Non-Ruger Mags for the Mini 14?

[Sporting Lad]

I'm seriously considering a Ruger Mini 14, but there's one issue that has me guessing:
I've got a number of LAR15 mags I can use with my AR-15 and I'm wondering if they'd serve the Mini 14 as well.
Seems a waste if I could'nt have them doing double duty over the two rifles.
What ho?

 

[F22_RaptoR]

The mags are not interchangeable at all, they use a totally different style of magazine catch.

Some people have had varying degrees of luck modifying an AR15 mag to work; however as far as a LAR15 mag goes, you've now created a magazine designed to be used in a rifle; and your 10 round cap is gone.

It's hard to say by looking at the magazine well if an AR15 "bottom metal" could be made for it; but you'd be looking at hundreds of dollars for the conversion IF it could even work at all.

With rifles like the SU16, Benelli MR1 (with strait stock) or even something like the Mossberg MVP Patrol rifle (bolt gun) able to use any AR15 mags, it doesn't really seem to be worth it. If nobody in the USA has done that kind of conversion (and I've looked before to see) I doubt anyone would bother making them.

The problem is that the stock has part of the mag well sheet metal built into it, and the trigger group has the rest. So you'd need to have a stock opened up and an entire new trigger group for it to work.

 

[Sporting Lad]

Well, that nixes the Mini 14 for me... :0 |

Thanks for your quick reply. Yeah, I figured as much. I was just hoping.
So that's it then as far as exceeding the mandated magazine cap on the Mini-14.
Being restricted to 5 rd mags in an unrestricted rifle causes it to lose much of its
appeal, esp now that it's possible to use legal ten-rounders in ARs and our MAXI-14s.
I've gotten spoilt over the past year where 10 rd has become the norm....
And to think--just south of here folks are permitted to use as many 30 rd mags as
they want.
And the TAVOR is not restricted in Canada. Has the world turned upside down?

 

[F22_RaptoR]

Thanks for your quick reply. Yeah, I figured as much. I was just hoping.
So that's it then as far as exceeding the mandated magazine cap on the Mini-14.
Being restricted to 5 rd mags in an unrestricted rifle causes it to lose much of its
appeal, esp now that it's possible to use legal ten-rounders in ARs and our MAXI-14s.
I've gotten spoilt over the past year where 10 rd has become the norm....
And to think--just south of here folks are permitted to use as many 30 rd mags as
they want.
And the TAVOR is not restricted in Canada. Has the world turned upside down?

Lol NDP just got voted into Alberta! Going to heck in a handbasket

Although seriously, most of the laws here don't make any sense at all. Although there has been an increasing supply of Mini-14 mags come in, CTC Supplies has been getting them in fairly regularly (out of stock right now). Other than that, a CSA-VZ58 in .223 can get the magwell adapter modified to take AR15 mags. Takes a bit of work and some milling and tinkering/tuning IIRC but has been done.

 

[Izzi115]

I actually recently attempted to mod a lar 10 mag for my mini 14 and it was a no go. The mag body is to thick. That being said, the newer minis are really solid accurate firearms... if you can get over the 5rd mags.

 

[Sporting Lad]

I actually recently attempted to mod a lar 10 mag for my mini 14 and it was a no go. The mag body is to thick. That being said, the newer minis are really solid accurate firearms... if you can get over the 5rd mags.

Thx. Yeah, I did get over it, and I picked up a Mini a couple weeks ago. I've now got six of the 5rd mags.
Actually, I was out at the range today with the Mini and my AR. I hardly noticed that the AR had twice as many rounds on tap using the LAR mags as did the Mini.
I also like the way the Mini handles.