Ruger MINI-14 - Manual (Page 9)

WARNING – MANUAL SAFETY
THE BOLT LOCK
The Mini-14 Rifle is designed so that the bolt remains open after the last shot has
been fired, provided there is a magazine in the rifle. When the magazine is
empty, the magazine follower actuates the bolt lock which is designed to retain
the bolt and slide in their rearward position.
WARNING: The bolt lock is not a safety device. It should not be used to hold the
bolt back when there are cartridges in the magazine. A slight jar to the butt end
of the rifle will cause the bolt lock to disengage and to feed a cartridge into the
chamber.
The bolt lock should be relied on only to hold the bolt in its rearward position
when the chamber is empty and an empty magazine is in place. The only purpose
of the bolt lock is for convenience in the rapid changing of magazines and for
holding the bolt in its rearward position when the rifle is unloaded for the
purpose of cleaning or inspection.
OPERATION OF BOLT LOCK
To manually engage the bolt lock to keep
the bolt open: (See Figure 3)
1. Pull the slide handle all the way to
the rear.
2. Depress the bolt lock plunger and
allow the slide to move forward
until it stops.
3. Put safety “ON” (push fully
rearward).
10
Figure 3
Keep the safety on unless actually firing.
Always move the safety fully to its intended
position and check it. The safety is not “ON”
unless it is completely “ON”. Never depend on
a safety mechanism or any other mechanical
device to justify careless handling or
permitting the rifle to point in an unsafe
direction. The only “safe” rifle is one in which
the bolt is open, the chamber is empty, and
there is no magazine in the gun.
KNOW HOW TO USE THE SAFETY