Pretty decent little rifle.Fairly accurate.We were getting around 2.5 to 3" groups at 100 yards with Russian Brown Bear hollow points.Better ammo might get a little better groups.Make sure your mags work.We had a couple that didn't want to feed all of the time.It sure is a lot of fun to shoot and as far as rfle ammo goes 7.62x39 is still about the cheapest you can find.Don't but Silver Bear.The zinc coated cases tend to stick in the chamber of semi auto rifles.
For the price I would consider an AR in the same caliber or an SKS. My SKS will shoot under 4" at 100yds all day long with most ammo. It's cheap and there is a huge aftermarket for it with some pretty cheap accessories. There are some that are designed to take AK-47 magazines, yet they're much more accurate than AKs.
The mini is a great gun, I just wouldn't pay what they want for one. I bought the one I had used for cheap, but nowdays they're a lot more expensive, even used.
yeah i should prob go the x-tra $100 and get the ar in that caliber huh? i have 223 ar and was looking for something with a bit more punch for 100 yds and in.
Contact CDNN and see if they have any available. It is a simple transfer to a local FFL holder of your choice (gunbroker dot com will find you one...).
In my opinion, and we all know what that is worth, the Mini 30 is a hell of a gun, and not overpriced. Rugged, simple to operate and like most (all?) Rugers built like a tank. Could be more accurate, but the latest ones have gotten better from what "they" say. Also, Ruger finally have 20rnd magazines stock, and I think 30 rnd magazines are available now or will be soon. Bill Ruger must be steaming in his grave...
The SKS as mentioned above is a good gun, I have a really nice Yugo SKS 59/66 that is a cool, but I'd take a Mini 30 over her any day. And I would not ever (as in never) consider one modified to take magazines. Too many bubba-ized ones out there already.
You might consider a robinson arms xcr. Gas piston operation, ambidextrous controls, folding stock and the ability to change calibers in minutes with a couple tools. Built like a tank with design elements from the AK, Fal and AR. My XCR eats silver bear, brown bear and wolf.
The guns I dream of .... M-4 chambered in 308 with an underslung single barrel shotgun sim to a 203 launcher, 100 mag, and quick detach tri pod, rails for scope, night/thermal
back up Thompson, no stock, 9mm, suppressor, 135 round drum
Suppression, Street Sweeper, longer barrel, nothing but slugs; pure radiator killing,
.50 BMG, depleted Urainium just for that added kick.
The Ruger Mini-30 is purportedly barreled for a .308 diameter bullet. The 7.62x39 is actually a .311 bullet. Ruger says this is 'not a problem' but the best accuracy would be acheived by handloading with a bullet diamter that matches the barrel. In other words a good old american .30 caliber bullet. If you're going to do that, you lose the advantage of the 7.62x39, to wit: cheap surplus ammo. So why not just get a new Remington .30 AR rifle, or a Lever-action .30-30, if you need .30 to hunt with? If you want a 7.62x39, find one originally chambered for it, like an SKS, or you can get an AR upper, and make sure the barrel is spec'd at .311.
And anyone thinking of getting an SKS, buy one that has not been messed with. Good ones were way under 200.00 a few years ago, now they are bordering on crazy if you go to a gun show or on the net. I paid 149.00 for my all numbers matching, arsenal refurbished (yes, they all were..) and could not touch it for that again. The machine work and finish on her is incredible for a military commie bloc gun.
The Ruger Mini-30 is purportedly barreled for a .308 diameter bullet. The 7.62x39 is actually a .311 bullet.
I seem to recall that also, and that Ruger designed the chamber with a taper to squeeze down the .311 bullet as it enters the barrel. Just the same IIRC Saami-spec 7.62X39 is supposed to perform better in the Mini.
How about a Saiga? .223, 7.62X39, 5.45X39, .308. AK tough.
I'm not fond of 7.62x39 AR's. The magazine well is not meant for the curved magazine you want for that cartridge. I've never seen one that didn't have mag jams.
The SKS is a fine weapon, better, in many ways than an AK. You want it stock, and simply by removing the magazine, can use hi cap mags made for the SKS, though reloading is slower than an Ak & way slower than an AR. Lots of toys, stocks etc. available for the SKS & AK.
Ak's are THE classic gun, and though I think a SKS is more accurate, bulk foreign ammo makes that moot. Hard to beat for tough, but I hate the ergonomics.
Ruger mini30's are nearly ( maybe more ) indestructible than AK's, not nearly as likely to get you dirty looks or problems, ( that's unfair, but true ) and even better, are made in the USA by real good people, not communist dictators.
For the most part, I think the Ruger's are just as accurate, and wouldn't worry about bullet size, since ammo's so cheap in bulk that the only people I know who reload use it for pistol hunting. Regular Remington HP's do fine on deer.
Don't expect the kind of groups you can get from a varmint hunting custom AR. Do expect to have to clean it after demolishing a few thousand pop cans, but it will keep on working after being in a truck for weeks with no more maintenance than checking that the bore is clear before shooting.
The Ruger Mini has seen some serious upgrades the the past couple years.
The 5.56 has finally gotten a heavier barrel. I happen to have a NRA with the 16 inch barrel. *note there is only one version that is 223 specific and that is the "Target". All the rest have 556 nato chambers.
The 7.62 is as good as it has ever been. Now with the hi cap factory mags being released...
The 6.8 Spec2 is a good blending of the two.
I would like to see a Mini chambered for the 6.8 Grendel
I had a Mini-14. Great rifle, relatively accurate, completely reliable, and very light weight. If you dreampt about the thirty, it must be done. The latest crop with the winged front sight are more accurate than the older ones with the large blade.
I had some fun with mine...you can turn those Mini's into just about anything. This was the last version before I sold it. The only reason I sold it is 'cause I was tired of lugging around and cleaning so many firearms. I already had an AR in that caliber so I let it go.
If you want more punch and a better deal there's the Romanian PSL in 7.62x54R and Saiga rifles in .308.
This is my PSL It's a better rifle in many respects but the ammunition, while cheap, can be hard to find locally. It's essentially built on a modified RPK receiver. The action basically a beefed-up AK.
The Saiga is essentially another beefed up AK action but they are imported in a sporter configuration but can be fairly easily converted back to proper form.
Stock Thumbhole stock Converted
The PSL's are currently selling for $450-$600 (rifle only or kit w/scope) and the Saiga's $500-$600 for the rifle only. The PSL normally sold for $700-$800 just last year (when I bought one) so now's a great time.
Yeah, the Saiga was changed on account of the 'Assault Rifle' ban, which is still in force here in California. That seems like a pretty good deal, except I would still rather buy an American gun. Since weaponry is our biggest export, it seems silly in a way, to buy a gun from somewhere else.
I've just watched the first 15 minutes of a show on the History Channel called "Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs". It details some long range sniper shots with interviews from those that made the shots. Truly amazing stuff.
It's on again in a couple of hours if you care to catch it.