Mini 14 Mags

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 01:09 PM

Hey all, new to the forum,
I did a couple cursory searches on here w/ little success re: hi cap (20-30rd) mags for the Mini 14, I actually prefer the 20rd steel. I want to hear peoples experiences w/ various manufacturers and the like. Online reviews for the exact same mag vary wildly and of course, my own experience is that the overpriced Ruger mags are the only ones that haven't given me any issues whatsoever. Any input is appreciated, thanks

BarryLee · July 31, 2014, 01:18 PM

You might try Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/search/inde...ines&ksubmit=y

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 01:24 PM

Thanks, that is a good source. I was hoping to get real world experience and possibly dialogue from some folks on here that have extensively used them vs reviews online.

BarryLee · July 31, 2014, 01:32 PM

Sorry, don’t actually own the gun, but have used Brownells and can recommend them as a retailer. Give it a few days and I suspect you’ll get some feedback. This is good site with lots of good folks and good information.

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 01:37 PM

Thanks brother

Technosavant · July 31, 2014, 01:49 PM

I've really never heard of a non-Ruger magazine that worked all that well across the board. One person might love their Ramlines, another won't. Let us not even speak of Promags.

I just buy the 20 round Ruger mags- they're not cheap but neither are they that unreasonable. Yes, they cost more than AR-15 magazines. They're also far stronger- only with the recent high quality polymer STANAGs (such as Pmags) are we seeing AR magazines that are likely to last for years and years. A Ruger Mini magazine feels like it will last as long as the gun itself. And compared to pistol magazines, they're not horribly priced... $30ish for a 20 round mag isn't too awful.

The 30 round mags just feel too big, less than 20 I would only really consider for hunting/critter control purposes. The 20 round magazine just feels like a perfect size.

geetarman · July 31, 2014, 01:53 PM

I had nothing but trouble with aftermarket mags until I wised up and bought Ruger mags. I just won't buy other than Ruger mags for my Mini.

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 01:58 PM

Yeah i agree with you w/ the 20 rd just feeling right. The 30 is too long for any type of supported shooting and looks crazy too. I made the mistake shortly after buying the Mini and ordered a mag from Ruger, so I paid way too much after shipping. Now I know to buy them online for about half the cost of what I paid initially.
Sorry for mentioning it, but I have too...what is the deal w/ Promag? I have a 20rd steel mag that is almost indistinguishable from my Ruger but it has failed to feed properly everytime I used it! It was like every 3-7 rounds. I'm not really a big believer in a mag having to be "broken in." So do they just suck that bad?

Sharkbite · July 31, 2014, 01:58 PM

^^this is spot on^^^

Minis only seem to run well with Ruger mags

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 02:03 PM

That has been my experience as well, but I have heard of some people having decent results w/ the 2nd gen Tapco polymer mags. I kinda rule those out though because they are 30rd.

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 02:05 PM

Well, thanks guys I guess I have my answer. That was quick! My compliments to the community here.
Its only 20rd Ruger mags for me and my Mini from here on out!

Hawkeye77 · July 31, 2014, 02:06 PM

As an aside; anybody wanna buy a slightly used steel Promag?

zxcvbob · July 31, 2014, 03:02 PM

I've had good luck with the steel 20's from CDNN. I have no idea what brand they are. I also have a couple of their 30's and I don't like 'em as much; haven't used them enough to have an opinion about how well they function, they just don't look as good as a 20.

I also have some plastic 30's (Tapco?) and they work okay but I just really don't like them.

Art Eatman · July 31, 2014, 08:05 PM

I'm puzzled. My Mini-14 mags from the 1970s and at least the early 1980s seemed to me to be flawless--and reasonably priced. I never had the first sign of a problem. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, a heckuva lot of griping about poor quality and way-high prices.

I've no real idea for the why of the problems of quality.

bamaranger · August 1, 2014, 02:09 AM

Can't say about the Mini14, but the ONLY hi caps that run in my Mini30 are the recently (past couple of years) 20 rd numbers from Ruger. No they are not cheap....but the two we had ran well and bamaboy shot them in 3 gun for a while with no trouble at all.......then he talked me into buying an AR.

I have a bagful of aftermarket (non Ruger) Mini30 mags for sale....cheap.

NickySantoro · August 1, 2014, 10:34 AM

PMI, now no longer made, were 100% for me as were the Rugers. Ramlines were problematical. They fed OK but if you dropped or bumped them hard, the rounds just spewed out all over.

SVTCobra306 · August 1, 2014, 05:05 PM

Way back in the 90's when my Mini was new, we used to scour gun shows for USA mags. Promags were junk, no names were 99 percent junk, and back then a Ruger factory magazine would bring over $100. The USA mags worked well at least half of the time. Our "crown jewels" were the stainless steel 20's, they look and feel perfect in our stainless mini's.

seanc · August 2, 2014, 02:19 PM

It looks like the Tapco Mini-14 mags are good to go.

Nutnfancy isn't everyone's cup of tea, and he is quite long winded, but I think he does do thourough evaluations. Skip to 4:20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=znJCdgFfhbk

Hawkeye77 · August 2, 2014, 10:45 PM

Well thanks for that link seanc, very informative.
Although i still like the 20rd Ruger a lot, I'm going to p/u some of these Tapco's. I had heard they made marked improvements vs the gen 1, but didn't know what exactly.

Stuohn · August 3, 2014, 08:36 AM

44mag.com, CDNN, or Buds are all good places to buy extra mags IMHO. CDNN not so much because I live in Texas (sales tax) but, they have free shipping sometimes so works out. Buds is good also but, their shipping can be slow or fast but, be prepared for around a week before they ship.

As for the Mini platform (owned 2 14's and a 30). I really wanted this platform to work but, after repeated attempts to make all three rifles consecutively accurate I finally gave up and built my AR and never looked back. I do agree that the 20rd mags "feel" the best in that platform.

psalm7 · August 3, 2014, 09:26 AM

I've shot Mini's since the early 80's and have had several brand mag's . What I have now are several steel and several poly Pro Mags . They work without fail . Years ago I had some Ram line combo mags that would work in Mini 14 or AR they were strong and never failed . I want to move to all Factory 30 and 20 round factory but will have to a few at a time as they are a bit price'y and I'm not having ant trouble from my pro mag's I would just like to have enough factory mags to fill up my Web gear . The sportsmans Guide has a add for Ruger factory mags out and you should be able to find them on there web site . I order from them often and get discounts from the buyer club .

greyeyezz · August 3, 2014, 04:01 PM

Three Mini's over the last 20 years and the only non-Ruger mags I found to be 100% reliable are the old Thermolds.

psalm7 · August 3, 2014, 06:41 PM

There was a lot of no name mags released post ban that were crap cashing in on the rush . Just like there have been alot of AR parts released during this last rush that are real junk .

ThomasT · August 3, 2014, 07:01 PM

I have 7-8 Promags and everyone of them work without fail. Mine are a 20 round mags. A couple were a tight fit to snap in but a little work on the lip at the back of the mag made it so they snap in easily and are fitted to the gun. They look just like the factory mags. I even thought for a while that they made the mags for Ruger but they don't.

And I suppose that $30 for a high quality hardened steel mag might sound expensive but look at what you are getting. They are a hell of a lot better built than any AR mag I own. And if you think $30 is high for a 20 round mag that will work every time you haven't priced 5 round mags for the CZ 22 rifles. They go on sale once in a while at Midway for $35 plus shipping.

July 31, 2014, 01:09 PM	#1
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Mini 14 Mags Hey all, new to the forum, I did a couple cursory searches on here w/ little success re: hi cap (20-30rd) mags for the Mini 14, I actually prefer the 20rd steel. I want to hear peoples experiences w/ various manufacturers and the like. Online reviews for the exact same mag vary wildly and of course, my own experience is that the overpriced Ruger mags are the only ones that haven't given me any issues whatsoever. Any input is appreciated, thanks Last edited by Hawkeye77; July 31, 2014 at 01:47 PM.

July 31, 2014, 01:18 PM	#2
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	You might try Brownells. http://www.brownells.com/search/inde...ines&ksubmit=y __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

July 31, 2014, 01:32 PM	#4
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	Sorry, don’t actually own the gun, but have used Brownells and can recommend them as a retailer. Give it a few days and I suspect you’ll get some feedback. This is good site with lots of good folks and good information. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

July 31, 2014, 01:53 PM	#7
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	I had nothing but trouble with aftermarket mags until I wised up and bought Ruger mags. I just won't buy other than Ruger mags for my Mini. __________________ Geetarman Carpe Cerveza

July 31, 2014, 03:02 PM	#13
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	I've had good luck with the steel 20's from CDNN. I have no idea what brand they are. I also have a couple of their 30's and I don't like 'em as much; haven't used them enough to have an opinion about how well they function, they just don't look as good as a 20. I also have some plastic 30's (Tapco?) and they work okay but I just really don't like them. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

July 31, 2014, 01:24 PM	#3
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Thanks, that is a good source. I was hoping to get real world experience and possibly dialogue from some folks on here that have extensively used them vs reviews online.

July 31, 2014, 01:37 PM	#5
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Thanks brother

July 31, 2014, 01:49 PM	#6
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	I've really never heard of a non-Ruger magazine that worked all that well across the board. One person might love their Ramlines, another won't. Let us not even speak of Promags. I just buy the 20 round Ruger mags- they're not cheap but neither are they that unreasonable. Yes, they cost more than AR-15 magazines. They're also far stronger- only with the recent high quality polymer STANAGs (such as Pmags) are we seeing AR magazines that are likely to last for years and years. A Ruger Mini magazine feels like it will last as long as the gun itself. And compared to pistol magazines, they're not horribly priced... $30ish for a 20 round mag isn't too awful. The 30 round mags just feel too big, less than 20 I would only really consider for hunting/critter control purposes. The 20 round magazine just feels like a perfect size.

July 31, 2014, 01:58 PM	#8
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Yeah i agree with you w/ the 20 rd just feeling right. The 30 is too long for any type of supported shooting and looks crazy too. I made the mistake shortly after buying the Mini and ordered a mag from Ruger, so I paid way too much after shipping. Now I know to buy them online for about half the cost of what I paid initially. Sorry for mentioning it, but I have too...what is the deal w/ Promag? I have a 20rd steel mag that is almost indistinguishable from my Ruger but it has failed to feed properly everytime I used it! It was like every 3-7 rounds. I'm not really a big believer in a mag having to be "broken in." So do they just suck that bad?

July 31, 2014, 01:58 PM	#9
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,679	^^this is spot on^^^ Minis only seem to run well with Ruger mags

July 31, 2014, 02:03 PM	#10
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	That has been my experience as well, but I have heard of some people having decent results w/ the 2nd gen Tapco polymer mags. I kinda rule those out though because they are 30rd.

July 31, 2014, 02:05 PM	#11
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Well, thanks guys I guess I have my answer. That was quick! My compliments to the community here. Its only 20rd Ruger mags for me and my Mini from here on out!

July 31, 2014, 02:06 PM	#12
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	As an aside; anybody wanna buy a slightly used steel Promag?

July 31, 2014, 08:05 PM	#14
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I'm puzzled. My Mini-14 mags from the 1970s and at least the early 1980s seemed to me to be flawless--and reasonably priced. I never had the first sign of a problem. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, a heckuva lot of griping about poor quality and way-high prices. I've no real idea for the why of the problems of quality.

August 1, 2014, 02:09 AM	#15
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	Mini30 Can't say about the Mini14, but the ONLY hi caps that run in my Mini30 are the recently (past couple of years) 20 rd numbers from Ruger. No they are not cheap....but the two we had ran well and bamaboy shot them in 3 gun for a while with no trouble at all.......then he talked me into buying an AR. I have a bagful of aftermarket (non Ruger) Mini30 mags for sale....cheap.

August 1, 2014, 10:34 AM	#16
NickySantoro Junior member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Posts: 217	PMI, now no longer made, were 100% for me as were the Rugers. Ramlines were problematical. They fed OK but if you dropped or bumped them hard, the rounds just spewed out all over.

August 1, 2014, 05:05 PM	#17
SVTCobra306 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Posts: 434	Way back in the 90's when my Mini was new, we used to scour gun shows for USA mags. Promags were junk, no names were 99 percent junk, and back then a Ruger factory magazine would bring over $100. The USA mags worked well at least half of the time. Our "crown jewels" were the stainless steel 20's, they look and feel perfect in our stainless mini's. __________________ Former US Army Paratrooper (1/509th PIR and 2nd BCT 82nd ABN DIV) 2 time OIF Veteran NRA Certified RSO/CRSO NRA Certified Pistol Instructor

August 2, 2014, 02:19 PM	#18
seanc Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1998 Posts: 590	It looks like the Tapco Mini-14 mags are good to go. Nutnfancy isn't everyone's cup of tea, and he is quite long winded, but I think he does do thourough evaluations. Skip to 4:20: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=znJCdgFfhbk

August 2, 2014, 10:45 PM	#19
Hawkeye77 Member Join Date: July 31, 2014 Location: Middle TN, formerly N IL Posts: 22	Well thanks for that link seanc, very informative. Although i still like the 20rd Ruger a lot, I'm going to p/u some of these Tapco's. I had heard they made marked improvements vs the gen 1, but didn't know what exactly.

August 3, 2014, 08:36 AM	#20
Stuohn Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2009 Location: Back Home in Baytown, TX Posts: 139	44mag.com, CDNN, or Buds are all good places to buy extra mags IMHO. CDNN not so much because I live in Texas (sales tax) but, they have free shipping sometimes so works out. Buds is good also but, their shipping can be slow or fast but, be prepared for around a week before they ship. As for the Mini platform (owned 2 14's and a 30). I really wanted this platform to work but, after repeated attempts to make all three rifles consecutively accurate I finally gave up and built my AR and never looked back. I do agree that the 20rd mags "feel" the best in that platform. __________________ "Be the change you want to see in the world"

August 3, 2014, 09:26 AM	#21
psalm7 Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2014 Location: Middle TN Posts: 543	I've shot Mini's since the early 80's and have had several brand mag's . What I have now are several steel and several poly Pro Mags . They work without fail . Years ago I had some Ram line combo mags that would work in Mini 14 or AR they were strong and never failed . I want to move to all Factory 30 and 20 round factory but will have to a few at a time as they are a bit price'y and I'm not having ant trouble from my pro mag's I would just like to have enough factory mags to fill up my Web gear . The sportsmans Guide has a add for Ruger factory mags out and you should be able to find them on there web site . I order from them often and get discounts from the buyer club .

August 3, 2014, 04:01 PM	#22
greyeyezz Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2001 Location: N.E. OH Posts: 385	Three Mini's over the last 20 years and the only non-Ruger mags I found to be 100% reliable are the old Thermolds.

August 3, 2014, 06:41 PM	#23
psalm7 Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2014 Location: Middle TN Posts: 543	There was a lot of no name mags released post ban that were crap cashing in on the rush . Just like there have been alot of AR parts released during this last rush that are real junk .

August 3, 2014, 07:01 PM	#24
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	I have 7-8 Promags and everyone of them work without fail. Mine are a 20 round mags. A couple were a tight fit to snap in but a little work on the lip at the back of the mag made it so they snap in easily and are fitted to the gun. They look just like the factory mags. I even thought for a while that they made the mags for Ruger but they don't. And I suppose that $30 for a high quality hardened steel mag might sound expensive but look at what you are getting. They are a hell of a lot better built than any AR mag I own. And if you think $30 is high for a 20 round mag that will work every time you haven't priced 5 round mags for the CZ 22 rifles. They go on sale once in a while at Midway for $35 plus shipping.