of choice. Then think of the utter piece of useless crap you hold in your hands.

Down with USA!

You would think someone would make a decent mag for the mini14. There are enough of them out there to justify a production run. There is a demand.

Stretch the spring on one of
the mags and see if that helps.

These were new magazines? I was playing with one of the mags. I loaded one round in to the mag, pressed down on the follower and let go. The round flow out of the mag replicating the problem. The lips do not seem to be holding that last round. What good is a rifle if you can not rely on the magazines :(  I tried this on my AR mag and no problem. This would not be a problem if I was going to use the rifle for hunting. The five round mag that come with would be fine. Not what I had in mind when I purchased my mini. Woo is me :(

IMHO:

Ruger Factory mags are the best.

PMI (Precision Mfg.) are very good as well.

John Mason Corp. makes a great magazine too.... and CURRENTLY manufacturers 10rd. Magazines !


[url]www.johnmasen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=J&Product_Code=M1RM&Category_Code=RMA[/url]


[img]www.johnmasen.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/1439full.gif[/img]

I dont have a Mini-14, but two of my friends are always looking for PMI mags. They seem to think that PMI mags are the way to go. Good luck.

I have a lot of experience with USA 30 round mags for Mini-14/Ranch Rifles and the problem you described is very common among USA mags but it can be fixed easily.  I think the problem is that the feed lips are too high and wide so the lips are not getting a good hold on the cartridge so when the bolt cycles and drags against the cartridge it gets released from friction.  To fix the problem you needs to bent both lips down a little toward the middle so both left and right lips are closer together.  This needs to be done evenly on both lips.  Also, USA uses cheap springs so I suggest you replace them with Wolff springs.  I currently have 27 USA 30 round mags and they all work perfectly in my 3 Mini/Ranch Rifles.

Stay away from Triple-K mags.  They are totally useless and can't be fixed.

 

I also believe it's a weak spring problem. I wonder if there is a suitable spring from another common magazine that could replace the USA spring.

It's still legal to put new parts in a preban mag! Until Pres. Gore takes the oath of office in Jan., 2005!

Eric The(JustKiddingAboutThat'Pres.Gore'Thing)Hun[>]:)]

Once made the biggest mistake of buying a USA magazines M1A/M14 mag. The damn thing wouldnt even insert in my weapon. Due to the different "spine" they use.

Humiliated it into oblivion by putting some 5.56 mm holes in it.

Kuiper

That sounds like the best thing you can do with any USA brand magazine.

USPC40

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aka

You don't have a problem. That is how USA mags are supposed to work.

Get some for your AR too. Always good for a laugh at the range. I loaded up a USA mag once and before I could get it in the rifle, about 20 rounds went shooting up into the air like a fountain. It was so funny, I just laughed and laughed. I use that mag all the time just to amuse my friends. I like to loan it out because it will often shuck 3 rounds at once and people just love it when their bolt tries to close on that. Man, I do truly love those USA mags, yes I do.