questions concerning Mini-30 & M1

[Nic Barca]

I was under the impression that the mini-30 shot .30 carbine bullets. So did many people I know. When I was younger, I was shown a gun with the .30 carbine bullets which was called a Mini-30 by the owners. Now I look in the ruger catalog and finally noticed how it's caliber was 7.62x39mm. Was that always it's caliber or did the mini-30 previously shoot the .30 carbine and switch over?? And if it always shot the 7.62x39, could the guns that I (and friends) saw which shot the 30carbine bullets only be M1s???

It's funny because I even recal the guns that shot the .30carbine looking just like the mini-30 of the pictures. Was I just simply horibly mistaken or did the mini-30 previously shoot .30 carbine?

[Briman]

I don't think the Min-30 was ever chambered in .30 carbine. If it was a long time ago, it wouldn't have made sense, because an M1 carbine would have been cheaper not to mention a better carbine.

[abnhunter]

The Mini-30 has always been chanbered for 7.62x39. Iver Johnson used to make a civilian version of the M1 Carbine chambered in .30 carbine. Maybe that was the gun? The two do look somewhat alike, I admit.

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: Nic Barca

I was under the impression that the mini-30 shot .30 carbine bullets. So did many people I know. When I was younger, I was shown a gun with the .30 carbine bullets which was called a Mini-30 by the owners. Now I look in the ruger catalog and finally noticed how it's caliber was 7.62x39mm. Was that always it's caliber or did the mini-30 previously shoot the .30 carbine and switch over?? And if it always shot the 7.62x39, could the guns that I (and friends) saw which shot the 30carbine bullets only be M1s???

It's funny because I even recal the guns that shot the .30carbine looking just like the mini-30 of the pictures. Was I just simply horibly mistaken or did the mini-30 previously shoot .30 carbine?

The Ruger Mini-30 has NEVER BEEN CHAMBERED FOR ANY ROUND OTHER THAN THE 7.62X39mm Soviet!! However, the Mini-14 has been chambered for other .22-cal. varmint rounds besides the .223, ie., .222 Rem, etc. Ruger has never chambered any RIFLE for the .30 U.S. Carbine round, but they have made revolvers so chambered.

Any semi-auto you've ever seen of the gas-operated, rotating bolt design that you're talking about is some version of the U.S. Carbine, cal. .30, either G.I. or commercially made (Plainfield, Iver Johnson, etc.)!

[glock29rd]

there was a company who use to tweek assault rifles to shoot many different calibers unfortunately i do not recall the name and have yet to see them in shotgun news and other publications... ( i am not talking about SSK) these guns modified a m1 garand to shoot 300 win mag, the tweeked a m1 carbine to shoot 7.62x39mm
all sorts of stuff.. so that is mayby what you saw was a mini 30 tweeked to shoot m1 carbine ammo..

ANYTHING IS POSSBLE