I was just told by Ruger that the particular 14 I have is not compatable to scope usage(pre Ranch-186-xxxx)as it does not have the Buffer Sys that the Ranch Models do, hence no scope bases made or mounting slots/screw holes on the receiver and the ejection angle is not conducive as emptys will hit scope, plus recoil?? would be to severe on it..really...on a .223..severe recoil? Ok the question for any who are more inclined to slog forward and ignore "Factory" recomendations. Is there a scope mount/Weaver Rail or can the side mounts be used successfully even tho I think they are to large/cumbersome, they do put the scope over the ejection port. I wonder if Winchester said the same about scoping a Mod 94? Thanks. Tom
Mini 14 Scope
- Thread starter TomL
- Start date
Ultimak Mini-14 mount and a Burris scout scope or Leupold scout scope or Leatherwood scout scope or a red dot optic.
Mini 14 Scope Mount
Thanks guys, but I've went and put a double whammy on myself I think! I purchased a Hogue Overmold stock, nice item too. I did order a side mount see under mount but when it arrived I found out it is for the "Ranch" not the pre Ranch like I have so it went back. I shot the rifle and see no reason a Bridge type or two piece cannnot be used, the empties went out right and forward, not nearly straight up as was told by Ruger Tech. So does anyone here know a Smith that can provide services to drill n tap and find a weaver type rail that will match the receiver contour fore and aft of the ejection port? Tom
Thanks guys, but I've went and put a double whammy on myself I think! I purchased a Hogue Overmold stock, nice item too. I did order a side mount see under mount but when it arrived I found out it is for the "Ranch" not the pre Ranch like I have so it went back. I shot the rifle and see no reason a Bridge type or two piece cannnot be used, the empties went out right and forward, not nearly straight up as was told by Ruger Tech. So does anyone here know a Smith that can provide services to drill n tap and find a weaver type rail that will match the receiver contour fore and aft of the ejection port? Tom
Keep Your Options Open
You might consider the B-Square "see-under" type scope mount already mentioned here. Choosing this for your Mini-14 will allow you to retain the use of your iron sights in addition to using your scope. It also allows you to remove the mount and scope as a unit without losing your settings, giving you the opportunity to remove your bolt during cleaning. Finally, think about a red dot type scope for it. I'm having a blast with my Smith & Wesson Performance Optics Red Dot shown in this photo:
You might consider the B-Square "see-under" type scope mount already mentioned here. Choosing this for your Mini-14 will allow you to retain the use of your iron sights in addition to using your scope. It also allows you to remove the mount and scope as a unit without losing your settings, giving you the opportunity to remove your bolt during cleaning. Finally, think about a red dot type scope for it. I'm having a blast with my Smith & Wesson Performance Optics Red Dot shown in this photo:
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El Paso Joe
New member
I put a scope on my Mini - I used a B-Square and a Burris 4x. Works pretty well. Went on easily too.
It actually does work that way since the scope rings are left intact when the B-Square rail is removed. Since the scope and mount are removed as a single unit, the settings will remain when the unit is reattached to the rifle. This only works, however, if the forward & rear adjustment screws are locked in place.
TomL,
It's not that the recoil is so bad it's the shock of the slide assembly slamming back against the receiver then slamming forward against the gas block you can install Wilson combat buffers or do like I did and make your own out of a silicone baking sheet, for a couple of dollars you can make quite a lot, the scope can be rotated 90 degrees so that your windage and elevation knobs are out of the way of ejected casings then the windage becomes elevation and elevation becomes windage. You can also change your gas bushing to a smaller orifice this mod keeps the ejected casings from being thrown into the next county this takes some experimentation to find a happy medium between reliability and taming the recoil. This link explains it better than I can these guys are Mini gurus.
http://perfectunion.com/vb/showthread.php?t=69066
That being said Minis are TOUGH on scopes, cheapies don't last, some guys have had a scope die before they used a magazine of 20. I have a Nikon Pro Staff 2x7 shotgun scope, WallyWorld had the best price, on my mini it has a lifetime guarantee and it does handle the recoil.
It's not that the recoil is so bad it's the shock of the slide assembly slamming back against the receiver then slamming forward against the gas block you can install Wilson combat buffers or do like I did and make your own out of a silicone baking sheet, for a couple of dollars you can make quite a lot, the scope can be rotated 90 degrees so that your windage and elevation knobs are out of the way of ejected casings then the windage becomes elevation and elevation becomes windage. You can also change your gas bushing to a smaller orifice this mod keeps the ejected casings from being thrown into the next county this takes some experimentation to find a happy medium between reliability and taming the recoil. This link explains it better than I can these guys are Mini gurus.
http://perfectunion.com/vb/showthread.php?t=69066
That being said Minis are TOUGH on scopes, cheapies don't last, some guys have had a scope die before they used a magazine of 20. I have a Nikon Pro Staff 2x7 shotgun scope, WallyWorld had the best price, on my mini it has a lifetime guarantee and it does handle the recoil.
I tried their buffer on my Mini-14 and it prevented the rifle from completely cycling as it should. Their buffers are just too thick in my opinion. As has been mentioned here, Wilson Combat recoil buffers for the 1911 pistol also work well in the Mini-14, and they allow the rifle to cycle. If you replace the stock size gas port bushing (.085" orifice) with a reduced size bushing (.041"), it will reduce that recoil considerably, while also keeping the spent brass much closer.