Mini-14 cycle

[Styles90]

Looking to reload for my mini and was wondering if I have to load them more to the max of what my manual says is safe to get the action to cycle or will it cycle well on the min. loads?

I like to load on the min side of things in the few calibers I load but the only other semi auto I have is a pistol (ruger p95 9mm) and I have to load it hot almost to the max of my manuals published load to get it to cycle. It was embarrassing first few times I loaded for it to shoot at the range with stove pipe after stove pipe and then to have to go home and pull the rest of my ammo and start over. was wondering if anyone experienced loading the mini-14 could let me in on if min published loads stove pipe or cycle in your rifle? Thank you for your time.

[Crosshair]

Stock Mini's are WAY overgassed. (For reliability and so Ruger doesn't have to tune guns.) You will have no problems with Min loads with a stock bushing unless there is something wrong with your gun.



My 580 series Mini, whose stock bushing is in that photo, runs Wolf ammo 100% with an extra power recoil spring and a .045" bushing. My 184 series Mini, bushing also in that photo, runs 100% with a .050" bushing and the stock spring.

[mjm]

I loaded Winchester 748 at 24 gr (55gr FMJ). Depending on which book you look at, that is about a minimum load for that powder. My 181 series had no problems cycling.

[steve4102]

was wondering if I have to load them more to the max of what my manual says is safe to get the action to cycle or will it cycle well on the min. loads?

NO, chamber pressure has nothing to do with cycling the action of a semi-auto. What cycles the action is port pressure. Port pressure is cause by the amount of gas or gasses that travels down the bore and enters the gas port. Hence port pressure. Slower burning powders produce more gasses thus more port pressure.

A fast pistol powder loaded in your mini can produce chamber pressures well above Max and still not cycle the action, why? Cuz fast powder burn to fast to produce sufficient port pressure to cycle the action even though the chamber pressure can be excessive.

Load your Mini according to published data and stick with med to slow burn powders and you will be able to load them from weak to heavy and still cycle the action. I would not go faster than 4198 for the Mini-14.

[Styles90]

"Load your Mini according to published data and stick with med to slow burn powders and you will be able to load them from weak to heavy and still cycle the action. I would not go faster than 4198 for the Mini-14"

Was going to use some 4064 I have about a pound of that that I want to use up not sure if its faster or slower than the 4198 but my manual has loads for the 4064. Also I used the published loads for my p95 with medium (Unique) burning powder and it would not cycle that pistol until almost max why would it not build enough port pressure in that case?

[steve4102]

Was going to use some 4064 I have about a pound of that that I want to use up not sure if its faster or slower than the 4198 but my manual has loads for the 4064.

Powder burn charts can be found in most manuals and on every powder manufacturers web site. http://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html

4064 is plenty slow.

Also I used the published loads for my p95 with medium (Unique) burning powder and it would not cycle that pistol until almost max why would it not build enough port pressure in that case?

Semi-Auto pistols do not have gas ports and do not relay on port pressure to cycle the action. Completely different animal.

[Adamantium]

Mini's are fine with faster burning rifle powders like 4198, Reloder 10x, Ramshot X-terminator/Accurate 2230 and 3031. I'm just naming a few off my head and not saying these are better than others in that burn range. My main load is 19 grains of X-terminator over a 55 grain bullet and it cycles 100%. 4064 is a good powder for 223 and although people say it is slow it is in the same range as other powders like BLC-2, 748 and 2520. At max it will be a compressed load but there is nothing inherently dangerous about that.

The only handgun powder I've tried to get my Mini to run on is 2400, which is didn't. The accuracy was fine but the spent shell wasn't even ejecting at max load. I worked it over what the 2004 Alliant manual said and there were no pressure signs but it never functioned consistently so I gave up. Makes a good low power practice round if you don't mind turning your gun into a pseudo bolt action rifle.

[stu925]

H335 cycles just fine with minimum loads. I've had no issues with my 581 series cycling.

Stu