Mini 30 who has one?

[mac66]

Here is one of the better things you can do to improve the Mini...add a Tech sight rear sight







To Mosin Bubba

Mini 30s were originally made with wood stocks. I suspect that there are many original wood stocks floating around on ebay etc you could swap out the newer plastic ones for or simply buy an older used Mini. BTW, Mini 30 and 14 stocks are interchangable

 

[jimmyraythomason]

BTW, Mini 30 and 14 stocks are interchangable
__________________

This is true, however, you WILL have to enlarge the mag well on a stock originally made for a Mini-14 to accommodate the larger Mini-30 magazine. Aftermarket stocks come with the larger mag well for both the Mini-14 and the 30.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I have had 2 Mini-30s . I gave one to my oldest daughter because she shot it very well and loved it. The other I still have and will NOT be getting rid of it anytime soon! I would readily choose a Mini-30 over either an AK or an SKS for both HD and hunting (yes, I've owned several of each and it is no contest).

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I had one in a wood stock for years, sold it during the gun scare couple years ago for 3 times what I paid for it. pencil barrel and the 7.62 x 39 just don't seem to work as well in this platform. neat carbine anyway.

 

[FROGO207]

I owned a couple SKS's and a Mini 30 for years (mine had the wood stock). The Mini always ran OK and even with the crappy aftermarket MAGS I had few problems. It will never be a 1/2 MOA firearm but was accurate enough for what I purchased it for. A good friend tried it one weekend about three years ago, really liked how it felt/ran and wanted to buy it. So I sold it to him with the thought that another will happen by and I will buy it then. Well I tend to procrastinate some and never got around to buying a replacement yet. I still have my YUGO SKS's so I am good. I would think that it would make a good hog gun as long as you get a newer one.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i have one in the wood stock.flawlessly reliable with any ammo.handles like a dream. very lite and manuverable. its a ranch so i scoped it.

accuracy so so, 5 inches at 125 yards with steel ammo. with 2 diff scopes.went to brass hand loads and got 3 inches at 125 yards.if i really got after it and tried diff powders and bullets i think i could of got down to 2 in at 125 yrds.

it is what it is.ill never sell it cuz ive got tons of ammo for it.i have a ak and a sks but for serious work ill always choose the mini. handles better,functions as good and just fits me better.carrys easier too.

not to mention every year they git more pricey.

 

[Balrog]

I have a Mini 30 and love it. Only problem with it is that surplus berdan primed steel case imported ammo (e.g. Wolf and others) don't do well in my Mini 30. The hammer strike is not hard enough to consistently ignite the ammo. That is a problem Ruger really should fix.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Bought mine back in the mid 1990's and put a Burris 4X scope on it. Don't rightly recall for how much but doubt if it was more than 250-300 bucks..?
Shoots pretty well ,especially with 125gr bullets, and carries easy.

 

[Jackal]

Don't rightly recall for how much but doubt if it was more than 250-300 bucks..?

This is one thing Ruger will likely have to address one of these days. The Mini is just not cost competitive anymore. It was a great budget rifle, its what you bought if you couldnt afford an AR15. Now, priced against quality ARs/AKs, its a really hard sell.

 

[Blue Brick]

who has one?

I wish....

 

[lxd55]

People don't seem to understand that I have an ak, I have an sks that takes ak mags, I just want something different that fires the same round. To the dude that suggested a bolt gun. NO WAY not in 7.62x39. .308 maybe but it would be for deer. I am not going to hunt pigs with a bolt rifle. Slow follow up shots.

ok dude it should only take 1 shot hunting. follow up is slower with a .308?? really?
do or don't.

 

[tnxdshooter]

Mac 66 Adding the tech sight was my plan. Any suggestions on a front sight to go along with it?

 

[rbernie]

The hammer strike is not hard enough to consistently ignite the ammo. That is a problem Ruger really should fix

The issue is that the primer pocket in the steel cased ammo is deeper and needs more firing pin protrusion, not more ding to the hit.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

The Mini-30 I had would wreck scopes. Think I went through 3 of them before I reverted to a good after market aperture sight.

It was reliable, but not very accurate...about 3 MOA with handloads. The barrel seemed to heat up very fast from repeat shots. 5 shots and I'd let it cool.

 

[M1key]

The Tactical has a heavier barrel and doesn't heat up much. Mine alternates between an old Aimpoint, Burris 4x scope (recommended), and painted irons. Not too worried about recoil shakin' things loose with any of them...

Here it is with the $250 Aimpoint (I had to do something with it LOL):

M

 

[Ignition Override]

Mine was manufactured around '04, bought used in '08.
It had a stovepipe jam every 40-60 rds. or so (only used Monarch/wolf ammo), but the plastic bottle targets did not mind. Approx every forty rds. or so a primer needed a second hit from the firing pin. This was only a mild distraction.

What I did Not like was the very thick front post sight on older Minis.
My SKS has a rear Tech Sight (the TS 200 version) and was much more accurate than the Mini.
Many of us find the classic, M-14 styled Garand looks of Minis hard, or impossible to resist.

But for the price, an SKS with a Tech Sight is a better value. If you require a 20 or 30-rd. mag, maybe try an AK clone.
AK clones also accept specialized versions of Tech Sights.

 

[tnxdshooter]

What part of I have a Norinco AK, and a Norinco SKS that takes ak mags are people not understanding? This is about ruger mini 30's, not ak's, not sks's, not mini 14's. Lets stay on topic here.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I didn't take my geriatric meds so I might go off topic...

If it's between the Ruger Mini-30 and the AR 7.62x39... I would go Mini-30

--Worse comes to worst, Ruger will take care of you if something goes wrong.
--If you don't like it, you won't take a big hit on a mini30 if you sell/trade it.
--I'm just not wild about the AR 7.62x39 and I think the general consensus is the Mini-30 is decent but not perfect for everyone... But since is The High Road, we must get grumpy about it

Oh, hey, this is a Mini-30 post?? Let me tell you about how you need an AK and an SKS. You should get one of those!!! Let me tell you about my 1911, I carried it when I found against those pesky Austrio-Hungarians in the trenches in WW1!!!

 

[Jackal]

What part of I have a Norinco AK, and a Norinco SKS that takes ak mags are people not understanding? This is about ruger mini 30's, not ak's, not sks's, not mini 14's. Lets stay on topic here.

It is on topic. You asked

Are they worth the price?

After quite a few people suggested some other rifle type over it, the answer appears to be NO. Same goes for pro's/con's. They are not as good as a quality AK and they are roughly equal to a good SKS in functionality. Doesnt matter if you already have those or not. Seems your answer has been given over and over. :banghead:

 

[mac66]

"Mac 66 Adding the tech sight was my plan. Any suggestions on a front sight to go along with it?
______"

Actually the stock front post on the old 30 works pretty well. I was going to try and find a new Mini 30 front sight but decided to stick with the old blade style. Another option is a M1 carbine front sight. I don't know if they would fit on a Mini barrel but they could probably be modified. You can buy new ones at Auto Ordinance for about $15.

 

[tnxdshooter]

If it's between the Ruger Mini-30 and the AR 7.62x39... I would go Mini-30

--Worse comes to worst, Ruger will take care of you if something goes wrong.
--If you don't like it, you won't take a big hit on a mini30 if you sell/trade it.
--I'm just not wild about the AR 7.62x39 and I think the general consensus is the Mini-30 is decent but not perfect for everyone... But since is The High Road, we must get grumpy about it

Oh, hey, this is a Mini-30 post?? Let me tell you about how you need an AK and an SKS. You should get one of those!!! Let me tell you about my 1911, I carried it when I found against those pesky Austrio-Hungarians in the trenches in WW1!!!

LOL,

You were on topic and I can see that you were making light of how people like to derail topics with totally irrelevant crap. For every thread I put up someone mentions ak, sks, 1911 or AR as if those are the only guns out there. If I put up a thread about wanting a mosin someone would be like I have an enfield #4 mk1. WHAT DOES THAT have to do with wanting a mosin?

At the same time what does an ak, and an sks, have to do with wanting a min 30? NOTHING! I have an sks, I have an ak, I don't have a mini 30. I also don't have a vz 58 and they look very interesting.

 

[FROGO207]

UH OH Now you started it by adding a VZ 58 in there. I would go and get myself that Mini 30 if I were you. I do plan on getting a SS Ranch one again in the near future.

 

[lckdnldd]

I have a 582 series Mini-30 I purchased a couple of years ago new and I love it. I spent several months researching many different 7.62x39 platform firearms before I decided on it. It is what I wanted and it is what I got. I have had zero issues with it shooting all types of ammo, steel and brass cased. It eats what ever I throw at it. At 100 yards it is as accurate as I need. It will and has put meat on my table, both deer and hog. It likes 124/154 grain SP's and has been known to drop a hog in one shot using either. When the bolt slams shut it makes me tingle all over...lol. It is a good solid rifle that has served me well and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a viable option in 7.62x39 to an AK or SKS. Different strokes for different folks. Every firearm fills a particular niche and the Mini-30 fills it's niche very well....

 

[tnxdshooter]

UH OH Now you started it by adding a VZ 58 in there. I would go and get myself that Mini 30 if I were you. I do plan on getting a SS Ranch one again in the near future

I thought I would do like everyone else and mention something totally different to be sarcastic.

 

[rbernie]

After quite a few people suggested some other rifle type over it, the answer appears to be NO. Same goes for pro's/con's. They are not as good as a quality AK and they are roughly equal to a good SKS in functionality.

That's not what I read in the thread nor my own experience.

I've not found any quality AK (and that includes my milled receiver units) to be more accurate nor to have as good a sighting system nor to have a more ergonomic safety nor to carry as well nor to be more reliable. The one thing that the AK has going for it relative to the Mini is cheap reliable magazines.