Ruger mini 14 Ranch Rifle

[cheesehead]

A friend inherited a Mini 14 ranch rifle, Model 5801. The only marking I see on it is for .223, however I've seen them on the web showing 5.56. I assume 223 should be the only cartridge fired through this particular rifle. Thoughts?

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[CountryGent]

From the manual:

The RUGER® MINI-14® RIFLES are chambered for the .223 Remington (5.56mm) cartridge. The Mini-14 Rifle is designed to use either standardized U.S. military, or factory loaded sporting .223 (5.56mm) cartridges manufactured in accordance with U.S. industry practice. See "Ammunition Notice" & "Ammunition Warning", below.

​

On the Ruger site, the 5801 is listed as 5.56 NATO.

Hope that helps some.

 

[Medic!]

This is from my old 186 series.

 

[gunnut38]

I believe Ruger Mini 14 uses a .223 Wylde chamber dimensions that accepts ether .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO .
.223 Wylde chamber

A.223 Wylde chamber is a hybrid rifle chamber designed to allow.22 caliber barrels to safely fire both.223 Remington and 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. While the cartridge dimensions of both rounds are the same, 5.56 NATO loads produce pressures in excess of the.223 safe spec. The 5.56 chamber has angular differences that allow higher pressures safely. .223 can be fired from a 5.56 chamber safely but with reduced accuracy. The Wylde is a hybrid chamber designed to allow both ammunition types to be safely fired with good accuracy
(Data from: Wikipedia )

 

[Medic!]

They been shooting 5.56 since before Wylde was a child.

 

[Medic!]

As to caliber markings on the receiver?

Colt put .223 on many of there AR's.

 

[gmerkt]

The following is from COSteve on the Ruger forum:

"I called Ruger's CS and asked if the older ones were marked .223, how could they be safe with NATO and their answer was that the chamber reamer they used on the non-target models has a longer leade on it than the strict SAAMI spec .223 chamber, however, it is shorter than the leade on a 5.56/NATO chamber.

The difference between the SAAMI spec .223 and 5.56/NATO is the length of the leade. The shorter leade of the .223 gives better accuracy because the bullet doesn't have to 'jump' to the lands as far as with the 5.56/NATO chamber. The 5.56/NATO chamber is reamed with a longer leade because of it's higher peak pressure that would spike too high if the bullet were right up against the lands when fired.

It turns out that Ruger uses the same approach that Wylde chamber was designed to, it's reamed with a leade that's longer than the .223 but shorter than 5.56/NATO. That allows it to safely shoot the higher pressure 5.56/NATO rd while retaining most of the accuracy of the tighter .223 chamber. This is because the slightly longer leade avoids the possibility of the pressure spiking too high.

Bottom line, according to Ruger CS and their owner's manuals, all Ruger Mini-14s, except the target models, are safe to shoot both .223 and 5.56/NATO ammo. "

Evidently Ruger thought of the same concept as Wylde.

There can also be a difference in the angle of the leade. Diff. between .223 and 5.56mm. You can look up both sets of drawings on the SAAMI website and see the different specs. Which angle is used can affect accuracy with FMJ military-type bullets.

Colt put .223 on their AR's for years.

Yes, and I'm going to take a guess that has to do with the evolution of the shooting platform in the hands of civilians. Back when we were shooting SP1's, you didn't go in the store and find 5.56mm military-type ammo on the shelves. So Colt labeled the caliber as to what would be found, .223 Rem. And, maybe Colt (for example) made them all in 5.56mm because most of their production was going to the military, not the relatively few civilian odd-balls who were buying their commercial product. Further, maybe for some time, civilians didn't appreciate the difference between the two. Now that so many people own these rifles, there is a far greater consciousness about all aspects of the arm. Just thinking alound. Kind of.

When I bought my first SP1 in 1973, it was quite a novelty. Not many civilian shooters had one. I wasn't quite yet into reloading centerfire ammo at that time. I don't recall what kind or where my ammo came from in those days. Probably some from the gun show that had been stolen from the USMC base. That was about the only source for true 5.56mm then. One thing I do know, I didn't give a thought as to which I would shoot in the SP1.

 

[Wood Worker]

I like the above, have shot 5.56 thru my mini14 ranch and it still goes bang every time. No damage to my body from my old mini 14, with fair combat accuracy, that is minute of pie plate at 100 yards iron sights.

 

[cheesehead]

I like the above, have shot 5.56 thru my mini14 ranch and it still goes bang every time. No damage to my body from my old mini 14, with fair combat accuracy, that is minute of pie plate at 100 yards iron sights.

Minute of pie plate....love it!

 

[DeanMk]

...if nothing else, you could have the gun rechambered to .25-45 Sharps - Ammo – Sharps Rifle Company (srcarms.com)

 

[DeanMk]

...and in case you don't know what a .25-45 Sharps is..... .25-45 Sharps - Wikipedia

 

[Labradorian]

I've never had any issues with factory 556 or 223 in my old 183 series.

Minute of pie plate....love it!

Mine is more like minute of barn door and




It's a third shot flyer and a saddlebag rider.
but not a straight shooting son of a gun.

Joy to the world!

 

[JustShoot]

...and in case you don't know what a .25-45 Sharps is..... .25-45 Sharps - Wikipedia

-
A BIG Thumbs UP.. for the .25x45/Sharps ...LOLHAhahaha .. but a Big Hell No for mini 14, in that Cal.
and I do have a nice smooth shooting mini14 that been worked over nicely ,
been running .257x45 for few years now, and all handloads, in AR build . Have nothing but Highest praise for that Cal. in AR platform .
(16"barrel ) 87 grn, Speer . 'easy comfortable' 2700+ Vel. and a coyote spanking machine.
.

 

[DeanMk]

Why don't you like that Sharps round in the Mini-14?

 

[ron]

Minute of pie plate....love it!

My first Mini 14 was a Stainless 'Factory Folder'. Had a lot of fun shooting it plinking in the woods. It was
good for minute of beer can. Owned 2 different ranch rifles. Wow nothing throws brass like a Ranch Rifle.
Like into the next county. The Mini's I owned had generous chambers and digested everything 223 or 556.
I wish I still had that SS folder.

 

[Member 5605]

I believe Ruger Mini 14 uses a .223 Wylde chamber dimensions that accepts ether .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO .
.223 Wylde chamber

A.223 Wylde chamber is a hybrid rifle chamber designed to allow.22 caliber barrels to safely fire both.223 Remington and 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. While the cartridge dimensions of both rounds are the same, 5.56 NATO loads produce pressures in excess of the.223 safe spec. The 5.56 chamber has angular differences that allow higher pressures safely. .223 can be fired from a 5.56 chamber safely but with reduced accuracy. The Wylde is a hybrid chamber designed to allow both ammunition types to be safely fired with good accuracy
(Data from: Wikipedia )

Incorrect.
If it was a Wylde chamber it would specify.

 

[JustShoot]

Why don't you like that Sharps round in the Mini-14?

-
Not just .25x45, but I feel the same way also about mini's made in the Fad cartridge of .30x45 .
After owning a few of them and still keeping one . I just think it better to just leave them alone . They are what they are, and all they are is.. just a good platform to eat and extract anything you feed them in .556 .
If anything the Mini14 is just the American equivalent of a good Chinese AK . Just run it as is, feed it cheep and dirty, and clean once in while .
.

 

[DeanMk]

Ok, I see what you're saying now.
Thanks JustShoot.

 

[No_Regerts]

They been shooting 5.56 since before Wylde was a child.