I saw a mini-30 here.

[drine]

A question for those who have one or had one. Are they any good? I've had a couple mini-14's. Not my favorite but adequate.
A guy I work with has two NIB he packed away and wants to part with. I'd rather have an AK.
I'm assuming that the shortfalls with the mini-14 would be same and worse for the mini-30. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[okie shooter]

If the question is between the two, I would be getting an AK my self, but that I have one, it would go along with owning ak's like having an ar, plus getting a mini-14, just my thoughts.

[drine]

I'm looking for input on the mini-30 as in function, reliability, etc. I won't be buying them for sure.

[okie shooter]

I only have a mini-14, it seems to function relyably, with proper high cap mags, meaing factory ruger ones. The aftermarket mags seem to be the weak point. With a ruger factory mag, I trusted it for a friend of mine to carry as his service rifle, when he had to step in for the chief of police in one of the small towns around here, I wouldnt have trusted most of the after market mags though, they just tend to have feed problems at times. The design of the rifle is good, kinda of a cross between a m-1a and a carbine.

[MicroPilot]

Pre-ban ProMag (PMI) are excellent also. I haven't tried any post ban PMI yet.

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Amongst the ones I hang out with that have both the 14s and 30s....some like 'em...some hate 'em. No one would kill for 'em, LOL. :icon_biggrin:

[DAA1]

The one made by ruger in 7.62x39 is a real POS with most mags..... I know I got one... got it as a gift.... looks cool as all heck in stainless and black plastic... but it don't shoot for crap when you can't find decent high cap mags...

[WildBillCody]

I like mine even though I have had some problems with it, (cause I've been customizing it), but if it wsn't for the fact that I live in CA I don't think I would have bought it.

[GreenWolf]

I'd rather have an AK.
.......Any thoughts are appreciated.

I know which way you are leaning. You answered the question yourself.

Soooo.... get that AK!!!! :rockon: Why screw around with a "maybe" rifle in the face of the legendary reliability, trustworthiness, and sheer coolness of an AK?? Forget the Ruger.

[pigpen]

I know which way you are leaning. You answered the question yourself.

Soooo.... get that AK!!!! :rockon: Why screw around with a "maybe" rifle in the face of the legendary reliability, trustworthiness, and sheer coolness of an AK?? Forget the Ruger.

I have to agree.

[peru@adelphia.net]

I had one, sold it less than two weeks later. It had feeding flaws right from the start, also 2 stuck cases in chamber. I don't think it likes military, Wolf, Golden Tiger etc... Feed and shot ok with Winchester commercial, but thats not very economical.
I have a Mini 14 that shoots everything great, so I don't think its a flaw with the rifle, as much as it is with the ammo. But the reason I bought the Mini 30 was to shoot up some surplus Russian ammo.
Get yourself a good SKS ,add a aftermarket stock and a pocketfull of stripper clips and have some fun. My ChiCom SKS is more accurate than my Mini 14 anyhow!

[mrbgt]

get the original mini-30 ........an sks!!! Any flavor will due. i prefer yugo's .i like the way the mini looks like a m1a but you'll save alot of $$$$ by just buying an sks

[drine]

I was trying to see what the deal was with these. I'm not interested just insuring I didn't pass up a good deal. $900.00 for a pair, unfired. Thought I might make a few bucks.
I had a mini-14 years ago and my son just traded his last year for an AR. It is a neat little rifle but as far as a collection goes, it would far down the list. DR

[GREYBEAR]

I have a Mini-14, and love it. With just a few inexpensive modifications it is a absolutely fun rifle to have. To get the most out of any Mini, 14 or 30, the best site to try is perfectunion.com. Anything and everything you want to know about the Mini you'll find out there.


:beer::sterb126:

[MicroPilot]

I have a Mini-14, and love it. With just a few inexpensive modifications it is a absolutely fun rifle to have. To get the most out of any Mini, 14 or 30, the best site to try is perfectunion.com. Anything and everything you want to know about the Mini you'll find out there.


WOW! The perfectunion link sent me off on a tangent that has consumed the last 2 1/2 hours and opened 6 tabs in my browser. Good reading regarding the Mini-14/30 rifles though.

:thumbup:

[k98k792]

Just met a very nice gentleman that works for Ruger. He said that they will soon be offering a Boss type muzzle device on their mini-14 that tighten ups the weapons accuracy. They will be offering it for the Mini-30 also.
Edit: seems they are offering it now.
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=5808&return=Y

[WildBillCody]

I can't help ut think if they would just make the barrel heavier it would help also, the guys that are putting heavy barrels on aren't having near the problems with stringing the shots.
I also talked to the guy that runs Ruger R&D at the shot show and asked him why they couldn't come up with better sights, one of the biggest problems I see with the guns, I told him even if they were to make something like the M1 carbine or O3A3 sight that would be a great improvement, he told me that most people think the sights are fine the way they are and don't need windage and elevation adjustments on the rear sight, I like the new sights they have, but the rear still isn't that great.

I also can't but help to grin a little when I see the Mini-14/30 on the new assault weapons list after Bill sold us out when the old one was going on.
Ya can't make a deal with the devil.

[MicroPilot]

$995.00 for the Mini-14 Target with heavy barrel and harmonic compensator!

[drine]

It's one of those things I wouldn't buy without getting some real trigger time first. It's way high I think and I would undoubtedly spend that much for something else. If it was a super tack driver..........maybe.

[Geilt]

What does the Mini-14/30 have to offer than several others don't? I know someone has recommended an SKS over the Mini. Frankly I tend to agree. For the money you're going to drop on the Ruger you could get a few SKSs.

Oh no... it's finally started. The whole "why have one when several would be even beter" syndrome. I have officially spent too much time here.

[pigpen]

Oh no... it's finally started. The whole "why have one when several would be even beter" syndrome. I have officially spent too much time here.

It is really a good thing. Instead of spare parts it is better to have spare guns.

[WildBillCody]

What does the Mini-14/30 have to offer than several others don't? I know someone has recommended an SKS over the Mini. Frankly I tend to agree. For the money you're going to drop on the Ruger you could get a few SKSs.

It depends on what you want to do with it, if you want to make alot of noise and spray bullets in the general direction of the target stay with the SKS, if you want something that shoots better buy the mini-30, but I would say by an AR with a 7.62x39 upper, and I can't give you a good reason for a mini-14, unless like me, you live in a state where you can't own a AR-15.

[okie shooter]

Well the one thing the mini offers over a sks, is it was built for a detachable magazine, I think the fit and finish is better but not quantiums better.

That said, just get one of each, heck I got all sorts of variants of various rifles in the aks, just in different calibers, saigas, chinese aks, europian aks, in 223, 5.45, 7.62 and 308, heck if I get a 7.62x54 and I guess then there is even a 30-06 variant of saiga if I want even more variation.

Thus to get minis both 14 and 30, heck and find a ar in different calibers, just gives me more stuff to own and shoot, I am getting to a point though where I almost have too much stuff, lol.

[k98k792]

I have a Rus and a Yugo SKS that I would put up against any stock Mini 30 any time. Both together cost less then the Ruger.

http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1596

[Longhorn789]

I'm looking for input on the mini-30 as in function, reliability, etc. I won't be buying them for sure.


I owned a Mini 30 for several years. It's the only rifle I have ever owned that I was more than glad to be rid of, and never missed.

1. Accuracy was terrible compared to other 7.62x39 rifles.
2. From an engineering standpoint, I felt that the rifle was needlessly complex. Not that a child couldn't handle it...but there are many little parts and rings and such that I don't see were absolutely necessary to the design and were easy to lose if you weren't field stripping it on a white sheet indoors.
3. After market hi-cap mags are ridiculously poor quality. Mine either wouldn't feed, or they would simply fall completely out of the rifle on the floor with hilarity ensuing on the firing line at my expense. So, I was limited to five-round factory mags.
4. Expensive. Real expensive for what it is. Mine was a stainless steel with composite stock and it ran about $450.
5. Bill Ruger. Enough said...

Some people love them. However, some people love Karman Ghias too..

Basically, an SKS beats the heck out of it in every catagory. However, if you just have a hankerin' for an inaccurate, complex, expensive, mag limited rifle built by a guy that screwed every gun owner in America.....then the Mini 30 is the pick for you!

[WildBillCody]

I have a Rus and a Yugo SKS that I would put up against any stock Mini 30 any time. Both together cost less then the Ruger.

http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1596

Even a blind Pig finds an acorn once in awhile. :)

[mrbgt]

if this is for investment and you could buy the ruger cheap ,then do it and re-sell .there isn't much room yet to make $$$ on sks's .as far as performance even my shooter grade yugo sks will shoot 3'' @100 yd groups with wolf ,i'm sure with good ammo you could cut that down alot .i like the look of the rugers ,but not when you can buy a rifle that is built like a tank (yugo sks) for $100-$150 ,and it is a rifle with every concievable aftermarket gizmo available on the cheap. the sks is hard to beat . just make sure you stay 922 compliant.:thumbup:

[k98k792]

Even a blind Pig finds an acorn once in awhile. :)

Yea, but I could hit that acorn at 100 yrds!
Send me a couple of hundred rounds and I'll prove it :lol2:

[robocop10mm]

I never was a fan of the ruger Mini series. I owned 3. Two were Ruger replacements for ones that would not shoot. All stainless steel .223's.

I know of only one Mini 30 that is reliable (80% of the time) and to me that is unreliable.

If you want a rifle in 7.62 X 39, get an AK or SKS.

[drine]

I never intended to buy them to keep. Just a possible short term investment. He sold both for 875.00 total w/ hi cap mags, slings, unfired!
He then bought another mini in .223, giving him 3 now, and a Glock 22.
I'd agree with all, AK series hands down would be my choice. I've got an SKS.