Seneca

I was using MFS 2000 ammo, I started experiencing failure to extract almost immediately and quit shooting. The MFS 2000 is factory ammo is imported from Hungary, It has a brass case and copper jacketed bullet...No steel or bimetal.

I checked the extractor which was fine, I did notice the cases rim had striation marks where the extractor pulled off the rim of the cartridge. I'm guessing I was getting too much pressure at the port with this ammo. It appears the action was unlocking and opening before the pressure was low enough for it to do so...

The result being a case left in the chamber and striations on the case rim...I'm pretty sure I need to try a different factory load, one that's not quite so warm.

Any suggestions...I was thinking Seller & Bellot...Possibly Privi Partisan...I want to build up some brass for reloading. The MFS brass is good stuff, It's just the factory loading that is hotter than hot...

trinity93

Try TulAmmo brand for 7.62 rounds. Its cheep and works well in the mini30. not sure for brass cuse its steel i think

Nick0410

You should get a bullet puller and dissemble the stuff and then reload it if its good brass.

harryball

I had no luck with TulAmmo, kept taking 2 strikes to fire and/or jamming. WPA (Wolf) Ammo has been working well with the rare light load.

harryball

Here is the WPA Ammo in action...

JohnR

I guess the manual says to use American factory-made ammo for a good reason!

Seneca

That's a disclaimer, I think you'll find that or something similar to it in all Ruger Manuals, along with another disclaimer that using reloaded ammunition will void the warranty. They do that because they have no control over what brand type or the condition of ammo you use or for that matter your reloading practices...It's a catch 22...

All in All I would prefer to use american made factory ammo. Yet Federal, Remmington, Hornady and Winchester ammo is just way too spendy...

Fiocchi has a plant in Missouri and the ammunition they turn out is pretty good...I want to try some of that...Yet it's snapped up the minute it hits the shelves...

I picked up a couple of boxed of S&B and will give it a try. If I get the same results with it...I'll have the AK handy and turn it all into reloadable brass...

Thats another thing...It's less expensive to buy the imported brass cased (reloadable) ammunition and convert it to casings than it is to buy the components new...

JohnR

In my internet research, feeding problems tend to be almost universally from Russian and Chinese ammo. Not that all foreign ammo always misfeeds, but the idea of experimenting with ammo that's known to give others problems doesn't interest me. You get what you pay for, I guess.

Seneca

John R,
I do agree with you...The Mini 30 is kind of a catch 22 when it comes to ammunition...Other than buying and using only american made ammunition, there are, or can be problems with using imported ammo...

Some people don't want to mess with ammunition issues, they prefer to be able to buy whatever ammo is available and have it work and other like to tinker...As a reloader I fall into the latter catagory.

While it was somewhat of a suprise to me that the Mini gacked on MFS ammo, since MFS uses quality components...none the less It'll be a fun challenge to come up with ammo for the mini that work and doesn't break the piggy bank in the process...


It is not like there is no control over the ammunition being made elswhere and imported into the US...

CIP is the European equivalent of SAAMI, their ammunition testing procedures are every bit as thorough as ours maybe even more so...Yet their standards are slightly different. There is an effort underway between the two create a uniform standard for ammunition. Which should be of particular interest to the 7.62X39 shooters.

Russia, Hungary and the Check republic are members of CIP and their ammunition conforms to CIP standards. If SAAMI and CIP can agree on a standard then the issue of whether or not to use imported 7.62X39 ammunition becomes moot because it will all be made to the same standard.

sirgilligan

From the many posts I see on this topic, I think it is fair to consider that the "use case" for the Mini-30 includes shooting foreign surplus ammo. Is there something that can be done at the factory? Some type of design change to the firing pin or bolt? If so, just get out the old pen and paper and hand write a letter. Surely it is worth a stamp.

Seneca

Many people do shoot the surplus ammo, I think Ruger should address that aspect of use. If they haven't already done so.

The Mini 30 was originally designed as a semi auto hunting rifle comparable to the 30-30. Thats the reason only 5 round factory magazines were available. Simply put it was considered a hunting rifle, hence no need for a high capacitly magazine.

I've considered that a possible solutions is to buy a gas bushing set and do some trial and error testing, or buy an adjustable gas block, made by Accurate Systems and regulate the gas flow from the port, the gas block is spendy.

My search of these boards turned up a post about using a roll pin to reduce the diameter of the hole in the gas block bushing...Which would work if reducing the inside diameter of the bushing was what was needed.

As it stands now I'll continue to test ammunition from various manufacturers to find one that works reliably, or work up a reload that will. By the time I exhaust my search of factory ammunition I should have an ample supply of reloadable brass...lol

I do like the idea of an adjustable gas port though the cost for one is a bit high...though the plus is that it would allow the mini to be tuned to the ammunition.

kwg020

I did the roll pin through the gas bushing. It reduced the distance my brass was thrown from 30 feet down to 12 feet. I saw on a forum where another person did the same thing. His brass still went 15 to 20 feet. Apparently, it does not work for everyone. I was happy with my results and I saved a bunch of money over an adjustable gas block. kwg

staff3704

harryball - Which WPA ammo were you using?

Seneca

Back from the range and I think it's coming along at least it's better, only one fail out of 70 rounds and that can probably be attributed to the ammunition...

Took the chronograph with me, some factory ammo and a hand full of reloads, the factory ammo performed as expected 25-50 fps below advertised velocity...very reliable and soso accurate.

The reloads were starting level and averaging 2150 fps and produced some outstanding accuracy. The single failure occured with the reloads, the cartridge extracted but was caught by bolt as it came forward.

One minor problem is that the bolt is sluggish when sling shot to chamber a cartridge or hangs up on the base of the top cartridge in the magazine and needs to be nudged forward to chamber the round. I'll try a new extra power recoil spring and see if that helps.

The extraction issues are for the most part solved or at least headed in the right direction. It sends the brass forward at 2 oclock in a rough line extending from the bench out to about 15-20 feet. That I can work with.

I will eventually try some steel cased cartridges with bimetal bullets, like Tule, or Wolf. It's the wrong time of year. It's way to hot and dry to chance getting a spark off a richocet. So that experiment is on hold and will have to wait til it cools down this fall.