Mini-30 Firing pin

[DLrocket89]

Hi everyone,

I recently acquired a new Mini-30 (583-xxxxx). Shooting entirely russian steel ammo with it at present (Tula mostly). I fitted the heavier power Wolff hammer spring to reduce (eliminate in this case) FTF's with the stiff russian primers.

This whole thing has been well documented elsewhere in countless threads. I have one question I don't see asked all that often though - the firing pin only protrudes .030" from the face of the bolt. That seems like not enough to me??

I want to try a firing pin that goes .040-.050" out and see if I can go back to the normal power hammer spring. The only thing is I don't want to mess with my stock firing pin in case something goes wrong with my messing around with it (not that that'd ever happen, lol). So, I want to buy a new firing pin or two.

Ruger won't sell me one because it "needs to be fitted by their technicians in house". (*** is that nonsense? I had the firing pin out and reinstalled in about 3 minutes flat, and 2 of that was finding the right screw driver to hold the extractor plunger down with.)

The only place I can find that sells them is Numrich. They are out of stock for the new S/N like I have, but they are in stock for the older series.

So, the question: would an older-style Mini-30 firing pin work in a newer style Mini-30?

I know there's a different in a cutout on the side, but from what I can see it shouldn't matter a bit...

 

[kwg020]

I'm sure it will but who knows how long it will last with the berdan primers.

 

[DLrocket89]

True enough. My goal is to be able to go back to the normal power hammer spring and reduce wear on the firing pin that way...hope it works.

I don't quite understand why the firing pins break. Everyone says it breaks because of hitting the harder berdan primers, but...the primer is still way softer than the pin. BUT - I noticed that the pin does smack the inside of the bolt with authority and the recessed primers on russian ammo means THAT's going to hit harder with russian ammo.

If the tip breaks off, it'd be because of the primers. If the whole pin snaps in half, I'm guessing it's because the firing pin smacks the inside of the bolt harder with russian ammo and it breaks that way. If the firing pin protruded more, it would spend more time denting the primer, slowing the impact with bolt and thus preserving it...? Seems to work to my mind.

Guess I'll give it a shot. Also thinking about machining a new firing pin out of tool steel. Either way, I want to be able to return the gun to "stock" if needed, hence the new pin.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

This has been discussed over and over again at the perfect union, and the consensus is that after market pins will not hold up, and neither does the factory pin on the mini-30 when shooting a lot of Russian steel. (the primers are very hard i believe) There are a couple of smiths out there who are authorized to install pins, but only they, and Ruger have the jigs to install them safely.
Yeah, you have taken yours out, and re-installed it that I'm sure, however the pin you have been dealing with WAS fitted by the factory. At the above mentioned site there are many accounts of folks sending their rifle the the factory to have spares fitted to their bolts, For whatever reason pin breakage does not seem to be an issue on the mini14.
Also on the mini 14 steel cases get stuck in chambers of blued models, especially, if brass is shot following steel without cleaning the chamber between the two. Some of these instances were so bad that the only remedy Ruger had was to provide a replacement rifle. You might want to peruse that forum for more information.
on the mini 14
STW

 

[Kame B.]

Also on the mini 14 steel cases get stuck in chambers of blued models, especially, if brass is shot following steel without cleaning the chamber between the two. Some of these instances were so bad that the only remedy Ruger had was to provide a replacement rifle. You might want to peruse that forum for more information.
on the mini 14
STW

I never had a problem shooting steel out of my old Mini 14 barrel, or even in my new Shilen barrel I put on it last year.

 

[kwg020]

I think what ST warrior is saying is: pull a bore snake through the barrel to clean the chamber before switching to brass ammo. I have seen this issue on my AR's as well. The steel ammo leaks dirty gas around the mouth of the steel case and carbons up the chamber. The brass is soft enough to stick in the dirty chamber.

The Mini's usually have enough clearance to prevent a sticking case, but not always. This is the "ounce of prevention" thing some of us have learned the hard way.

kwg

 

[RecoilRob]

The real problem (IMHO) is the Russian ammo is made to CIP standards where the Mini-30 is chambered for SAAMI spec ammo. There IS a difference in them!! The shoulder angle is slightly different as well as where the datum point for measurement is located which results in Russian ammo tending to go too deep into the chamber. This is what breaks the pins because it's just like dry-firing to the pin...and then when someone sticks in a heavier hammer spring it just makes it worse.

Making the pin protrude farther is addressing the symptom and not the cause...and will likely result in it breaking off during extraction and ejection. I don't know why Ruger insists on chambering this gun in SAAMI ammo....perhaps it's their way of saying 'Buy American'?

I wish the solution was simple as setting back the barrel a turn and recutting a CIP chamber, but am not sure how the gas sytem would like this. But IMHO that would be the proper solution to the problem.

 

[Fishbed77]

Ruger won't sell me one because it "needs to be fitted by their technicians in house". (*** is that nonsense? I had the firing pin out and reinstalled in about 3 minutes flat, and 2 of that was finding the right screw driver to hold the extractor plunger down with.)

You've hit on the reason that I don't spend money on any Ruger products that I need to keep up and running.

That's not a slam against Ruger products - I own and enjoy quite a few. But they are non-defensive firearms that can sit out a while if they go down.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

KWG, I think it has something to do with dirt, but more to do with the coating they put on russian ammo cases. I've had stuck cases in my blued models, the stainless didn't. This before I knew of the potential hazards. Now their only diet is brass case American
STW

 

[speedreed]

Russian Ammo

I'm with RecoilRob on this subject. Not only that, but in my Hornady Reloading manual it says "foreign firearms have a .311 bore..... Ruger's Mini-30 has a .308 bore". The only factory ammo I've found with .308 bullets were UMC. They do work well and are more accurate.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Ruger's Mini-30 has a .308 bore".

Depends on when your Mini-30 was made. Mini-30s haven't had .308 bores since 1992.http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=15904/GunTechdetail/Ruger-Mini-30-bore-specs

 

[carbine85]

the firing pin only protrudes .030" from the face of the bolt. That seems like not enough to me??
I want to try a firing pin that goes .040-.050" out and see if I can go back to the normal power hammer spring.

Are you addressing a problem that currently isn't a problem for you?
The protrusion you are looking for seems excessive to me. .02 -.03 is normal for most rifles.
The Tulammo is probably the worst stuff on the market. It's known for having problems. I don't run it in my AKs. I've had more issues with Tulammo in 5.56 and 7.62 then all other ammo combined
I also reload for the AK and use standard primers without any problems. You might consider reloading.

 

[DLrocket89]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the constructive replies and lack of flames. I know this topic has been gone round and round before, just wondering if a different solution might not work.

Hitting on a couple of the replies:

1) I knew about the bore difference...also know that people shoot .310 diameter and that's fine, just don't expect great accuracy. That's OK, I bought a Mini, didn't expect great accuracy anyways. Realistic expectations are important.

2) Someone mentioned reloading - I used to reload, life got in the way, but might be able to get back into it again shortly. If that does happen and I can go to nice US made boxer primers, the normal power hammer spring and stock firing pin go back in, and the Tula runs through the AK and SKS exclusively.

3) Someone said that you're basically dry firing with a shorter firing pin and the recessed berdan primers - that's exactly what I was talking about, hoping a larger firing pin protrusion would help that.

4) I've had nothing but success with Tula - in particular I like that the polymer coating is thinner than the laquer on others, so I've never had a problem with cases jamming in the chamber from melting laquer. I know it's under powered, but I'm not shooting 762x39 at 1000 yards or something. This is a <100 yard gun for me.

I did buy one of the older style firing pin's from Numrich. I'm going to fit it, measure firing pin protrusion, and then machine the shoulder by the tip to get a little more protrusion and see what happens.

Glad to hear the Mini14 lacks these problems. I absolutely love the platform...it's just a "handy" rifle in every sense of the word. Just have realistic expectations on accuracy and it's a great rifle.

 

[M1key]

Mini-30 guys who shoot steel claim good long term results with Silver Bear and Yugo surplus (corrosive).

Personally I only shoot brass factory or reload.

M

 

[kwg020]

Hello STW

KWG, I think it has something to do with dirt, but more to do with the coating they put on russian ammo cases. I've had stuck cases in my blued models, the stainless didn't. This before I knew of the potential hazards. Now their only diet is brass case American
STW

You are probably onto the right answer but I don't use enough Russian ammo anymore to form a good opinion. I reload and stick with brass.

kwg

 

[ThomasT]

Here is my post on another forum about Mini-14 or Mini-30 firing pins. Midway did have the firing pins in stock a while back.


"I read the reviews of the after market firing pin on Midway's site. A couple of things jumped out at me. One is that you can use a file to fit it. Plus there are reports of the tip bending. These two things mean the metal is still soft.

If I were to fit one of these to my gun I would fit it to the factory specs then test fire 40 rounds. If everything looked OK then I would pull the pin back out and harden the tip by heating it to red hot then oil quench. Then I would put it in a 450* oven for an hour, shut off the oven and like it cool slowly to temper it. I bet that would take care of the tip bending problem".

 

[DLrocket89]

Ratshooter - irony...I'm actually a metallurgist, so this one is right up my alley. I can do hardness tests and similar at work. Should be a good time!

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Ratshooter's method to harden will work if the pin is made of drill rod or O1 tool steel. But, if it is just some random alloy the oil quench and temper method won't help much. If it is good oil hardening tool steel that method should give you somewhere around a 57 to 60 Rockwell C scale.

 

[kwg020]

Here is a company making pins for the MIni. I just heard about them a few days ago. kwg

http://www.ironsightprecision.com/ruger-mini-14-firing-pin/