Ammo for Mini-30 - Help!!!

[LeoOshkosh]

I've heard all of the horror stories about trying to fire wolf ammo in my Ruger Mini 30..

Quick queston: will this ammo fire effectively?

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/600rds-762x39-yugoslavian-military-123gr-fmj-on-stripper-clip

"This is 7.62x39 Yugoslavian Military 7.62x39 123gr. FMJ on stripper clips . This ammo was manufactured by a Yugoslavian military arsenal. This ammo has a 123gr. NON-MAGNETIC FMJ bullet. That means a magnet will not stick to the bullet, so this ammo should be safe to shoot at any gun range. It is also brass cased, berdan primed and mildly corrosive. This is excellent military grade 7.62x39 ammo. This ammo is packed 10rds to a stripper clip. 40rds to a box, 1120rds. per wooden crate."

[Bitmap]

Have you actually tried Wolf in your rifle? I would buy a few boxes, as well as Barnul (spelling?) and Monarch. See how it works.

I would avoid the corrosive kind if I could. If you use that be sure to clean the gas system in addition to the bore and chamber after you are done.

[TPAW]

I have a stainless Mini 30 with a 3x9x40 scope on it. I've been shoot Wolf ammo for years and never had any problems. Accuracy at 100 yards, 3 shot groups, inch and a half. I shoot the 154 grain soft points. Just keep the rifle clean and lubed. With the polymer coating on the casings, it is not nearly as dirty as the old lacquer use to be. By the way, it's all non corrosive.

Here's one of their ads:

7.62X39 RUSSIAN SOFT POINT
WOLF MANUFACTURER - 154 GRAIN
JACKETED SOFT POINT
WOLF MANUFACTURER
20 ROUND BOXES NON CORROSIVE

100% NEW POLYMER COATING

[mini14.223]

i have a mini14...(i know, not the same cal...) but i shoot tons of wolf ammo through mine and it chews it up and spits it out all day long...never and one malfunction

[MosinM38]

Should work fine.

I would stick to Wolf, or other cheap non-corrosive ammo though.

My Mini-14 had a early problem of not ejecting ANY shells, replaced the main spring and it "Somewhat" cured it. Now it will eject any shell EXCEPT wolf ammo..... And once it warms up (2-3 rounds) it will THEN eject wolf ammo until it cools off again.

But once it's warmed up, I can shoot wolf in it and it seems good. Dad's handloads group about 1 1/2" and Wolf ammo seems to be about 2". Good enough accuracy.

[Mike215]

I shoot wolf out of my 14 all the time. No problems. Ruger makes durable rifles.

[Lloyd Smale]

my mini 30 shoots wolf reliably. It isnt the most accurate ammo in that gun but finding an accurate load is a job in that gun anyway.

[45Marlin carbine]

I think you should avoid the Wolf Black Box in your M30. I tryed it in my 189 series and it didn't shoot well, was dirty and had several FTF out of the 3 boxes I tryed. some M30 owners have reported fireing pin breakage with also. I gave the rest (I bought 5 boxes at the fun show) to a shooting buddy w/an SK he had no problem but said it's dirty stuff.
the Wolf Military Classic is supposed to be better ammo - it's the camo pattern box. I have shot it in my Makarov 9mmX18 pistol and shoots good fairly clean, also i have tryed the 'Silver Bear' ammo is good stuff and so is (but I haven't tryed any) Barnaul and Monarch and Golden Tiger and Cheetah but I use the good brass ammo in mine, it's too valuable a hunting rifle with SHTF capability for me to risk damaging.
I've read good reports on the Yugo brass cased, it is corrosive primed so use a good squirting down with Windex to clean after shooting it. I'm considering a purchase of that for SHTF lay back myself.

[TDodge7]

my friends mini 30 loves wolf ammo , and hates winchester . another friends sks is the same way , go figure.

[partssman]

Here's what Ruger says.....


Thank you for using the Ruger On-Line Customer Support Request Form.

This e-mail is in response to your question or comment of 02/13/2009
Request No: 23648

Comment / question:

Hello,
Have a quick question regarding the Mini 30.

Can I safely use 7.62X39 I have for my AK's in a Mini 30? Golden Tiger, Wolf etc.

Thank you for your time and help.

Mike

Response:
All of our firearms are designed to handle all US Industry Standard Ammunition made to SAMMI Spec.

If you need further information, please visit our website at www.ruger.com or contact us at:

Revolvers, shotguns, rifles, 10/22 Charger Pistol: (603) 865-2442
Pistols: (928) 778-6555
Serial Number History Information: (603) 865-2424

Please note: This e-mail is sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.

Sincerely,
Ruger Firearms

[reidsworks]

Have a new mini 30. New factory fresh Wolf black box ammo... The two don't work together... Anyone have any experience with Wolf.
I have been told that the Wolf has harder primers so the firing pin strike is not strong enough. I have ordered more powerful hammer spring from gunsprings.com.
Just found that Georgia Arms rounds work just fine. Wolf only fires 2 out of 8 rnds.
Looks like Lapua from Finland may work too. Issue most likely related to the harder berdan primer as compared to boxer primers.
Any experts want to chime in. I really hate to install stronger spring if I can shoot reasonably priced ammo.
Georgia Arms rounds 300 count for $130. SAKO(Finnish ammo) for 7.49 per 30 round box. Yugo ammo also brass cased with Berdan primers. But noone can tell me if they are harder primers like the Wolf black box

[tomh1426]

Ive heard about problems with Wolf ammo but both black box and the military classic work fine in all my 7.62X39's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXpVzd7GsEk
I have a case of Golden Tiger and so far I really like it!

[GONIF]

FYI the Wolf Military Classic ammo in the tan box is better than the black box Wolf. the mini will never be a tack driver ,so Wolf if it feeds and ejects is pleanty good enough for it .

[4sixteen]

According to an older edition of the Speer reloading manual, the Mini-30 has a bore diameter of 0.308", and most foreign ammunition they state is loaded with 0.311" diameter bullets.

Not sure if the newer Mini-30's have a 0.311" bore diameter. :confused:

I also have a 7.62 x 39 Remington 799 that does have a 0.311" bore diameter.

I've been firing the ammo that's available by the case containing 1120 rounds with no apparent problems in my recently purchased Mini-30 rifle.

[bamaranger]

Seems like I've read that early mini-30's had .308 bores, but later models run .311. Yeah, Ruger has a disclaimer for US ammo but....

Seems like a read in the Rifleman that Ruger put a long throat/leade (?) on the
mini to allow it to handle .311 more easily. I guess the bullet gets squished down more gradually.

Anyhow, I shot 1000 or so rounds of Norinco and wolf through mine when I first got it, w/ no probs, and its an early one.

Since then, I've picked up an AK, it gets my import ammo, and have enough x39 brass on hand to reload .308 dia for the mini and its brother my M77II !

[kiwi56]

I have always treated all Eastern block and commy manufactured ammo as corrosive until proven otherwise. I always completely strip the sks down after shooting and give it a thorough clean. Just because a box has non corrosive printed on it doesn't always mean that it is.
We struck this when my shooting buddy and I got a 1500round case of Norinco that was manufactured in 92. While I am fastidious about cleaning my rifles after shooting he is not and it did some minor damage to his mini 30.

[Big-Foot]

I have been told that the Wolf has harder primers so the firing pin strike is not strong enough.

Yes shooting it voids Rugers warranty because it can break the firing pin. This goes for almost all imported ammo. Now I've shot albout a quarter case of steel cased Russian ammo and I never broke a firing pin, but then again I don't know if it has been weakened either and if I have to depend on the rifle some day I hope it doesn't pick that moment to break.

Now I shoot domestic brass cased boxer primed ammo and save the cheap stuff for the SKS. Besides it's good to have some reloadable brass around.

[Skans]

I have an AC556 - full auto mini-14, and I shoot wolf ammo in it exclusively now. No problems whatsoever.

[Lloyd Smale]

mine too had problems with light primer strikes on it until i put in a wolf extra power firing pin spring.

[bamaranger]

I got some corrosive x39 ammo mixed in w/ non once, likely just a couple of rounds, and discovered it the next day after shooting. The bolt would not retract, the op rod had flash rusted to the gas cyl/port! Took it out of the action, hosed it down w/ WD-40, and after a brief while, smacked it with a leather mallet on the bolt handle. Popped free!

Worked the bore over w/ a bristle brush/ solvent, then some JB paste. No visible damage ( to then naked eye) and the Mini still groups the same, which is to say fair. Lucky!

[crobar]

Are the primers on all foreign 7.62x39's as hard as on the Wolf ammo? I would like to find one that will work consistently in my newer Mini 30 and that is non corrosive. What about Silver Bear etc.

[Ignition Override]

My Mini 30 was bought used, and is about five years old. Original configuration.

The seller never stated whether any parts had been replaced, and out of about 1,200 rounds of only Wolf and Monarch, it has had about 12-16 ftfs on the first pin strike.

[Oldandintheway]

Don't know why. Don't know why not. But I do know that the silver bear I ordered has had a total of one failure to fire on the first time through, while Wolf was about 1 out of 3.

I love the Mini-30, I have an Eotech on it with an optional 3x and now that the round selection is sorted out it is a lot of fun. It is the worst thing to happen to Wily Coyote since the founding of ACME products.

[crobar]

Thanks OAITW, I too love my mini 30 and will try some Silver Bear in it. I have never owned a handier and lighter weapon than the 30.