Ruger MINI-14 - Manual (Page 19)

c) Retract the slide handle and lock it in the open position by pressing in the
bolt lock plunger in the top of the receiver. Retracting the slide handle
should remove the cartridge case. Be certain the safety is in the “ON”
position.
d) Check the chamber to be certain there is no cartridge case in it -- if there
is, extract it before proceeding with steps (e) and (f).
e) After making sure that the rifle is unloaded, inspect the bore from the
muzzle end of the barrel. If the bore is obstructed, insert a proper size
cleaning rod (without a tip or brush) into the bore from the muzzle and
dislodge and remove the bullet. If the bullet does not readily dislodge, it
may be necessary to lightly tap the handle end of the cleaning rod. If such
efforts fail to dislodge the bullet, take the rifle to a gunsmith. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO REMOVE A LODGED BULLET USING A BLANK
CARTRIDGE, OR A CARTRIDGE FROM WHICH THE BULLET HAS BEEN
REMOVED, OR BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN THE USE OF THE
PROPER SIZE CLEANING ROD AND REASONABLE FORCE APPLIED TO
THE ROD. BE CERTAIN ALL LOOSE POWDER HAS BEEN REMOVED
FROM THE BORE AND ACTION BEFORE INTRODUCING THE ROD INTO
THE BORE. NEVER TRY TO SHOOT OUT A BORE OBSTRUCTION! See
“Bore Obstruction Warning”, p. 19.
f) Reinspect the bore to be certain it is free of unburned powder particles or
any other debris. At the same time clean the magazine, the magazine well,
and other areas of the mechanism of unburned powder grains.
It is absolutely essential that steps (a) through (f) be followed if there is any
suspicion that a bullet has been lodged in the bore because of the situations
described in 1 or 2 above. Remember that a bullet can be lodged in the bore
of a rifle just where the rifling begins, and a live cartridge can still be
chambered and the bolt closed and locked. This can occur because the bullet
in the chambered cartridge is pushed back into the cartridge case far enough
to give the shooter the impression that the loaded cartridge has chambered
normally.
Always check the bore for an obstruction if you experience difficulty in
chambering a cartridge, experience a failure to extract, have a misfire, or the
rifle does not make a normal loud report on firing.
RELOADERS SHOULD USE ONLY CANNELURED BULLETS AND BE SURE TO
CRIMP THEM SECURELY IN THE CARTRIDGE CASE. NOTE: Sturm, Ruger &
Co. specifically does not recommend the use of reloaded, hand-loaded or
remanufactured cartridges. Please see “Ammunition Notice” p. 11.
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
Before “doing something”, study the situation to determine the nature of the
jam and how best to clear it. Any autoloading firearm may occasionally
malfunction. If it does:
1. Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction and the safety is “ON”.
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