Ruger Mini Thirty Question

[wmg1299]

I recently started downsizing my collection to free up space in the safe. While I don't own anything I would consider to be a "bad" gun, I have accumulated a few too many polymer handguns that I neither carry nor frequently take to the range. I have decided to trade some of my bargain guns for higher-end firearms that I have always wanted.

I just traded a few of my handguns for a lightly-used Ruger Mini Thirty. It is an older model which was manufactured in 1995. I have a large amount of steel-cased 7.62x39 ammo that I collected over the years for my SKS and AK rifles. I have read contradictory reviews online which claim that the gun both "eats steel-cased ammo like a champ", and that it will often not function properly with steel-cased ammo. I was hoping that forum members with experience with the Mini Thirty could give me their take on how well the rifle functions with steel-cased ammo.

In case it matters; I have found the Barnaul brand of steel-cased ammo to be the highest quality steel-cased option. Barnaul makes almost all of the 7.62x39 ammo sold under the Monarch brand name in Academy stores. If I run steel through the Mini Thirty, it would strictly be Barnaul and Monarch (I'll save the Tulammo for the SK/AK rifles). All of my steel-cased ammo is non-corrosive, and the majority of it is less than 5 years old.

 

[Sld1959]

My buddy had one before he died and his ran it all day long no problem. He only used Ruger OEM magazines though. Aftermarket brands it did not like at all

 

[deadduck357]

I've got the newer model with the newer sights and it hiccups occasionally on steel case. It's mainly my hog gun so I have it sighted in with brass cased hunting ammo but do shoot steel out of it for fun. It has been 100% reliable with brass.

Like above stay with Ruger OEM mags, anything else will contribute to malfunctions.

 

[+P+]

I certainly wouldn’t worry about good old Russian made ammo in 7.63X39, especially in a Mini-30. i have to admit that I’m a little jealous. That Ruger is on my X-max list.

 

[HansGruber]

The only thing about older Mini 30’s is that Ruger used a .308 bore instead of the .312 that the Russians used…not that big of a deal, but it’s there.