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Or as some like to call it, the Mini 300, as it is in 300 AAC Blackout. The Mini 30 is the 7.62 x 39 model.
I had a Mini 14 years ago in .223 and it was a blast to shoot. Strictly a fun gun/camping gun. Sidefolder, too. Stupid me for getting rid of it, but who knew. I always liked the action, even before I picked up the real thing, an M1 Carbine. And then later a couple M1's.
The local shop has had this one sitting in the racks the last few times I've been up there. Always tempting. And the recent thread on a small handy carbine was all I needed to push me into buying it. Plus I have too many AR's as it is. I can do to lose one or two to make room for this small rifle in 30 caliber.
I've got some rounds through it, all handloads, plus have fiddled with it enough that I have some initial impressions. I'll just rattle them off.
Ruger's gas block is not adjustable. They tell you that it will work both with subsonic rounds, as long as there is a suppressor attached, and supersonic rounds. It did not cycle the gun with my subsonic rounds, but I've got some very soft, quiet shooting loads that I use in my bolt gun, so I imagine a little heavier bullet and a little more powder might help things out. Since I don't intend to shoot this suppressed it's of no bother to try to work out a load for it.
Of course the loads I had that were 1400 fps and up have all functioned just fine. And I have not yet hit the velocity that supposedly has these guns chucking brass into the next county, but maybe that is more a problem with the .223's... or the older models. I've been very happy with it's reliability so far. No dented cases, but it does tend to throw a few forward every now and then. I imagine they are hitting the port.
The trigger is very nice. Not match quality, but better than I expected. Just a tiny amount of creep if you are squeezing it real slow. Way better than 95% of the AR triggers I've squeezed. And I was able to shoot a seven round group at 50 yds under 1-1/2" with irons off the bench (one bag). Accuracy is not as bad as I've been reading and I haven't even got a load I like yet.
But the front sight is terrible. Actually, I don't like the rear sight either because you need allen wrenches to adjust it, but the front blade...
Ruger has put a rather large radius on the back corner of the front blade. On purpose, because it's serrated, too. In certain lighting, and with eyes that have been on this earth 57 years, that makes trying to find the top of the blade extremely difficult. It's nothing but a blur to me. Even with my shooting glasses on.
Optics. I did attempt to mount a scope. The rifle comes supplied with Ruger's proprietary scope rings AND a picatinny rail. I put the rings on yesterday and mounted my Nikon 3-9x Prostaff on. The rear bell was hitting the rear sight. That wasn't going to work. Plus there was something about the rings I didn't like anyway, so I screwed the rail section on instead. I have some low mount rings due in today and if need be will remove the rear sight. I want to scope it at least until I find an accurate load it likes.
While I had the scope on I brought the gun to shoulder. Even with the rings Ruger sent I found my cheekweld just a little too low. It seems a lot of folks do. I also put a cheek riser on my list of things to get. Might as well make it comfortable.
There is also a very nice side mount picatinny optic rail that will still allow you to use the irons. Pricey, but supposedly worth it. I am not sure if I'll leave a scope on or not yet, but if I do I might check into that. Although who really needs both a scope AND irons? I've hit what I was shooting at with a scope I couldn't see the crosshairs on. Anyway, the side mount is made by GG&G if you want to Google it. Optics Planet has them under a hundred. Which is still a lot less than an M1A mount (for comparison)
One mod I had to get right away was the handguard. The old one reminds me of an aircraft carrier. You know how they seem ungainly with the decks sticking out over the ship's hull on the side? That's what it reminded me of. Ruger covers up the op rod and probably gives it more clearance than it needs, so I found a handguard for 15 bucks that does the job. Adds more barrel ventilation, too. Even though these new bull barreled models don't have the barrel problems of the older pencil barrel Mini 14's.
They make a mod for that, too, a barrel strut, but I believe with the thicker barrels it is more for looks and not stabilization. It does include an adjustable gas block though, so if I find I want to fine tune my ejection I'll probably get one. It gives the gun the look of an M1 or Carbine.
Anyway, so far so good. It's a light, handy rifle. In 300 AAC the recoil is light. It doesn't really need anything out of the box, but it's available if you want.
Here's some pics.
I had a Mini 14 years ago in .223 and it was a blast to shoot. Strictly a fun gun/camping gun. Sidefolder, too. Stupid me for getting rid of it, but who knew. I always liked the action, even before I picked up the real thing, an M1 Carbine. And then later a couple M1's.
The local shop has had this one sitting in the racks the last few times I've been up there. Always tempting. And the recent thread on a small handy carbine was all I needed to push me into buying it. Plus I have too many AR's as it is. I can do to lose one or two to make room for this small rifle in 30 caliber.
I've got some rounds through it, all handloads, plus have fiddled with it enough that I have some initial impressions. I'll just rattle them off.
Ruger's gas block is not adjustable. They tell you that it will work both with subsonic rounds, as long as there is a suppressor attached, and supersonic rounds. It did not cycle the gun with my subsonic rounds, but I've got some very soft, quiet shooting loads that I use in my bolt gun, so I imagine a little heavier bullet and a little more powder might help things out. Since I don't intend to shoot this suppressed it's of no bother to try to work out a load for it.
Of course the loads I had that were 1400 fps and up have all functioned just fine. And I have not yet hit the velocity that supposedly has these guns chucking brass into the next county, but maybe that is more a problem with the .223's... or the older models. I've been very happy with it's reliability so far. No dented cases, but it does tend to throw a few forward every now and then. I imagine they are hitting the port.
The trigger is very nice. Not match quality, but better than I expected. Just a tiny amount of creep if you are squeezing it real slow. Way better than 95% of the AR triggers I've squeezed. And I was able to shoot a seven round group at 50 yds under 1-1/2" with irons off the bench (one bag). Accuracy is not as bad as I've been reading and I haven't even got a load I like yet.
But the front sight is terrible. Actually, I don't like the rear sight either because you need allen wrenches to adjust it, but the front blade...
Ruger has put a rather large radius on the back corner of the front blade. On purpose, because it's serrated, too. In certain lighting, and with eyes that have been on this earth 57 years, that makes trying to find the top of the blade extremely difficult. It's nothing but a blur to me. Even with my shooting glasses on.
Optics. I did attempt to mount a scope. The rifle comes supplied with Ruger's proprietary scope rings AND a picatinny rail. I put the rings on yesterday and mounted my Nikon 3-9x Prostaff on. The rear bell was hitting the rear sight. That wasn't going to work. Plus there was something about the rings I didn't like anyway, so I screwed the rail section on instead. I have some low mount rings due in today and if need be will remove the rear sight. I want to scope it at least until I find an accurate load it likes.
While I had the scope on I brought the gun to shoulder. Even with the rings Ruger sent I found my cheekweld just a little too low. It seems a lot of folks do. I also put a cheek riser on my list of things to get. Might as well make it comfortable.
There is also a very nice side mount picatinny optic rail that will still allow you to use the irons. Pricey, but supposedly worth it. I am not sure if I'll leave a scope on or not yet, but if I do I might check into that. Although who really needs both a scope AND irons? I've hit what I was shooting at with a scope I couldn't see the crosshairs on. Anyway, the side mount is made by GG&G if you want to Google it. Optics Planet has them under a hundred. Which is still a lot less than an M1A mount (for comparison)
One mod I had to get right away was the handguard. The old one reminds me of an aircraft carrier. You know how they seem ungainly with the decks sticking out over the ship's hull on the side? That's what it reminded me of. Ruger covers up the op rod and probably gives it more clearance than it needs, so I found a handguard for 15 bucks that does the job. Adds more barrel ventilation, too. Even though these new bull barreled models don't have the barrel problems of the older pencil barrel Mini 14's.
They make a mod for that, too, a barrel strut, but I believe with the thicker barrels it is more for looks and not stabilization. It does include an adjustable gas block though, so if I find I want to fine tune my ejection I'll probably get one. It gives the gun the look of an M1 or Carbine.
Anyway, so far so good. It's a light, handy rifle. In 300 AAC the recoil is light. It doesn't really need anything out of the box, but it's available if you want.
Here's some pics.
. Knowing me, to be contrary, I'll buy a single shot next 
