NRA Gun of the Week: Ruger Mini Thirty

American Rifleman's Brian Sheetz tells why the Ruger Mini Thirty is a great all-around carbine for target shooting, hunting, predator control and personal defense.

[@Wildkat-1]

As a USMC Vet. I qualified in 1972 with the M-14, then transitioned to the M-16 .....Stick with the 7.62x51 (.308) , when you have to dig the enemy out from their hiding spot, you'll understand hitting power...!

[@perpetualconfusion5885]

The Mini 30 is literally an American SKS

[@notsosilentmajority1]

The Mini-30 and the Mini-14 are just too much fun to shoot. They are easy to maneuver through brush and they look great too.

[@Jorgeldaz]

just bought one. shoots steel cased just fine

[@ChoneyPony]

I haven't had any failures on any hard primers, mine is a newer model (583 i believe) bought in 2016...anyway I love it, so far so good, eats up Russian ammo just fine.

[@mikeypops73]

Same here

[@gabe321]

Need to try mine, bought it about a year ago but still haven’t shot it. Need to test the Russian ammo on it.

[@claudiodominguez.]

How's the accuracy ?

[@dolphincliffs8864]

We bought one a few days ago,light primers strikes with steel ammo, I removed the firing pin and took some material off in the radius cut and extending the firing pin travel by .010. Shoots steel ammo just fine now!

[@fraserconnell21]

I've just subscribed to this channel👍. Here in the UK 🇬🇧 it's got really strict laws for gun ownership and all the more desirable types of guns are outright banned. So it's great to see videos with all those fantastic firearms. One thing is clear and once guns are taken you'll not ever get them back. If I lived in America I'd definitely join the NRA. Because it is very well organised and it's better been part of a united group than been one voice alone.

[@brianbeam361]

So true Fraser. We stand with you. I find it laughable when other countries are appalled that the US allows me to own guns. It is the ability to own a gun which keeps us free and free of a tyrannical government. A government which is hanging by a thread, but if all else fails we are armed to the teeth and will fight for our freedom.

[@davidallred4611]

I love my Mini 30!

[@jerrysponagle3881]

Mini 30, semi auto 12 or 10 Guage, revolver or repeating pistol , a bowie knife, an Estwing hatchet, brass knuckles....you are fairly well equipped for defence against the hoards of hungry and angry people that may be otg in the next few years. Ammo....dont runout....physical Condition...keep up... situation awareness....be frosty. . ...then figure out what to do next...now that you made it that far....where to what to do...how to eat and drink...good luck....

[@badass6.0powerstroke10]

I've owned my Mini 30 for Atleast 12 Years now, Stainless Steel Synthetic Stock, bought Brand New. Aftermarket Mags suck with it, Factory Ruger Mags Never had an issue. Fires American Made Ammo Fine, had some issues with the Cheaper Russian Stuff. My Dad and Brother both have the Mini 14 in .223 They both had there's about same time as me, But Dad had his since Late 80,s Both of there's will Fire any Ammo just Fine. Not sure if the Taper of the 7.62x39mm Cartridge causes the issue with the Russian Stuff Not working to good with my Mini 30 or Not. It's been like that since Brand New. Always wondered if the Tolerances of the Russian Ammo wasn't as precise as American Made Ammo. But otherwise besides that issue, i Freaking Love my Mini 30, it's one Hell of a Fun Gun. And if i had to go to War, i would be bringing my Mini 30 with me. It's an Excellent Home Defense Rifle, short enough to maneuver in tight spots, and still have the Fire Power to take out Objects 75-100 yards with decent accuracy. Only Wish i can still use my Hi Cap. Mags Legally.

[@AZTLANSOLDIER13]

Ruger for life!!!!

[@bosse641]

Very nice. ...fun little rifle.

[@ScottAT]

My new 580 series stainless Mini 30 identical to the one used here in the gentleman’s hand has a 29% failure rate firing Russian (Berdian Primer) ammunition. A terrible disappointment.

[@xendarcodm]

If you run AKs like me it would be nice to have a scope option with this. I would usually use my hunting rifle to snipe out at a distance but I like the idea of being able to hunt with cheap AK ammo.

[@stripervince1]

Just use american brass, no wolf, tula or foreign steel case ammo

[@231mac]

No, just change the firing pin and run _anything_ you'd like after that.

[@bobshore9529]

I have that exact rifle, love it, shoots fine and very reliable.

[@Joaquin546]

Hey I have a question. I heard that it can have trouble with cheaper made bullets. Have you noticed anything along those lines?

[@claudiodominguez.]

Ho's the accuracy ?

[@lisabrowner]

I've also seen ten round mags for you Californians

[@fladoodleflamy]

Lol

[@jonmacdonald5345]

We can finally have 90 round drums again!

[@chriscosby2459]

This is my favorite firearm that I have ever owned. I shoot brass through the Mini Thirty 80% of the time.

[@xs650abear6]

Mini 14 and mini 30, both great Ruger rifles that will end up on Biden / Harris assault rifle list along with 200 more center fire self loading rifles.

[@RecoveringUGrad]

They were exempted in the past.

[@odyshopody9387]

I bought one of the older ones 20 years ago and have always had a problem with the trigger assembly popping out. I usually have to bend the back part of the trigger guard forward to get it to stay in place. Sent it back to Ruger once and they said there was nothing wrong. Hadn't shot it in years, took it out to the range a month ago and sure enough first shot the trigger assembly popped out of it's notch!

[@notsosilentmajority1]

Not being sarcastic.... do you want to sell it?

[@MrGeoffois]

I just bought a mini 30 in the 580 series made in 2016. I realized the 600 rounds of brass ammo I have is Bosnian corrosive ammo. If I clean right away I should be fine but I want to make sure I clean the right parts. Do I need to take it down to the barrel and receiver? Thanks for your video

[@bobshwd65]

How accurate is it? Good for 100yds only? I'd like one for deer.

[@MrBrandonata]

Up to 300 meters. Like the m4

[@SwornHeresy]

Just fine if you get a barrel stabilizer like the Accu Strut for it and stick to a 16 inch barrel.

[@Yettiattack]

Shoot decent ammo every gun is accurate

[@chrispatirot8575]

Be nice if we’re 243

[@glynnmitchell9253]

“Decent accuracy “, tells us nothing.

[@alanhigh8125]

The new models can achieve 2 moa at 100 yds with quality ammo.

[@robertlevine8243]

Great video thanks

[@protonneutron9046]

too expensive compared to an AK

[@JohnnyB-f1v]

Hello Sir, I have a Mini-30 too and I want to install a 1-4×24 scope with tube diameter of 30mm. How high is the base of your Leupold rings? Greetings from Germany😊

[@ahsuser]

This is a great rifle when used as-is out of the box with brass cased ammo. I run into difficulties with my (late model) rifle if I try steel cased ammo or after-market clipazines. I've seen a couple vids suggesting aftermarket Wolf springs but nothing definitive, and the Ruger brand clipazines are costly. If these two issues were cleared up, I'd take this over an AK any day.

[@fiveowaf454]

There is a modified firing pin made in the aftermarket that extends out further from the bolt face to ensure detonation of hard primers in the steel cased ammo. Also there are stronger hammer springs, but in some cases they don't work as the firing pin just doesn't hit deep enough into the primer, because the collar prevent it travelling further. In fairness to Ruger I don't think they ever intended, or said the 30 was to be used with the cheap steel cased Ammo, but of course we all want to do just that.

[@TonyFischer]

What about Russian ammo?

[@samzach2057]

I have a 583 series and have never had a malfunction, but the accuracy is very poor. I’m lucky if it holds 5” groups at 100 yards, and I’ve tried too many different brands of ammo to mention. I’ve also tried 2 different scopes, a Nikon 3-9 and a Leupold vx1 3-9. I have a mini 6.8 spc that I mounted the Leupold scope on that is very accurate.

[@realnealvatn]

People that complain about accuracy need to shoot more I took mine out and at 100 yards was hitting a two inch in diameter circle 🔴 sticker no problem the thing is people just have to get the sight picture down with iron sights the Manuel explains what it should look like when you shoot

[@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547]

Brian, the advent of this rifle was well before 1987, it was called the Ruger Ranch Rifle back then.

[@knighthawk1784]

mmm no..

[@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu]

💘 this.

[@mrthomaslaux1]

Folding stock?

[@RONIN2025]

I wish they came in 350 Legend

[@turtletruth]

Excellent documentary!

[@goldcfi7103]

How reliable is it with steel-cased ammo??

[@corefishing4858]

I like mine but even after a pin job it still struggles with the steel ammo. Brass is no problem

[@bolriconyc3795]

What pin did you go with?

[@231mac]

I put in an Accuracy Systems firing pin and never had another issue. Is your bolt face flat?

[@gewglesux]

I always wanted one of these... either the 14 or the 30... course i prefer.223 Thanks for the video.. it was very informative.

[@james4878]

Would love to see one in .308!

[@flyurway]

@Clawbytes I would concur with that except you're talking the marriage of a top long range tack driving round with an average accuracy, short barreled rifle, so the concept doesn't make a ton of sense. Might as well have the extra punch of the .308.

[@notsosilentmajority1]

@@TechSeller Thank you !!

[@GMC05]

M1A

[@231mac]

They made them but never went into production.

[@jerrykemphfer9436]

Love to see ruger make one in .350 ld

[@mikefrench3800]

very informative

[@katana258]

mini were never accurate from day one .. stainless so bad 20 rounds hot done at 100 yards .. had a early one 1977 model with wood top side blued that was ok

[@randyroadz8697]

I’ve had problems with steel cartridges jamming. Anyone else?

[@badfone1]

Has to be cycled enough. Cheap ammo sometimes is difficult. After that she eats em up.

[@nickpond]

Hot trash

[@NebulousCat]

The Mini 30 is a total POS! I had one and was happy to get rid of it. You have to take the scope off to clean the action, etc.

[@allanw6103]

Gun of the week? How about fail of the decade? I own a newer Mini30 in which Ive done numerous upgrades including hogue stock, wolff main spring, buffertech, wolff 20rnd mag springs plus tech sights. Looks cool with accustrut but i dont have one and I dont want to spend the money on extra weight. not concerned about accuracy that much for self defense short range plinker. Nutnfancy trashed this rifle and hickock45 was nicer but he also says use only good ammo. The reviewer is not telling us what kind of ammo he is using. The reason this gun is a flawed design and failed strategy by Ruger is bc it wont shoot steel reliably. Now why would you make a gun chambered in 762x39 that only shoots brass when 90% of available ammo is steel case? kind of pointless buying this gun in the first place I think. i didnt know at the time. You might as well buy an AK or SKS which is designed to shoot steel 762x39, so you can actually shoot steel! which came first, the round or the rifle? i dont know the history of AK47's but i wish i had one now. If you can afford to buy brass and you like Ruger, americanmade, garand action(hard to clean) then go ahead and buy it. But if you can afford brass why would you when you can buy an M1A or an AR10 in 308 which is much more versatile? for less recoil you say and cheaper?. you might as well purchase an AR in 300BLK. Personally i think the 762x39 is more powerful than 300BLK which is also more expensive in brass for a smaller case? Ah but you can buy a MINI chambered in 300BLK now . But why would you when you can buy an AR chambered in 300BLK which is more modular? Its a good looking carbine for the traditionalist who wants a semiauto but other than that you better have good ammo which you can buy now at about an avg of $1 per round. I mean really good hunting ammo too. good alternative for california where ar's are being outlawed. I think Ruger even says not to use steel in the manual. Ive not gotten any LPS's with wolf but thats fixable by a gunsmith massaging the pin and trigger spring. thats from hard berdan primers. I think the problem is the magazines dont like steel. NO antitilt followers wont feed it reliably. The conical shape of the cartridge pinches on the feed lips in the rear. the last round wont even clear the magazine so really they are 19 round mags. You CAN find some cheaper brass in 762x39 at around 50cents a round but even that gets expensive. same price as hornady steel case sst. Kind of blows the budget when you are forced to buy brass and there is so much 25cent/round steel case 762x39 ammo available. bottom line.. if you want to shoot steel dont buy this rifle. Buy a CMMG mutant instead of the mini 30 or an AK47. yes the AK47 is reliable as all get out but limited in optics and other rail addons. Heck theres even steel 308 for less than 10 bucks a box now. I wonder how it would run in a M1A or AR10? prob better in an AR10 bc of better mags. I picked up a Ruger American ranch rifle just to have a back up when this gun jams and shoot my surplus steel. kind of a neat little pig/scout /brush gun which does take mini30 mags. no iron sights though which is kind of bummer for a 16" barrel. no matter bc i put a prostaff 32mm scope on that rifle for accuracy and hunting and a red dot on this one for shtf. And get rid of the heavy steel scope rings already Ruger. I wish they would they would fix the mags but who knows what would make this rifle feed steel reliable. you can shoot it but it will FTFeed and fire at some point. not worth the hassle really so best to avoid the MINI30 and go with something else. two choices if u buy. you buy u can put more money into this prom queen or just try to buy cheap brass like geco, s&b, or ppu. really it just doesnt like cheap ammo. For the money youd spend on feeding it brass 762x39 you could get a CMMG Mutant which does take AK mags and still run steel 762. the mini in 300blk is kind of pointless when the mini30 requires brass already. its got more punch and you can buy cheaper brass 762x39 than brass 300blk. I hear the Mini 14 is better prob bc of the straight 223 rounds and brass is cheap so if you must have a mini that is prob the better choice. "those who trade liberty for security deserve neither"

[@fiveowaf454]

It can be modified to shoot steel ammo for about $30 for a different firing pin and a stronger hammer spring if necessary. In fairness to Ruger I have not seen them claim it should be fired using cheap steel cased ammo.

[@davidpallin772]

Alan W, a doctoral dissertation about a rifle you regret buying?