Mini 14 Gunsmithing questions

[ADK1113 1]

Hello guys,

I have an older model 183 series in stainless steel it came with a really short barrel with a pretty long muzzle brake welded on there ( it pushes 16.2 inches) I haven't seen this kinda brake before but it's really clunky and super front heavy. and I'm not a huge fan of it to be honest, the previous owner must have had the barrel chopped and ditched the front sight because the rifle came with a scope mount but no irons, which sucks. it came with a redfield 4x scope.  so My plans, if they are even feasible are the following:

• Hogue overmold stock ( I like the semi pistol grip stocks better, aesthetically more pleasing)
•  replace the handguard with an amega or ultiMAK scout scope rail and get some LER scope or maybe a low magnification pistol scope. ( this one is obviously possible)
• buy one of those accu struts or mo rod barrel stabilizers ( does anyone have personal experience with them?)
• swap out the barrel for a proper 16 or 18 inch barrel ( here's where it gets tricky, I've heard the older model pencil barrels didn't do much for accuracy for the mini-14, So I'm wondering if it's possible to put a later model 580 series barrel on the action and get a new gas block that will fit said barrel) if it's possible could someone recommend a competent gunsmith who can do this job locally?
• If I can't get a newer barrel and gasblock, does anyone know where I can go to do a barrel swap? I can easily get an older 183 series barrel so that wouldn't be an issue.
• does anyone know where a guy can get pinned  or other wise permanently modified 15/20 or 15/30 round mags in NJ? or If i can get magazines out of state to be shipped to someone who can pin them?
  
  
  screen capture windows

   this is what it looks like now which I really don't like

[HODGIE 3]

For the amount you are going to pay for parts and the work you would be better off selling it to someone who likes it and getting a new one or

building an AR. Who ever did that cun the barrel down beyond legal legnth and put that huge compensator on to make it legal. Is that rifle accurate

at all? The early stype pencil barrels supper from accuracy big time due to whip. Not sure if the current production barrles will match up with the

receiver.

[ADK1113 1]

 

 

For the amount you are going to pay for parts and the work you would be better off selling it to someone who likes it and getting a new one or
building an AR. Who ever did that cun the barrel down beyond legal legnth and put that huge compensator on to make it legal. Is that rifle accurate
at all? The early stype pencil barrels supper from accuracy big time due to whip. Not sure if the current production barrles will match up with the
receiver.

you know what's surprising? the accuracy wasn't as atrocious as i thought it would be. Idk what it was but it surprised me, I was shooting from a bench with a sandbag shooting 5.56 green tip Lake city 62 gr. with this old redfield 4x scope that came with it. also the mini 14 did have one of those recoil buffers installed maybe that helped? i didn't have an actual legit target so i had a couple old gallon water jugs filled with pond water and a basic e- type silhouette cardboard cutout at about 67 paces( that's my rough 100 meter pace count)
i hit the gallons, and though it wasn't anything worth writing home I did keep all the rounds in about a 4.5 - 5 inch group on the E-type except for a couple wingers, and those were user error. which from what I've heard is about the same as the older 183 series with a full length barrel.

not sure why it was shooting that "well" maybe cus there's less barrel hanging free besides the brake? I heard about the infamous mini 14 barrel whip, but never experienced it myself so i couldn't say one way or the other. i wish i remembered to record ambient temp and humidity too -__-
i might just swap the barrel for a standard 183 barrel and get one of those accu struts because whether i sell this one and get a new one won't change the fact that I still want the ultiMAK count rail and a scout scope. I found a 183 barrel on numrich for 35.00, so depending on how much it would cost to get the barrel swapped I may either do that or sell it and start from scratch with a newer mini 14. Only problem with that is the prices on these new mini 14's are none too friendly right now. IF I'm getting a different mini 14 it HAS to be the 580+ series

PRICING:
183 series ( that I own already)

Accu-strut or Mo-rod = $79-89
Barrel from Numrich $35
gunsmithing needed to replace= $ unknown
UltiMAK scout rail = $139
Mueller Speed Shot 1-4x24= $239
-----------------------------------------------------
grand total $492-502 + installing the barrel

VS.
NEW 580+ series

If i can sell my 183 series rifle at the same price I bought it for=$500 ( I REFUSE to price gouge, mama raised me better that that)
NEW mini 14 580+ series are hovering around=$950
UltiMAK scout rail= $139
Mueller Speed Shot 1-4x24= $239
I wouldn't need the accu-strut cus the better barrel
-----------------------------------------------
grand total= 1328-500= $828

decisions.....decisions....

[NJDevil1044 0]

I don't think anyone here would think you to be price gouging if you asked 650.00 for it.....no matter what YOU paid, its still a Mini and bet even set up as it is, it'd sell in a heartbeat.

[ADK1113 1]

NJDevil1044, yeah that is true, but if at all possible i still want to keep the weapon i have right now and modify it, i kind of have an attachment this weapon, being my first mini and all. ( yeah i'm a softie)

[specopsscout 26]

http://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.com/ruger_mini_prices.php#Kreigerbarrel

[fishnut 2,358]

http://www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.com/ruger_mini_prices.php#Kreigerbarrel

Thanks allot my wallet hates you! LOL

[specopsscout 26]

It's kinda like racing...how fast you want to go is directly proportional to how much you want to spend