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Old January 21, 2018, 04:39 PM   #1
COSteve
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My 583 Series Mini M14 is Finally Complete

Finally got it just like I want it. While I've had it almost 3 yrs, I finally put on a Choate front sight/FH combo and sprung for a beautiful walnut stock. It's enough like it's 'Big Brother', my NM sighted M1A so that they feel like a set. With Hornady 62grn HPBT bullets from Mid-South Shooter's Supply for my handloads as well as my standard 62grn Hornady fmj handloads, I took it to the range yesterday to give it a go. I've heard good things about them accuracy wise as they have a BC of .355 vs the 62grn fmj's BC of .274 (per Hornady).

As it was turning colder and the wind was picking up in advance of the snowstorm we have today, I was just able to shoot at my bowling pins at 200yds with the irons rather than a paper target so I didn't get to really see how the final product performed over it without the walnut stock and Choate front sight/FH I recently added. However, pins are my favorite targets so I'm use to them and it felt like the finished combo with Hornady's more accurate HPBT bullets in my handloads gave me a bit more accuracy. Time will tell when the weather is better.

Even though my Mini now weighs about 9oz more than a stock Mini with the addition of an Accu-Strut, Choate sight/FH, and the more beefy walnut stock, I like the way it balances with the OE brand, straight 20rd mags installed. A nice, solid feel and the look . . . . . . . well, I'm in love with it all over again.



My tweaks include: Painted Choate HG, Accu-Strut, Wilson buffers, Mini200 rear sight with a target .042" aperture coupled with a Choate front sight blade thinned to .050" wide for a 'NM' set of irons, sweet trigger job, shimmed the action, 1" shortened walnut stock for a more 'up close to the irons' sighting, OE brand straight 20rd mags w/Ruger followers, reduced gas bushing, torqued gas block, M1 Carbine sling, and 'Lightened' safety lever all give it a definite M14esque feel.

While that sounds like a lot of money, if one subtracts the $200 stock I added for the looks, all the other mods cost me about what a decent AR trigger would have. Couple the package with my handloaded 62grn Hornady fmj or better yet some of the new 62grn Hornady HPBT bullets for even better accuracy and the package gives me a sweet Mini! Accuracy in the 1-1½ MOA range with my handloads makes for a terrific package that's a real joy to shoot.
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Old January 21, 2018, 05:31 PM   #2
GeorgeandSugar
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Nice! Impressive!


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Old January 21, 2018, 05:33 PM   #3
Apple a Day
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VERY nice!
The Mini is just nice to shoot. Enjoy!
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Old January 21, 2018, 06:56 PM   #4
rickyrick
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Is the flash hider a pin on unit that fits 581 and later series Minis without any modifications?

I like your Mini14, is pretty sweet!
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Old January 21, 2018, 07:32 PM   #5
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+1

Yes very nice indeed. Tell me more abut that top handguard.
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Old January 21, 2018, 08:24 PM   #6
ThomasT
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I really like it. I have a 580 series and may have to paint my handguard. That sets it off. At least it looks better than the black plastic. And I have two handguards on hand.

I do not doubt the groups you reported. My gun shoots cheap Monarch ammo in to 2” groups. But some of the AR fan boys may want a lot of proof. I will never sell my Mini-14. It’s one of those “going to the happy hunting ground” with me rifles.
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Old January 22, 2018, 01:47 AM   #7
raimius
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Great looking rifle!
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Old January 22, 2018, 04:40 AM   #8
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sweet!
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Old January 22, 2018, 08:32 AM   #9
PlatinumCore16
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Looks beautiful COSteve.

On a side note, I was curious what your thoughts were on the Accu-Strut? How much did it help? Is it worth the cost?

Also second rickyrick's question on the choate sight/FH?
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Old January 22, 2018, 02:17 PM   #10
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rickyrick View Post
Is the flash hider a pin on unit that fits 581 and later series Minis without any modifications?

I like your Mini14, is pretty sweet!
Thanks. Yes it is. It's made for the 58X series .625" dia barrels of the Mini-14s as well as the Mini-30s.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatinumCore16 View Post
Looks beautiful COSteve.

On a side note, I was curious what your thoughts were on the Accu-Strut? How much did it help? Is it worth the cost?

Also second rickyrick's question on the choate sight/FH?
Thanks again. With the thicker barrel of the 58X series you don't have the barrel whip issues you did with the earlier pencil barreled Minis, however, I like the SOCOM length Accu-Strut for both it's visual appeal and more importantly, it's heat sinking ability. Coupled with the Choate HG, the Accu-Strut significantly reduces barrel heating and is part of the reason that it's turned out to be such a great shooter.

As to the visual, I also have a an M1A that is my Mini's 'Big Brother'. With the Accu-Strut mimicking the gas system of the M1A, they make a great pair. As my Basic Training weapon, the M14 was my first battle rifle and I love the feel and heft of it so the M1A holds a special place in my collection and I shoot it along with my Mini as often as possible.

(Good thing I handload!!!)
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Old January 22, 2018, 02:24 PM   #11
rickyrick
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Thanks, last muzzle device I tried, I guess they hadn’t figured out the barrel diameters yet.
I put one on in 2010 and it went down range in 2014 lol. Turns out the pin was just in front of the barrel step, but looked like a pin groove. It was advertised as being for a 581 mini, but apparently it was not.

Looks like this one is correct hahahahahaha.
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Old January 22, 2018, 02:30 PM   #12
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rickyrick View Post
Is the flash hider a pin on unit that fits 581 and later series Minis without any modifications?

I like your Mini14, is pretty sweet!
Thanks. Yes it is. It's made for the 58X series .625" dia barrels of the Mini-14s as well as the Mini-30s.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ratshooter View Post
I really like it. I have a 580 series and may have to paint my handguard. That sets it off. At least it looks better than the black plastic. And I have two handguards on hand.

I do not doubt the groups you reported. My gun shoots cheap Monarch ammo in to 2” groups. But some of the AR fan boys may want a lot of proof. I will never sell my Mini-14. It’s one of those “going to the happy hunting ground” with me rifles.
Thanks. The paint I used was Rust-Oleum brown paint. I sprayed it in March, 2015 and it's holding up really well.

I also have a few ARs and yes, my scoped 20" A4 will out perform my Mini, however, it is an expensive unit I built up for long range shooting. I shoot apples at 400yds with it using my 68grn precision handloads. Not surprisingly, I added a walnut stock and custom made pistol grip to it as well. Not a fan of plastic and aluminum as only my lightweight build AR carbine is not 'wood and steel'.

The AR fan boys can say what they will. I'm tickled with my Mini and prefer the platform size, compact shape, and better heft over my AR carbine any day. Truth be told, I prefer the mil style of the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, and M14 over the M16. As I own all of them, (2 Garands, 2 Carbines, and an M1A) I shoot what I like.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatinumCore16 View Post
Looks beautiful COSteve.

On a side note, I was curious what your thoughts were on the Accu-Strut? How much did it help? Is it worth the cost?

Also second rickyrick's question on the choate sight/FH?
Thanks again. With the thicker barrel of the 58X series you don't have the barrel whip issues you did with the earlier pencil barreled Minis, however, I like the SOCOM length Accu-Strut for both it's visual appeal and more importantly, it's heat sinking ability. Coupled with the Choate HG, the Accu-Strut significantly reduces barrel heating and is part of the reason that it's turned out to be such a great shooter using my precision handloads.

As to the visual, I also have a an M1A that is my Mini's 'Big Brother'. With the Accu-Strut mimicking the gas system of the M1A, they make a great pair. As my Basic Training weapon, the M14 was my first battle rifle and I love the feel and heft of it so the M1A holds a special place in my collection and I shoot it along with my Mini as often as possible.

(Good thing I handload!!!)
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Old January 22, 2018, 04:14 PM   #13
PlatinumCore16
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Great, thanks. So the accu-strut doesn't actually add any harmonic dampening? Didn't even think about it being a heat sink, makes sense though.

I see you swapped for different buffers, but did you switch it the gas block?
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Old January 22, 2018, 04:22 PM   #14
imashooter
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Oh goodness. That's by far the nicest I have ever seen. At first glance I thought it was a M1A. Beautiful. Congratulations.
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Old January 23, 2018, 12:50 AM   #15
johnwilliamson062
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you have me pricing your list of add ons. Very well done.
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Old January 23, 2018, 12:13 PM   #16
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatinumCore16 View Post
Great, thanks. So the accu-strut doesn't actually add any harmonic dampening? Didn't even think about it being a heat sink, makes sense though.

I see you swapped for different buffers, but did you switch it the gas block?
What I mean to say is that it doesn't provide as much dampening because the barrel is naturally stiffer and I have the single clamp SOCOM version rather than the 2 clamp longer one. I did the Mini200 rear sight (with std aperture), Choate HG, Accu-Strut, Wilson buffers, reduced gas bushing (.045"), torque of the gas block, smoothing the trigger, and 'lightening' of the safety lever all at once so I can't tell for sure what impact that each item produced. In total, my stock from the box Mini shot 2+" groups with my handloads. After the above it shot 1½" groups with the same ammo. However, others have just added the Accu-Strut and reported reduced group sizes on PerfectUnion.com.

Later after I shimmed the stock, added a target aperture and thinned the front sight, and got a full trigger job it shot tighter still. Now that I've added the walnut stock and the Choate front sight I've shot it just under 1¼" groups with my 62grn Hornady HPBT handloads.

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwilliamson062 View Post
you have me pricing your list of add ons. Very well done.
Well . . . . . . . . I just happen to have those for you too.
  • Walnut Stock: $200 for Solid Walnut stock from Accuracy Systems Inc Link
  • Accu-Strut: $100 for SOCOM blued model (I got it when they cost $80) from Sunflower Outdoor Sports LINK
  • Mini200 Rear Sight: $65 - Tech Sights' Mini200 rear sight. Add their $15 optional aperture package with 3 different aperture sizes and when you use the target .042" aperture, you have a NM like rear sight. From Sunflower Outdoor Sports
  • Trigger Job: $60 – It really helps your precision shooting and if you want small groups, it's money well spent. Local Gunsmith
  • Choate Front Sight/Flash Hider: $51 - I thinned the front sight blade for this set. It just looks cool and gives my Mini that last bit of M14esque feel. From Choate Machine & Tool Link
  • Gas Bushing Reduction: $25 - Swap of the overly large stock Gas Bushing with a smaller one. It reduces the cycling violence which improves accuracy on the Mini14. From Sunflower Outdoor Sports
  • Choate Handguard Swap: $15 - A Choate Handguard not only looks better but it cools the barrel much better than Ruger's. From Choate Machine & Tool
  • OE Brand Straight 20rd Mag: $13 - While I usually say that Ruger brand mags are the most reliable, I found that these mags are both better made and better designed than Ruger's. Even under my 'stress test', they were 100% reliable and to date have never cause a failure. I did replace their followers with Ruger brand for $2 ea, however, that was a just because as others have had no issues with them. I think the straight mags give my Mini that M14 look and at $13, they are ½ the price of Ruger mags. From CDNN - However, they have them in stock sporadically so you have to keep a lookout for them. They claim to be OEM but I don't think they are.
  • Wilson 1911 Buffers: $6 (set of 6) - Added 2ea Wilson 1911 bushings (yep, pistol bushings); one around the gas pipe in the front to cushion the forward travel and one on the Op rod spring at the rear to cushion the rearward travel. From Amazon
  • Thinned Front Sight: $0 - Thinning down the .075"-.077" thick front sight to .050", combined with a target .042" rear aperture gives you a 'National Match' equivalent sight set. (Note: I thinned my stock sight and then my Choate one before I put it on.)
  • ‘Lightened’ Safety Lever: $0 – In keeping with the whole ‘M14 Look’ I was going for. My Work
  • Gas Block Torque: $0 - We've found that torquing the gas block bolts to 30 in/lbs when reassembling and keeping the upper and lower halve gaps consistent aides in accuracy. My Work
  • Shimmed Receiver: $0 - I found that shimming the action with a bit of tin on both sides really tightened up things well. The plates are held in place with the stiffener screw so it’s an easy fit. My Work
Of note for irons shooters. Even though Ruger advertises that the Minis have a 'normal' 13.5" LOP, I found that the 'Heel to Aperture' distance (top of the buttstock to the rear sight aperture) on the current Mini Ranch Rifles with wood stocks measures 15.5". This is as opposed to a 14" Heel to Aperture distance on M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, M14/M1As, M16A1s, etc.

This caused me to strain my neck forward trying to gain the same sight picture I use to with the other platforms. I found the stock Mini rear sight awkward to use.

Adding the Tech Sight's great Mini200 rear sight moved the aperture back .5" giving me a 15" Heel to Aperture distance but it still didn't feel right to me so I removed the buttpad and cut down the birch stock 1" and re-attached the buttpad. When I got my walnut stock, I did the same thing. Now the Heel to Aperture distance is 14".

Last edited by COSteve; January 23, 2018 at 12:30 PM.
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Old January 23, 2018, 06:56 PM   #17
ttarp
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Thats a pretty slick mini, I wish you could buy them out of the box like that, and for the same price(yep, I want my cake, and to eat it too). I was looking at flash hiders, and found one thats a copy of the M14 flash hider, but they were only made for the older pencil mini barrels.
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Old January 24, 2018, 07:17 PM   #18
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ttarp View Post
Thats a pretty slick mini, I wish you could buy them out of the box like that, and for the same price(yep, I want my cake, and to eat it too). I was looking at flash hiders, and found one thats a copy of the M14 flash hider, but they were only made for the older pencil mini barrels.
Yep, Choate Machine & Tool makes that for the old pencil barreled Minis, however, the flash hider portion is a full 3" long, exactly the same length as the one on the M14/M1A (I've got one and measured) which I feel is too long and out of scale for the smaller Mini.

I talked to the owner of Choate Machine & Tool about 2 yrs ago to see if he'd consider offering it for the thicker .625" barrels on the 58X series Minis and also with a shorter flash hider, say 2-2¼" long. He said that the cost of changing the tooling for the new model wouldn't be cost effective.

However, as one who spent 40+ yrs working with design and fabrication of advanced, classified Aerospace hardware, I know just how 'hard' it would be to change the CnC program to shorten the length of the flash hider and increase the collar size to fit the barrel of the newer Mini's. I'm guessing that the real reason he won't consider it is because he doesn't want to compete with his existing design that fits the newer Minis.
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Old January 25, 2018, 12:01 AM   #19
johnwilliamson062
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The old pencil barrel minis were are quite dated. I wouldn't assume the change would be a CNC program. He might very well be making those with a Hardinge manual rotary indexer or similar. The volume can't be very high and it is a small part. May be sitting on inventory from two decades ago.
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Old January 25, 2018, 01:48 AM   #20
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By far the best-looking Mini I've ever seen. And I like the way they look to begin with...
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Old January 25, 2018, 10:15 AM   #21
lordmorgul
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I’m with you, this looks fantastic and I’m sure is fun to shoot. I love my mini and my $2k ARs and there is more than enough room for variety!
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Old March 19, 2018, 09:59 AM   #22
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well thought out, and good components. I like it.
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Old March 21, 2018, 10:59 AM   #23
COSteve
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So now with the weather getting nicer, I've been able to take it out more. It's a ton of fun still and I think it may be a bit better with the new front sight/FH. I narrowed the front sight a bit more on my Choate than before and it gives me a more precise sight picture.

Just a great fun shooter.
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Old March 22, 2018, 10:07 AM   #24
davidsog
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Good looking rifle! Seems very functional too.

Quote:
After the above it shot 1½" groups with the same ammo.
At what range?
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Old March 22, 2018, 04:02 PM   #25
Woods-loafer
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Very nice looking Mini-14!
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