INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR BLUED & STAINLESS STEEL CALIBER .223 Rem (5.56mm) RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE AUTOLOADING RIFLE This manual applies only to Mini-14 “Ranch Rifles” so marked on the receiver. NOT FOR USE WITH MINI THIRTY RIFLES (cal. 7.62 x 39mm) ! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS FIREARM For Product Service on This Model Please Call: (603) 865-2442 (See p. 34) STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc. Southport, Connecticut 06490 U.S.A.
State-By-State Warnings Certain states require by law that their own specified warning notices in larger-than-normal type be conspicuously included by the manufacturer, distributor, or retail dealer with firearms sold in that state. Sturm, Ruger sells its products in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Because our products may be sold in these states, we include the following: California: ! WARNING ! ADVERTENCIA “A los niños los atraen las armas de fuego y las pueden hacer funcionar.
Maine: “ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IS A CRIME. IF YOU LEAVE A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A CHILD, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO FINE, IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH. KEEP FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SEPARATE. KEEP FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION LOCKED UP. USE TRIGGER LOCKS.” Maryland: “WARNING: Children can operate firearms which may cause death or serious injury.
New Jersey: “IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO LEAVE A LOADED FIREARM WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR.” New York City: “THE USE OF A LOCKING DEVICE OR SAFETY LOCK IS ONLY ONE ASPECT OF RESPONSIBLE WEAPONS STORAGE. ALL WEAPONS SHOULD BE STORED UNLOADED AND LOCKED IN A LOCATION THAT IS BOTH SEPARATE FROM THEIR AMMUNITION AND INACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN AND ANY OTHER UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS.
! WARNING – LOCKING DEVICES DO NOT INSTALL INSIDE TRIGGER GUARD This firearm was originally sold with a key-operated locking device. While it can help provide secure storage for your unloaded firearm, any locking device can fail. All guns are designed to fire if they are loaded and the trigger is pulled. Therefore, never install the locking device inside the trigger guard or in any way that it can possibly pull the trigger! Do not leave the keys in the lock.
FIREARMS SAFETY-YOUR RESPONSIBILITY SAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO HANDLES FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION. This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care for your RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE properly. Please contact us if you have any questions about it. Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly carry out its instructions should you practice loading, etc. with live ammunition.
! WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES: Locking Devices Alterations Manual Safety Ammunition Lead Exposure Firing Handling Sustained Firing 6 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 Unloading Bore Obstructions Malfunctions Disassembly Lubrication Storage Parts Purchasers 16 19 22 23 29 30 35 OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL. FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS – READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.
receiver in recoil. The bolt has been redesigned and the previous Mini-14 springloaded ejector has been eliminated. The bolt stop has been modified to fit in a slot in the side of the bolt, and it also serves as the ejector so that the empty cartridges are ejected from the receiver straight out to the side in order to clear the lowest mounted scope. The patented Ruger integral scope mounts take all standard Ruger scope rings of various heights.
! WARNING – MANUAL SAFETY Keep the safety on unless actually firing. Always move the safety fully to its intended position and check it. The safety is not “ON” unless it is completely “ON”. Never depend on a safety mechanism or any other mechanical device to justify careless handling or permitting the rifle to point in an unsafe direction. The only “safe” rifle is one in which the bolt is open, the chamber is empty, and there is no magazine in the gun.
To release the slide (which allows the bolt to go forward) keep safety “ON” and either: Closing The Bolt 3 1. Remove the magazine, draw the slide handle to the rear and release, or; 2. With an empty magazine in place, draw the slide handle fully to the rear and hold it there. Then, while holding the slide handle, depress the magazine follower slightly with Figure 4 the thumb, remove the thumb, and then allow the slide to go forward.
USE ONLY FACTORY AMMUNITION LOADED TO U.S. INDUSTRY STANDARDS ! WARNING – LEAD EXPOSURE Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead and other substances known to the state of California to cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious physical injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times. Wash hands thoroughly after exposure.
LOADING THE MAGAZINE Use only clean ammunition of the proper caliber manufactured to U. S. Industry specifications, in good condition. (See Notice and Warnings in other sections of this manual pertaining to Ammunition). To load the magazine, align each cartridge with the bullet forward (pointing toward the hole in the front of the magazine body) and push downward until the cartridge snaps into place.
TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITH MAGAZINE) Practice this important aspect of gun handling (with an unloaded rifle) until you can perform each of the steps - described below - with skill and confidence. But before you do anything with the rifle, please first read completely through this manual. This procedure begins with an empty rifle with its magazine out. 1. Be certain the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction. (See Rule 2, p. 42). 2. Before inserting loaded magazine, engage the bolt lock so the bolt is held open.
9. Immediately following the firing of a shot, and if a subsequent shot is not to be fired at once, put the safety “ON” while the rifle is still pointing in a safe direction down range. The safety should be moved to the “ON” position as soon as firing is completed, and it should be “ON” at all times except when the rifle is on target and being fired. 10. When the last cartridge in the magazine has been fired, the bolt lock will automatically engage and hold the bolt and slide in the rearward, open position.
! WARNING – SUSTAINED FIRING The Mini-14 Ranch rifle fires from a closed bolt. Sustained firing can create excessive heat in the barrel and can cause “cook-off” of ammunition (heat-firing of the cartridge in the chamber). This “cook-off” can occur a substantial period of time after firing has ceased. Always unload the firearm immediately after you have finished shooting.
2. Remove the magazine. REMEMBER that even though the magazine has been removed, a cartridge remaining in the chamber can still be fired! 3. Pull the slide handle all the way to the rear, extracting and ejecting the cartridge in the chamber. When the bolt is fully retracted, push down on the bolt lock plunger and then allow the slide to move forward until it comes to rest against the bolt stop. 4. Always visually double check the chamber to be certain it is empty. 5.
TO RELOAD THE RIFLE 1. Firing all cartridges in the magazine and the chamber will cause the bolt to automatically lock open. Keep the rifle pointed in a safe direction. Put the safety “ON”. Reloading can be accomplished by pressing forward on the magazine latch with the thumb or forefinger. The magazine will fall free of the rifle of its own weight. To avoid the possibility of damage to the magazine, do not let it fall to the ground unless rapid reloading is absolutely necessary. 2.
exposed to humid conditions which could cause condensation, or to rain or snow which might have entered the bore, open the bolt and clean out the barrel. Inspect the bore visually to be sure that it is perfectly clear (See “Ammunition Warning” p. 11 and “Care and Cleaning” section p. 28) ! WARNING –BORE OBSTRUCTIONS Before loading or shooting the Mini-14 Ranch rifle, be certain the bore is unobstructed.
c) Retract the slide handle and lock it in the open position by pressing in the bolt lock plunger in the top of the receiver. Retracting the slide handle should remove the cartridge case. Be certain the safety is in the “ON” position. d) Check the chamber to be certain there is no cartridge case in it -- if there is, extract it before proceeding with steps (e) and (f). e) After making sure that the rifle is unloaded, inspect the bore from the muzzle end of the barrel.
2. When attempting to free a jammed cartridge, do not use any type of tool that is likely to act as a “firing pin” and discharge the cartridge should the tool impact on the primer. Never use a cartridge as a “tool”. 3. After clearing a jam, inspect the gun mechanism to determine if dirt or debris might be the cause of the problem. Excess lubricant or grease can cause cartridges to feed sluggishly. An accumulation of grease, dirt or powder grains in the magazine can contribute to cartridge feeding problems.
3. If the mechanism shows signs of not functioning correctly, or if a part is damaged or broken -- don’t use the gun. Have it inspected, and repaired. (See “Malfunction Warning” below) 4. Use only genuine Ruger® Mini-14 magazines and carefully load the magazine. Do not exceed the stated magazine capacity. (See “Loading Magazine”, p. 13) 5. Do not ‘ride’ the slide handle when chambering a cartridge from the magazine.
WARNING – DISASSEMBLY ! 4 Always unload a firearm before cleaning, lubrication, disassembly or assembly. 3a 3b 2 1 Safety "ON" UNLOAD BEFORE CLEANING DISASSEMBLY Be Sure Rifle Is Unloaded! Although The Mini-14 Ranch Rifle can be disassembled, reassembled, and cleaned in almost any surrounding, it is preferrable to carry out these procedures on a workbench or table which has a covered top. A piece of shallow nap rug or an old blanket is an ideal covering.
3. Use a 1/4” diameter steel rod, punch, screwdriver shank, or other suitable instrument inserted into the hole in the rear of the trigger guard as a lever to spring open the trigger guard from its latched position (See Fig. 8). Figure 8 WARNING: Do not use a cartridge to unlatch the trigger guard because of the danger of loosening the bullet in the cartridge case (See Warnings in “Ammunition” section, p. 11). Figure 9 4. Fold rear sight down.
7. Remove the buffer cross pin and the buffer bushing if there is any concern they will fall out during remainder of disassembly. 1 8. Pull slide handle to the rear. Align projection on slide with disassembly notch on receiver. Remove slide (See Fig. 12). 2 Figure 12 9. Remove bolt lock cover plate by carefully tapping downward (with a soft-metal punch) at point “a”. (See Fig. 13). With cover plate removed, depress bolt lock plunger, “b”, which will allow ejector/bolt stop, “c”, to be lifted out.
Removal of the gas block assembly is not necessary and is not advisable. The gas block assembly is factory fitted using special fixtures and torque tools. Attempting to fit the gas block assembly without the required special equipment can result in damage to the components and malfunctioning of the rifle. Further disassembly of the RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE is not required for normal cleaning purposes and should only be performed by a trained armorer who is experienced in firearms repair.
3. Final reassembly of rifle: a. Replace stock by inserting its front end into the gas block at a slight angle. When the stock is correctly seated into the gas block, the stock can be swung down into full contact with the receiver. b. Insert the opened trigger housing assembly, safety “ON”, into the stock (the hammer must be cocked prior to insertion). When fully seated, swing the trigger guard fully into place until it locks shut. An audible “click” will be heard when it is correctly locked.
screwdriver to push the magazine bottom rearward as you push down on the spring-loaded bottom retainer. After the magazine bottom has been slid rearward off the magazine shell, carefully raise the rear end of the bottom retainer so that its two small lugs can be slid out the rear of the magazine and carefully remove the bottom retainer. CAUTION! It is under spring tension from the magazine spring.
To clean the rifle, proceed as follows: 1. Disassemble (field-strip) the rifle to the extent described on pages 23 - 25. 2. Using a cleaning rod, run a solvent-wetted patch through the bore several times. Then attach a solvent-wetted bristle brush to the rod and run it back and forth the full length of the bore as many times as necessary to remove grease and dirt from the bore and chamber. Clean bore with dry patches and examine.
the chamber to be sure the rifle is completely unloaded! With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, pull downward on the rear end of the trigger guard and remove the trigger housing assembly from the bottom of the rifle. Store the rifle and the trigger housing assembly in different locations. When disassembled in this manner, the rifle is inoperable. It is impossible to fire the rifle until the trigger housing assembly has been correctly replaced.
MAINTENANCE OF STAINLESS STEEL RIFLES Firearms and components made of stainless steel are relatively more resistant to corrosion than those of blued steel. However, in the interest of proper operation and long life of a stainless steel firearm, inspect it frequently and clean, lubricate and apply an appropriate rust preventative. Sometimes discoloration occurs from perspiration or from contact with some types of gun cases.
SIGHT ADJUSTMENT Shooting to determine the setting of the elevation slide (aperture) should be done from a bench rest and over a measured distance. The rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation. Lateral (windage) adjustment is made by loosening the Rear Sight Windage Lock Screw (with the hex-head wrench provided with the rifle) until the sight base requires finger pressure to be moved. (See illustration below). Move the sight in the direction you wish to move the point of impact.
To Move Impact Down, Lower Sight To Move Impact Up, Raise Sight ELEVATION ADJUSTMENT: To move the bullet impact point up or down, move the elevation slide (the “peep”) by loosening both its screws (using a small screwdriver with a blade tip that exactly fits the screw-head) only slightly so the slide doesn’t move too freely. Move the slide in the direction you want the point of impact of the bullet to move. When the slide is positioned at the desired height, carefully retighten both screws.
SERVICE AND PARTS POLICY If you have any questions with regard to the performance of your RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE please write or call (603-865-2442) our Product Service Department in Newport, New Hampshire 03773, fully describing all circumstances and conditions involved.
! WARNING –PARTS PURCHASERS It is the purchaser’s responsibility to be absolutely certain that any parts ordered from the factory are correctly fitted and installed. Firearms are complicated mechanisms and IMPROPER FITTING OF PARTS MAY RESULT IN A DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION, DAMAGE TO THE FIREARM, AND SERIOUS INJURY TO THE SHOOTER AND OTHER PERSONS. The purchaser and installer of parts must accept full responsibility for the correct adjustment and functioning of the rifle after such installation.
RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE PARTS LIST Design, prices and specifications subject to change without notice.
* 37 * * * * Part Name Ejector Bolt Stop Ejector Bolt Stop Extractor Extractor Extractor Plunger Extractor Spring Firing Pin Forearm Liner & Stock Cap Assembly Forearm Liner & Stock Cap Assembly Front Sight Front Sight Front Sight Cross Pin Front Sight Cross Pin Gas Block, Top & Bottom, (2 Pieces) Gas Block, Top & Bottom, (2 Pieces) Gas Block Screw, (4 Req’d.) Gas Block Screw, (4 Req’d.) Gas Pipe Gas Pipe Gas Port Bushing Hammer Hammer Hammer Pivot Pin Hammer Pivot Pin Part No.
38 Part Name Hammer Spring Hammer Strut Hammer Strut Hammer Strut Assembly Hammer Strut Assembly Handguard Assembly, Fiberglass Magazine, Complete, 5-Shot Capacity Magazine Bottom Magazine Bottom Retainer Magazine Follower Magazine Latch Magazine Latch Magazine Latch Pivot Pin Magazine Latch Pivot Pin Magazine Latch Spring Magazine Latch Spring Magazine Shell Magazine Spring Pistol Grip Cap Pistol Grip Cap Medallion Pistol Grip Cap Screw Rear Sight Assembly, Complete Rear Sight, Peep Blade Rear Sight Winda
39 Part Name Rear Sight Windage Lock Screw Recoil Pad Safety Assembly Safety Assembly Safety Detent Spring Safety Spring Retaining Pin Safety Spring Retaining Pin Scope Ring Clamp Scope Ring Nut Scope Ring Torx® Head Screws (8 Req’d) Scope Rings, Medium Rings Accommodates a 42mm Lens Scope Rings, Medium Rings Accommodates a 42mm Lens * Secondary Sear * Secondary Sear Secondary Sear Spring Slide Assembly Slide Assembly Slide Spring/Recoil Spring Sling, Carrying, Nylon, Not Illustrated Sling Swivel, Front Sl
40 Part Name Sling Swivel, Rear Sling Swivel, Rear Stock, Wood With Butt Plate Attached Stock Assembly, Synthetic Stock Reinforcement Stock Reinforcement Stock Reinforcement Lock Washer, (2 Req’d.) Stock Reinforcement Screw, (2 Req’d.) Stock Reinforcement Screw, (2 Req’d.
RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH RIFLE EXPLODED VIEW MFH SYNTHETIC STOCK MODEL KMS02200 MS30426 D-80SB C-96SM D06315 D-82 KMS07600 41 B-91
THE BASIC RULES OF SAFE FIREARMS HANDLING We believe that Americans have a right to purchase and use firearms for lawful purposes. The private ownership of firearms in America is traditional, but that ownership imposes the responsibility on the gun owner to use his firearms in a way which will ensure his own safety and that of others. When firearms are used in a safe and responsible manner, they are a great source of pleasure and satisfaction, and represent a fundamental part of our personal liberty.
A safe direction must take into account the fact that a bullet may penetrate a wall, ceiling, floor, window, etc., and strike a person or damage property. Make it a habit to know exactly where the muzzle of your gun is pointing whenever you handle it, and be sure that you are always in control of the direction in which the muzzle is pointing, even if you fall or stumble. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. 3. FIREARMS SHOULD BE UNLOADED WHEN NOT IN USE.
5. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET BEFORE YOU SHOOT. Don’t shoot unless you know exactly where your bullet is going to strike. Be sure of the bullet stop behind your target, even when dry-firing with an unloaded gun. If you are in the field hunting, do not fire at a movement or noise. Take the time to be absolutely certain of your target before you pull the trigger. 6. WEAR SHOOTING GLASSES AND HEARING PROTECTORS WHEN YOU SHOOT.
8. DON’T SHOOT AT A HARD SURFACE, OR AT WATER. Bullets can glance off many surfaces like rocks or the surface of water and travel in unpredictable directions with considerable velocity. 9. NEVER TRANSPORT A LOADED FIREARM. Firearms should always be unloaded before being placed in a vehicle. A suitable carrying case or scabbard should be used to carry an unloaded firearm to and from the shooting area. 10. AVOID ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHEN SHOOTING. Don’t drink until the day’s shooting is over.
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT: RUGER FIREARMS One of the few American firearms manufacturers whose management has remained unchanged since starting in business, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., had its beginning in a small machine shop occupying a rented frame building in Southport, Connecticut. In January, 1949, with an initial investment of only $50,000 and an idea, William B. Ruger and Alexander M. Sturm started production of a .
WHY NO WARRANTY CARD HAS BEEN PACKED WITH THIS NEW RUGER FIREARM The Magnuson-Moss Act (Public Law 93-637) does not require any seller or manufacturer of a consumer product to give a written warranty. It does provide that if a written warranty is given, it must be designated as “limited” or as “full” and sets minimum standards for a “full” warranty. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
