Mini-30

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Justin Holder said:
Good if you can find soft point or hollow point ammo. FMJ is a poor choice for varmints, and dangerous if you are going to shoot opossoms in trees. Have you thought about a mini 14 in 6.8 spc?
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This is something I have thought about to. I have a 6.8 AR but have always loved the Mini. I've been looking for accuracy comparisons for the 7.62 vs. the 6.8 Mini. Ammo is easier to find for the 7.62x39 but not always good for hunting uses.
 
Much less money will buy a really good SKS and a peep sight from 'Tech Sight's for about $45, which is made to go on the rear bolt cover, even for an 'AK clone'.
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True enough, but I don't think anyone would call and SKS light and easy handling. When it comes to what the 7.62x39 round does, it'll do it equally from an SKS or Mini-30 or AR 15 in 7.62x39 for that matter, but I suggest you handle them both before deciding that cheaper is worth it for your needs.
 
I love the mini-14. The newer 580 series will shoot 3 MOA. I suspect the mini-30 would be the same. I've found the mini's to be very reliable. Can you go cheaper on something else? Sure. However, if you factor how much you spend in ammo, the purchase price of the firearm really is not that important. Kinda the whole razor and razor blade thing. If you want it, get it. I don't think u would be disappointed.
 
Ruger is offering Mini 30 factory 20 rounders for around $40, as are others.

Mine is more than accurate enough to hunt with, were that legal here in PA.

Paid less than $300 for mine several years ago (189 series), used and in mint condition. I don't know where to find a new Mini 14 or 30 for $800, as the new ones I've looked at in gun shops, were around $650-700?
 
wally:

Good points, although I bought the Mini 30 two years ago, then the SKS soon afterwards.

The Mini 30 undoubtedly has better, classic US military looks and is a bit handier. If the Taliban and Hezbollah decide to invade west TN, the SKS would be my choice.
 
Mine was a piece of junk.

It did not feed well

Groups at 100 yards were 12 inches in diameter

It was stainless steel and it rusted badly

It siezed shut after I left it unused for 6 months

Only gun I've ever owned that was not worth owning
 
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It was stainless steel and oit rusted badly

It siezed shut after I left it unused for 6 months
These 2 were not the Ruger's fault.
__________________
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I am thinking the other two were not the Rugers fault either


Mine was a piece of junk.

It did not feed well

Groups at 100 yards were 12 inches in diameter

It was stainless steel and oit rusted badly

It siezed shut after I left it unused for 6 months

Only gun I've ever owned that was not worth owning
Click to expand...
 
I had some issue with the Mini-30 I had a few years ago. I bought it NIB(~$700) and from round one it started showing its finickiness for ammo. Basic all it would run with and degree of reliability and accuracy was certain brands of expensive American brass rounds. Which pissed me off since I was sitting on a pile of Russian stuff....btw: Talking about the Mini-30 I say "reliability and accuracy" in relative terms...because it wasn't really either. I eventually sold it off to someone that didn't mind feeding it expensive ammo.
 
I bought a 189 series new, as soon as Ruger went from the 'long throat .308 bore' to the .310 in '92. did OK out of the box with good ammo after I filed the front sight to get POI right. some tweaking and an Eagle brake with the HK type front sight and it's doing very well. generally speaking magazines that are 100% are limited to 10 rounds (American and ProMag) but I have 2 USA 20's I tweaked to do 100% and CProducts is comeing out with 20 rd. if their usual quality is present they likely will be very good.
now I'll admit that my nephews early Chinese SKS with 4X scope shoots as good off the rest as my M30 with 1.5X4.5 glass. but they sure aren't the same rifle. the Mini is much better handling and with good aftermarket iron sights added IMO is better than the SKS with irons.
Ruger recommends brass-cased ammo and good reasonable priced ammo is available if you look for it. Lapua, Sako, Fiocchi, PP, Yugo mil-surp (corrosive but good shooting), PMP, IMI and others.
and in the caliber wars 150gr ammo is also available makeing the M30 an ideal black bear and wild/feral hog gun at relatively short (under 150yd) range. actually the twist rate favors the 150gr slugs as my handloads have done very well (all were compressed loads with 322 to get fps up I just got some 4198 to try). the M30 can take it with buffers.
 
Mine shoots far more accurately with Wolf, than it will with Rem. UMC ammo.

As for them "seizing up", have seen several warnings that some Wolf and other milsurp ammo, is corrosive enough to affect the gas system and that some care needs to be taken in that regard.

No need to tinker with unreliable aftermarket mags now. Ruger is now making factory 20 rounders.
 
As for them "seizing up", have seen several warnings that some Wolf and other milsurp ammo, is corrosive enough to affect the gas system and that some care needs to be taken in that regard.
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Still not the Ruger's fault if it isn't cleaned. My 189 series handled Remington brass cased loads and hundreds of China Sports steelcased ammo with zero issues.
 
a M30 is easy to break down for cleaning after fireing corro-primed ammo (which I have done disregarding Rugers caveat, the Chinese which is no longer available thanks to Billary shot fine, every round fired, the Euro stuff some didn't fire reliably and was dirty) just pull the stock after dropping the trigger group then spray down with windshield washer fluid paying attention to the bore/chamber and gas pipe area and of course the bolt face. dry well and clean as normal.
but again there is quality ammo available even some berdan primed isn't corrosive and as with all guns good ammo makes sense and the 30 responds well to it.
I like mine and with 10 rd mags feel well armed. I'm looking forward though to CProducts 20's I'll get a couple for possible SHTF along with the USA 20's I've got to going 100%.
 
I just do not understand why people continually price the Mini platform so outrageously high on the net.
any slight amount of shopping a site such as Gunbroker and you find this examplehttp://v2.gunbroker.com/auction/viewitem.asp?item=167497342

Plenty more of the newer 580 series in that range.
Go handle (and shoot if possible) several different 7.62x39 platforms and decide for yourself.
But what ever you do don't let the ar and ak crowd feed you their line of bs about how theirs is the one and true path to semi-auto salvation.
 
Judging by the sights, pics and description, I'd say that is one of the current generation Mini 30s?
 
Yep Denny, tapered heavy barrel and all.

If the numbers would crunch my way I would like to have one but I think I would choose the wood over the synthetic.
 
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