Tell me about the Mini 30

The current mfr. ones. Another thread about them has peaked my curiosity. The Ranch version looks interesting. I haven't really read much on the improved versions of Minis'.

Do they function well with decent ammo? Will they shoot Wolf, Tula etc. ? Not that I would feed it that stuff on a regular basis, but hoping it could be used dependably in a pinch.

Etc.?

You will get lots of response about the commie ammo, my mini 30s shoot it just fine with the factory firing pin . No problems .....

Ruger doesn't recommend Russian, Chinese, former Soviet union ammo if it is lacquer coated as they say it can foul the gas system. I'm not arguing against gunzo, I know some have had no issues with it. It's just a PITA if you do break a firing pin as you have to send the bolt back to the factory.

I shoot Fiocchi which runs beautifully. Actually pretty hot rounds although there are zero signs of pressure. I get 2470 fps with their 123gr FMJ which is faster than reloading manuals show. Don

I knew that Ruger recommends against lacquer coated(LC) ammo & understand how it possibly, maybe, might fowl up the gas system.
But how does this relate to the firing pin? Are broken firing pins an issue with just LC ammo, & how? And, are broken firing pins an issue otherwise?
I really know very little about 30's or the newer improvements overall.

Thanks.

Because of vastly different experiences and results, folks are pretty opinionated about their Mini 30's and their use with commie ammo.

First, my disclaimer...I don't prefer to use commie ammo, but for such a gun, it is a fair question to know if your gun will operate with steel cased ammo, especially if that's the only ammo you have available.

I have owned three different Mini 30's. Only one of them would operate reliably with steel case and Berdan primed ammo. Domestic 7.62x39 ammo is very expensive if you're not reloading, but there is another option. PPU ammo is half the price of domestic ammo, but twice the price of Wolf and similar ammo. So it's a compromise in price. If you're planning on blasting by the hundreds or thousands of rounds at the garbage dump, it's still expensive. But if you're gonna shoot it like a hunting rifle, occasionally at the range, and for a house or pickup gun, it is a great choice.

There is a feller locally that does a show on youtube with firearms.
He actually bought one of my Mini 30's that would not operate with steel cased ammo, and did some experiments to discover what would make the gun reliable with steel cased ammo. His conclusion? Other than lengthening the firing pin protrusion, there was no remedy. Heavier springs helped some, but still without 100% reliability. His results...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGlOvOv8UE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vEOQH4LqBM


So why do some Mini 30's operate reliably and some not? Seems like stacked tolerances allow some firing pins to protrude more than others, from the factory. Those that protrude slightly more will ignite berdan primers, while those with less protrusion will not. And there's no way to know til you actually try a gun out with different ammo types.

If you're comfortable with PPU or domestic ammo only, the Mini 30 is a great choice.

gunzo said:

I knew that Ruger recommends against lacquer coated(LC) ammo & understand how it possibly, maybe, might fowl up the gas system.
But how does this relate to the firing pin? Are broken firing pins an issue with just LC ammo, & how? And, are broken firing pins an issue otherwise?
I really know very little about 30's or the newer improvements overall.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

In general, cheap foreign 7.62x39 ammo has harder primers than US built ammo and can, some say, break firing pins. Personally, I don't think Fpin breakage is a major problem. The ammo was meant for the SKS and AK-47, relatively more crude guns than the Mini. Yes, you can buy replacement pins on the internet but it's my impression that replacing them isn't easy but I haven't personally done it. If you don't want to replace a broken firing pin or don't have access to a trusted gunsmith, then you have to send it to Ruger as they won't sell you the Fpin.

Since I usually get Fiocchi for about $10/box of 20 vs $5+-6 a box of 20 for foreign, it's worth it for me for the added peace of mind. Maybe not for others.

As my Mini30 is both a fun gun and the home defensive weapon, I'm not willing to risk a Fpin failure at the worst possible instance and thus buy only Fiocchi. Don

I did quite a bit of research yesterday & see that, as expected, the rifle could fill several roles. But maybe not a couple others I had in mind.

Thanks for everyones info & suggestions.

I've owned an early one for 25 years or so. I guess that's all it's ever had in it. Bought a bunch up when it was cheap, still shooting it.

WAYNO said:

Because of vastly different experiences and results, folks are pretty opinionated about their Mini 30's and their use with commie ammo.

First, my disclaimer...I don't prefer to use commie ammo, but for such a gun, it is a fair question to know if your gun will operate with steel cased ammo, especially if that's the only ammo you have available.

Click to expand...

i don't have a mini 30, but i want one.
i don't like any "commie" ammo or factory ammo. i handload, be it cast or jacketed. i don't want to "ammo dump" the mini 30. i'm perfectly fine with a 5 round magazine.
in 30+ years of shooting, i've had only one factory trigger break. it was a win m94 in 30-30(post '64). that has to be 25+ years ago.

while looking at the mini 30, i decided that starline brass will be used. win, federal or cci primers will also be used. powders that i have are h4198, rel 7, h4895 and h322. a 123gr hornady sst or the 123gr prvi sp looks to be it. i doubt that i'll ever need a firing pin.

what i want this gun for is someday i won't be able shoot my big bores. and the fact that i am disabled(stroke, right arm/leg only 15%good) and i'm going to shoot deer under 100-150 yards, i think i'll be fine.