New mini 30 Tactical Question.

[38/357]

Has anyone bought one , if you have whats your opinion over all on Quality an reliablity , I know about the problems with the steel case ammo , I have Rugers an know the good Quality guns , but anything new , some times there A few bugs to be worked out , any info would be thankfull.

 

[Bayouhunter]

I just one. Quality good, Accuracy was very good. It will do just fine for my intended purposes as a home defense gun and occasional whitetail rifle. One thing I did notice after carrying it in the woods retrieving my portable treestands the grip cap was not very tight on the stock and was bumped off. I just turned it back to the correct angle. I will probably use a little expoxy on it later.

 

[mrgaf]

+1. Good accuracy with factory loads, great accuracy with reloads using H335. Opted to replace the synthetic stock with a laminate and never looked back.

 

[38/357]

I been thinking on A new one soon , after hurricane Katrina my mini 14 served me well for home defence and patrol rifle around the Farm , but i like to have something a little heavier round than the 223 rem. thanks for the reply.

 

[Jimmyp]

I am looking at a stainless Mini 30. Despite the attractive features of the tactical Mini 30 it is still a blue steel gun. In the end if you get the chamber wet it will rust. If it rusts it will not extract so well, in addition a lot of the surplus ammunition is corrosive. As you live in the southeast I guess near the coast its something to think about. I wish they would make the tactical in stainless steel but that just does not seem to be in the cards.

 

[gunman42782]

The tactical Mini 30 is not really "blue steel". It has one of those coatings on it, and should resist rust well. My Mini 14 has the same coating, and have had no issues with it rusting.

 

[oregon73]

I been thinking on A new one soon , after hurricane Katrina my mini 14 served me well for home defence and patrol rifle around the Farm , but i like to have something a little heavier round than the 223 rem. thanks for the reply.

And here is where I think the Mini-30 should excel. Especially now that Ruger is selling factory 20-round mags.

The biggest issue with the Mini-30 that you're likely to encounter is that they generally do not like that cheap imported steel cased ammo. Now, not every Mini-30 is that picky, but I can report that mine definitely is.

Rob

 

[Jimmyp]

gunman42782, you are wrong. The tactical Mini is a blue steel gun. It has no coating on the steel. The one I examined was blued steel inside the chamber and outside of the barrel and into the crown. Tthe web site says Alloy Steel. If they had nitrided the barrel and chamber they would have mentioned it in their specs. Call Ruger and ask them if you don't believe it. Furthermore I have seen a bakers dozen Rem 7400's 742's with cases stuck in the chamber from rust.

 

[gunman42782]

We sell them where I work. The ones we have in stock are not blued, but have a coating. Don't know if they changed it or what. Just to make sure, I will check it again tomorrow when I go back to work. If I am wrong, I am wrong, but I have looked at those guns several times and would almost swear they are coated. But you have me doubting myself, so I will check again.

And, we may be disagreeing on what "blued steel" is. My 580 series Mini 14 is blue, but it is not what I think of when I think of "blued steel". That is, the real bluing that all gun makers used to put on all their blue guns. My Mini 14 I can touch the barrel all day long, and it will not leave any fingerprints or rust. So, yes, it is blue, and it is steel, but it aint the old time blue.

 

[Jimmyp]

I agree it does not look like an ordinary blue steel, it may be their matte blue finish. If they had a nitrited (melonite) chamber and barrel they would be telling the world about it and I would already have one in my collection (melonite is black). I called Ruger to discuss, and also found there are no plans at this time to make a Stainless Tactical Mini 30, so I wanted the heavier barrel (but its still thinner before the gas block) but it balanced better for me. Living in the South all my life, spending time outdoors hunting in the rain, knowing folks with BAR's and Remington Jam masters....I favor a chrome chamber and bore but the new melonite coating is said to be more corrosion resistant that hard chrome.

 

[Double Vision]

My new Mini-Thirty is great. Accurate, reliable and well-made.
And loads of fun.

I have no trouble buying quality brass ammo for it instead of the Russian steel. The Wolf simply does not work in my Thirty.

 

[blume357]

Blued or coated steel is not going to rust just from getting wet... it takes some type of corrosive chemical mixed in with the water to actually cause the rust.... a light coating of oil before going out in the rain and then a good wipe down when back home will take care of any potential problem..

 

[Jimmyp]

I have seen many many Remington 742's, and 7400's with fired cases stuck in the chamber and with a bit of the cartridge case torn off by the extractor. On a bare steel chamber you can get a light coat of rust just due to high "humidity". A friends BAR became a single shot after a hunt in the rain for the same reason. My gun smith will simply not take any more 7400's or 742's he hates them and all for the same reason...once a chamber has a light coat of rust in it, even if you polish it out, microscopic pitting remains, this may not effect a bolt action where slow torquing and pulling will pull the shell out but when an auto bolt quickly recoils it just tears that little piece off the brass case and you are then S.O.L.

Its a free country follow your own ideas. Any semiauto rifle that I own will be stainless, chrome lined, or nitrited. Like the man said "you pays your nickle and you takes your chances"

 

[Leucoandro]

Well, I can not speak to the new Mini's, but I have a 1996 Ruger Mini-30. It has lived its entire life in Arkansas. That mini is "blued steel", but is really black in color. It seems to be pretty tough as well. I have been hunting with it in rain, taken it for trips up and down the White and Arkansas rivers, busting through damp brush in the river bottoms, etc. Often times when I am out hunting with this rifle, it is with me for 15 hours out in the field. I have never found a spot of rust on the rifle.

One thing that has amazed me is the spot where the handguard attaches to the barrel. It has rubbed off the bluing, and has even rubbed a grove into the outside of the barrel. This exposed metal has never rusted.


Charlie

 

[Leucoandro]

Just a couple more thoughts. In moist areas of the SE U.S. I do not worry about quality blued firearms. In areas where you have salt water, A good safe option is stainless. You must still watch stainless though, as it can be impacted by salt in the water as well. To be really safe, I would suggest buying a stainless firearm, then have it coated in something like CCR hera-hide.


Charlie

 

[Jimmyp]

The last blue model I owned the op rod rusted to the gas port and I had to point the rifle away from me and "kick start" the action with the bottom of my boot to operate the bolt. Did I abuse the rifle? "yes" Was it "exposed to the elements more so than someone that takes it out of the safe, hunts with it, polishes it up and puts it away?" "yes" Was it treated any worse than a AR with a chrome lined bore and chamber? .... "no"

"caveat emptor"

 

[blume357]

Several of my minis will do the same thing and they are all stainless steel...

it's not unusual to have to give a mini the 'AK kick' after it has sat for a while. Especially if you've been shooting foreign ammo.

 

[5 screw smith]

I've been considering a current production mini 30 for shooting hogs. Do they come with Ruger rings from the factory?

 

[edorfox]

I've been considering a current production mini 30 for shooting hogs. Do they come with Ruger rings from the factory?

Yes, "scope rings are included free".

Ed

 

[kanuist]

I use this in all my guns. Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor attaches to the metal and prevents rust.

I haven't had trouble in any of my guns and it is cheap insurance.
http://www.zerustproducts.com/firearms-weapons/tube-and-barrel-strip