Reliablity; Ruger Mini 30 versus Mini 14

[balttigger]

Bought a 581 series Mini-30 right after they started making their own barrels. Only mods I have made to it are replacing the gas bushing, so it doesn't toss brass into the next county; sent the trigger out for a trigger job, so now it breaks crisp and clean; and dropped it in a tactical stock.

It has digested every round I have fed it without complaint. Shoots MOA or better at 100 yards, if I do my job.

My only complaint is the lack of reliable magazines.

 

[Alan3413]

My mini-14 works great with factor mags and the more recent tapco plastic mags. It rains empties across five rows of shooters, so you won't be the most popular member on the range unless you take the rightmost lane.

Of late, it has developed ejection issues. The ejector no longer reliably kicks the shell out when warm. I'd say on average it's about 1 in 20 rounds.

Accuracy-wise, I can hit a 12" gong offhand at 100 yards, so that's good enough for me.

 

[Mr. Ed]

You guys with your Mini 14-not-tack-driver stories...

Isn't like having a ugly girlfriend hogging the covers?




You know, what's the point?

Well, gee. Over the years I dated a wide variety of gals, including one very large one (she begged me for weeks, and alcohol was involved). At least I lived to tell the tale. But I digress. The point is that most of us have some tools in our toolboxes that do different things, at different levels of proficiency.

My Mini 14 is a medium weight, nimble shooter that's reliable as heck. I've done some work and added an optic, and it's just a nice addition to the very few rifles I have left after that incident in the Chesapeake. It might not be the prettiest (understatement), or best shooter, but it'll get the job done, much like that large gal. And the Mini 14 will get asked out on a date more than once.

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

My understanding of reliability issues with 7.62x39 rifles not designed originally for the round is due to the curvature of the magazines...rifles like AR-15's have a fixed magazine well that doesn't work well with magazines of the curvature required by the 7.62x39 round. The Mini-30 may have the same issues.

 

[pbharvey]

Are Mini 30's in military or police use anywhere in the world?

 

[SCARCQB]

Mini 30- after market high cap mags suck. I think this is the weak point.

 

[Mini14tac]

My Mini-14 has eaten everything I feed it just fine. Not sure about the Mini-30. I am curious about how the Mini-14 in 300BLK shoots. I'm not going into the accuracy thing again, I think that horse is already dead.

 

[MilsurpDan]

I love my Mini-14 GB that I got courtesy of Lou. It's been reliable with any mags or ammo that I run through it. Steel cased or brass. It might not be as accurate as my AR but its decent enough.

I actually bought one of the new Mini-14's in .300 Blackout last year. I love it. Uses the same mags as the regular Mini-14 and it's fairly accurate (around 1 MOA) at 100 yards. It cycles pretty much all of the ammo I've shot through it. Subsonic and Supersonics. The only cycling issues I've had is with Tomkat ammo giving me FTE's but apparently its more reliable to shoot Subsonics in the Mini-14 .300BlK with a Suppressor attached (which I haven't tried since I don't own one).

 

[dreadpirate]

I love my Mini-14 GB that I got courtesy of Lou. It's been reliable with any mags or ammo that I run through it. Steel cased or brass. It might not be as accurate as my AR but its decent enough.

I actually bought one of the new Mini-14's in .300 Blackout last year. I love it. Uses the same mags as the regular Mini-14 and it's fairly accurate (around 1 MOA) at 100 yards. It cycles pretty much all of the ammo I've shot through it. Subsonic and Supersonics. The only cycling issues I've had is with Tomkat ammo giving me FTE's but apparently its more reliable to shoot Subsonics in the Mini-14 .300BlK with a Suppressor attached (which I haven't tried since I don't own one).

I am glad to see a post about the 300 black version. It would stand to reason that these should be as reliable as the 223 version.

Alas - as much as I like the Minis, I can't see buying one when I can get an AR in 300 black, and already own pre-ban AR's in 223.

 

[Art3]

Mini 30- after market high cap mags suck. I think this is the weak point.

I think most Ruger {insert any model here} aftermarket mags suck

I am glad to see a post about the 300 black version. It would stand to reason that these should be as reliable as the 223 version.

Alas - as much as I like the Minis, I can't see buying one when I can get an AR in 300 black, and already own pre-ban AR's.

I bought one mostly just because it is not an AR...and... I like wood

 

[dreadpirate]

I bought one mostly just because it is not an AR...and... I like wood

Ok - I get that. An AR in wood is - well - just wrong.

 

[Alan3413]

Ok - I get that. An AR in wood is - well - just wrong.

I dunno. Looks pretty sexy to me.

 

[dreadpirate]

I just knew someone was going to post up a pic

EDIT - love the retro fixed handle, pencil barrel, and duck bill flash suppressor.

 

[gizzard]

mini 30, only 5 round mags feed. not very accurate. only a few failures. sks is far superior. traded mine off

 

[Art3]

I'd seen laminate (which only kinda sorta counts as wood) wood stocks before...in fact, the Windham "wood" stock offering with the matching brown receivers is very tempting...but, DAMN! That one is really real wood

 

[Engine4]

Interesting - do you recall why he did not like them?

He said they weren't reliable & were buggy to shoot. His words were a bit more animated, but that's the gist.

 

[Engine4]

I dunno. Looks pretty sexy to me.

Wow!! Didn't think I'd be wanting another AR, but this is an exception. That's beautiful.

 

[Pinecone]

I got my first Mini-14 back in about 76, 180 series.

I got my second one from Sears Catalog store. It seems at that point (early 82) Sears had contracted most of the production, as they were selling cheaper than dealers could get them.

Both have worked fine with aftermarket mags and any ammo I have tried (mainly reload, 55 gr FMJ-BT with 25.5 grains H335).

 

[John from MD]

I used a AC-556 back in the '70's and never had any function problems with it. However, accuracy at longer ranges was pretty poor. Only years later did I find out that Ruger originally put a 1 in 12 twist barrel on them.

 

[SCARCQB]

I have a couple of AC 556ks. They function well as long as factory mags are used.

The 20 round pro mag steel mags are almost identical to Ruger factory mags. Those work. The 30 rounders are 50/50. I have several that work well. But almost half had issues. ( 6 out of 12 works)