Looking to make a Mini Thirty M14.

[M118LR]

So the time has come that I can no longer comfortably carry a M14 afield. Thinking about a 18 inch stainless barreled Mini Thirty with a bayonet, synthetic stock, with irons and glass. How would you do it?

 

[DGW1949]

The similarity in looks aside, Ruger's Mini-30 will never be the equivalent to an M-14 no matter what you do to it. The 7.62x39 round just won't allow for that.
Myself, I'd ditch the scope 'n bayonet idea and just let it be what it is...A handy, light weight, quick handling carbine that is relatively cheep to feed....you know, kinda-sorta like the old M1-Carbine only with a bit more range (and a lot more punch).
Mine came the factory synthetic stock but I found that it made it much too muzzle heavy, so I switched it out for an old-school curved-butt wood stock and added one of those steel "skull-cracker" butt plates. Now the balance is just about perfect. It's undoubtedly heavier than a synthetic-stocked gun but the improved balance actually makes it feel lighter....Note too, the 1-1/4" sling set up, which also helps.....Strictly business, no fluff.

DGW

 

[NikA]

Start with a 581 or later prefix stainless Mini, ditch the bayonet to save 1.5 lbs that you will never use, upgrade irons to Tech Sights, and decide whether you want to use the factory over-ejection mount or invest in a scout handguard mount?

 

[hittman]

I’d go with a stock vintage M1 Carbine or a Mini 14.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Expand your search. I stray away from the M1 carbine due to weaker and expensive ammo and the magazines are stupid high. Plus the quality is all over the map. I don't think a Mini14 has the .30 cal appeal either. Problem is AKs have doubled in cost and 7.62X39 is no longer cheap either.

 

[NH Rugerman]

I suggest you look at Ruger’s Mini-30 Model# 5804, it is a stainless model w/18.5” barrel, integral scope mounts and a hard wood stock. Also includes the scope ring and a ghost ring rear and protected front sight blade. skip the bayonet as the others have suggested, brings undo attention and makes the rifle awkward in my humble opinion.

 

[PapaDetail]

You could always add a Mini-14 folding stock to it, and it would be nice and portable. Still out there in both blue and stainless. Pics show a conversion of a 223 Ranch Rifle. Provided a stainless one to a friend who put a Mini-30 into his, nice compact package.

Have added the scout rail to this one, but don't have a current photo of that. I also has a modified side folding gas block that was modified for the heavier barrel on the Ranch Rifle.

 

[eveled]

I’d go to a mini-14 or an AR

 

[Mobuck]

You can spend $$$ to make a Mini-30 sort of look similar to an M-14 but it won't ever look exactly like a miniature version.
I've no experience with a Mini-30 but my excursion into the Mini-14 was a dismal failure.
In a suitable platform, the 7.62x39 can be adequate for deer and pig hunting. I have a 7.62x39 AR 'pistol' that is fairly accurate and Hornady 123 SST ammo is suitable for deer within the range of the firearm.
I haven't found any other ammo that is suitable.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I'm with GasGuzzler on this one. I have a reborn USGI M1A, Mini14, and had a Mini30. I also have three AK47s......for "comfortable carry" and 7.62x39 the AK platform is the way to go.

You eluded to being a former NSW operator several times here. That said, I'm shocked you wouldn't just go with the AK47 in the first place. More durable, dependable, much easier to maintain, ammo is everywhere and cheap (no worries with steel case/extractor issues in the AK)....

 

[GasGuzzler]

7.62X39 is way more expensive than it used to be a short few years ago but it's not prohibitively expensive. I stocked up on Golden Tiger before the import ban. Glad I did. I haven't tested much else besides Red Army Standard. Those are both very good in the AK platform but are steel case. PPU makes brass case 7.62X39 ammo. It's likely fine. I have their components just not the ammo.

 

[DGW1949]

Rloadable, brass cased ammo is widely available from several suppliers for prices that are just as cheap (or cheaper) than steel cased ammo...Try Target Sports, SGAmmo, or Ammo Stop, just to name a few...Igman, PPU, Belom, S&B...all are very good and all will shoot inside a 3" circle @100 Yds out of my 585-Series Model 5854 Mini-30 all day long....Which BTW, carries and handles much better than any AK that I've ever fooled with......But ya might need to hurry, as prices on all imported ammo have been on the rise since Jan. 1 thanks to the infamous tariffs that are supposed to save us all started kicking in..LOL.

DGW

 

[M118LR]

Spent a bit of time training on the art of the bayonet at Ford Island back in the 70's, so while it may sound impractical it's in my toolbox. I'd like to have it available. I do already own a Mini Thirty set up for hunting, so adding a scout scope setup with QD rings sounds pretty good. I've got a setup like that on my Ruger Hawkeye Scout Rifle that has the same 16 inch barrel as my Tactical Mini Thirty. A real wood stock might make for a stronger butt stroke, but synthetic stocks hold a zero much better in extreme conditions. There is a bit of humidity here in Florida. Will need to deliberate the pros/cons?

 

[GasGuzzler]

Golden Tiger is the best you can buy for most AKs and it's steel. Best is somewhat subjective though. It went from $0.20 to $0.80 overnight but it was because of an import ban. 4X is a lot of price increase. There is questionable brass ammo at $0.03 less per round than questionable steel case at SGA but the only reliable place to get Golden Tiger is off GunBroker. I haven't tried the foreign brass ammo listed above but I have tried a few of those brands in other cartridges and they are fine. S&B 9X19 is fine and so are their primers. PPU makes decent .30-30 WIN and I use their .310 bullets for 7.62X39.

 

[M118LR]

My Mini Thirty has been feed Silver Bear almost exclusively for years without any problems, accuracy at 100 yards is slightly more than an inch from a warm barrel. Walking from a clean cold bore is predictable with only a slight variance that I attribute to the operator. Yet Silver Bear isn't amongst the lowest price points of 7.62 x 39. YMMV.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I have several 1200 round flat cans ea. of Wolf, TulAmmo and Igman. I only bang plates with my AKs. The Wolf and TulAmmo was pretty cheap last year in bulk. Steel case and dirty as hell. Just what AKs love to eat. The Igman is brass. Shoots very clean....just doesn't seem right out of an AK and I have no use for brass 7.62x39. I will be shopping for another few cases shortly. Picking another AK up (Polish variant). Will probably go with more Wolf.

 

[M118LR]

I believe I have at least 1K in 150 grn flat nose Wolf as a reserve for hunting, just in case I run through all my Silver Bear. Can't wait until the Ban on Russian Ammo is lifted, but that will probably take the end of the war which wouldn't be a bad thing. JMHO

 

[GasGuzzler]

I might need to trade my Golden Tiger for silver if the ban is being lifted.

 

[M118LR]

Not sure who is going to make that trade? You may have to give up more rounds of Golden Tiger than you get back in Silver Bear, price point regardless.

 

[M118LR]

Yet back to the beginning, about that art of the bayonet on the M14 and M1A Carbine. Until you "Attach Bayonet" the adaptation weighs less than 2 ounces. So why not have it on a 18/18 1/2 Mini Thirty?

 

[GasGuzzler]

Not sure who is going to make that trade? You may have to give up more rounds of Golden Tiger than you get back in Silver Bear, price point regardless.

Huh? I said silver not Silver Bear. And Golden Tiger is higher cost per round SOLD price on GunBroker anyway. Silver not Silver Bear.