All posts tagged Mini 14 Magazines

Mini 14 lover feedback on gun magazines!

promag magazinesI’ve been in the AR15 camp for several years after retiring my Mini 14 Ranch model that was probable my most used semi-auto.   I started out with Russian rifles like the SKS and then moved on to the 7.62×39 AK firearms.  I learned rifle skills with those rifles and quickly learned that my shooting abilities were better than what those rifles provided.  When the AR15 was first showing up at my gun clubs, i viewed those as the rich guy guns.   The optics that were being mounted on those guns cost more than what my new Mini 14 rifle cost.  I got good accuracy with my 1-9 twist Mini 14 with a Sightron 3-9×40 rifle scope.   Especially, if you compared it to the accuracy of 7.62×39 guns.   At longer distances like 200yd-500yds you will see that the flatter shooting 5.56 round will do a better job of getting hits.

I have retired most of my Mini 14 rifles to being hunting rifles since I have several opportunities to go on hunting trips in states that allow semi-auto guns to be used.   I have been very happy with the 20rd promag magazines that I picked up after some of the factory mini 14 and PMI magazines I had wore out.  It seems that many aftermarket magazines have improved and even though there have been some improvements to the mini 14 design, finding decent 20rd and 30rd magazines that function.   The Mini 14 is a very potent firearm if a reality check is in place and not trying to turn the gun into an assault rifle.   Considering the weight of the rifle, this might be the best balanced .223 carbine out there.

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Promag Magzines for the M1 Carbine and Mini 14

I never got on the M1 carbine bandwagon even though I know that it’s a fine gun.   There are are lots of bull shit stories about the firearm, but the biggest drawbacks about it are that the gun is designed for ball ammunition.  I  know there are claims about hollow point ammunition working in them, but I would not use this firearm with defensive ammunition in a defensive situation.  Just like it’s much famed 1911 WWII family member, it was designed for a specific task and it did the job well.   Many 1911 firearms have problems with ammunition and it’s all about the throat on the guns.   There are newer 1911s that resolve this issue, but it does exist.

When all of those WWII surplus guns started drying up in the 1980s and 1990s it was getting harder and harder to find decent magazines.  We sell a very good amount of M1 Carbine Promag magazines for the M1 carbine and they are available in 15rd and 30rd capacities.  When you use the 15rd magazines you’ll probable get a better balanced firearms, kind of like 20rd magazines on an AR15.   The M1 Carbine can be a more effective firearm in some situations compared to a handgun, but be realistic about the ammunition that you are feeding them.  There are also good reports about the Promag magazines for the Mini 14 and Mini 30.

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Magazines that aren’t flush fitting

I have never really liked the feel of having a pistol magazine protrude out of the bottom of the gun unless it is because the gun grip is too small for me.  I’ve seen a few of my friends do this on their Glocks, namely the Glock 26 because it is such a small gun.   I did put an extension on a Sig 239 which is the  only gun I currently own that has this.   The first gun that I owned was a Colt 1991A1 and it only came with one pistol magazine.   It was a Colt magazine which i thought would be the best gun magazine to have, but that turned out to not be true.   After having a few problems with the slide stop not catching, I found out the magazine tab was bending and causing the issue.

I believe it was at a gun show that I picked up 2 Wilson Combat magazines and my Colt 1991A1 ran flawlessly with ball ammo.  The gun magazines really ran well with hollow point ammunition but I found the gun to be too picky with hollow point ammo that I pretty much gave up on worrying about it.   If you look at the velocity that a 45acp is flying at, I don’t think you’ll have massive over penetration issues compared to 9mm ball.   Wilson combat magazines have varying base pads and from my experience this is mostly a concern for competition shooters.   If the magazine drops free I don’t need to worry about gripping it and pulling it out for a fast reload.

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Intended purpose of a Min 14

I remember that dark era of gun ownership where the Clinton Administration imposed the so called Assault Weapons Ban on law abiding citizens.   This ridiculous law basically made us cosmetically alter firearms and put a grandfather law on buying new standard capacity magazines.   There were some firearms that got hit really hard by this law and something like a 15rd Glock magazine went from being worth $20 to over $100.   There were some firearms that really weren’t worth buying because a handful of magazines meant the gun cost twice as much as it use to.

One gun that got hit really hard by the ban was the Sturm Ruger Mini 14.  This gun was issued to Law Enforcement at some points with 20rd and 30rd magazines, but since the magazines were not manufactured in large quantities, the AWB dried it up quickly.  Many manufacturers such as Promag magazines didn’t make even 10rd Mini 14 magazines.   The Min 14 is not a combat carbine and according to some conversations I had with Pat Rogers on gun forums the gun hasn’t made it through a single Carbine Class.   One way to keep the gun in it’s place is to use the appropriate magazine, probable 10rd and 20rd magazines are the most appropriate.

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Often over looked firearms

There is much to say for using an M4 Carbine for home defense in comparison to using a handgun.   There are many people that are transitioning home defense weapons from handguns to carbines.   There are  pistol caliber carbines that have very good reputations for reliability and given that you are getting another 200-300 fps or more out of them from a handgun round, you are getting more punch and spank from your bullet.   One firearm that is starting to get a little more use due to ballistic improvements in ammunition is the M1 Carbine.

The M1 Carbine always had a good reputation for being reliable, lethal and handy.   The Mini  14 from Ruger has a bit of an edge over the old M1 Carbine, but it’s still a very potent and useful weapon.   When we are asked about gun magazines for this firearm for  home defense, especially in California, New Jersey and the un friendly States, Promag magazines makes a very good M1 Carbine 10rd magazine.   This is one of the best replacement magazines you can find for the M1 Carbine and if you look around there are some decent defensive rounds you can optain for this caliber.

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Did the M14 replace the Garand?

That is a sure thing, and in my opinion it was a big step forward for semi-autos.  It really is too bad the gun was not fielded during the Korean War because it would have made a difference for the USGI.   As much as the Garand was a useful weapon to the American Rifleman, it was quickly out dated in the battle field and from what I have personally witnessed, is not very versatile when it comes to being used by different soldiers.   Many Vets that I have spoken to did not think the gun was fun to shoot and couldn’t hit anything at 100yds with it.   I’ve seen that type of shooting before, it’s called “fear of recoil”.

When the M14 was first issued, it pretty much did in the M1 Garand and the BAR, but modern warfare made the riflemen’s  usual combat engagements take place at well under 400yds.   Most engagements that I know of from personal stories took place at under 100yds.   The M1 Carbine still was very practical for soldiers until the M4 Carbine came out, now many enthusiasts in California and New Jersey can use the Promag magazines that are 10rds and from what many of our customers have said they worked very well for this old relic.   If it were not for the limited availability and reliability of M1 Carbine ammo, I think the gun would be more popular.

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10rd magazines and living behind enemy lines

I guess we are all living behind enemy lines if you consider what we’ve been dealing with since the 2008 election.   I recently go around to reading some of the bull shit that is listed in the Obamacare bill and it’s loaded with nothing more than crap.   We have a bunch a lunatics in Washington DC that are trying to say that a vending machine operator has to list how many calories for each individual item they are selling.  This is all brought to  you by the people that are afraid to call Islamic terrorism what it is and want an average American Citizen to not be allowed to own a firearm that holds more than 10rd of ammunition in it.

We have a diverse group for our customer base.  We  have the concealed carry apparel crowd and we have many, many Government employees and private contractors.   Our customers that live in California and New Jersey tend to be more restricted in the gun accessories product line and when it comes to selling gun magazines, we’ve been selling a lot of t he Promag magazines to them.   The Mini 14 is a very popular firearm in California because the gun doesn’t have to be modified from the Factory configuration, but it still shoots the .223 or 5.56 ammunition that the AR15 does.

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The AWB is over, so buy Factory Mags

When I stopped and thought about writing this, I couldn’t believe how many years it has been since the AWB has expired.  It feels like it was just yesterday that I could get Glock or Sig Sauer magazines without having to spend $60-$90 for them.   Factory magazines are still more expensive than some of the other magazines out there, but they are always the best option for handguns.   There are plenty of decent manufacturers for AK or AR15 rifles, and most problems I have seen with AK mags can be fixed with a simple file to the tab on the mag wells.    I recently picked up a couple Glocks and XD handguns because I wanted to bring something to the next class I teach that wasn’t a Beretta, Sig Sauer or 1911.   Some people just have issues shooting 45acp and I didn’t own anything other than a Sig 220 and a 1911.

I have found the Springfield Armory XD 45acp to be the most comfortable 45acp gun to shoot that was not a steel gun.  I find the Glock 21 to be too bulky especially for my female students.   The factory gun magazines for my Glocks are less expensive than  Sig Factory magazines, but I have never had to replace anything on my Sigs other the springs.   Wolff Gun springs work very well in all of my rifle and pistols and I have stockpiles of them so that if I notice any slowness in cycling, I can just swap them out.   Rotating your gun magazines is a good way of making sure you don’t wear out the same magazine, because it’s a pain in the neck when you are trying to determine if the magazine is bad or if a shooter is limp wristing a firearm during a training session.

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Some words about Promag

I’m old enough to remember how much of a nightmare it was to find “standard’ capacity magazines for handguns in the late 1900s when the impact of the AWB was in full affect.   I use to buy semi-auto handguns based on how much the magazines cost and ended up sticking with 1911 handguns and Berettta 92FS firearms.   The Beretta 92FS is still a favorite 9mm of mine, but I have other guns that I prefer for myself.   While I was using my Beretta as a standard CCW gun, I only had 3 standard capacity magazines for it and one of my friends who was moving and getting married was selling his, I only ended up buying his gun magazines off of him.

I have had several Promag magazines from AR15 to 1911s and Beretta 92.   I would say that they are all manufactured from different times and quality varies, but the reliability has been fairly good.  I would not consider them for primary carry, but they are good range magazines.  I have a few friends that use them as primaries, but I would do thorough testing with them and consider having to use a pair of pliers if you have any issues.  I have had very good results from the Promag gun magazines that are made for the Mini 14 and Mini 30.   The 5rd magazines that Ruger ships their guns with are flush fitting and in many States the 20rd and 30rd are illegal, but the 10rd magazines make the Mini 14 a better defensive weapon in these States.  There aren’t very many other options for anything other than 5rd Ruger magazines.

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Speed loaders and training courses

I was fortunate to attend a sniper competition a few years ago where I must have learned more about combat than every before.   About 40 students were attending this training competition even and given the rules for attending the match.   Everyone was told to arrive with unloaded firearms, but to keep all of their gear in the cars and attend a safety briefing.    Well, one of the  best events for this competition/training even occurred in the first 30 seconds after the safety briefing.   Everyone was asked if they understood all of the safety rules and when everyone said yes, it began.    The Instructor explained the first stage of the shooting event.   Everyone was told to grab their gear from their car and immediately return to the firing line, unload the gear and engage the targets.   The attendees gave us a big smile while the students/competitors did an “Oh, Shit!”

I sat and watched every student run back to their car which was about 15-30yds behind the firing line, I noticed varying types of rifle cases and rifle bags, some shooters showed up with loaded magazines and others had to manually load the guns, as soon as they were ready to shoot, they engaged the targets.   I believe they had 6 minutes to take down all of the targets from 100-200yds.   The variations in time to engage the enemy targets varied by several minutes.   Anyone that had a M4 Carbine or 30rd magazine that didn’t have loaded gun magazines or didn’t have a speed loader, was the last to engage the targets.   I saw only 2 people out of 40 engage the targets in the first 5 minutes.   Maglula speed loaders are must for anyone serious about using a carbine for self defense, unless  you have the military style loaders.

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