Mini- 30

[GOODOLDGUY]

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, so please correct me if iut isn't. Got a brand new Riger Mini 30 in the box even hase the lock and all the papers. What is the effective range?? Maybe 350 yds?? Who makes the best after market mags if there is such a thing. What is the most accuate ammo?? For $400 I had to buy it. Did I do good?? Thanks in advance.

[Herr Walther]

Re: Mini- 30

I would have bought it for $400, especially if it was blued or Parked instead of stainless steel.

[ISC]

Re: Mini- 30

After market mags have always been the Achilles heel of the mini series. Plan on test firing them extensively before you can rely on them.

Minis are also notoriously inaccurate, and the 7.62x39 round is not an ideal round for accuracy either. keep in mind that for a rifle sighted in at 100M, the 7.62x39 round will impact 2 feet below point of aim at 300M.

I've had 3 different mini 14s, they were all lemons, but plenty of other folks have had good results with them. If Ruger redesigned the mini to use M16 or AK 47 mags I'd buy another one. Right now, a new mini 14 costs more than a AR 15, and a Mini 30 more than an AK, but both have a lower resale value than their competitors. There is a reason for that.

Keep an open mind about it, and shoot it first, but seriously consider the possibility of selling it to someone in a gun unfriendly state and using the profit to buy a better rifle.

[GOODOLDGUY]

Re: Mini- 30

It is a parkerozed finish, and came with factory mounts and rings. I have a truck load of Wolf ammo fro, back in my SKS/ AK- crazy days. Sold all my ak's and mags, kept the ammo thinking I might get another new ak from Arsenal some day. I'll put some glass on it and get to the range. Let ypu know how it groups, lol. Thanks for the replies

[Herr Walther]

Re: Mini- 30

I'd make sure that ammo doesn't gum up the chamber and the extractor starts ripping up case rims and heads.

[RT]

Re: Mini- 30

The only game in town for hicap mags for that rifle are the Thermold magazines. The US Navy had a variant in action for a very short time in the 1990s that were basically an AC556 version of the Mini-30, very specific to divers (never was clear if they were SEALS or not but assumed to be) who were to be deployed from submarines and the mission requirement was for weapon that used combloc ammo so that any brass left behind after an op would not be directly traceable to the US military. The weapons were in stainless steel and they used the long storage Thermold mags with the extended bodies.

As it was, the decision was later made for the divers to just use AKs but consider the weapons to be semi-disposable. The weapons were not intended to be fired underwater, but used by the divers as primary personal defense weapons when doing operations at the water's edge. It has also been rumored that similar weapons were deployed by the Canadians for a short time.

At $400 it is not a half bad buy, but I would consider it to be a semiauto hunting and sport rifle, maybe a ban-state legal rifle for some circumstances (like ranch security work). Not your best combat weapon.

[GOODOLDGUY]

Re: Mini- 30

Found a couple Thermold mags at the local WAC show. Found a 3x9x40 Leupold scope for cheap. Drive to the range and blasted away, shot Wolf and Bernaul. At 100-200 yds was pretty ok. over 200 not so much. Shooting 12x12 plate steel. Was a lot of fun to shoot, no malfunctions to report, but not your tack driver. Mags worked good. Got it pretty well sightes in, Kept them all on the plate until I tried 250yds. Went downhill quick from there. About the same as my AK's. Thanks for the feedback.

[9th Company]

Re: Mini- 30

I would have bought it for $400, especially if it was blued or Parked instead of stainless steel.

Why is stainless less desirable?

[Tread Head]

Re: Mini- 30

Midway has some factory 20rd mags in stock... They seem to work well.....

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/853...und-steel-blue


Tread

[GOODOLDGUY]

Re: Mini- 30

thanks. Ordered four

[RT]

Re: Mini- 30

I was digging through some boxes of stuff and found a rail mount for it if you are interested in one real cheap. I think it is NCStar, fits in the ranch rifle mounting slots but is a standard 1913 rail bridge that allows the use of short tactical type scopes.