Gun Review: Ruger Mini 30 Rifle in 7.62x39mm

The Ruger Mini 30 rifle is something of a unique creature. I was first introduced to it a number of years ago as an alternative to the AK series of rifles. I’d spent a great deal of time with AK rifles and became used to their performance with the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Looking back now, if I had wrapped my mitts around a Mini Thirty first, I may never have owned an AK to begin with.

So let’s take a look at what the Mini 30 offers today’s shooters. Sure, it isn’t a modular tactical platform covered in miles of rails and no, it doesn’t fire 6.5 Creedmoor (how will Ruger ever recover?). But it managed to do just about everything that most shooters need a rifle needs to do and it look great while doing it. Wood and steel haven’t gone out of style just because soulless polymer is the thing today, and this gun is classic and modern in all the right places.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Mini Thirty is its wood stock. It gives it a more docile appearance like grandpa’s old Savage 99. Although it’s functionally no different than any other semiautomatic rifle out there, it is far less ‘scary’ to the uninformed and uneducated masses on sight. Which may have something to do with why the Mini Thirty and its Mini-14 little brother have been excluded from past “assault weapons” bans.

Granted, we laugh at this type of visual discrimination and are often happy to point out the irony of today’s regressive progressives and gun-grabbers, but these imbeciles often congregate in large numbers and make laws that reflect their baseless fears. As a result, the Mini Thirty is legal in areas where the common AR and AK pattern rifles aren’t, despite not being functionally different.

What makes the Mini Thirty so appealing is that its blend of several proven ideas that meet at a very functional point. The gun has an M1 Garand and M14/M1A style action that’s a battle-proven, extremely reliable design. It allows for a compact action and intuitive user controls. Even the safety is similar to that of the M1’s.

Another great point to consider in the Mini Thirty’s favor is that it’s chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. I know some people will probably try to call me out and say that I don’t like the cartridge based on what I’ve written about it, but that’s not true at all. I like the cartridge well enough. I just don’t like that the national supply of 7.62x39mm is based heavily — exclusively one might say — on foreign imports or the fact that it’s often low quality. It’s a very good cartridge overall and offers a great number of benefits, among them a case taper that aids in reliable feeding and extraction and good power for its size.

A recreational shooter and hunter would be well suited with the Mini Thirty. It’s a lightweight, light recoiling rifle that carries well all day and has enough oomph for deer-sized game with enough accuracy for shooting both targets and game at ranges inside 200 yards. That’s about as far as anyone should try hunting with the 7.62x39mm.

You’re pretty much good to go with the Mini Thirty right out of the box. It ships with two five-round proprietary magazines (20 and 30 round mags are readily available) and has a very nice set of adjustable iron sights that are again similar to the M1. Once zeroed at a range of 100 yards, the gun only requires a little holdover for 200.

Shooting the Mini Thirty is comfortable and easy. To load it, simply rock the magazine in, pull the charging handle back to release. The safety is a blade lever located in the front of the trigger guard. Firing is smooth and intuitive. The rifle points naturally and recoil is extremely mild, making it great for experts and shooters new to rifles alike. The Mini Thirty’s two-stage trigger is smooth and very crisp, breaking at just over five pounds.

Cases eject with gusto, launching well clear of the shooter,the next couple lanes over. Maybe the next street as well. If you plan on reloading your brass, you’d best have a spotter watching where they go. An added bonus is that you can load the Mini Thirty from the top with loose ammo, but sadly it cant use stripper clips like its Garand ancestors.

I fired several types of ammo through this rifle and despite a reputation for average accuracy, I was pleased to see how well it did, even with inexpensive stuff. I did most of my shooting with Hornady 123gr SST BLACK. This is a great load and probably the most accurate 7.62x39mm on today’s market in my experience. That was the only load I chronographed for this article. Average velocity for ten shots was 2325fps over my Oehler 35P.

At 100 yards this load generated 1.5-2” for 10 shots with iron sights. I didn’t shoot the Mini Thirty rifle with a scope. It just seems to want to be shot with irons, but it does come with rings should you want to mount an optic. An optics rail is also included.

The other loads I used included Wolf Military Classic, Tula, and some Red Army Standard. The thing about 7.62x39mm is that you can get ammo, and lots of it, in bulk with steel cases. Steel-cased ammo isn’t bad in principle, but it isn’t the same as brass. Lots of people will end up firing cheap, common 7.62 in their Mini Thirty, although I wasn’t particularly impressed with it.

Feeding and reliability with all types of ammo was excellent, but the accuracy I came to expect from this rifle wasn’t. Groups with the cheaper rounds instantly opened to 3-5” depending on what I was shooting. The cheap ammo has its place, but don’t expect tight groups. The accuracy is very much there with better ammo like the Hornady BLACK 123gr SST.

Overall the Mini Thirty is a great rifle. I really enjoyed my time with it and was pleased at how nicely it shouldered and pointed. There are a number of AR and AK alternatives out there today, but the Mini Thirty is at the top of that list. There’s a world of aftermarket accessories for Mini series rifles, including stocks, magazines, and much, much more. They are well worth taking a look at, especially if you find yourself behind hostile lines in ban states.

Specifications: Ruger Mini 30 Rifle 
Chambering: 7.62x39mm
Barrel Length: 18.5”
Weight: 6.7lbs
Length: 37.5”
Length of Pull: 13”
MSRP: $1,069 (sometimes less at Cabela’s)

Ratings (Out of Five Stars):

Accuracy * * * * 
When you feed the Mini Thirty good brass with Hornady SST bullets, it’s a winner. This gun shoots the good stuff really, really well and does pretty well with the cheap stuff.

Reliability * * * * *
I had not a single issue with this gun. It fed and ejected everything — even the cheap stuff — reliably.

Ergonomics * * * *
This gun has it where it counts. The wood stock is comfortable, but its 13-inch length of pull will be short for most shooters. Everything else rocks.

Aesthetics * * * * *
I love how the gun looks. I’m a huge fan of wood and metal and it just pleases my eye. The Mini Thirty has all the good looks of guns of yesteryear without sacrificing modern performance.

Customization * * * *
It isn’t an AR, but it’s not supposed to be. One star off for the lack of a threaded muzzle as every modern rifle should be threaded now. But I know why it’s made that way and I respect Ruger for making guns that have features that allow it to pass in la-la-land states.

Overall * * * * 
The Ruger Mini Thirty is a cool gun in a cool caliber. It offers a number of benefits for today’s shooting crowd and those people who aren’t into more standard AR or AK pattern rifles.

 

The Mini Thirty can be seen at www.ruger.com. Ammo for this article can be seen at www.hornady.com.

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91 COMMENTS

    • In my experience: not much.
      I had some of the .300blk Ranch models in my shop. They lingered around too long and eventually went down to clearance prices and we finally sold out of them some weeks ago.
      It has been my observation that a Spontaneous Buyer will come in and pick up a “regular” AR15 clone (Ruger AR556, S&W mp15, etc.) – but the customer who walks in looking for a Mini14 or Mini30 tends to be someone who has done some research and put a bit of thought into their choice.
      Not to say that AR fans aren’t considerate of their needs, just to say that Ruger fans didn’t make the easy choice and had to think it through a bit harder to arrive at that decision.
      Take that for what you will.
      🤠

      • Doesn’t the Ruger .300blk Ranch come stock with a threaded muzzle?

        If so, there’s no reason they couldn’t offer it on this one.

        I figure in Texas especially for pigs that would be real popular with subsonic ammo…

    • Ruger did develop a .308 and .243 version of the Mini-14 called the XGI in the 1980’s. It was shelved due to receiver durability issues and poor accuracy. One of their factories still has XGI prototypes hanging up in the rafters and a couple years ago Ruger put one up for auction as a charity fundraiser.

  3. Cool. Thanks.

    You mention: “Once zeroed at a range of 100 yards, the gun only requires a little holdover for 200.”

    What’s a little? An inch? A foot?

      • I think that looking through iron sights at a target 200 yards away holding over 7″ IS “just a little”

        Think about it.

    • Almighty JBM says 7″.

      If one does expect to shoot out to 200, going with 200y zero makes more sense.

      • Sloppy is right. Makes me wonder if the author ever shoots in the real world or just makes bangs in the land of YouTube and paper circles.

        Me thinks the latter.

    • Harsh much? The round is only going about 2325 FPS, and doesn’t have a great BC, so it’s going to drop. I guessed 8-10″ off the top of my head, and you guys are getting 7″ with your research. Guess what? Shooters do a lot of guessing out in the field, and still hit their targets.

      TTAG is always open if you want to write your own review.

  5. I was in the process of buying a Mini 30 in California a couple years back but first started looking at information regarding reliability and feeding problems with the imported steel cased ammo. Many have said that the imported ammo would not feed consistently which caused me to change my mind regarding this firearm. One of the beauties of the rifle is that if you own an AK/variant, or SKS, you have three rifles shooting the same caliber cartridge. If I am wrong about this, and others were just blowing smoke up the chimney about their own experiences, I am open to reconsidering this fine looking firearm.

    • With my Mini-30, I noted the steel ammo didn’t feed as reliably as the brass ammo.
      No problem to me. The AK and SKS eat the steel ammo all day. So the Mini-30 wants brass. I can handle that.
      I don’t shoot for accuracy as much as I shoot for fun. Most of my shooting in the summer is indoors (I live in Phoenix), so I’m limited to 25 yards anyway. I’m not what could be called a “great shooter” (I’m a believer in the “minute of perp” theory), and the Mini-30 is as good (in my hands) as any of my other guns.

      • I chose the Mini-30 over Saiga for (home defense and hunting) because I like the look and do not like the plastic rifle look. The problem with the steel cased ammo was resolved by replacing a couple of springs with heavier Wolff springs. Has not failed to eject one since then, and only one bad strike on the primer. Can’t afford brass or I would shoot it.
        I like the M-14 look, but got it in stainless steel with a composite stock, because I live in Florida where rust in a constant concern. The gun shoots better than I do, and is a lot of fun for me. Just wish I had more time to shoot, more money for ammo and somewhere to do small party tactical training.
        We are going to need more Rooftop Patriots soon, too soon I fear.

    • I sold mine because it was frustrating finding ammo but it would run consistently. I didn’t buy a gun that fires the AK round to go out and pay top dollar for high quality ammo. And let me not forget to whine about needing proprietary mags for something that feeds AK ammo. my mini 30 ran a little better when I modified the feed lips of the proprietary Ruger magazines. I found some brass plated ammo that ran pretty good but not good enough. I reload for all the other guns that I compete with and reliable feeding is a pleasure that I was very disappointed I couldn’t enjoy with something that should run the cheap factory ammo famous for reliability.

  6. Which one, for all the money, marbles and chalk. The 7.62×39 or 7.62×35? …there can be only one. 30

  7. I imagine a Ruger Mini-30 would be certainly more accurate than an AK-47/AKM, and
    possibly a Soviet or Chinese SKS? I don’t know about the latter’s accuracy though. Too,
    a Ruger Mini-30 is certainly far better stocked than a Kalashnikov rifle, if not more
    comfortable to shoot. The Soviet 7.62mmx39, M43 round was originally developed
    in 1943 during the height of World War II (1939-1945). However, considering this
    global conflict had an urgent demand on Soviet industry, it wasn’t adopted until 1945,
    when World War II ended: May 7th-8th, 1945 in Europe or VE Day. The Empire of Japan
    surrendered on September 2nd, 1945. For urban fighting such as Stalingrad, Leningrad,
    and later Berlin, Germany in April and May 1945, this M-43 round was ideal for the
    combat conditions and ranges encountered.

    James A. “Jim” Farmer
    Merrill, Oregon (Klamath County)

    • The Mini-30, and Mini-14 for that matter, have accuracy that is comparable to an AK-47, SKS, M-14, M-16, FN FAL, H&K G3, or most any other service rifle. That is to say that it is good enough to hit a man sized target at 300 – 500 yards, but don’t expect to get 1 MOA groups from it.

    • Jim: please don’t take this question as impertinent or mocking, because it’s not. But why do you sign each one of your posts as if you’re writing a paper letter to an editor?

  9. A friend had one because it is California legal. Pulling back on the 10 magazine to control it in the standing position (like pulling back on an AR magazine well) made the trigger group drop out.

    Shooting failure drills for 30 or 40 rounds made the action seize until it cooled down.

    Ruger’s new 9mm takedown carbine is much more interesting!

    • Never owned a Mini-30 or 14, always wanted to.

      I do however own on of their new 9mm takedown carbines, and it is very interesting.

      Really fun to shoot, easy to keep on target. Heavier and more felt kick than one would expect, due to the mass of the bolt, it being blow-back action, but a great little gun. I have an SR9, so I like that I can use the same magazines.

      I’m hoping it takes off and there are a lot of accessories.

  10. I had one of the stainless models with the thin profile barrel. After three or four shots the barrel warmed up and the pattern started wandering all over the place. I also couldn’t fire the cheap ammo reliably, even with a stronger aftermarket spring for the firing pin. I got FTFs 2 or 3 times per 20 round box. I sold it, and I never want another one.

    • Yep, something several current reviews of the mini 30 and mini 14 don’t discuss… the earlier rifles for both had a pencil barrel as stock that tended to string shots as the barrel warmed up.

        • Bahahaha… one of the best comments that I’ve ever read on a thread!! 🤣

          I’m seriously considering a Mini 30. I am concerned about the issues with steel ammo, though. Hmm… seems like some more research is in order🤔

    • The Garand action had proven itself extremely reliable in the desert, jungle, plains, forests, mountains; in the heat and in the cold. There are/were literally millions of GIs who would disagree with your statement, many of whom used both the Garand and AR platform

      • And there are plenty of GIs who thought frozen Chinese Jackets would stop 30 carbine, and 5.56 was deflecting in jungle bushes and they were missing. Facts don’t support them.

        The Garand action is a product of its time. Its extremely open and exposed making it very easy to go down to environmental factors. There is a reason that there are actual training films that tought soldiers how to fall with their M1 in a certain way to prevent it from going out of action. Its nowhere near as reliable as anything from even the 50s onward operating wise.

        • Seeing as how a carhart jacket can stop a 9mm, I can see it possible that .30 carbine could be stopped by a thick winter jacket, especially at distance. Also, while blades of grass don’t have any effect the trajectory of a rifle round, I can see how a GI in Vietnam might think so considering how thick the jungle is. Palm leaves are pretty damn strong and thick.

        • No, the Garand/M14 action was still inferior overall to the M16 in Vietnam. Even during the worse problems of the M16. Issues were generally confined to units that received no training on the weapons and received them only in Vietnam. Units that received training and brought their own guns reported very high satisfaction with the weapons. This doesn’t even get into the upgraded guns. Which had a insanely high satisfaction rate. By the time the upgraded M16A1s had been fielded. Less than half of a 1 percent of users would exchange their rifles for anything else. And the majority of that half a percent wanted CAR15s.

        • Seans: It is unfortunate that training just didn’t help the original M-16’s failures that were due to improper cleaning (read: failure to clean because McNamara’s whiz-kids said it was self cleaning, and failed to provide any cleaning kits with the gun).
          As well, while, on paper, the M1/M14’s open action is worse, the reality is that it served extremely well in actual use. Jams from environmental factors just don’t show up as anything more than a small blip in after-action reports.
          Instead of relying on theory, asking those who actually use/used it will, I have seen, deliver a different verdict.

        • @Big Daddy.

          Training did solve the majority of issues with the early M16s. The units that did not receive training were the ones that had all the issues.

          And I’ve spent a lot of time overseas with the M14 platform. It sucks. You want to talk about a gun that the only way we could ensure function riding in a LTATV or 4 wheeler was to put it in a trashbag, so it didn’t get dirty. Something our M4s shrugged off without a issue.

          There is a reason you didn’t see Seals, Recon, or SF crawling around in swamps with the things in Vietnam.

        • to “ New Continental Army ”, somebody on youtube tested whether .30 carbine penetrates frozen chicom jackets and it did so easily (although i don’t recall if the ammo was super-cooled, which would reduce velocity).

  12. Josh, you say you like wood and metal, so do I, but not that crap. If it isn’t walnut, it isn’t wood!
    Also, you can buy two AR 15’s for the MSRP, plus cost of 30 round mag, on the Mini, or one with all the goodies.

  14. I’ve seen Mini-30s at gun shows for about $850, but aftermarket 20-round mags are about $30-$40 apiece. I have an AK (in case the zombies come), but was considering buying a Mini-30, since I was trained on M-14s when I first joined the military (late 60’s) and like that action just fine. I also like the 7.62x39mm cartridge, based on what I observed in Vietnam. I’ve heard both good and bad about the rifle and its ability to use steel-case foreign ammunition, and (if I buy one) I wonder how much after-market pimping I’ll have to have done on it to consider it reliable. But, if I do, I’ll have an AK w/10 steel mags for sale…

    • AK is superior to the Mini.

      Parts are cheaper, more available, and not proprietary like on the Mini.

      Throwing away an AK for a Mini is a very stupid idea. Just because it is made in ‘Murica doesn’t automatically make it better.

    • In my experience, the AK and SKS will both load the steel surplus 7.62×39 ammo better than the stock Mini-30.
      Again, in my experience, the SKS is more fun to shoot (YMMV) than the AK, but is clip-fed. I bought a sh!tload of clips many years ago, and load them in my spare time, so when I shoot it, I have many clips ready to go.
      Owning all three (Mini-30, AK-47 WASR, and Chinese SKS), I find them to be reliable, fun to shoot (though I have my favorite: the SKS), and cheaper to shoot than any of my other long guns except the 10/22.
      As said above, the Mini-30 enjoys (so far) immunity from the stupidity-driven anti-‘assault gun’ laws, a definite point in its favor if they affect you.

  15. Is it true that Ruger won’t sell spare parts to individuals? Even say an extractor or firing pin? Having to send the whole gun in for simple repair/parts replacement would be a deal killer for me.

  16. I have one each of the Mini 30 and 14. I have had no issues in 10+ years with either. Not a tack driver (2″ +/-) but I use them for deer and pigs under 100 yds. I put a 2×7 Vortex scope on the Mini30 and it is one of my favorite deer guns. Loves Silver Bear 125gr SP and Wolf 154gr SP. My aftermarket 10 rounders are reliable. Factory 20s work good too when you want to plink away. I never had a stuck case but I did have a couple of light strikes on some Wolf ammo a few years ago. But overall a good buy for me since they were about $300 back then.

  17. While I enjoyed my mini 30 the thing I didn’t like was it’s firing pin tolerance as I target shoot and like using bulk ammo the mini 30 doesn’t have enough travel in it’s firing pin for most bulk ammo

    • When you speak of “bulk ammo,” I’m assuming you mean surplus.
      That stuff uses a harder primer than we’re used to. Most reviews say it’s not the firing pin that’s the problem, but the hammer spring. Wolf makes a stronger spring that reportedly solves that problem.
      I haven’t noticed the problem when shooting surplus myself.

    • You could just buy an aftermarket firing pin with a protrusion length of .038-.042 for 40 bucks. That solves light strike on steel case ammo issues. You wont need an aftermarket heavier spring if you do this.

  18. Good review.
    Matches what I have experienced with my 582——Mini 14. Have a Leupold 2×7 scope on it and it can shoot better than I can. All USA made brass ammo shoots the same for me. Best pickup/atv ranch rifle I have ever had.

  20. I remember one of the reasons I never bought a Mini Thirty rifles was the barrel grove dimension of 0.308 for US .308/30-06 bullets instead of .311/.312 for foreign 7.62x39mm military surplus and new production ammo. Until I just googled it, I didn’t know Ruger fixed this in 1993. I guess some long held facts about firearms are outdated…

    https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=15904

    Ruger Mini-30 bore specs
    This rifle is chambered for the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. This cartridge, traditionally, uses a projectile with a nominal diameter of .311 to .312 inch.

    At the time the Mini-30 was introduced very few bullet makers where producing .311/.312 inch bullets for reloading in the light 125-130 grain weight required. Ruger initiated the use of barrels with a groove dimension of .308 inch and a long tapered throat. The throat allowed the use of ammunition with .311/.312 projectiles by gradually squeezing them to the .308 diameter. In addition, ammunition loaded with more commonly available .308 diameter bullets could also be used.

    Commencing in 1992 Ruger initiated a change to using .311/.312 nominal groove diameter, 1-10 inch right hand twist barrels in all Mini-30’s. It was likely well into 1993 before all rifles coming of the production line incorporated the .311/.312 barrels.

  21. Any reason anyone would take a $1000+ mini-30 over a $350-$450 SKS? I have 3 SKS’, all with a different set up, and really enjoy shooting all of them. I was trained on the M-14 in the USN in the early 2000s, but I’ve no experience with the mini, however.

    • The Mini 30 typically sells for a lot less than MSRP, around $850. In Commiefornia the inexpensive Chinese SKS rifles are illegal.

  22. First of all, make the mini 30 eat the cheapest s#!+ ammo, knock $500 off msrp and make it
    Run on common mags. I’ll buy one or two in 3 seconds.
    The mini rife to me is a SHTF battle rifle I don’t give a poop about .5 moa. If it can hit center mass at 50ft. I’m happy. anyway I think ruger is screwing the pooch by only using expensive proprietary mags, only eat premium brass ammo and ridiculous msrp price.

  23. Man I love guns as much as the next guy or girl but I’m tired of all these articles whining about how someone is banning guns or trying to take our guns…it isn’t happening, no one is going to take our guns. And those “assault” rifle bans are in places where no one owned them really anyways and if you do then MOVE! Stop whining and shoot on brothers

    • I’m glad you made it out of the coma but you should probably read a few newspapers to catch up with the gun control initiatives that are happening.

    • I’m with Klaus here…
      You really need to read more.
      NY state bans new sales of ARs (“assault weapons”), but grandfathers. This means when the owner dies, the gun belongs to the state. That’s a ban.
      CA’s laws regarding “assault rifles” change annually, and if you don’t keep up with them, the guns belong tot he state. That’s a ban.
      CA’s laws regarding pistols ban anything new (a change in design means the gun is “new”).
      Other states are starting to follow suit.
      And as for your “MOVE!”, it’s not as easy as you imply. Family, job, and other factors often combine to make that near impossible. Again, you need to widen your understanding of what’s going on around you.

    • Responding to Randall’s comment that said, “tired of all these articles whining about how someone is banning guns or trying to take our guns…it isn’t happening, no one is going to take our guns. And those “assault” rifle bans are in places where no one owned them really anyways and if you do then MOVE!”

      Randall, FYI, “assault weapons” bans are now being proposed in rural red states too, including Montana, where Trump won by over 20 percentage points! Just yesterday there was a news article titled “Montana governor supports assault weapon ban” saying the Governor of Montana supports an “assault weapons” ban and a ban on all semiautomatic rifles:

      “Montana Gov. Steve Bullock on Sunday said he would support a ban on semiautomatic weapons…During the CNN interview, Bullock said there need to continue to be red flag laws, universal background checks, and even age and magazine restrictions.”

      See https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/19/montana-governor-supports-assault-weapon-ban-788194

    • Comrad Beto O’Rourke said on national TV in Nov 2019 that if he becomes president and he outlaws guns and if you don’t turn them as required, he’ll send law enforcement door-to-door to take them. I say bring it to my door first!!!!!!

    • I keep hearing the phrase “shall not be infringed” going through my head. Pretty straightforward eh?

  24. Chamber it in 6.5 Grendel with a heavier barrel profile and a harmonic barrel tuner, I’ll be interested, if it isn’t too much $.

  25. Sounds like the new ones are more accurate than the original ones. Both the mini 14 and 30 had abysmal accuracy at one time. They also used to ding the hell out of a scope due to the ejector design. But my favorite feature of the mini guns was the take down design of bending the trigger guard. If you used a screw driver instead of mangling a round of ammo, and over bent the guard ever so slightly, the gun would literally fall apart in your hands or on to the ground most likely.

  27. These rifles are notoriously inaccurate after the barrel gets hot. I had one years ago, sold it because of this.

  28. I had a early production Mini 30, no function problems however it was not accurate. Sold it and purchased a Mini 14 in 6.8 SPC. stainless with composite stock, they were only made for a couple years. It shoots well and is accurate. 5.56 is not legal for deer and large game in my state, therefore the choice of the 6.8 SPC. Downside is the cost of ammo. I never have had any type of issue with this rifle.

  31. Washington State; I – 1639 redefines Assault Rifle; any rifle that uses energy from a fired cartridge to reload the rifle! All semiautomatics are now Assault Rifle in Washington State and are subject to enhanced back ground checks plus a 10 day waiting period.

  32. I purchased a mini 30 back in the late ninety’s The rifle handled really well and was fun to shoot
    The wood stock was attractive
    And the rifle balanced really well
    It fed just about all types of ammo with no major problems.
    Accuracy from this rifle was very poor. 2 to 3 inch groups with iron sights at 100yds. Scoped didn’t make much difference. I finally decided to sell the rifle and purchased a bushmaster AR15
    Absolutely much happier with the AR’s accuracy. I would never think about purchasing another mini from Ruger.

    • Hello McFly, anyone home???? 2-3″ with iron sights is fantastic. 99% of America can’t do that. You got rid of an accurate gun…… Hell… most of the time using iron sights the target is obscured by the front sight but again, you dumped an accurate gun…..

  34. Civil War Part 2 is coming soon so start buying LOTS of guns and stockpile ammo. The Mini 14 looks like a nice compliment to an AR-15 or vice versa. Both can shoot 223 and 5.56. Buy both of these, a 15 shot 9mm pistol, a shotgun, a 357 revolver and a lever action 357 and you’re ready for the war…..

  35. Online reviews and comments i’ve read of mini-30s and mini-14s from 8-12 years ago are mostly very negative for both accuracy and reliability. Several comments stated when the guns got hot they were very inaccurate (“minute of pickup” and “bullet hose”)

    I’d like to know what’s changed, and when it changed. Looking for that info is how I got to this review.

    If it’s now reliable and reasonably accurate it might be fun, but still overpriced.

    You can get a good used M1 carbine or a new AR for less than a new mini-30.

    • BTW, I did read the comment on the 92\93 change in throat diameter. Bad reviews were still being written long after that.

  36. My mini 30 is a stainless 2002 model. I’ve shot all brands of ammo without any problem. The only time I had problems is with after market mags. 2″ and less groups at 100 yards through iron sights all l day long. I’ve shot 8″ swinging steel gongs at 200 yards with 4 shots spaced at 2 second intervals and hit every time (iron sights). I’ve done this numerous times so it is not a fluke. Light weight good shooter. I would take this little sweetheart in to battle anytime. nuff said.

  37. I bought a new stainless mini 30 with two 20 round well made mags. I put my old M16 sling on it. I bought a tuna can of steel cased ammo and never had a single problem I shot the whole 750 rounds. I bought two tuna cans and shot up one more not a single problem. I like the way it handles and the action suits me. I grew up with M16 I worked military ranges for the 20 years active duty. I did not know that every one hates this gun and has had nothing but problems. I suspect that most don’t actually own one or have experience with the old skinny barrel one. But I much prefer the 870 to the Mossberg I grew up with an 870 on active duty. I do have an AR10 very cool fixed up with bipod and top line scope but if I had to go out and fight with my guns I would not carry that AR or mini30 I would carry my trusted 870 00B. Was it Clint that said in one of his dirty harry flicks “thats a high price to pay to be fashionable”

  39. Hmm, I’ve been wanting a mini 14 for some time now, but have been too tight to break loose with the money. Then the other day, I thought what the heck, I’m not getting any younger, so I got my money, went to the local ” toy ” store and with out looking at the mini I picked up , paid for , did did Uncle Sammy’s paper work and walked out with my new mini. It wasn’t until later in the evening that I took it out of the box and seen that I had purchased a min 30 instead and my thoughts were not printable at what I had done. Now the question is , Do I keep it and shoot it or give it to the kid ( he trained on the 7.62 x 39 in the army ) or maybe take it back to trade in for a mini 14 like I wanted in the first place ? NUTS

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