The Ruger Mini-14 should need no introduction to most American shooters. It has been in production for over thirty years and has been made in various configurations and calibers in that time. In addition to being available as a semi-auto, Ruger also made the gun in a select-fire format for sale to police departments and called it the AC-556.
The Mini-14 has been known for dependability but one of the pervious complaints about the Mini-14 was its general lack of accuracy. While the rifle was never designed as a target rifle, some samples were reportedly capable of only marginal accuracy. Ruger was aware of the continuing complaint, and, realizing that the design was getting a little long in the tooth, substantially revamped the Mini-14 in 2005. Some internal parts were changed and redesigned for better longevity but the big change was the introduction of heavier profile hammer forged barrels to vastly improve accuracy potential.
Enter, the Mini-30 Tactical
I haven’t really messed with a Mini in probably 25 years, except for a few mags I ran through an AC-556 a couple of years ago. I have some fond memories of shooting varmints with my dad and brother using a Mini but that was years ago and I’ve not given the Mini a second look until recently when Ruger announced that they were making a new version of the Mini-30 called the Mini-30 Tactical.
What really got me thinking about giving one of the Mini-30 Tacticals a try is David Scott-Donelan’s book, Tactical Tracking Operations.
In the chapter covering weapons and equipment, Mr. Scott-Donelan writes, in short, “Its accuracy, lightness, and reliability, combined with good firepower and superior ballistics, makes it almost a perfect choice for a tracker weapon.”
I recently attended a class in El Paso taught by David and his crew and came away impressed. These guys have all been there, done that, done it a couple more times and lived to tell about it. If you have the need for training in team tactics and tracking, I cannot think of a better instructor cadre.
The Mini-30 Tactical features a hammer-forged 16.12” barrel and is threaded 5/8-24 to accept most .308 flash hiders and muzzle brakes. The gun ships with Ruger’s AC-556 flash hider. The biggest change over previous models — and the most exciting one — is that the gun now ships with a factory Ruger 20-round magazine. The gun comes in the standard white Ruger cardboard box with one magazine, the usual paperwork, and a set of one-inch scope rings.
While the included rings are a nice accessory, I would rather see Ruger include a coupon for rings of the purchaser’s choice, or maybe a padded envelope with instructions on returning the one-inch rings in exchange for a set of 30mm rings. A better option might be to cast and machine short Picatinny-type rails into the top of the receiver to allow more versatility in mounting an optic, which would be nice to have.
Opportunities to Add ‘Nice-to-Have’ Options
While we’re on the subject of “nice-to-haves,” I’d like to see the rifle ship with at least one additional magazine. I also think the magazines should be Parkerized or otherwise feature a matte, non-reflective finish. While the rear sight serves its intended purpose, it is a little touchy regarding adjustment and a click-adjustable sight would be nice. One thing that would be an easy change would be using 1.25-inch sling swivels rather than the one-inch swivels used on the gun now to accommodate available military slings. Given these minor complaints, the gun is nicely fitted with only a few casting marks noticeable on the receiver and op rod. The trigger is a two-stage and is a little heavy and gritty but certainly acceptable for a weapon of this type.
I tried the Minin-30 on paper targets and shot it off the bench at 100 and 300 yards. The gun proved easy to operate and the controls are all familiarly placed to anyone who’s familiar with Garand-type firearms. The new 20-round magazines proved easy to reload and were reliable with all types of ammo used. What really surprised me was what the Mini-30 will do on paper. During my testing, I fired a good variety of brass and steel cased ammo through the gun. With iron sights I had no problems putting five rounds into about three inches off the bench.
A Quality System
While not “bench rest” accurate, the Mini-30 is certainly capable of engaging man-sized targets out to 300 yards with relative ease. I have fired a good number of AK-style rifles in 7.62x39 over the years and found my sample of the Mini-30 to be capable of better accuracy than pretty much anything available in the Kalashnikov design. I’m confident the accuracy potential of this little gun would improve greatly with the addition of a quality optic. Ammunition runs the gamut from inexpensive surplus and steel cased ammo to American-made ammunition that’s suitable for hunting and patrol use.
The Mini-14 isn’t as versatile as the AR platform and has taken a back seat to the AR-15 as a patrol carbine in last decade or two. Still, the Mini-14 was probably the first .223 carbine to find a home in police armories and squad cars across the United States in large numbers and many can still be found in use with police officers across the nation today. The Ruger has always been a solid, reliable and affordable little rifle and officers who are interested in something chambered in 7.62x39mm for duty use without the politically incorrect appearance of the Kalashnikov might want to give Mini-30 Tactical a hard look.
