Bedding Mini-14

H

hillbillyshooter

New member
"The first modification was a complete bedding of the rifle - action, slide channel, everything - if it could be filled with Accraglas Green, it was. Even under the slide channel."

I read this on another forumn and it is supposed to immediately imporve the groups to 2.3". How would i do this? I know nearly nothing about smithing. Be specific if you please.

I would like to do a couple of things to make my Mini more accurate. Bedding, Barrel weight, and Flash suppressor/muzzle break.

Let me know what you think and give me any more cheap suggestions. Looking to do everything for $100-150. Trying to turn in into a reliable and accurate coyote sniper rifle.
 
Cutting the barrel

WV
There was another interesting thing I found about chopping the Mini's barrel to its milling line and then recrowning it. This would put the barrel length below the minimum requirements so a muzzle brake would have to be welded on. Anyone else ever heard of this?
 
The short barrel does help. A friend had one that was 16.5" with the permanently attached flash hider, and it shot great. Loud, but great. That was a *tiny* gun too.

If I was going to bed a Mini-14 I'd be looking at the area on the stock where the gas block meets the stock, and the rear where the rear of the receiver meets the stock.
 
Sorry to keep throwing things out here but, would anyone recommend the Accu-Strut system for the Mini? The website looks impressive and its not a very expensive mod. I actually like the looks of the system attached, gives it more of a M14 look.
 
Once you get beyond the basics with a Mini, then it's time to start thinking about selling it and getting an AR.
 
So what are the cheap things that are recommended to do to help get it closer to 1" MOA? What would the basics include? I cam looking at a RRA predator but don't have the money right now.
 
Yeah, i started thinking about little things that i could do to improve accuracy, and it quickly spiralled into several hundred dollars of considerations. I like my Mini but wish it was closer to 2" groups than the 3.5". I have heard numerous things to do that would help a little. Will still prob go with the flash supressor/muzzle brake (considering the impending bans) and maybe bedding it and the barrel weight/vibration deadener. I think this should all be about $50+. That will prob. be my max. Just not sure how to go about bedding the rifle. Maybe if i can think of a way to make my own accu-strut i will do it but i really don't feel like spending that much for one.
 
Shortening the Mini-14 barrel helps because that skinny barrel is whippy. It is often a good idea to recrown an inaccurate barrel, even if you don't take any significant length off the barrel. My file repository contains a description of the ball crowning method, which is done by hand. The whippy part can also be managed by adding a barrel tuner, though getting a suitable one for the Mini-14, if you don't do your own machining, can be a nuisance.

Another technique to try is an adjustable gas block that lets you choose how much gas to vent. That lets you tune op-rod action to the round you choose to reduce the barrel harmonics introduced by the equal and opposite reaction force to its pressing on the op-rod. Brownells has one in the required price range. In combination with a barrel tuner, it should go a long way toward making the gun shoot.

Another approach is just to make the barrel more rigid. The Accu-strut takes this approach and is also about $120. My guess is that if it were combined with an adjustable gas block, the two together would pretty well control barrel vibration. I don't know how much weight the Accu-strut adds to the gun? Its picture doesn't look like $120 worth of hardware, but maybe there's something not obvious about it? I haven't seen one up close, but their test results look promising if they are typical?
 
I hope it's allowed for me to post about another Gun Forum.
Hillbilly you should check 'PefectUnion' site, there is a Mini page. much good info concerning your ques. some good fellas there and you can get that Mini shooting very well for less than 150$$, likely lot less.
 
UncleNick,
I looked at the lapping instructions for recrowning the barrel. These look pretty straight forward, thank you. Do you think I would be able to do a good job chopping and crowning the barrel with pretty much only a dremmel tool and the tools that you mentioned? I'm not opposed to going to a gunsmith but would like to do it myself to save money, however I also don't want to damage the gun. I have found, elsewhere on the internet, that the best length to cut is 1.25" or some suggest right at the milling line. The milling line makes sense, seeing as how that is the thicker part of the barrel. I know that as long as i permanently attach a muzzle brake/flash suppresser, the barrel (before the FS) can be below 16.5". However this also makes me nervous as far as flirting with what could be construde as "manufacturing a short barrelled rifle." You think this would be okay? Just don't want to break any laws trying to get a better MOA.
 
What was the name of the company in Texas who made and installed heavy barrels/gas blocks for Mini-14? Accuracy Rifle Systems? Can't remember the name, but if I had the money I'd consider having them do one.
 
Its accuracy systems, i looked at them, but its just more than i want to spend. I think that Great West Gunsmithing would be able to help me spend a little less to get the accuracy i want. i still want to do it on my own if i can and need some advice on good techniques.
 
Before I say this, I will qualify it by saying that I understand why people buy Mini-14s. They are kinda retro, nostalgic, and look cool, but they shoot awful. That said, the easiest, most cost-efficient way to turn your Mini-14 into a MOA shooter is to sell it and buy an AR15. Other than that, you can easily put more money into a Mini-14 than a good AR15 would cost. Your Mini-14 would sell used for about $300, give or take a few $. For another $300, you could get into a used AR15, or for another $500 you could buy a new AR15. By bedding, cutting/recrowning/weld-on muzzle brake you could easily spend $300-$400 and still not solve the problem.
 
Missing the point

Scorth,
Guess I'm getting off of my inital idea, improve the accuracy as much as possible without spending much. I want to cut, crown, and bed the barrel myself to save money, if possible. As far as i know, this should be about $25 for the flash suppressor/muzzle brake, <$15 for the bedding gel, and whatever i decide to spend on my scope. I was waiting for more people to jump on the ARs are better than Minis. I spend $430 for my 196 series Mini new and if i spend another $100 then i will only be about half way to a AR, based on the current stockpiling market. This isn't going to be some target gun either, just a varmint taimer that i wouldnt be heartbroken if i dropped. I want to go cheap. Anyone who has suggestion on other tuning techniques for the Mini let me know. Guess the important questions is, do you think it would be safe for me to chop my barrel or am i just going to screw up my gun?
 
Why do you need a one inch group for Coyotes?
How have you been measuring your groups? Cold barrel you should not have much trouble getting 2 MOA out of a mini for that first shot.
Second shot the yote will probably be running, and if you can shoot 2 MOA groups on a running dog with any rifle you impress me. A lot.
 
Would the concensus be to just scope it and leave it as is otherwise? One of my friends thinks that it might not be worth all the trouble and just throw a scope on her.
 
Mini-14

Sir;
First, if it is a Mini and not a "ranch rifle" I know of NO useable scope mount for it. It is what it is and accuracy is not a strong point and I know of NOTHING that can be done to really help it. Sorry.
I've got a Stainless Mini-14, a blued ranch rifle, and a Mini-30. None of them will ever shoot like an AR or a bolt action.
Harry B.
 
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