Jim PHL
Member
I am not "into" rifles..(much! 
) Seriously, I've always been mainly a handgun guy but decided a while back it made sense to own one decent rifle.
When I started looking it was "post-election" and AK and AR prices took those models out of the picture. I had pretty much settled on an autoloader in either .223/5.56 or 7.62x39. When it came time to "pull the trigger", I ended up with a nice Russian SKS. (purchased on BHO's inauguration day!)
The SKS was a pretty good fit for me. Robust and reliable and accurate enough. About the right size, length, weight...and let's face it...Pretty Cool!
A friend of mine recently offered to sell me one of his mini-30's. His Dad is recently passed away and he was going to keep his Dad's mini and sell off his own. These guys owned a lot of guns together and took real good care of them. At the price he offered it to me, it was almost like an even trade after selling the SKS for a few dollars less then I paid for it and adding about $25 of my own on top.
I must say, if the SKS was a pretty good fit, this thing is damn-near perfect for me. I love the reduction in length and weight. I think it's just the right size for the round. I got lucky that the SKS I bought was in really nice shape but the Mini is pretty! Stainless action and barrel in a nice light wood stock with black (blued?) heat shield. Has a nice Bushnell stainless bodied scope on it that brings everything up close and personal. I'm still up in the air on the scope. I think this thing looks really cool both with and without it but without it would just add to the "handiness factor" that I think is one of these rifle's best things going for them.
I've read all the posts about how these can't hit the side of a barn from inside and can't get through a whole mag unless it's a 5-round factory mag. I'm hoping I get lucky with this one. After-all, for a while I was the only guy in the world with an accurate and reliable 3" 1911. Maybe I got the only good mini-30, too!
It came with 2 after-market 30-round mags which I'm not crazy about. It's just the size I'm not into. They're heavy when loaded and I just don't like the looks of the gun with them hangin' out of it. Like the scope, their size and weight take away some of the handy feel I already love. They don't look...right. My buddy says it shot both fine but I think I'll trade them for factory mags. I already bought 2 Ruger 20-rounders and a decent case at a gunshow this past weekend.
Waiting on a sling, swivel, factory recoil pad and scope cover before I show you all pics. If it's as reliable and accurate as I hope and expect, I think it's the perfect 'one-rifle' if I'm only having one. S/N is 196-47xxx if anyone can tell anything from that?
) Seriously, I've always been mainly a handgun guy but decided a while back it made sense to own one decent rifle. When I started looking it was "post-election" and AK and AR prices took those models out of the picture. I had pretty much settled on an autoloader in either .223/5.56 or 7.62x39. When it came time to "pull the trigger", I ended up with a nice Russian SKS. (purchased on BHO's inauguration day!)
The SKS was a pretty good fit for me. Robust and reliable and accurate enough. About the right size, length, weight...and let's face it...Pretty Cool!
A friend of mine recently offered to sell me one of his mini-30's. His Dad is recently passed away and he was going to keep his Dad's mini and sell off his own. These guys owned a lot of guns together and took real good care of them. At the price he offered it to me, it was almost like an even trade after selling the SKS for a few dollars less then I paid for it and adding about $25 of my own on top.
I must say, if the SKS was a pretty good fit, this thing is damn-near perfect for me. I love the reduction in length and weight. I think it's just the right size for the round. I got lucky that the SKS I bought was in really nice shape but the Mini is pretty! Stainless action and barrel in a nice light wood stock with black (blued?) heat shield. Has a nice Bushnell stainless bodied scope on it that brings everything up close and personal. I'm still up in the air on the scope. I think this thing looks really cool both with and without it but without it would just add to the "handiness factor" that I think is one of these rifle's best things going for them.
I've read all the posts about how these can't hit the side of a barn from inside and can't get through a whole mag unless it's a 5-round factory mag. I'm hoping I get lucky with this one. After-all, for a while I was the only guy in the world with an accurate and reliable 3" 1911. Maybe I got the only good mini-30, too!
It came with 2 after-market 30-round mags which I'm not crazy about. It's just the size I'm not into. They're heavy when loaded and I just don't like the looks of the gun with them hangin' out of it. Like the scope, their size and weight take away some of the handy feel I already love. They don't look...right. My buddy says it shot both fine but I think I'll trade them for factory mags. I already bought 2 Ruger 20-rounders and a decent case at a gunshow this past weekend.
Waiting on a sling, swivel, factory recoil pad and scope cover before I show you all pics. If it's as reliable and accurate as I hope and expect, I think it's the perfect 'one-rifle' if I'm only having one. S/N is 196-47xxx if anyone can tell anything from that?
