If you read the post at the link you can see what I already have done including the barrel strut (MO-ROD). The strut modification has yet to be tested. I am looking for the next thing beyond that to have in hand in case the strut does not work or is not that effective, as several who report her have implied while others claim is the answer to accuracy with this gun.
The thought is that the stock front nose is pulling the barrel down and causing vertical stringing. I am looking for comments on how important it is to allow the stock not pull on the barrel.
Since I once owned a mini a very long time ago and your dilima has caught my attention ,
I asked a few of the guys (retired gunsmiths) I know that have worked on the mini and found very little info that can be aplyed to your rifle and situation. So I will skip the new barrel BS and get down to what the guys have done that is within reason.
Have you done a CONTROLED cold barrel test ? If so what are the results?
Other than what you have done, a LARGE barrel tuner may be the next thing to think about.
If possible have you tried a different rifle stock.? Last and the most desperate is to shorten the barrel by one inch to change the harmonics.
All the rest of the mods I was given are simply not practical in cost and time. ($800-$2100)
"The thought is that the stock front nose is pulling the barrel down and causing vertical stringing. I am looking for comments on how important it is to allow the stock not pull on the barrel."
Any time you have a pressure point such as "pulling the barrel down" can certainly cause stringing. The problem is that you have a gas system which makes things complicated. I would suggest that you look at the forend bedding system used to acurizeing M14 rifles.
I did some investigation of this stock situation. There is a long metal plate on the bottom of the inside of the forearm of the stock. It guides the gas system operating rod. It must be there. It hooks to the front of the stock forearm and snaps onto a lug just in front of the receiver. The"hook" for the stock is a recess in the gas block and a metal cap on the end of the long plate. If I remove the plate entirely (not a viable permanent choice!) just for a test then the trigger group tightly holds the stock to the receiver and allows the stock to not touch the gas block. No bedding would be necessary. And the entire forearm of the stock would be floating with only the operating rod touching it while the rod travels to operate the gun (after the bullet leaves the barrel).
To implement this I would have to remove the end plate part of the long plate, and install the remaining part of the long plate over the lug in the stock in front of the receiver and use a bolt or ??? to hold the plate into the plastic stock near the front of the forearm. The clearances are tight so the bolt head would have to be recessed or something so that the operating rod/gas cylinder operation would not be interfered with.
I'll not do anything until I test the strut I just installed. I tried to go to the range last Friday but it was closed for a special event for veterans.
Wow LD. I'll give you a 10 for determination. I'd have sold the thing off long before now. Sounds like you have a lot of knowledge I have yet to reach, if I ever will, that makes the mods you've done possible. I wish you luck and hope to hear that the strut solves your problem.
I'm an retired engineer and I fix things. I study guns and gunsmithing. It takes a lot for me to give up on a gun. Of course I love it when guns shoot well out of the box but trying to find the problem and fix it on guns that don't shoot well out of the box is a challenge I enjoy. I wish to eventually solve the problem but in the end I too may have to pass the gun on or accept it for its reputation of not being all that accurate. I really don't think that to be the case because all the parts for it to be acceptably accurate are there. The strut may fix it but I really believe it is the stock that is the issue. No matter what, the strut will help because it changes the harmonics of the barrel by making it stiffer.
Well that explains a lot. Would have become an engineer myself however I seem to be much better at taking things apart as apposed to putting them back together. Maybe I should have become an explosives engineer. Now that you are/have been studying harmonics I bet your favorite Bible story is when Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. Harmonics did quite a number on their walls.
OK...Went to the range with the Mini-30. There was good news and bad news. The bad news first: the strut does not want to stay in place. Looks like I'll have to put divots in the gas block where the set screws seat to help keep it in place. From the beginning the Mo-Rod clamps have not fit my barrel correctly. Seems my barrel diameter does not match any of the normal Mini's. MO-ROD made up special clamps but they close up before offering up enough pressure to the barrel to clamp hard enough. I'll mill the mating surface of one side of each clamp to allow more clamping force. Between the two mods to the MO-ROD and the gun that should keep it in place.
The good news is on a couple of five shot groups they were less than 2" at 50 yards, well within my acceptable limit for this particular gun. Once the MO-ROD gets secured the accuracy will be fine. But I will look into free floating the front hand guard part of the stock which should be easy. There may be even more accuracy in this gun (??).
Hopefully, you can wring out a bit more accuracy from your rifle.
I have two different stocks for my m14. One is a cheap wood norinco stock and the other is a US military fiberglass stock. Neither stock has glass bedding and both fit just fine.
The kicker is that the rifle shoots much better with the cheap wood stock.
I have been told by more than one person that the minni is just as fussy. Different stocks will effect the rifle differently due to different amounts of forend preasure or preasure points , how much spring the stock has, how stable is the stock material , ect
On the plastic stock on mine the forend has the cap part of the long steel plate that is inside the stock forearm plugged into the gas block. The cap fits loosely inside the gas block but once the stock is secured to the receiver by the trigger assembly group that cap pulls down on the gas block and hence, the barrel. So it is the stock that pulls on the barrel which is a no-no for accuracy. It is best if the forearm of the stock floats. Removing the cap of that long plate and securing the front of the long plate with a recessed screw(??) relieves all tension on the barrel through the gas block and the stock. That explains to me why different stocks effect the accuracy.
I just order a new long plate that I will at first grind away parts of the cap to attempt to remove the tension on the barrel but still use the cap to retain the stock forearm. If that is not possible I'll have to discard the cap and run the stock bare in the gas block. That is not ideal as the gas exits past that point and it may eventually melt the plastic (??). My first choice is the former. We'll see if the accuracy goes up. If not I'll put the original complete long plate and cap back into the gun and call it good enough. It is good enough for my needs if I can keep the strut on the gun. I did what I promised on the strut just minutes ago. The next trip to the range will include the long plate modification. But before that I have to reload.
Go to my first link to see more shooting data 2/17/15.
LDBennett
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