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Best aftermarker hign cap mags Mini 14

actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
edited January 2005 in Ask the Experts
I would appreciate the experts' comments and recommendations on aftermarket high capacity mags for the Mini 14. My time and budget are short and to go through a trail and error search is not realistic due to my setting sail within the next few weeks and I need reliable mags for my Mini for family defense. If anyone could lend their experience and knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to go factory but I guess those that have them think they are made of gold. Thanks in advance.

Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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    actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Come on guys and dolls; a little help here. I know some of you are Mini opwners and have some comments on how bad or good some of the after market mags are / have been. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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    sksman761sksman761 Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The type of Mini 14 after market magazines that you are looking for are Precision Mag Industries (PMI) or Federal Ordinance. These magazines come in either stainless or blue and have a variety of capacities being 20, 30 and 40 rounds. I own 12 30 round PMI magazines myself. The only problem I had was to replace a defective follower which is pretty cheap and simple to fix. They range in price between $25 and $40 depending on the type. Another magazine that seems to be okay are the new Promag Steel magazines. They come in 20 and 30 rounds and range anywhere from $15 to $20. Promags require a break in period to feed and fit properly. Some also say that John Masen/Black Warrior are good mags that supposedly mimic the original Ruger 30 round magazines. They run anywhere between $15 and $25. I've owned one of these magazines. It was built like a tank but it didn't feed properly. The magazine body was too narrow and the bullets kept hanging up inside the body; but, that was an 10 year old magazine.
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    actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    sksman. thanks for the good advice> I really appreciate it.

    Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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    gunnut505gunnut505 Member Posts: 10,290 ✭
    edited November -1
    Check out www.http://cdnninvestments.com for good prices on Warrior mags; I think they're on sale for $15 or so.
    Also look at what's available from www.http://fourfourmag.com sometimes they get LEO trade-ins and pass the savings on to you. You can also call and order what you want & they will find it for you.
    As related to your previous post, try Brigade Quartermasters, Matthews Police Supply, Shomer-Tec, or the manufacturers themselves; Point Blank, Safariland, Second Chance (highly Recommended product), and others.
    You might want to look at Gunsite's web page, too.

    "Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID
    "He who is not prepared Today will be less so Tomorrow"
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    HKmanHKman Member Posts: 291 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Welcome actiontek,
    I would have to agree with sksman, Precision Mags make great magazines, especially for the mini-14. The reason being they are made of heavy gauge steel, so you won't have the misfeeding that you get from cheap mags that the guide lips bend out of shape on. USA and Promag also make some decent mags.

    I am a little hesitant to give advise anymore on aftermarket products, because of someones attempt to insult me with their reply to a post I made giving someone the same info I gave here, to a similar question. It's kinda petty really, But none the less I was still disapointed.
    This really is a good forum for getting info, and giving it for that matter. It's just a little disapointing when someone tries to insult you for giving what you believe is good advise.
    Good luck with finding your mags![:)]

    "There are those who make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that say, what happend?"

    AC Tactical
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    actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    HKman and ALL; you folks are great for extending your knowledge to me and others who ask questions and need advice. The true measure of a man / woman is their willingness to ask and answer questions and lend their experience to those in need of it. As people of this planet; the greatest gift we can give our fellow man/woman is the opportunity to relate ourselves to those who seek answers. If more of us had the courage to ask and more had the courage to answer, there would be less conflict. Resolution is found with communication. For those that wish to insult or ridicule those of us that seek the questions or give our opinions; their lives are certainly filled with less by doing so.

    Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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    lrarmsxlrarmsx Member Posts: 791 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What you will find is that there are good Mini-14 magazines and there are cheap Min-14 magazines. Usually they are mutually exclusive. The PMI magazines are considered by most to be one of, if not THE best magazine. Most of the other offerings from USA, Triple K, Western, and a host of others (many without names) will provide less than acceptable performance.

    There are a number of options to choose from, but you regularly find that if a big mail order place has lots of them and they are very reasonably priced, it probably means they aren't very good and potentially worthless. I had a gentleman bring in some Mini-14 magazines that he had mail ordered for $15-18 each. He had purchased 4, he was quite proud of himself for getting such a "Good Deal". He insisted that I look at his "Good Deal". Upon initial examination, I discovered that not only were the feed lips bent almost flat on one side, but almost straight up on the other. Obviously that was bad, but what was worse was that I was able to bend them into almost a correct angle on either side using only my fingers and thumb. If the metal was that flexible (thin/weak), they would never hold the correct angle for use.

    He admitted that he had not yet used them. I suspected that they would either not work at all or not work for more than a few rounds before being out of shape again. I think he either sent them back for a refund or just chaulked it up to experience. Either way he learned that you often ONLY get what you pay for.

    I have sold the PMI magazines for years as well as some of the other offerings to include the factory Ruger made magazines, USA, Thermold, etc. Even the USA magazines were better built than these ones that this guy got from the place he mail ordered them from. All said and done the PMI and the factory Ruger are considered the most reliable. Some of the others are hit and miss. The PMI's (and Ruger factory mags) are expensive and they have been for over a decade, but I have never had one brought back with problems either. The proof is in the product. Three $15 magazines that don't work aren't nearly as good of a deal as one $45 magazine that does.

    LRARMSX@MCHSI.COM
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    actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ira; Thanks for the great info. I did run across a guy listed on ************ that has 30 and 40 round PMI mags for $18 - $20 each. He lists that they are new and he is listed as a dealer. I have placed an email to him to find out what kind of price he has on 5 or more and what methods of payment he accepts. I will post his reply when I get it. I have seen Ruger factories go for $30 to $130 each. These guys think they are made of gold. I bought my Mini 14 at GB from a dealer in Bradenton, Florida and he advertsied that the mag was Ruger factory but when I received it, it was not. He told me he would send me another mag and I am waiting. Thanks again folks for all your great insight and experience.

    Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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    39ford39ford Member Posts: 93 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been suckerd into the cheap 30 rounders and had the same problem that IRA explaned. I also had an older ruger factory 30 rounder that worked perfectly every time.On another note i hope for defence sake that you are aware of the mini 14's lack of accuracy.With cheap fmj winchester bullets (can be bought at wally world for $4 for 40) it was difficult to keep a 6'' patern.Anyway i wish you the best of luck with everything and remember you get what you pay for.
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    actiontekactiontek Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have ordered the 40 round PMI mags and will post what kind of expertince I have once I receive the merch. Whay ammo has worked the best for ya? I have not found the Winchesters at Wally World to be that bad but I have not fired hundreds of them either. I have been told that the Rem. Ballistic Varmits are the best for defensive measures by some and then by others I get that the FMJs are.

    Our reputation is the only legacy we leave of value.
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