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axxe55 · 11-05-2011, 08:00 AM

i had the opportunity the other day to do some shooting with my friends Ruger Mini Thirty in 7.62x39 and just had a ball shooting it. now i want one. i went to Ruger's website and they only offer it in a synthetic stock. my friends had the wood stock. new they have a MSRP of $920. does anyone know what would be a reasonable price used?

**masterPsmith** · 11-05-2011, 08:18 PM

A reasonable price used would be around $500 to $700 depending on what comes with it. You can find them for a little less, but with no accessories. Remember, good magazines are not cheap for the Mini's.

Jim...........

hawkguy · 11-06-2011, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axxe55

i had the opportunity the other day to do some shooting with my friends Ruger Mini Thirty in 7.62x39 and just had a ball shooting it. now i want one. i went to Ruger's website and they only offer it in a synthetic stock. my friends had the wood stock. new they have a MSRP of $920. does anyone know what would be a reasonable price used?

remember msrp is way more than retail. new, they should be around $700-750, maybe less. mini 14, between $600-750. also remember, wood stocks are easy to find (so you can replace that ugly synthetic

).

hawkguy · 11-06-2011, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masterPsmith

A reasonable price used would be around $500 to $700 depending on what comes with it. You can find them for a little less, but with no accessories. Remember, good magazines are not cheap for the Mini's.

Jim...........

but they are getting cheaper. factory 20's can be found for $20 with regularity now. still pricey, but better than the $40+ that used to be standard!

**FCross7** · 11-06-2011, 01:10 AM

Something to consider with the Mini 30s is that most people tell you not to shoot Russian steel cased ammo through them. Apparently this type of ammo has a very hard primer and the firing pins in the Minis don't handle it that well. From what I've read, they fire it for a while, but will eventually break.

masterPsmith, I know you've been around Minis for a while. Do you know whether this is fact or not? I don't have a Mini 30 so I don't know for sure, but most guys at PerfectUnion recommend against shooting it.

-Fred

**JTJ** · 11-06-2011, 01:54 AM

I tried some Tula in mine and ran into the hard primer problem. I have 40 rnds of Win White and 50 rnds of Hornady steel case target to try when I get a chance. I need to pick up some other brands to try out. I am open brand suggestions.
I picked mine up used from a guy that needed the money. I paid him what he asked which was $400. Came with 1-5 rnd mag, 3-10 rnd mags, 3-20 rnd mags, Harris bipod adaptor, 3-9x40 Bushnell Buckhorn scope, sling and a soft case.

axxe55 · 11-06-2011, 03:14 PM

thanks everone for the information and input on this. going to start looking for one used first, but may end up ordering one and getting a wood stock for it.

StoneyFF · 12-07-2011, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCross7

Something to consider with the Mini 30s is that most people tell you not to shoot Russian steel cased ammo through them. Apparently this type of ammo has a very hard primer and the firing pins in the Minis don't handle it that well. From what I've read, they fire it for a while, but will eventually break.

masterPsmith, I know you've been around Minis for a while. Do you know whether this is fact or not? I don't have a Mini 30 so I don't know for sure, but most guys at PerfectUnion recommend against shooting it.

-Fred

I was curuious about this issue, steel Russian ammo in the Mini-30, and so I called the Factory. They said that it was not a problem. And that a small percentage of the Mini-30's have a problem with the Russian Ammo, and that if I bought one that did, I'd just send it in and they'd fix it under warranty, no questions asked. I'm not a fan of the 5.57/.223 round (since Vietnam!) and much prefer a .30 cal.

What I really want is a Scout Rifle configuration in the Mini-30 so I can put a scout scope on it, or a regular scope, or use the peep (which is my favorite anyway, ever since using the M14 @ Parris Island, and shooting 246 out of 250 at 100, 300, 500yds on the old Rifle course to be high man on Parris Island that month!) and the M1 Garand at Infantry Training at Camp Lejuene... But having a scout scope is a nice option if I can get it (though they only offer that forward picatinny rail for the scout scope on the Mini-14 currently)... older eyes <smile>.

Stoney
{who's 246 with iron peep sight was in 1967 with much younger eyes! <grin>}

**masterPsmith** · 12-10-2011, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCross7

Something to consider with the Mini 30s is that most people tell you not to shoot Russian steel cased ammo through them. Apparently this type of ammo has a very hard primer and the firing pins in the Minis don't handle it that well. From what I've read, they fire it for a while, but will eventually break.

masterPsmith, I know you've been around Minis for a while. Do you know whether this is fact or not? I don't have a Mini 30 so I don't know for sure, but most guys at PerfectUnion recommend against shooting it.

-Fred

Yes, it is a fact. Sustained, long term use of Russian steel cased ammo will cause firing pin fatigue and breakage, although it is not as common as you would think. I have probably fitted no more than three new firing pins to Mini-30s over the years due breakage from Russian steel cased ammo.

Jim........

**JTJ** · 12-22-2011, 08:27 PM

I tried 40 rnds of Silver Bear with no miss fires. I seem to be getting a flier in each 5 rnd group. I re-torqued the gas block and The POI shifted quite a bit. I put 15 rnds of SB 123hp through it and put up a new target. #1 was low and left, next 4 were in the bull all touching on my last 5 rounds. Hornady steel case ran fine but I am not impressed with the accuracy so far. I was getting stringing up and right with #1 in the bull, #2 was 3/4" up and right with 3,4 & 5 in a line touching. Win white box ran fine and looks like it might go 2 MOA and had no fliers. I picked up some more of the Silver Bear 125sp. They were out of the 123hp. I am paying $6.50/20 locally for the Silver Bear. We have a small gun show on the 31st and 1st. I am going to see what I can pick up in ammo and bullets. My dies came in and I have about 100 empty brass to play with. I will go with H335. I keep looking at the CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39.

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