I have a pretty good supply of x39 ammo from shooting AK's and SKS rifles over the years but it's all steel case stuff with hard military primers. I've done some research and it looks like a lot of people have had FTF problems due to light primer strikes on steel case ammo. Anyone here seen this????

YES...my brand new Mini 30 almost always refuses to fire any steel cased ammo....I already installed the extra strength hammer spring....but still no luck....it does fire any brass cased ammo......I'm thinking of selling it, most likely at a loss......

I've had good luck with both silver bear and golden bear in mine. I bought it used with the stronger springs installed already so I'm not sure if the factory springs would have worked. I'd like to get some Hornady steel match to try in it.

If you reload, buy some once-fired brass and just feed it brass-cased ammo.
I had to make this decision myself because I love my Mini 30 Tac but they don't like steel ammo.
It's a different mindset. Don't think of it as a cheap alternative to a 5.56, but a more powerful alternative...

-Lee

You don't have enough firing pin protrusion and/or the primers on the ammo are set deep.

The three Bears and Tula.  Sometimes a fail to fire on tula, fires second time through.  All stock parts.

Tula sucks, Yugo ammo is the best.....if you can find it.

I am about to pick one up this week.  Hoping for the best.  I have seen on the youtube a video showing how to polish the bolt face and back of the firing pin to get the Russian ammo to go bang.

Mine actually worked after about 60 rounds or so with Wolf and Tula ammo.  I am very happy.

Cabelas Herters brass seems to be the cats meow for mine. Yugo runs good too in mine. I think the prob is primer design more than hardness. The firing pin in an ak or sks is a MUCH larger diameter. So the impact from the pin is striking a larger surface area. I don't think it's depth cause on the second strike many of the rounds that have failed will fire. Tried a wolf spring, dd nothing for mine and was a BITCH to put in. If ruger just made their pins to match com bloc pins diameter the prob would go away I'm certain. Luv my m30 tac but it's no ak. Awesome pig gun and if the firing pin situation was remedied it would be more of a "scout" rifle than the GSR. Back to what to feed it, Herters brass all day and ur shankn swine!

My Mini 30 shoots Tula and Wolf Classic. I did install a Wolf hammer spring.
Never tried it without.
I may have 2 out of 100 light strikes.

Dave N

Mine shot Wolf ok.  I plan on trying brass cased but keep putting it off.

Steel cased ammo.  Not particular on brand.  However lately I have shot some of the Wolf black box HP that had light primer strikes.  I did change out the hammer spring for a heavier spring and still have a few failures to fire on the first primer strike.

I had a mini-30 tactical that did great with Yugo M67 and MFS brass-case.  Did OK with Chi-Com and Wolf/Tula steel.

Put it on gunbroker during the last panic and sold it and the spare magazines for enough to buy an unmolested 1981 Jeep CJ7 Renegade.  Completely ridiculous.