Author Topic: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?  (Read 13647 times)

billt

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2013, 03:13:50 PM »
I'm just to cheap to buy the dunk-it....  ;D  ;D  ;D

And I get simple green free at work!

Exactly. I buy a 1 gallon can of Kerosene from the paint dept. at Home Depot, dump enough into a coffee can to fill it about half way up, and I'm good to go. I like Kerosene because it won't hurt wood or plastic, and it will blow almost completely dry. After that I re oil, wipe down, and the gun is cleaner than the day I took it out of the box.

MikeBjerum

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2013, 03:34:11 PM »
I run thousands through my Mark III, and like you said, it is a PITA to strip and reassemble.  I still can't get the slide lock to work after each strip job  >:(

After my first real fiasco I learned the value of Brake Kleen!  Every few hundred rounds I spray down the bolt, blow it with air, and lube it up.  Biggest issue I have on the Mark III is the external lube on .22 rimfires gums up the bolt.
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billt

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2013, 03:49:28 PM »
One thing I did find with the Ruger Mark II's and III's that helps, is before you done shooting for the day oil the crap out of the thing, then run a magazine full of ammo through them. By the time you get home the added lube really helps to loosen up all the gunk that was accumulated. If you have a nice case, just be sure to have some paper toweling with you to wrap the gun in when you put it away. That way no crap gets on your case.

PegLeg45

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2013, 03:52:55 PM »
Exactly. I buy a 1 gallon can of Kerosene from the paint dept. at Home Depot, dump enough into a coffee can to fill it about half way up, and I'm good to go. I like Kerosene because it won't hurt wood or plastic, and it will blow almost completely dry. After that I re oil, wipe down, and the gun is cleaner than the day I took it out of the box.

If I recall, kerosene or lamp oil was the primary cleaning agent of choice for many years. My great-grandfather said it was all he ever used because that's what his father taught him.
"I expect perdition, I always have. I keep this building at my back, and several guns handy, in case perdition arrives in a form that's susceptible to bullets. I expect it will come in the disease form, though. I'm susceptible to diseases, and you can't shoot a damned disease." ~ Judge Roy Bean, Streets of Laredo

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blackwolfe

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2013, 05:19:08 PM »
I remember hearing stories of WW2 GIs soaking .45s in a helmet full of Kerosene.  That worked well until one guy pulled the trigger while pointed at the helmet. The bullet followed the curve of the helmet, came back and tagged his ear.  He ended up getting a medal as the cover story had him being wounded by enemy shrapnel.
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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #15 on: Today at 01:00:49 AM »

billt

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2013, 06:02:27 PM »
When I was a kid my dad was a pilot. He would use JP-4, (now called JET-A), to clean guns with. Today they won't put it into anything but aircraft. When I was a kid we would stop at the local airport on Sunday on our way out to the drag strip, and fill up with 130/160 AVGAS. Then we could advance the hell out of the timing without it knocking. It bought us a tenth or two in quarter mile times. Or at least so we thought. Today, same deal. They won't put it into anything but aircraft.

When I lived in Lake Havasu City there was a local Texaco that sold AVGAS. But they would only let you pump it directly into a boat, because there was no road use tax on it. That was back in the mid 90's. I don't know if they still have it. I know back when 87 grade regular was $1.00 a gallon, it was close to $2.00 a gallon.

PegLeg45

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2013, 09:53:59 PM »
I've used tolulene, xylene, and MEK (methyl ethyl ketone). All are similar in usage as solvents. We used them in our paint department as thinner and cleaning agents for our epoxy and bake-on paints. It will dry your skin out quickly.


I used to get a couple of gallons of the tolulene, with permission from my boss, on race weekends to use as an octane booster (was also used as full racing fuel years ago, but they stopped due to fuel system problems and cylinder wear from lack of lubricity). As long as you mix it properly at the right ratio, it still works as an octane booster.
 
I had a separate ten gallon fuel tank in the bed of my S-10 (with a 327 SBC V-8 under the hood) that I used when racing. After I got to the track, I closed a valve on the regular tank and opened the valve to the race tank. It had a mix of 80% 97 octane pump gas and 20% tolulene which should run around 101-104 octane. I changed plugs, bumped the timing, and swapped jets in the carb and it was ready to roll. I came out cheaper than the $4.00 per gallon for 104 racing gas at the track (this was 1991-92).
"I expect perdition, I always have. I keep this building at my back, and several guns handy, in case perdition arrives in a form that's susceptible to bullets. I expect it will come in the disease form, though. I'm susceptible to diseases, and you can't shoot a damned disease." ~ Judge Roy Bean, Streets of Laredo

For the Patriots of this country, the Constitution is second only to the Bible for most. For those who love this country, but do not share my personal beliefs, it is their Bible. To them nothing comes before the Constitution of these United States of America. For this we are all labeled potential terrorists. ~ Dean Garrison

"When it comes to the enemy, just because they ain't pullin' a trigger, doesn't mean they ain't totin' ammo for those that are."~PegLeg

gunman42782

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #17 on: January 09, 2013, 04:22:06 PM »
I don't find re assembling the Mini 14 all that difficult.  That said, I still don't completely field strip it every time.  Probably ever 3rd or 4th trip to the range, depending on how many rounds I shoot through it. 

The MK2 is honestly a piece of cake, as long as you remember to get the hammer strut to where it falls into the mainspring.  That is where everyone messes up. 
The MK3 is harder because of the damn mag disconnect.  You have to keep putting the mag in and out, and it, indeed, is a PITA!
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MAUSERMAN

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Re: Frequency Of Mini 14 Cleaning ?
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2013, 11:31:50 PM »
I clean mine every 500-600 rounds, but never found it hard to strip and clean. I think its much easier than my M1a or M1. Hell its harder to clean my AR's.
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