Hylander
Single-Sixer
Since you have two good SKS's, the Mini-30 would be a want and yes they are a bit over priced these days.
However, the platform is far from iffy.
It is a well proven platform.
How many have a Mini 30
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Since you have two good SKS's, the Mini-30 would be a want and yes they are a bit over priced these days.
However, the platform is far from iffy.
It is a well proven platform.
When used with ammo it's designed for...
Hylander
Single-Sixer
When used with ammo it's designed for...
True, you do need to use 7.62x39
Although the Mini-30 has been made in other calibers.
Like I said, AK'S AND SKS'S were designed to shoot russian ammo with primers seated much deeper than standard ammo, hence the need for a longer firing pin.
Standard Mini-30 protrusion is about .032 on low and .038 on the high.
I've seen AK's and SKS's with protrusions as much as .062 which is way more than needed.
I have found complete reliable ignition with .042 Protrusion.
AR's are the same way, they need a longer firing pin as well to reliably ignight some russian 7.62x39 ammo.
Anyways, an inexpensive firing pin upgrade hardly makes it in an iffy platform.
You missed my point.
Yes we are talking 7.62X39 Russian. The Mini-Thirty was exclusive to 7.63x39 as far as I recall. The Mini-14 was available in various cals. 5.56/223 of course but I do recall a run of 300's, 6.8 and 222.
It has nothing to do with longer firing pins.
From post #10 on this thread; Ruger's "perspective" of steel case ammo in the Mini:
The Mini requires SAAMI spec ammunition to run reliably and to prevent malfunction/breakage.
Imported steel case is not SAAMI. I will only run it through my AK47, which both are designed for each other.
Hylander
Single-Sixer
I got your point.
Yes the Mini-30 was designed for saami spec ammo. That's why I pointed out the specs of firing pin protrusion. Russian milspec ammo has the primers set deeper in the primer pocket, why they do that, I don't know. But that's the reason for more firing pin protrusion. So, yes you need a firing pin of proper lenght.
Yes, it has a lot to do with firing pins, that and extractors are what their talking about breaking.
AK's and SKS's have generous chambers to allow for the crappy coatings baking off that are put on some cases. The Mini-30 has a tighter chamber, so yes it will foul easier. But if you clean your chamber and bolt face regularly, it won't be a problem. I have owned Mini-30's and Mini-14's since the 80's and fired thousands of rounds with only 1 malfunction in a Mini-14 and that magazine related.
Yes the Mini-30 was designed for saami spec ammo. That's why I pointed out the specs of firing pin protrusion. Russian milspec ammo has the primers set deeper in the primer pocket, why they do that, I don't know. But that's the reason for more firing pin protrusion. So, yes you need a firing pin of proper lenght.
Yes, it has a lot to do with firing pins, that and extractors are what their talking about breaking.
AK's and SKS's have generous chambers to allow for the crappy coatings baking off that are put on some cases. The Mini-30 has a tighter chamber, so yes it will foul easier. But if you clean your chamber and bolt face regularly, it won't be a problem. I have owned Mini-30's and Mini-14's since the 80's and fired thousands of rounds with only 1 malfunction in a Mini-14 and that magazine related.
GasGuzzler
Hunter
I also think the point was missed judging by the additional responses.
I still can't justify the cost for something that may work if I only use hard to find and expensive ammo ... then again, the best by far steel case 7.62X39 (Golden Tiger) is no longer imported and has skyrocketed. SGAmmo has brass ammo that is less than what Golden Tiger is selling for on Gun Broker. At any rate, the big appeal to most of the 7.62X39 was cost. Now the cost is high and with the AKs and Minis tripling in "value", hardly a use for one now.
I still can't justify the cost for something that may work if I only use hard to find and expensive ammo ... then again, the best by far steel case 7.62X39 (Golden Tiger) is no longer imported and has skyrocketed. SGAmmo has brass ammo that is less than what Golden Tiger is selling for on Gun Broker. At any rate, the big appeal to most of the 7.62X39 was cost. Now the cost is high and with the AKs and Minis tripling in "value", hardly a use for one now.
I agree with GasGuzzler.
Even if I still had my Mini-Thirty I wouldn't be feeding it the cheap crap from Wolf and Tulammo that my AK eats up. I also don't care for reloading for semis. If I bought another 7.62X39 it would most likely be a Ruger American Ranch, and I'd reload for it, if I had the specific need. But I don't.
Same for steel case in pistols. Folks see the cheap bulk price and start shoving it into semi pistols and moan & groan when they don't cycle reliably or have breakage.
My Son-N-Law bought a ton of bulk 380 steel case. I asked him what it was for. He said he had just bought my Daughter a LCP II and thought it would be cheap practice. I bought an equal amount of Winchester bulk 380 and swapped with him. Sure I came out of it with a loss. Don't care. Most likely saved them a bunch of headaches and a broken LCP. That steel case runs through my Makarov just fine.
I still need to dig out the pic of my Mini-Thirty...it's on my list today.....
Even if I still had my Mini-Thirty I wouldn't be feeding it the cheap crap from Wolf and Tulammo that my AK eats up. I also don't care for reloading for semis. If I bought another 7.62X39 it would most likely be a Ruger American Ranch, and I'd reload for it, if I had the specific need. But I don't.
Same for steel case in pistols. Folks see the cheap bulk price and start shoving it into semi pistols and moan & groan when they don't cycle reliably or have breakage.
My Son-N-Law bought a ton of bulk 380 steel case. I asked him what it was for. He said he had just bought my Daughter a LCP II and thought it would be cheap practice. I bought an equal amount of Winchester bulk 380 and swapped with him. Sure I came out of it with a loss. Don't care. Most likely saved them a bunch of headaches and a broken LCP. That steel case runs through my Makarov just fine.
I still need to dig out the pic of my Mini-Thirty...it's on my list today.....
Hylander
Single-Sixer
I get it and agree, the price of a new Mini-30 is not inexpensive and the ammo is not as cheap anymore. My point was for the price of an aftermarket firing pin the rifle will reliably cycle 100% with any Russian ammo.
Yes the Golden Tiger is great stuff. My favorite Russian ammo is Barnaul.
My rifles are for hunting mostly, so I do reload for the 7.62x39 even in SKS.
My bolt guns and handguns never get steel cased ammo.
Yes the Golden Tiger is great stuff. My favorite Russian ammo is Barnaul.
My rifles are for hunting mostly, so I do reload for the 7.62x39 even in SKS.
My bolt guns and handguns never get steel cased ammo.
GasGuzzler
Hunter
I have the dies and a mold. Hard to say I reload for anything as I haven't been shooting. But I have one rifle in that caliber so the dies and brass as just in case. Just in case I somehow run out of Golden Tiger I bought when it was cheap. If that happens, we're all screwed.
"when used with the ammo it was designed for" This got me curious.
Well, it's way above my pay grade to figure out. The C.I.P ( international standards) had the cartridge listed long before the US military got dimensions & samples from Finland & submitted it to SAAMI in 1979. When SAAMI was through their test didn't agree completely with CIP.
Then,,,, a few years later Ruger wanted to chamber it in a platform that was basically designed for, the 223. But, they had to change some chamber dimensions to lower pressures that would better suit the Mini & submitted new dimensions to SAAMI.
Now, I'll admit after looking back and forth between CIP, SAAMI 1, SAAMI 2 for Ruger, & what has been made since 40's but one maker decided to change for their own use, I just threw in the towel & stopped reading.
Any Philadelphia lawyers here?
Further reading here seem s to indicate the firing pin is the big issue & the ins & outs of that has been explained very well by Hylander. But I never got that far with the research I was doing due the feed failures.
I didn't set out to start controversy here, but it seems everywhere I looked there was controversy about both the cartridge & the rifle itself. Maybe I was looking for love in all the wrong places.
Well, it's way above my pay grade to figure out. The C.I.P ( international standards) had the cartridge listed long before the US military got dimensions & samples from Finland & submitted it to SAAMI in 1979. When SAAMI was through their test didn't agree completely with CIP.
Then,,,, a few years later Ruger wanted to chamber it in a platform that was basically designed for, the 223. But, they had to change some chamber dimensions to lower pressures that would better suit the Mini & submitted new dimensions to SAAMI.
Now, I'll admit after looking back and forth between CIP, SAAMI 1, SAAMI 2 for Ruger, & what has been made since 40's but one maker decided to change for their own use, I just threw in the towel & stopped reading.
Any Philadelphia lawyers here?
Further reading here seem s to indicate the firing pin is the big issue & the ins & outs of that has been explained very well by Hylander. But I never got that far with the research I was doing due the feed failures.
I didn't set out to start controversy here, but it seems everywhere I looked there was controversy about both the cartridge & the rifle itself. Maybe I was looking for love in all the wrong places.
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Hylander
Single-Sixer
Hey Gunzo,
A lot of the CIP, SAAMI and all that is above my grade as well.
My eyes start to cross reading all of it.
A lot of the CIP, SAAMI and all that is above my grade as well.
My eyes start to cross reading all of it.
DGW1949
Hunter
This thread is over-complicating a very simple issue...namely that the firing pin protrusion on most Mini-30's is too short to reliably set off European made 7.62x39 steel cased ammo....If one can't (or doesn't want to) deal with that, or if they don't want to pay 50-55 cents a rd for brass cased ammo, then they need to reassess their desire for the gun....It's just that simple.
DGW
DGW
GasGuzzler
Hunter
Good steel case ammo is more than $0.55 per round. For that price you can get corrosive primer Yugo steel case. Golden Tiger (banned from import) is selling for $0.85. I bought it at $0.19 not terribly long ago. El cheapo brass case is $0.70. Ammo is important when discussion a certain firearm platform. 7.62X39 is no longer a budget round. Tula was $4 for 20 rounds in 2019 before Covid and law changes.
DGW1949
Hunter
Decent brass-cased, non-corrosive, boxer primed (reloadable) 7.62x39 can presently be had for the same price as the cheaper brands of com-bloc or other Berdan-primed, steel-cased ammo from at least two vendors that I know of. In other words, about 55-cents per round or less (shipped), depending on brand and how much is being bought at once...Yeah, steel used to be cheaper than it is today, but so did everything else. LOL....Plus, being's how Russian ammo has been banned from being imported, it's going to all be gone soon anyway, and after that won't even be a consideration any longer.....And just in passing, I find it rather odd that a person would spend an easy $1,000-$1200 for a nice carbine, and then whine because it gives poor results when they try to feed it some of the crappiest ammo known to man. But that's just me and how I look at it. Perhaps I'm missing something there, dunno.
DGW
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GasGuzzler
Hunter
All the same I just said.
"Ammo is important when discussing a certain firearm platform"
Yeah, & in this case "the ammo is the primary part of the equation". The Original Post did contain some slang that could confuse things as in this case a wad of ammo might be 3 - 5000 rounds. No intention whatsoever of going out & buying ammo as said ammo fires & functions 100% in other platforms & shoots 2.5 moa while using iron sites.
If the firearm in question can't handle existing stock then so be it, but I appreciate the insight, suggestions & info. I suppose the gun rack on the ATV or a SxS will have to continue to hold a knotty AR or a clunky SKS. Thanks again.
Yeah, & in this case "the ammo is the primary part of the equation". The Original Post did contain some slang that could confuse things as in this case a wad of ammo might be 3 - 5000 rounds. No intention whatsoever of going out & buying ammo as said ammo fires & functions 100% in other platforms & shoots 2.5 moa while using iron sites.
If the firearm in question can't handle existing stock then so be it, but I appreciate the insight, suggestions & info. I suppose the gun rack on the ATV or a SxS will have to continue to hold a knotty AR or a clunky SKS. Thanks again.
1978 was when the Mini was changed/improved some & same year the they were offered in stainless, s/n prefix 181.
As soon as I saw the stainless I knew I had to have it. They were a bit scarce, & were drawing a lot of attention so I had to pay retail, $275. Not long after that a new Colt AR was $500, so the Mini naturally sold well.
Now days things have changed so much. Not even counting all the newer players in the AR game, a new Colt can be had for about the same price as the Mini. Interesting times.
edit for price correction
As soon as I saw the stainless I knew I had to have it. They were a bit scarce, & were drawing a lot of attention so I had to pay retail, $275. Not long after that a new Colt AR was $500, so the Mini naturally sold well.
Now days things have changed so much. Not even counting all the newer players in the AR game, a new Colt can be had for about the same price as the Mini. Interesting times.
edit for price correction
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I finally found that pic of my Mini 30…..this was 1987. This was prior to heading out for a weekend ground squirrel shoot. We got a discount from a rancher who sold permits to a valley if we shot as many ground squirrels as we could. Typically I used my 223 and 22-250. Being the goofy guy I was I threw on a scope and bipod on a challenge. I can't recall the ammo I used but think it was probably Win 123 gr PSP. I lost money on that shoot….it was good for a laugh though. I thought I'd get a few with some lucky lobs at the critters. Managed a few. 7.62x39 isn't exactly a varmint round
I did take a mule deer in Utah with it though. If I had it today it would have irons or possibly a red dot of some sort and probably collecting dust in the safe.xtratoy
Buckeye
My stainless mini 30 I bought 3 years ago has been flawless with steel case ammo. It hits what I aim it at. I did a trigger job on it and it is now 29 ozs.
