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Ruger Mini-14

Posted on 2/5/26 at 10:05 pm
Posted by T_don
Abbeville
Member since Dec 2019
440 posts
Posted on 2/5/26 at 10:05 pm
Anyone have one of these? I recently got my grandfathers after he passed and I’ve only shot it a few times. I just bought an ultimak forward mounting rail and a Vortex Sparc solar optic. I plan on painting it soon and was wondering if anyone has experience with painting guns like this what would you use prep work etc! Thanks in advance!



Update:
Installed the ultimak rail which wasn’t that hard just more annoying to disassemble and reassemble the gun.I plan on just throwing down a tan base coat with a few black stripes. My last venture will be to look for a brown leather sling any recommendations for the sling not looking for anything crazy just a simple sling.
This post was edited on 2/9/26 at 8:13 pm
Posted by DownshiftAndFloorIt
Here
Member since Jan 2011
71530 posts
Posted on 2/5/26 at 10:09 pm to
quote:

wondering if anyone has experience with painting guns


No help with the mini 14, but I have done this a couple times.

Aluma-hyde, follow the directions.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
47357 posts
Posted on 2/5/26 at 10:23 pm to
no advice on paint but I love my mini 30. It’s my favorite rifle by far. Change the hand guard out with a Choate ventilated hand guard and change out the gas block with an accuracy systems adjustable block and then add an accuracy systems barrel stabilizer. Massive improvements with all three
Posted by zippyputt
Member since Jul 2005
6924 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 7:48 am to
That’s great classic firearm especially if inherited. I wouldn’t paint it as that could ruin the value of it.
Posted by TideHater
Orange Beach AL
Member since May 2007
19826 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 10:33 am to
I have owned many. If you got it handed down, it is a good one. The more recent ones are what I call clanky. Not fitted very well.

Painting is your call. I would have it hydro dipped or Cerakote. One of the best in the south is Charlie Gates at Styx River Shooting Center off of I-10 in Alabama near Robertsdale. He does fantastic work but he is busy. May be a wait involved.
Posted by Novastar
Member since Jan 2023
721 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 1:35 pm to
I own a Ruger Mini -14, don't paint the stock, you will devalue the gun. I replaced my stock with a Magpul a few years ago.
Posted by chinese58
NELA. after 30 years in Dallas.
Member since Jun 2004
33564 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 2:23 pm to
quote:

I replaced my stock with a Magpul
Similar to this one?



https://ruger.com/products/mini14TacticalRifle/specSheets/5888.html
Posted by lsufan1971
Zachary
Member since Nov 2003
23943 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 2:59 pm to
quote:

anyone has experience with painting guns like this what would you use prep work etc! Thanks in advance!


Couple of my paint jobs

You can buy stencil kits from weapon stencils. You need to clean the gun with brake cleaner and make sure there isn’t any oil on the surface. Take blue masking tape and tape up everything you don’t want paint in like trigger housing etc.

You want to use the darkest colors first. Take your time. Let the coats dry before applying the next coat. Once your done hit it with some fine steel wool to smooth everything out.


LINK








Posted by prplhze2000
Parts Unknown
Member since Jan 2007
57477 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 4:29 pm to
Why would you paint it? That stock looked pretty nice and makes it stand out.
Posted by Theduckhunter
South Louisiana
Member since May 2022
1420 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 4:34 pm to
This thread has made me want to add a disclaimer to my list for my inheritors:

“Please do not paint or trick out any of the wooden stocked rifles. Sell them to someone who values them and buy something else to trick out”
Posted by biglego
San Francisco
Member since Nov 2007
83697 posts
Posted on 2/6/26 at 11:48 pm to
quote:

Anyone have one of these?


I prefer an AR15
Posted by TigerOnThe Hill
Springhill, LA
Member since Sep 2008
7515 posts
Posted on 2/7/26 at 2:37 pm to
How does it shoot?? Unless you're just going to look at it and not use it, you might want to see how it shoots before putting time and money into it. Through the years, there's been a lot of variability in the accuracy of Mini-14s.
Posted by Bayou Warrior 64
Member since Feb 2021
793 posts
Posted on 2/7/26 at 4:04 pm to
As another poster stated, I wouldn't paint it.
I have one and it is my favorite.
Posted by Theduckhunter
South Louisiana
Member since May 2022
1420 posts
Posted on 2/7/26 at 4:53 pm to
quote:

Unless you're just going to look at it and not use it, you might want to see how it shoots before putting time and money into it.


Not only that… I was going to mention that if it’s a good shooter, a rail that mounts to the barrel might change the harmonics and turn a good shooter into a bad one. I’m biased though, because I like open sights.

Alternatively, if it’s a bad shooter, it might help for the better to put the rail on.
Posted by Kapitan
Belle Chasse
Member since Mar 2021
188 posts
Posted on 2/7/26 at 10:32 pm to
My dad has one. The smallest group we could get was 4 inches at 25 yards. My dad qualified as expert in the USMC, so it wasn’t just bad shooters. I’ve heard others have very accurate mini 14s, guess my dads could just be a lemon.
Posted by PonchaTiger
Member since Jan 2023
117 posts
Posted on 2/8/26 at 4:05 am to
quote:

My dad qualified as expert in the USMC, so it wasn’t just bad shooters.
your dad does realize his eyes aren't as good as they were when he was 19, right? Unless you have another rifle with the same sights that y'all can shoot well I would not accept this as evidence of a gun problem.

Unless you can look at the inside of the barrel and see the problem it would be difficult to make a long gun this inaccurate, but not hard to do with open sights and poor fundamentals.
Posted by W2NOMO
Member since Jul 2025
2134 posts
Posted on 2/8/26 at 2:49 pm to
I have a 580 series. It’s the newer version with the tapered barrel. I have the wood stock but looking to get a more tactical folding stock. Stocks may not be made equally for the older 180 series. Make sure it’s for your series.
Posted by Love me some Les
Member since Mar 2014
287 posts
Posted on 2/8/26 at 8:33 pm to
Dura Coat spray can. Mine is holding up very well.

I read further and the mini 30 mini 14 have moa of barn.
This post was edited on 2/8/26 at 8:42 pm
Posted by Theduckhunter
South Louisiana
Member since May 2022
1420 posts
Posted on 2/8/26 at 8:50 pm to
quote:

I read further and the mini 30 mini 14 have moa of barn.


No they don’t. Some might be crap, but plenty shoot just fine. I’d be willing to bet that if people could put scopes on them more easily, they’d have a lot better reputation. A lot of people suck with open sights and blame the gun.
Posted by Love me some Les
Member since Mar 2014
287 posts
Posted on 2/9/26 at 4:05 pm to
Mine are older. 2 30’s and 1 14. 1st 2 shots great. Shot 3 and 4. Hope I didn’t hit my house that’s behind me!

All 3 scoped, factory ammo reloaded . No difference. Been thinking of sending them to accuracy system. But by the time you spend the money on that, you could buy a new rifle. That’s how I ended up with my socom 16.

A friend just got a brand new mini 14. Ruger factory mags. It shoots real nice. But is going to jamb? Rd 1 always, rd 9 might, rd 12. We just don’t know. He’s a huge ATeam fan and he bought it because of that. We think it the frontier ammo. He didn’t have any trouble with it when he was shooting Winchester.

As for me, my 3 are in my safe, along with that amt hardballer
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