MINI 30 and Wolf Ammo

[oldsteve]

GunDoc,
I'm trying to get my Mini 30 (581) to reliably shoot Wolf ammo. From other parts of this forum I see that some people are able to shoot Berdan primed ammo with no problems while others experience multiple misfires. Unfortunately I'm with the second group. Thanks to info I found here, I installed a Wolf XP hammer spring and brought my misfires down from almost every other round to one in three or four. Thats still not particularly enjoyable shooting. Is there anything else that can be done?

[gundoc]

That depends really on what you want to do and how far you're willing to go. I know 7.62x39mm ammo is tough to come by around here (at least good stuff is) and brands such as Wolf become an attractive purchase. I don't recommend altering the rifle to shoot the ammo, especially with Ruger keeping a tight fist on the fire control parts. You can install X-tra power springs, but that increases wear on the trigger and increases the chances of breaking the firing pin. You can also re-headspace the rifle to get a better hit on the primer if warranted, and even refit the firing pin for a litle more reach. Changing the rifle like this can be expensive and will most certainly incur charges from Ruger if factory service is ever needed.

I would recommend shooting up the Wolf and then buying quality domestic ammo or better foreign ammo such as Sellior & Belloitt from internet sources such as Cheaper Than Dirt or Sportsmans Guide. Alternatively you can contact Ruger and explain the problem, asking them to fix the rifle and keeping the factory non-warranty warranty in effect.

[oldsteve]

GunDoc,
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my question. I contacted Ruger right after the first time I tried to shoot Wolf ammo. The service rep told me the Mini 30 wasn't designed to shoot foreign ammo and that I should only use high quality U.S. ammo. Dont think they'd be very receptive to my returning the gun for them to make it shoot Russian ammo! It shot just fine with Winchester XP and WB.

Looks like I'm between Ruger and a hard place. To bad because I like everything about the gun except that it won't shoot cheap ammo. I guess I'm going to have to look at the AK types and do some serious research this time around. Thanks again for your help.