Ruger Mini 14
| Ruger Mini 14 | |
|---|---|
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| general information | |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Sturm, Ruger & Co Inc., Southport / Connecticut (USA) |
| Production time: | since 1972 |
| Weapon Category: | Self-loading rifle |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 946 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 2.90 kg |
| Barrel length : | 470 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 5.56 × 45 mm NATO (.223 Remington) |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 2, 5, 10 (straight magazines),
20, 30, 40, 50 (curved magazines), 90 (spiral drum magazines "Ninety-Rounder") cartridges |
| Number of trains : | 6th |
| Twist : | 1:10 ", right |
| Visor : | Rear sight and front sight |
| Closure : | Twist lock |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Ruger Mini-14 is a light self-loading rifle in caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO .
history
The Mini-14 was developed by L. James Sullivan on behalf of Sturm, Ruger & Co. in 1967-68 for the cartridge he and Robert Freemont had developed as the .222 Special for the AR-15 .
In 1972 the rifle came onto the American market and quickly enjoyed some popularity as a hunting rifle. Semi-automatic function, low recoil and low weight paired with an appearance that came close to that of a conventional hunting rifle were important factors.
Harry Sefried then developed a fire selection mechanism for the Mini-14; The version of the Mini-14 equipped in this way was named "AC556" (Automatic Carbine-5.56, i.e. automatic carbine 5.56 mm) and was launched in 1976. 1986 William B. Ruger developed an enlarged version of the Mini-14 for the cartridge 7,62 × 51 mm NATO ; this version was named "XGI", but was not a success on the market, so that production was soon discontinued.
Shortly thereafter, Ruger brought out a variant of the Mini-14 for the 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge , which was named Mini-30 (referring to the 0.30 inch caliber). The gas system of the Mini-Thirty received a special damper that protected an optics mounted on the weapon from damage. The Mini-30 was only available in the “ranch rifle” configuration.
In 1990 Sullivan developed a variant of the AC556 for Ruger for the 10 mm Auto and .40 S&W cartridges . This weapon, built only as a prototype, used a two-row 30-round magazine. In 2006 Ruger released the MOA Mini-14 and Mini-14 Target models. The MOA (minute of angle) is an improved Mini-14 with a match barrel, recoil pad and improved open sights, while the target is equipped with a heavy barrel of 560 mm (22 ") length, adjustable stabilizer and a thumbhole stock made of laminated wood; it has no open sights.In 2008 a variant of the Mini-14 followed for the 6.8 × 43 mm SPC cartridge , the Mini-68.
Ruger offers the Mini-14 for the civil as well as the government market. They are available in burnished or rust-proof steel. The magazines are - regardless of their capacity - interchangeable among all rifles of the same caliber.
Rifles for the civil market have a solid wooden stock with a metal upper hand guard; a finger guard made of black plastic prevents the shooter's fingers from coming into contact with the slide's push rod. The grain does not have a grain protection; the hole rear sight is based on that of the M14 and can be adjusted to the side and height. Ranch rifles have a simple blade rear sight instead of the complex perforated rear sight, but are equipped with a mount for telescopic sights. The rifles are delivered with a five-round magazine. Self-loading rifles for the government market are not only available with a fixed but also with a wooden stock with a handle made of black plastic and a foldable metal shoulder rest. The barrel, known as "GB" (Government Barrel), has a slotted flash hider and a front sight base that is set back from the muzzle and also serves as a bayonet holder. The grain is protected on the sides by protective jaws; M16-compatible bayonets could be attached. These rifles are shipped with a twenty-round magazine.
Rapid fire rifles , which can also fire continuous fire, correspond to the self-loading rifles for the government market; the fire is selected using a rotary lever with a lock button on the right rear of the lock housing. In order to move the fire selector lever to another position, the shooter must hold down the lock button at the same time - this prevents unintentional switching. A special feature of this group is the model with a short barrel (initially 290 mm, later 330 mm). This variant is only available with a foldable shoulder rest. Rifles of this class are shipped with thirty-cartridge magazines.
technology
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The Mini-14 is an air-cooled, shooting gas pressure charger. The ammunition is fed from a detachable box magazine. The design is based on the M14 but uses a long stroke gas system. Unlike the M14, the barrel of the Mini-14 has a fixed gas block into which a hollow gas piston is screwed. The corresponding gas cylinder is located in the front of the bolt carrier.
The Mini-14 has a slide catch that holds the slide in the rear position when the magazine is empty; the shutter release is located on the front left on the top of the shutter housing.
The safety device corresponds to that of the M14, is located in front of the trigger guard and is pushed backwards (inside the trigger guard) to secure it. The magazine release also corresponds to that of the M14 and must be pushed forward to release the magazine. The Mini-14 is also dismantled like the original.
literature
- Gary Paul Johnston, Thomas B. Nelson: The World's Assault Rifles , Ironside International Publishers, Lorton (VA), USA 2010. ISBN 978-0-935554-00-7
