Not happy with Ruger right now

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  • balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,051
    Middle River, MD
    I dropped my Ruger Mini-30 off at Duffy's to have the barrel shortened and threaded for a suppressor. When John chucked the barrel up, he couldn't find any part where it was concentric and found 2 warps in the final 4" of barrel.

    Called Ruger and the Customer Service said to "Send it in and we will take care of it for you." 2 weeks later and I get a call that the barrel is in spec and the warps are where the barrel was "adjusted" to bring the barrel into spec as it was out of alignment from the manufacturer. WTF :mad54:

    I told them not to touch it and to send it back to me (they were gonna undo the trigger job I had professionally done years ago).

    Now my only options are: put it back together and forget about it -OR- send it to Accuracy Systems for a barrel upgrade package. I figure, if I send it out I am going to get a new, better cartridge chamber for the same price. I can get a 6.8SPC or .224 Valkyrie.
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,151
    Sun City West, AZ
    It's not unusual for barrel makers to "bend" a barrel to make sure it's in spec. That was an issue in the 1960s when the Ichord Committee was investigating reports of problems with early M16 rifles in Vietnam. A whistle-blower was reporting that he spotted workers bending M16 barrels to install and then send out to the Army. There were numerous industry expert witnesses from different gun companies testify that was not unusual as there was no such thing as a perfectly straight barrel and that's why there were inspection procedures. If a barrel could be brought in within specs it was done...otherwise it was scrapped. Procedure today are probably far better than fifty years ago.

    Ruger has an excellent customer service reputation. I doubt if they're screwing with you. As long as the rifle shoots the way you want it's really nothing to worry about.
     

    balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,051
    Middle River, MD
    Ruger has an excellent customer service reputation. I doubt if they're screwing with you. As long as the rifle shoots the way you want it's really nothing to worry about.

    That's the thing. It shoots meh considering it's a 7.62x39. It shoots better than any AK-47 I have shot and I wanted to suppress it for short distance hunting. Since that is now out the window.....

    John is also looking into what it would cost to get a Green Mountain barrel blank and make a barrel from scratch. If he can do that, I prefer a 1:7 Valkyrie, if the cost would be the same.
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,151
    Sun City West, AZ
    Ruger Minis don't have a precision reputation to begin with plus the 7.62x39 isn't the most inherently accurate round either (depending on brand). That it's more accurate than an AK says a lot for Ruger and their quality. It's likely as accurate as the package can be short of a custom barrel and custom tuning. At the point the weak link will be the ammunition.
     

    balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,051
    Middle River, MD
    Exactly, and I was happy with the accuracy inside 100yd. It was definitely minute-of-deer. All I wanted to do was have the barrel threaded for a suppressor.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,232
    Carroll County
    Barrel straightening was a skill requiring a keen eye and a deft hand on the straightening machine. Here's a skilled barrel straightener at Springfield Armory.

    10049.SA.1.jpg
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    Answer #1 - You go Dude !, and persue Mini-30 perfection .

    Answer #2 - Even with oem straightened bbl , it exceeds expectations for common semiatuo 7.62x39 rifles , and presumably would slay Bambi at typical distances .

    ( Yes , bbl straightening by mfgs is a longstanding , generally accepted thing . This one would seem to be right on the very edge of a very generous Factory Spec .)
     

    balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,051
    Middle River, MD
    Answer #1 - You go Dude !, and persue Mini-30 perfection .

    Answer #2 - Even with oem straightened bbl , it exceeds expectations for common semiatuo 7.62x39 rifles , and presumably would slay Bambi at typical distances .

    ( Yes , bbl straightening by mfgs is a longstanding , generally accepted thing . This one would seem to be right on the very edge of a very generous Factory Spec .)


    I understand barrel straightening is commonplace in production models but some are impossible to thread as they are now warped and non-contrentric. I could just get a replacement 7.62x30 Ruger barrel, but I have no guarantees that I would not have the exact same problem of being able to suppress it without risking a baffle strike.

    Hence, my decision to just get a threaded barrel and go whole hog with a better cartridge chambering. Good news for a friend of mine is he gets a few hundred rounds of various 7.62x39.....unless I decide to get a 7.62x39 Ruger American Ranch to use my old Mini-30 magazines in...hrmmmm
     

    Zorros

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 10, 2017
    1,407
    Metropolis
    It's not unusual for barrel makers to "bend" a barrel to make sure it's in spec. That was an issue in the 1960s when the Ichord Committee was investigating reports of problems with early M16 rifles in Vietnam. A whistle-blower was reporting that he spotted workers bending M16 barrels to install and then send out to the Army. There were numerous industry expert witnesses from different gun companies testify that was not unusual as there was no such thing as a perfectly straight barrel and that's why there were inspection procedures. If a barrel could be brought in within specs it was done...otherwise it was scrapped. Procedure today are probably far better than fifty years ago.

    Ruger has an excellent customer service reputation. I doubt if they're screwing with you. As long as the rifle shoots the way you want it's really nothing to worry about.

    There is a photo in canfield’s book of a worker bending garand barrels. Oops. Photo Posted in this thread. Sorry. Didint see it.
     

    PowPow

    Where's the beef?
    Nov 22, 2012
    4,712
    Howard County
    Exactly, and I was happy with the accuracy inside 100yd. It was definitely minute-of-deer. All I wanted to do was have the barrel threaded for a suppressor.

    John took care of you the way a good gunsmith would by letting you know what he saw. You can't ask for more.

    P.S. He built one of my AKs. :thumbsup:
     

    balttigger

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 15, 2008
    3,051
    Middle River, MD
    John took care of you the way a good gunsmith would by letting you know what he saw. You can't ask for more.

    P.S. He built one of my AKs. :thumbsup:
    Oh, I have absolutely zero complaints about John. I have tossed much work his way and he has always delivered 100%, a couple times he even exceeded 100%. I have more work for him sitting in my safe waiting for me to gather the funds.

    My complaint is entirely and completely with Ruger.

    They currently offer a Tactical Mini-30 that comes with a pre-threaded barrel. Why could they not sell and install one of those? I doubt highly that the threads are different.
     

    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,230
    Montgomery County
    Side bar: why is “bbl” the abbreviation for “barrel?” I can see it being an abbreviation for “bull barrel” (sort of). But since “barrel” is one word and has only one B, I’ve always wondered about that usage. See it pop up here once in a while, so I’m sure that after 40 years or so talking about barrels, I’m missing something. I now return you to your Ruger programming!
     

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