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Posted: 6/19/2005 3:22:40 PM EDT
| Are PMI mini 14 mags any good? I'm looking at getting some factory magazines, but I would like to have some alternatives. |
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I bought a NIB Mini GB a few months ago and did some looking into the magazine situation myself. Besides Ruger OEM the best alternatives seem to be PMI and Thermolds. I have heard some good things about ProMag but haven't tried any. The new ProMag Thermolds are supposed to be good quality and can bee had for about 15bucks. PMI 30's seem to be going for nearly what I can have a OEM Ruger 20, so with the exception of a few Thermolds its strictly Ruger 20's for me. Since mine is a very recent manufacture, I cannot use the Ruger 30's as they will not function reliably in the newer Mini's. Try eiether the new Thermold from ProMag or the "preban" variant. My Mini is tasked with some HD responsibility so I haven't the patience for a mag that cannot be trusted 110%. I just recently conceided that 20 rounds was more than enough for my Mini and an extra 10 rounds wasnt worth the time to test or the money to locate. Check out the magazine page on www.perfectunion.com for more information. Good Luck! |
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Have you actually tried a Ruger 30? I think someone just made up that rumor. Dennis Jenkins
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All of my Ruger 30's needed to have their springs replaced, although the bodies were in good shape. Just popped in some spare AR-mag springs. The original springs were maybe one-and-a-half inches shorter, and worn on the sides. Not surprising, really, when you consider their age and all. Unless you drop the mag on its feed lips, the springs usually go first, in my experience. |
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One reason for bad mini-14 mags is that they can rock in the mag well. Insert a mag and see if you can move it front to back a bit or side to side. Otherwise good mags by the questionable vendors can be made 100% by fixing this problem. Usually its lack of material on the backbone of the mag where it latches. A little fiddling and adding some slag and filing down should help a LOT. I've often wondered if one could make a rubber lining for the mag well edges to help with this. Seems like might be a decent market if it worked. Oddly enough I took a gamble and ordered 7 30rd unknown brand mags from Sportsmans Guide and low and behold all 7 were and are 100% reliable. I don't know the make of mag, but they were the cheap 11.95 ones. The all latch up good and dont move in the magwell and the springs and lips work just fine. |
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