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Joined: Oct 2016
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My red haired step-child !KWG on here has helped with some good tips and now things are looking up . Why quit while there are ground squirrels to experiment on .I have never necksized and frankly don't know how .I have always had bolt guns and consider myself a safe but very basic re-loader . I am using range brass . My goal here is to become a better offhand and field shooter for predators . Is the Miini 14 apt to cycle neck sized only after being fired in this same rifle ?
“To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Campfire Outfitter
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Best practice in a semiauto is to full length size. With the accuracy of the average Mini-14 it is doubtful you will see any benefit accuracy wise from neck sizing.
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Joined: Apr 2012
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Strip the bolt down and size enough to function and set you die for that chamber to increase case life Been shooting my M-1 Garand like that for years, no issues. My advice is to measure shoulders with a hornady headspace gauge and make sure your back .004 or so. Feel for me didn’t cause any problems but brass is funny. Annealing is a great help too.
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Outfitter
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Best practice in a semiauto is to full length size. With the accuracy of the average Mini-14 it is doubtful you will see any benefit accuracy wise from neck sizing. Agreed
Swifty
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Joined: Jun 2013
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Best practice in a semiauto is to full length size. With the accuracy of the average Mini-14 it is doubtful you will see any benefit accuracy wise from neck sizing. Agreed +1 Neck sizing in a semi-automatic is a bad idea. Function will be unreliable at best.
It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
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Joined: Oct 2016
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It appears that the simple answer is no . I might try a few and see what happens .My Mom told me that i did not pay attention to advise . Why change now !Jams, FTF ,stove pipes etc .I will let you know .Wearing a face mask ,goggles and big muffs .
“To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
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Joined: Aug 2015
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You might get by with neck sizing a time or two but the brass will expand to the point where you will get hard chambering, hard extraction and possibly slam fires. Just not worth the risk.
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Joined: Oct 2016
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Campfire Member
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As you mentioned before the benefit is doubtful and if that is true why do it . I have lots of brass ! Might try 10 and see if there is benefit > Thanks to all for for your help .
“To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
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Joined: Nov 2013
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2013
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I just set my fls die so the brass fits a case gauge. I often partial size for bolt guns, but with 4 .223s on hand, keeping brass separate is too much trouble.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Jul 2003
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The convention on gas guns is you don't want to do anything to impede the chambering of a round. In the M1 and M14 design where I cut my teeth in highpower, the convention was and remains, know your chamber headspace dimension, and size down at least a couple of thou below that number. Don't know your chamber dimension? Size down to SAAMI and rock on.
Downside to a round hanging up on it's way into battery is an "out of battery detonation" where the pin is allowed to go forward before the bolt goes into battery. Shouldn't happen by the design of the rifle, but throw in tolerances or manufacturing defect and it has happened. I've seen one on the range with an M1A. Destroyed the rifle. Shooter fortunately wasn't hurt. Fulton wouldn't warranty the rifle because it was a handload that caused the damage.
Neck sizing, soft seating (allowing the bolt closing to final seat your bullet) etc run the risk of an OOB.
Did you know that brass cases come out of an M14 with a longer headspace than the chamber headspace? On average I saw 4 thou longer on the fired cases. Same thing happens with the M1 but to a lesser degree due to the gas port being a bit further out.
Being on the range with that OOB detonation cured me of any curiosity to deviate from the convention laid out by the team shooters.
I saw another, but inspection of the rounds pointed toward a high primer. That made me meticulous about checking primers on loaded round.
If someone says none of the above applies to a Mini14, you can use your own discretion, but I won't do it.
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Joined: Oct 2016
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Very good information from knowledgeable reloaders . Thanks
“To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
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Joined: May 2008
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2008
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I agree with the comments on neck sizing mini 14 brass not being worth the effort re accuracy difference and possibly effecting function.
I've owned three Mini 14s and still have the 580 series model which is supposed to have more accuracy potential than the earlier mfg models. All of them had the usual mods; sights, struts, gas pistons, trigger jobs, etc. for improved accuracy. I've had a few better groups but I'd say average accuracy has usually been at best, with a scope or receiver sights, around a three inch five shot group at 100 yards. The strongest point of all of mine has been reliable function. I never neck sized any ammo for them but they almost always worked, clean or dirty with all kinds of new ammo or my fully resized reloads. I still like the Mini 14 for what it is. I put a red dot sight on mine and it will put 10 shots in a 10 or 12" paper plate at 100 yards pretty quick.
Sounds like you might try it. If you do be careful and let us know how it works.
Last edited by 43Shooter; 06/11/24.
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 39,401 Likes: 314 |
Best practice in a semiauto is to full length size. With the accuracy of the average Mini-14 it is doubtful you will see any benefit accuracy wise from neck sizing. Agreed +1 DF
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Joined: Jun 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
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Mini-14 "accuracy" is why nobody was ever hit in A-Team shootouts. 
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 39,401 Likes: 314 |
Mini-14 "accuracy" is why nobody was ever hit in A-Team shootouts.  Yeah, for sure. They popped a lot of caps with almost no morbidity or mortality. Lots of style points, I guess. Didn't give those Mini's a good name.... DF
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 20,661 Likes: 118
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 20,661 Likes: 118 |
I agree that neck sizing will not work in a Mini 14. On the other hand, full length resizing is the right option but there is no need to squeeze the brass down any more than is absolutely necessary for the rounds to chamber. I use a Hornady Comparator to adjust my dies to get the minimum resizing required to load into the chamber.
kwg
Last edited by kwg020; 06/12/24.
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. Communists just don't jump out of helicopters.
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 39,401 Likes: 314 |
Now, a Mini doesn't need to be inaccurate. This one is a tack driver, but I did spend a few bucks getting it there. Accuracy Systems wasn't so expensive back then, pretty pricey today. Their three point bedding system is pretty unique. Check out one of the bedding screws and their unique muzzle brake. They also do a great trigger job. They have less expensive packages for the Mini; this one was all out. Even with all that, I still FL resize all brass. I like the 65 gr. Gameking; rifle is an 8 twist. I altered the factory stock using a glued on filler piece to form the higher comb, shaped it for optimal scope use. This Mini was a truck gun for my ranch hands to use shooting 'yotes. It was carried behind the seat in a small pickup, was pretty beat up when I eventually got it back. So, I needed to do something with it. To me it was fully depreciated in more than one way, so the Accuracy Systems option made sense. It was pretty useless otherwise. They turned a sow's ear into a silk purse... DF ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/GljdqjFl.jpg) ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/aDD5R9xl.jpg) ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/0FF78pml.jpg) ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/6RIfXG4l.jpg)
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Joined: May 2023
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Range brass and accuracy do not go together, add neck sizing and you get garbage in, garbage out. With range brass you have no idea what gun or how many firings, or how loaded. If you want accuracy use new commercial, fully prepared brass. Depending on the year of production the Mini can be like throwing rocks, unless you do some mods, as has been done on this early 181 mini. I still do not use neck sized brass with it, and that was a build test group, only. ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/j2X9X890/4E8514E5-F848-431F-8BC4-5DD59C81932E.jpg)
“To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is best to plan for all eventualities then believe in success, and only cross the failure bridge if you come to it." Francis Marion - The Swamp Fox
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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AR’s are IME more accurate out of the box.
But that doesn’t mean a Mini can’t be tweaked a bit, sometimes with pretty impressive results.
I actually like the way they feel and handle more than an AR.
I have both, equal opportunity.
DF
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"Full time night woman? I never could find no tracks on a woman's heart. I packed me a squaw for ten year, Pilgrim. Cheyenne, she were, and the meanest bitch that ever balled for beads."
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