Single shot Mini-14 and question...

[Fherot]

Went out with my Mini today that hasnt seen the sun in a couple months to have fun with my friend's new SR556E.

...and forgot all my magazines at home.. Even the prebans... So I had to single shot my 2 boxes of TulAmmo which turned out to be pretty accurate (Minute of Water Jug at 75-100 yards) with irons and no rest.

My question is should I be easing bolt back when there is no magazine and just a (steel) round in the chamber? I was just letting it slam without thinking that there was no resistance of a new round stripped from inserted magazine.

Im wondering because in my chamber I can see 2 polished spots in the bottom and lower left of bore and I can't recall if my mini had this before and it's normal or there's a chance I scuffed chamber by releasing bolt over and over for 40 rounds.

OCD.

[russ69]

The proper way to shoot a mini single shot is to roll a round into the top of the inserted magazine, then trip the bolt. Loading like you did increases your chance of a slam fire and is not recommended.

[Fherot]

I had no magazines and I'm going to ease bolt forward in the future like with cleaning when empty.

Just wondered if I could have damaged it by releasing bolt about 20 times without the friction of stripping a round from a magazine.

Need to go to Big5 and ask to handle their stainless ranch then stare at the chamber...

This is why I need an AK.

[c good]

the only possible damage would have come from a slam fire. No slam fire, no damage. Nothing to worry about. HTH

[russ69]

...I'm going to ease bolt forward in the future like with cleaning when empty...This is why I need an AK.

I guess you are a slow learner. Never "ease" the bolt forward on a Garand, M14 or a Mini-14. Roll a round into the magazine and trip the bolt. You won't do any damage doing it your way...until you have a slamfire. That's why doing it your way is discouraged.

[Fherot]

Again I had no magazines I forgot them all at home. None of this will happen again and atleast Minis are built to make it really hard to have a slam fire.

I did go to Big-5 though and look at the chamber of their stainless ranch where the bolt lugs meet and there's no marring there unlike mine. Hope it's just normal.

My step dad did temporarily buy this several months ago and I only recently was able to buy it back so hopefully he didn't do anything stupid(er than I do).

Need to just duct tape magazines to my forehead before I leave the house for the range.

[dfletcher]

I had no magazines and I'm going to ease bolt forward in the future like with cleaning when empty.

Just wondered if I could have damaged it by releasing bolt about 20 times without the friction of stripping a round from a magazine.

Need to go to Big5 and ask to handle their stainless ranch then stare at the chamber...

This is why I need an AK.

I may be missing something.

For shot one the bolt is "eased forward" but, since there's no magazine in place when the trigger is pulled the bolt cycles and then slams forward on an empty chamber in exactly the manner you wanted to avoid, correct?

Ultimately I think it makes no difference, you fired off a few rounds - no big deal. The Mini 14 isn't exactly a delicate tool.

[Saym14]

russ read the full post.

[Calif Mini]

Mini - is Slamfire possible?

If I understand how the Mini bolt/firing pin works correctly.........

The bolt slams forward and strikes the face of the barrel, stopping the bolt abruptly. But at this time, the bolt is out of battery and the firing pin tail is still indexed to not move forward until the bolt rotates and engages the lugs thus freeing the FP tail to move forward.

The forward inertia of the bolt and firing pin is stopped briefly making a slam fire very unlikely.

If I am missing something here, please help me understand how it is different.

I have made a few Mini firing pins and know the tail, clearances and timing are a pain to deal with and have it perform as designed.

Thanks, Ed

[Fherot]

A slam fire is not the issue, just that without the friction of an inserted magazine and round to be fed into the chamber each time I released the bolt it went as follows:

(No magazines for the rifle within a couple miles)

Pull bolt back, lock it open, insert a .223 round into the chamber, release and 'slam bolt home'. Fire. Repeat x20

I think the chances of a slamfire are very unlikely though I won't repeat this exercise.

I'm just wondering if the slight marring on the chamber is normal after a Mini has been used for a couple years/several hundred rounds or if me letting bolt slam home 20 times with no magazine/round to slow travel down could have damaged it.

If I had noticed this before I sold the rifle to step dad then bought it back I probably wouldn't have even brought this up because I only fed brass federal and PMC from magazines before Saturday and never looked that closely at the chamber.

The new on the shelf Mini-14 at Big-5 had an unmarred chamber where bolt would be hitting it on a used gun.

Here's a couple blurry phone pics. You can make out the uneven spots dented into the chamber. The big curved indentations look like they're machined in but the new one I looked at today had a perfectly flat chamber where barrel is screwed into receiver and bolt would slam into unlike mine.

[Mossy Man]

Mine has about 800 through it, and the chamberface/feed ramp has some visible wear........but i cant really tell if yours is the same. Pics are too blurry.

[Fherot]

Yeah my phone sucks... Can make out the 'dents' if you kind of sit back and look at the photos funny.

If the wear is normal and is just 'printed' from the bolt hitting the chamberface so much then I'm a happy camper. Just don't want a damaged gun because I'm a moron.

[kris smith]

The blurring on mine us worn off in several spots from normal use you should be fine

[c good]

letting the bolt fly home on a single round (numerous times) would not cause those dimples. There's nothing on the corresponding bolt face that should do that unless the op rod to bolt lug interface is completely worn out and sloppy from not greasing correctly.

I have thousands of rounds through an old Mini 14 that does not have those dimples. I don't think that is normal but I don't think it will hurt anything either.

I would take a few better quality photos and send them to Ruger to inspect. It just doesn't look right. HTH c good

[Fherot]

I'll have to go to my mom's and use her camera and see what Ruger says then. Don't suppose any of you have photos of your chamber/breechfaces to compare?