[Shootemup]

What do you guys think are the best aftermarket mags for the Ruger mini 14? What brands should I stay away from?

Thanks Shootemup.

 

[delloro]

PMI and Masen are the ONLY aftermarket mags you can rely upon for the Mini-14

 

[Soda Pop]

PMI and Ruger mags.

Do a little searching because since the AWB expired PMI and Ruger mags have gone down in price. There was a place that was selling Ruger mags for under $30 a few weeks ago.

I'll do a little searching tomorrow.

All I have are PMI mags and I don't have problems.

 

[dug]

How about the mini-thirty? Same. Do you have a URL for them?

 

[Soda Pop]

They were for sale at http://www.fourfourmagstore.com but I've been told they sold out.

Fire them off an email and find out if they are getting anymore in.

I don't think there was ever a good manufacturer of Mini 30 mags out there. I don't even think there are LEO mags.

 

[Shootemup]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll have to do some searching.

 

[fubar]

im glad i sold my ruger mini-14 mags for $125 when i did.

AFAIK: there are no factory mini 30 mags over 10 rounds. heck if you want to shoot that caliber it would be cheaper to get an AK of some kind.

 

[one more]

PMI and Masen are the ONLY aftermarket mags you can rely upon for the Mini-14

shootemup

deloro is correct as far as I am concerned on the aftermarket mags you asked about.
PMI & Masen

 

[CW]

Ruger's mag lockup / release parts had geometry changes over the years (different number series), so what works for one person may not work for another. You should TEST to see what works in yours before you invest. Test each mag for solid lockup, no bolt drag on the feed lips, and bolt lock-back on an empty mag. Also look for good metal forming, smooth follower travel, and follower engagement on the bolt lock. Pull the bolt back, and when it stops, drop the mag. ALL the Mason's (and 15% of the USAs I tried) failed to lock the bolt, and the bolt simply jammed on the follower and slammed home when I pulled the mag out. These mags are junk.

Also, be aware that companies like PMI, USA, and Mason mags differ in quality depending on when they were made. My mini works well with most of the USAs I've tried, but others hate them. The 2 Masons I have are worthless POS, with the crappiest soft metal floor plates and followers I've seen and no bolt lock-back -- but others seem to love them. Early PMIs were wonderful, but the newer ones seem to have softer metal and the feed lips deform, so I wouldn't touch one without testing, but my old SS PMI is wonderful. Rugers are clearly the best, but the prices are insane for 20s and 30s. The newer ProMags look like OEM quality, and if they start offering 20's I'll be a buyer. Look over at http://www.perfectunion.com/forums/show ... eadid=1087 (if the thread is still there) for other opinions on other mags. Perfect Union is the site for Mini-14 fans.

I was working on a comparison matrix of different mags (mostly based on geometric differences). This is what I wrote for general impressions on mags I know (sorry, it repeats some of the same info above):

Ruger: OEM mags consistently reliable; high quality suitable for LE or Mil. use. Ruger 5-rds drop free.

PMI (aka Precision) :Older mags appear to be near Ruger in quality, many new mags near worthless due to soft feed lips which bend easily

Pro-Mag: New mfg 10-rd appear excellent, near OEM quality. (Apparently working to get a Ruger OEM contract.) Best new mfg I've seen.

USA: Some USA mags appear to be good quality, reliable & fully functional, and but other reports suggest they made a lot of bad ones also. Confirm fit and operation on individual rifle.

Masen (old): Older mags have poor follower/lockup geometry, no bolt hold lock-back on last shot, and soft metal (esp. floorplate). Newer mags (esp. 10-rd) have much better reputation.

Hope this helps. YMMV.
-- cw

 

[delloro]

The masen mags I have are identical to ruger factory 30s, except that they are finished black, not blued. they have the lock tab welded on, and they are nice and heavy. they are faultless. I purchased them in 1997 or 1998.

if you want a SS 30 that matches the rifle's finish, PMI is the only game in town.

btw, ruger never sold the 30s to the unwashed masses. those were for LEO/military only. they have welded lock tabs. ruger only deigned to allow the unruly masses 20 rounders after much begging, and they have stamped lock tabs. he never would treat the public the same as LEO/military (within the law). he was an elitist a$$ and I will never forgive ruger until they apologize, and I don't foresee that happening. [/rant][/bile]

 

[LIProgun]

btw, ruger never sold the 30s to the unwashed masses. those were for LEO/military only. they have welded lock tabs. ruger only deigned to allow the unruly masses 20 rounders after much begging, and they have stamped lock tabs. he never would treat the public the same as LEO/military (within the law). he was an elitist a$$ and I will never forgive ruger until they apologize, and I don't foresee that happening. [/rant][/bile]

This is incorrect. I purchased a 30-round factory Mini-14 mag directly from Ruger by mail order. I believe it was the summer of 1984, but I am not 100% sure of the date.

There was a brief window when Ruger sold those mags to the general public. I think I paid $20 plus S&H. For 20 years I've wished I bought a bunch more at the time.

 

[Dean Speir]

btw, ruger never sold the 30s to the unwashed masses. those were for LEO/military only. they have welded lock tabs. ruger only deigned to allow the unruly masses 20 rounders after much begging, and they have stamped lock tabs. he never would treat the public the same as LEO/military (within the law). he was an elitist a$$ and I will never forgive ruger until they apologize, and I don't foresee that happening.

As Rob has already pointed out, this is inaccurate.

In December '86, I purchased a pair of factory 30-round Min-14 magazines, $13.65 each wholesale, from a shop in NYC. I had thought it was later, mid-'85, '86, but I just retrieved the invoice and it was 12/18/84, which is consistent with what Rob posted.

There was, upon information and belief, a 1½-2 year period in which Sturm Ruger relaxed their prohibitionist policy and sold their HiCs to the civilian market.

Still, William B. Ruger Sr. had much for which to answer, but he never did, and this must remain as part of his legacy.

BTW, while we're "wishing we'd bought more," one of the best Mini-14 magazines I've ever owned was an Eagle 35-rounder, amber/clear composition with a negator spring… had it close to 18 years before the feed lips parted on me this past June.

Too bad they're out of business!

 

[Soda Pop]

Have any of you seen or heard anything about the NEW MIni 14's that are coming out?

There are pictures that are showing up but I don't know if its 100% true. I noticed a thread over at THR but it was still pretty questionable.

 

[CW]

The Masen 30s I have are painted black, not blued. The followers do not engage the bolt lock, but sometimes *jam* the bolt back. When I tried replacing the follower with a Ruger follower, the pot metal used for the floorplates bent very easily. The feed lips drag on the bolt. Not what I would call "exactly like a Ruger" or "faultless", but it does support my assumption that somewhere along the line their QC went to hell. Same with PMI, as the early SS (which I bought because I wanted a 20 and the Rugers were 30-rd -- which they were selling to the public -- so I passed on the Ruger) is one of the best I've seen. But the new ones generate reports of soft feed lips that bend easily. I guess both companies produced lots better stuff when they had to compete directly against Ruger.

Give us the link to infor about the new one, but usually they turn out to be old shots of their aborted .308 version.....

-- cw

 

[Arby]

I know this will sound like a dumb, unanswerable question, but here goes:

I have some 20 & 30 round blued mags with no markings. I know I've had them for at least 20 years, maybe more. The 20 rounders are straight and not curved like the Ruger mags. The 30s are curved. I probably bought them in the early 80s at gun shows, and they were not packaged. Any idea who made them?

 

[OnTargetFL]

The old Federal ordnance 30 and 40 round magazines were reliable also... They came in Blue, stainless and nickel plated.

I still have a bunch.

There was also an unmarked aftermarket mag that was available from mag wholesalers prior to the AWB. They came Blue and Nickel. I had no significant failures with them.

Luck,

Gerry

 

[Dean Speir]

Any idea who made them?

Sounds like they might be FedOrd… but, despite Gerry's experience to the contrary, not if they all work!

They were made somewhere on the Pacific Rim, and were notorious… especially the 40-rounders… for failing to lock in properly. Usually excessive "play," due to the mis-location of the locking hole on the forward face of the magazine.

 

[LIProgun]

The sole Fed Ord 40 I had (circa 1983) was so poorly made that the follower would get stuck in the mag body during feeding. The two 20-round Fed Ord mags I exchanged it for have always been flawless.

 

[OnTargetFL]

I remember an outfit out of North Carolina....
CIE maybe? Who sold some inexpensive mini14 mags. I used to buy mini-14 maga in bulk from them.
They sound like the ones Dean is talking about. 30's were passable.... you could pick and choose for a few good ones... Their 40's were sloppy "most of the time."

They had sloppy front holes and stamped rear tabs.

<the Federal ORD had welded rear tabs like M14 mags>

I still have some. I'll take a look for markings later today.

Gerry

 

[CW]

I know this will sound like a dumb, unanswerable question, but here goes:
I have some 20 & 30 round blued mags with no markings. I know I've had them for at least 20 years, maybe more. The 20 rounders are straight and not curved like the Ruger mags. The 30s are curved. I probably bought them in the early 80s at gun shows, and they were not packaged. Any idea who made them?

You will have to provide a lot more details or photos to help with that.
Perfectunion.com is really the place to get into a mini-14 discussion. There is a subforum of the Mini-14 forum for magazines at http://www.perfectunion.com/forums/inde ... owforum=54
-- more than you ever wanted to know.

-- cw