The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Art of the Rifle: Semi-automatics

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 12, 2017, 09:08 AM   #1
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Ruger Mini-14 Extraction Issues

I have a stainless Ruger Mini-14, a fairly newer production model ("582" serial number series), and it's having problems extracting Federal American Eagle .223 cases. I've disassembled the bolt, cleaned out the extractor hole and spring, re-lubed, and still it fails to extract the brass cases from Fed American Eagle about every 2 or 3 shots. I had cleaned out the chamber as well using a brass chamber brush. Just for kicks, I ran 20 round of steel cased .223 through it the other day and it ran like a charm. When it chokes on the brass cased stuff, if I close the bolt and then work the action the case always extracts fine.

Called Ruger today, and the person I spoke with indicated it may just be an ammo issue with the Federal stuff (even though it works fine in my ARs). Their advice, which I will take and try, is just to try other ammo through it as it may be an issue with the Federal ammo since they can't think of a reason why steel cased ammo would work and the Federal wouldn't.

Anyone else have any experience with this? Seems odd to me that a pretty standard commercially available .223 brass cased ammo wouldn't work but that the cheap steel cased stuff does.
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 10:00 AM   #2
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
It sounds like it's time to get out the precise measuring tools.
More than likely if you do, something obvious will be revealed.
The solution, of course, is just not to use the offending ammunition.
There's no shortage of choices in that caliber.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 10:30 AM   #3
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Yes, I'm going to try another brand of brass cased ammo and see how that works.
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 11:49 AM   #4
rickyrick
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 15, 2010
Posts: 8,235
Is it leaving the cartridge in the chamber, or is getting put back into the chamber?
Are you using a ruger magazine?
Seems like an anomalous problem for a mini14, but any gun can have problems.
rickyrick is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 06:10 PM   #5
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Yes, Ruget mags. Case stays in the chamber, but when I close the bolt and manually pull back it then extracts and ejects.
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 06:57 PM   #6
stagpanther
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 2, 2014
Posts: 11,655
Had the same problem today in a rebuilt AR--make sure there is nothing in the chamber that can be causing the cases to stick--even just a bit can cause intermittent problems.
__________________
"Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill
I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!
stagpanther is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 09:28 PM   #7
SHR970
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 24, 2011
Posts: 1,427
Have you checked that there is not an accumulation of gunk under the extractor or in the extractor spring channel that is making the extractor not come down all the way? It sounds like the extractor is not getting a good purchase on the Federal ammo rims. Differences in rim tolerance can account for what you see.
SHR970 is offline  
Old May 12, 2017, 10:35 PM   #8
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Yes, I completely removes the extractor and cleaned out the hole and spring. Going to try another brand of ammo and see how that works.
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Old May 25, 2017, 12:34 AM   #9
rc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2001
Location: CA
Posts: 1,742
Simple fix.

Take fired case and trim till you have a straight open case
Pop out primer and drill flash hole to accept a small 4mm bolt with a screwdriver head. Nut goes outside the case. Use the screwdriver through the mouth to hold the bolt so you can get a firm attachment between the 4mm bolt and the case. You've now made a polishing tool for the straight part of your chamber that's relatively safe to use. I've done this with pistols that have had extraction issues and cleared problems up quick without an insane break in period. You will need red rouge, flitz or fine valve grinding compound. Coat the brass and figure out how to spin it in the chamber. The trick with the ruger will be finding a flex drive or something to get it spinning smoothly in the chamber so you get it done quickly without a lot of fiddling. I would go slow and move it back and forth while you turn it until it won't grab or stick in the chamber anymore when you spin it. Once you take the burs out of the chamber with a case fired in that gun it should run with anything! If you can't get a drill or flex shaft to make the turn into the chamber, you may try a 1/4 ratchet against a nut or nuts at the back of the case through the bottom of the receiver. You can probably use a cleaning rod from the muzzle to help you move the brass in and out of the chamber while you spin it with the ratchet. May take a friend and some patience before the polish does its job and you feel smooth movement but it will be worth your time.
rc is offline  
Old May 25, 2017, 06:28 AM   #10
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Thanks for the tip!
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Old May 28, 2017, 06:48 AM   #11
drobs
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 17, 2015
Location: South Central MO / Africa
Posts: 1,111
Do you shoot a lot steel case through the gun. That extraction issue was pretty common with guys that shoot lots of steel case through their AR15's and then mix in brass cased ammo.

Sure there are plenty of guys that never clean their AR's, only shoot steel case, and have reliable rifles. I've also seen failures to extract switching between steel cased and brass cased ammo in my own AR's and other AR's.

Steel case commie ammo doesn't expand and constrict as well as brass cased ammo. That results in blow by that cruds up the chamber with carbon and causes extraction problems when switching to brass.

I've gone to brass cased only ammo in my non-combloc rifles. That includes my AR15's, M1A, Mini-14 Tactical, and all my non-combloc handguns.

After cleaning the chamber real well. Try a box of 55gr South Korean PMC ammo. That's what I've been shooting in my Mini-14 Tactical lately. Also if not doing so already - try some 20rd Ruger Mini-14 mags.

I've had some weird experiences w/ the 2 factory 30rd Ruger Mini-14 mags that I own.
__________________
NRA Life Member
drobs is offline  
Old May 28, 2017, 08:39 AM   #12
Martowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois)
Posts: 1,376
Thanks. The only steel cases ammo I've used is the 20 rounds I fired at my last range trip just to see of it would extract. Haven't been to the range since, but will try other brands of brass cased ammo when I go.
__________________
Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/
Martowski is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06327 seconds with 8 queries