I just acquired a Ruger Mini Ranch 14 in .223, NOT 556/223. It is about 15 years old. It came with one 5 round magazine and I want to get a few more magazines. However, because this is a .223 only rated chamber/barrel, I am not sure if the magazines are completely interchangeable with the most common modern 556/223 magazines. Does anyone have a .223 only Ruger Mini 14 that has successfully used 556/223 magazines in it? I have Found some of the 556 ammo I have is slightly longer than .223.
Are you sure it’s a .223 only chamber? IIRC, a ton of Minis had “.223” printed on top of the action, but in reality were 5.56 guns.
Secondly, I don’t believe there is a difference with Mini mags either way. Just be sure to get Ruger brand ones, the aftermarkets aren’t good.
(quick edit: The only Mini model you can’t fire 5.56 is the “target” rifle, the ones with the harmonic tuner on the barrel. All the rest of them are fine with 5.56, if you want to be 100% sure, call Ruger with your serial number and they will tell you.)
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.223 is printed on the gun, and on the original box, and on the original price tag. From what I am seeing on Gunbroker, manufacturing a .223 only was common for this vintage. I am going to look for a manual.
I found this in the generic manual that covered a lot of years. It seems they may have called the rifles .223 but they were capable of 556, as you mention above. I don’t ever shoot 556, so that is not the issue. I just want to be sure I get magazines that cycle properly.
“RUGER® MINI-14® RANCH rifles are offered in two calibers: .223 Remington (5.56mm) and the 6.8mm Remington SPC. The Target Model uses .223 Remington cartridges only.”
Magazines won’t know the difference due to where the divergence is on the 2 different rounds.
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^^^ What @Rufus sez.
5.56 and .223 brass are functionally externally identical. The differences between the two cartridges is essentially the powder specification, and case mouth crimp. (Edit: AND mil-spec hard primer and sealant on the 5.56)
The difference between the 5.56 and .223 Chamber is the Lede - the angle and setback of the forcing-cone at the leading edge of the rifling.
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You get pressure differences with 223 and 556.
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Update: I purchased a Ruger OEM 20 round 556/223 magazine yesterday. It ran fine, no issues.
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