[neil0311]

My first post here. I’ve had a Mini 14 Tactical model for more than a year now.

Haven’t really shot it much because cleaning it is kind of a pain compared to other rifles like an AR-15. Took it down yesterday and cleaned/lubed and want to shoot it more, but not looking forward to cleaning afterwards.

Curious if you folks clean your Mini 14 after every time you fire it. Or if not, how often.

 

[mlin]

Cleaning M14 / Mini-14 type rifle is not harder than cleaning AR. Take a look at the videos below.

I don't shoot enough rounds to clean every time after came back from a range trip. I do using paper towels wiping the rifle (stainless steel Mini) and bore-snake barrel after each range trip. I only disassemble for more detail clean after 3-4 month (3-4 range trips).

Springfield only recommend disassemble for clean once a year or depending on your round counts. You can argue it is not Mini, but I think it is relevant. For M14 type rifle, the more you remove the stock, the likelihood of receiver/stock lockup loosening up overtime and potentially impact accuracy if it is a competition rifle. YMMV with Mini14.

 

[Corndog]

To me, cleaning a Mini or an AR, are about equal in difficulty once you have done it a few times. Also my opinion, many clean these guns way to often.

I just wipe mine down with an oily rag after each shooting session.

 

[neil0311]

With an AR you just pull one pin, pop out the BCG, clean the bore and the bolt. Done. 15 min tops.

With the Mini 14, you have to take down the entire action to get the bolt out and clean. That means removing the trigger, the stock, etc.

So if you don’t have to take down the rifle and clean every time you shoot it, how often do you have to do it?

 

[Corndog]

@neil0311

I think once your used to it, they are about the same. You just unhinge the trigger group on a Mini and the thing falls apart.

My Mini is stainless. I clean it and/or my ARs once a year. If I shoot around 250 rounds before my winter gun maintenance month, I might do an earlier cleaning.

 

[mlin]

As I mentioned and pointed out in SAI video, recommend once a year for disassemble at minimum. Also AR require bolt face/chamber cleaning and DI tube cleaning when it's get dirty. No difference than other rifles.

 

[oldag]

Absolutely clean it every time it is fired.

 

[twooldgringos]

I have a lot if guns and may take a dozen some days when I train people or just let them shoot, family and friends,. At the end of the day, a dozen dirty Guns is no fun.

EZ solution. Running a brush down a barrel or five barrels side by side is fast. I have a pressure air hose that I can clean out the smallest spots. A little degreaser can help, add WD 40 or CL P. then wipe it down, no reason to take the stock off. I carried a mini in a police car for years, it may go 6 months back then, never an issue. They do not collect much dirt or carbon.

If I take a mini, probably going to hit it with air, run a swab down the barrel, and spray it down with lube.

 

[Corndog]

Absolutely clean it every time it is fired.

What happens if I don’t ?

 

[curt mini14]

you will find out every one pays for being lazy!

 

[Corndog]

Been doing this a long time. Still waiting to find out. I am OCD on maintenance when things need it.

I guess some body needs to keep Hoppes in business.

 

[hlg]

Welcome aboard.

IMO,the Mini 14 isn't hard to clean, but reinstalling the bolt can be tricky -but gets easier with practice.

 

[oldag]

What happens if I don’t ?

Over time, corrosion will occur. Buildup will be more difficult to remove.

It is too easy to clean a gun, not to clean it after a range trip.

 

[RIBob]

Like most anything, servicing the Mini gets easier with practice.

Suggest you follow instructions given in the series of Brownells vids concerning the Mini. The only step they leave out is to put a dab of grease on the "hooks" of the trigger group where they lock into the "legs" of the receiver. Doing so will help prevent wear at this critical point. I have seen M1 Garands with enough wear at a very similar point to considerably affect accuracy.

Strongly suggest using a coated cleaning rod with rotating handle, as well as a muzzle guide which will prevent wear at the critical end of the rifling in the barrel. Suggest pulling the rod and cleaning tip through the barrel in same direction as bullet travels.

Allowing some solvent and oil to enter the gas block is OK, but suggest you blow out the solvent with compressed air, and leave a little oil present for long term storage.

Most folks flood the inside of the bolt with solvent and blow it out with compressed air, more than once. If you wish to dis-assemble the bolt, the commonly available "one handed" M1/M-14/M1A bolt tool will work on at least some Mini-14s as long as the proper length/diameter 1/4" drive socket is used as a spacer. IDK if this tool will also work on Mini-30s, but with a different spacer, perhaps so. Strongly suggest having all relevant bolt parts available as spares, as these little bits have a way of flying away; perhaps dis-assemble the bolt inside a cardboard box to help prevent this.

Bolt tool looks like this, Suggest you shop around: https://www.amazon.com/Garand-Bolt-Assembly-Disassembly-Tool/dp/B00K0ZT62I

 

[Mr. Pepper Nose]

GunBlue490 has excellent and informative videos. Former employee within the industry.

 

[Corndog]

Over time, corrosion will occur. Buildup will be more difficult to remove.

It is too easy to clean a gun, not to clean it after a range trip.

We are going to have to agree to disagree. My reasons for my methods…

• If I clean every thing I shoot on each outing, I would shoot less
• The physical act of repeated disassembly creates it’s own wear issues
• You would be hard pressed to find any corrosion inside/outside of my guns. When I hunt and get one wet, whether I shoot it or not, it gets cleaned and lubed
• I get minimal satisfaction from gun cleaning

It is kind of like changing car oil. Some people do it twice a year with conventional oil and/or every 3,000 miles. Some people use high quality synthetic oils and change them every 10,000 miles, ignoring the time interval.

Guess which oil type I use.

 

[maddmatter1970]

We are going to have to agree to disagree. My reasons for my methods…

• If I clean every thing I shoot on each outing, I would shoot less
• The physical act of repeated disassembly creates it’s own wear issues
• You would be hard pressed to find any corrosion inside/outside of my guns. When I hunt and get one wet, whether I shoot it or not, it gets cleaned and lubed
• I get minimal satisfaction from gun cleaning

It is kind of like changing car oil. Some people do it twice a year with conventional oil and/or every 3,000 miles. Some people use high quality synthetic oils and change them every 10,000 miles, ignoring the time interval.

Guess which oil type I use.

Not to argue but there is an element especially for folks new to guns and or new to a model. Cleaning correctly forces a break down and inspection of wear points. You are seasoned, and know your rifles "characterstics". A person new to the platform has to learn those intrinsic traits. Better to over clean and find a issue/learn a function than under clean and send it back to manufacturer, or stop using it out of fear. Just my humble opinion and I dont think what I am saying applies to you as much as to someone new to whatever gun it is. At least if they clean/inspect regular, they will have a clearer idea of what could be going right or wrong

 

[twooldgringos]

I am retired military and have moved around a lot, sometimes leaving dirty Guns, lots of them stored for decades, some loaded some not. Couple of observations. A loaded magazine will not degrade over a decade, many. Second, when all else is not available, take the gun, pistol, or rifle and spray it down inside and out with something like Hoppes, Rem Oil, CLP, or bacon grease. When you introduce an oil to crud, it lessens the oxidation or corrosion. Most of us will not live more than 100 years, so you do not have to slow it down much.

If you want it to work immediately after that 20 year storage, cleaning it before you store it will ensure that. Mummies today look much the same as they did 500years ago, just saying.

Me, I clean the krap out of every gun usually within days if shooting them. I polish every chamber and feed ramp often and I keep them all well lubed because I now have the time.

But people who do not get them filthy have little worry.
Fwiw

 

[triaxle]

I have the newer Mini 14 Tactical in Stainless , I keep it wiped down , might fire a 100 rds time to time give it wipe down , and forget it always works fine .

 

[oldag]

We are going to have to agree to disagree. My reasons for my methods…

• If I clean every thing I shoot on each outing, I would shoot less
• The physical act of repeated disassembly creates it’s own wear issues
• You would be hard pressed to find any corrosion inside/outside of my guns. When I hunt and get one wet, whether I shoot it or not, it gets cleaned and lubed
• I get minimal satisfaction from gun cleaning

It is kind of like changing car oil. Some people do it twice a year with conventional oil and/or every 3,000 miles. Some people use high quality synthetic oils and change them every 10,000 miles, ignoring the time interval.

Guess which oil type I use.

Many years ago, I worked in gunsmithing. I saw enough corrosion (sometimes in areas you do not see unless doing a complete teardown) in old guns to convince me cleaning is a good thing.

Why would you shoot less?

If someone lacks the self-discipline to take care of things (even if that means doing something from which they draw minimal satisfaction), that is a personal issue.