Pre-Sandy Hook I owned a Ruger Mini Thirty, a couple thousand rounds of cheap 7.62×39, and a bunch of mags for it. Post Sandy Hook, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse. What’s more fun than a semi-auto that shoots dirt cheap, big boy ammo? The same in a rugged bolt gun! The threaded Ruger American Rifle Ranch is now chambered in 7.62×39 and, get this…it uses Mini Thirty magazines. MSRP = $599. Ruger’s press release follows:

Ruger American Rifle Ranch Model Now Chambered in 7.62×39

August 30, 2017

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) is excited to introduce the Ruger American Rifle® Ranch model, now chambered in 7.62×39 and fed by the Mini Thirty® magazine. In response to customer feedback, Ruger has combined the power of the classic 7.62×39 cartridge with the compact, bolt-action platform of the Ranch model.

Thirty years after the introduction of the Mini Thirty, its cartridge and magazine have found a new home. The magazine well of the Ruger American Rifle Ranch model is designed to accept Mini Thirty metal box magazines, which are properly positioned for reliable feeding. The magazine release is located in front of the trigger guard for easy manipulation. The rifle ships with a compact, 5-round magazine suitable for hunting. Higher capacity 10- and 20-round magazines are also available at ShopRuger.com.

“Rifles chambered in the popular 7.62×39 cartridge have been a frequent request from our customers and we are proud to bring this exciting new bolt-action configuration to market,” said Chris Killoy, Ruger President and CEO. “Pairing this cartridge with the Ruger American Rifle Ranch model and employing the Mini Thirty magazine expands the utility and capability of this compact rifle.”

An extension of the Ruger American Rifle family, the Ranch model is compact, accurate and adaptable. The 16.10″ medium-contour, cold hammer-forged barrel features a 5/8″-24 threaded muzzle, readying the rifle for any .30 caliber muzzle device. Like all Ruger American Rifles, this new Ranch model includes the Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger and Ruger’s patented Power Bedding® system for consistent and accurate performance.

For more information on the Ruger American Rifle Ranch model, or to learn more about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for the Ruger American Rifle Ranch and other Ruger firearms, visit ShopRuger.com or your local independent retailer of Ruger firearms.

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58 COMMENTS

  1. Is there any chance we can get those rivers of 70’s surplus spam cans of 7.62 x 39 mild steel core back flowing into America?

    I’d be fine if has to take a circuitous route through some place like Vietnam to get here.

    I miss that stuff.

    That would seriously get me to consider this or a Mini-30…

    • I’d seriously doubt it. Isn’t the 7.62×39 considered a pistol round anymore or is it just the 5.45×39? No steel core ammo for you.

    • I luh Ruger. But I do wonder if the new suppressor ready CZ527 wouldn’t be a better bet. Also…Magpul stock support? Plus, Timney makes a trigger for the Ruger American. Decisions…decisions.

      • I already have a CZ 527 and had it threaded for a Mystic X suppressor, but I still plan to get this new gun from Ruger. The CZ is a work of art, with nice wood and a longer, thinner barrel and set trigger. It’s amazingly accurate. It was a real eye opener as to how accurate Russian ammo could be in a proper bolt action rifle. I wonder if the Ruger will do as well, as the CZ has a .311 bore, designed to shoot foreign ammo. This Ruger is more of a “bang around the ranch” type gun. As someone else mentioned, it’s more of a “utility gun”. I have a Meopta HD scope on the CZ and use it for hunting. Certainly don’t want to carry it on the tractor all day. Will probably put something much simpler and more rugged on the Ruger. Now if they’d only make one in stainless steel, so I don’t have to worry about the rain…

        • Excellent response FlaBoy. The other issue is…the CZ527 can’t be top loaded (to my knowledge) through the ejection port. Maybe that will be an advantage of the Ruger?

      • Wonder if this would accept AICS (Magpul) mags? Since the Hunter stock won’t work with the Mini 30 type.

    • That Trump hasn’t revoked any gun ban executive orders yet, when it would take all of five minutes of his time to order the executive order repealing previous executive order bans written up and then sign it, makes me deeply suspicious that he’ll actually do anything for us. Democrat administrations install more gun control, Republican administrations maintain the status quo, Democrat administrations install more gun control, Republican administrations maintain the status quo, etc. Eventually, we’ll legally have no gun rights left.

      • Heh. If he repealed *any* bans on Russian products the progs would catch on fire in glee with more ‘proof’ of collusion.

  3. Why? What purpose does this serve?

    Really, truly… why would anyone buy a brand new (ie, non-milsurp) bolt gun to shove 7.62×39 ammo through it? Buy a SKS or AK-pattern rifle, OK. I get what you’re after. Buy a Mosin and shove 7.62x54R through it? Go to it, you’ve got a winning weapon.

    But buy a brand new, new production bolt gun and shove spam-can ammo through it? I don’t get it.

    • Wolf is still pretty cheap and I’ve seen reasonable quality intermediate bolt guns under 400 with a scope. Not going to pay for overpriced junk that uses a proprietary mag for no reason like the Ruger though. I’d rather buy an SKS, even a heavily used Yugo, at the price Ruger wants.

      • That’s what I’m getting at. A SKS, IMO, is the rifle to have for 7.62×39. A little work can improve their accuracy. They’re solid, viable rifles – from the couple I’ve handled.

        I’ve got expectations of a bolt gun, and that’s a 5-round group under 2″ at 100. I don’t know that a mass-production bolt gun will do that with ComBlock 7.62×39 surplus.

        • My CZ 527 will do a 2″ group at a 100 yards all day long. The first three shots are often within 1″. That’s using 154gr Russian SP steel ammo off a bench with a scope and a suppressor.
          Note I also have an AK and a M10X (kind of hybrid between an AK & AR), which are totally different guns designed for different purposes than a bolt action. Kind of why a sniper’s spotter carries a semi-auto, while the sniper has a bolt action. In most hunting situations, accuracy is much more important than firepower. You often only get one shot, and if your good, you should only need one shot. Defending the homestead…go for the semi-auto (or full-auto, if it’s an option).

    • “I don’t get it.”

      It made sense when there were seemingly vast, endless rivers of dirt-cheap ammo to run through it.

    • Shoot cheap and plentiful, sufficiently potent ammo, suppressed. CZ’s little 7.62×39 bolt actions have been very popular. An inexpensive, lightweight, fairly accurate gun shooting .30 cal slugs at 22 cents a pop always has a place.

      • And given it’s not being shot through an AK or SKS, the accuracy is going to be very good in comparison. Not to mention, this is much easier to put a scope on than an AK or SKS.

        I see no reason why this Ruger, when properly sighted, couldn’t hit a 6 inch plate at 300 yards repeatedly with cheap Wolf and Tulammo.

        I will definitely be considering this rifle over the next year.

        • The question is whether it will be able to fire Tulammo. The Mini-30 seems to have a problem with reliably igniting the cheap stuff.

    • Okay dimwits, I’m going to spell out exactly why a 7.62X39 bolt gun makes all kinds of sense. First, cheap ammo for pest control…coyotes, pigs, raccoons, whatever. Second, you’re not locked into military hardball ammo anymore, go to sgammo (or youtube) and learn about 8N3, its a very effective fragmenting & expanding round, and its affordable. They have a real nice video that demonstrates the ballistics that even the most dimwitted redneck from Texas could understand. You could easily hunt deer with it, you could easily protect against bears with it. There’s no North American game or predator that this wouldn’t be highly effective on, especially when running on 8N3. Third, just the fun factor of getting cheap trigger time, or expanding into bolt action, and not having to expand into a new (limited use) caliber like 30/30, .243 rem, etc.

    • As small as niche is, a (relatively affordable, minus can/tax) bolt gun in 7.62×39 is

      a) less trouble with laws promulgated by red-ties riding on public fears and ignorance,
      b) unlike o’le Simonov, scope-ready right here, right now, and
      c) full kilogram lighter and 4″ shorter (of course those four inches are in barrel length difference, but still).

      Unless one absolutely, positively needs semi-auto, the gun is not bad at all for someone who adamantly insists on shooting x39 (which probably makes more sense than shooting factory .300 blk).

  4. But will it outshoot the CZ 527 which is specifically designed to shoot steel-cased ammo? Kind of doubt it.

    • The other advantage the Cz has is the iron sights. The Mini-30 has them, it would be nice if the bolt-action did as well.

    • I’ve got the same question. The CZ has a .311 bore, specifically designed to shoot foreign, steel case ammo. CZ even states on their web site that the gun will probably be more accurate with this type of ammo than it will be with American .308 loaded ammo. If the Ruger is no more accurate than a well tuned AK or AK variant, like my M10X, then it will be a disappointment. I guess the only thing to do is buy one and find out. Now….what to tell the wife about “another gun”.

  5. Provided this actually feeds consisstently, that’s a done deal for me.
    I’ve been looking for a bolt gun and rifle combo that use the same mags legal to own in MDfor a while… This looks like a winner.

    • Then you obviously don’t have thousands of rounds of 7.62×39 in every crook and crevice of your domicile. Ifn you did, you’d git it.

      • If it weren’t for decades of Democrat (and Bush) administrations getting in the way of surplus ammo imports and sales, I probably would still have thousands of rounds of 7.62×39.

    • I already have an SKS with it’s terrible trigger. I can’t own an AK pattern rifle (banned in my state). I want to do some target shooting with a mild cartridge out to a max of 200 yards.

      Is that enough reason?

    • Reasons: Less expensive and likely more accurate than the mini-30 and some of us just don’t care for com-bloc rattle traps. Even if you can’t find military surplus ammo, the x39 is still one of the more affordable centerfires to shoot and if medium game hunting is a possibility, I’d personally feel better with something a little bigger than a .22 cal.

      It’s a utility gun, plain and simple.

  7. JeffR

    I don’t know if my mini 30 would out shoot your CZ 527 but I can tell you ALL I ever shoot through the 30 is steel cased and so far my friend, it eats it all without a single hiccup.

  11. Almost…

    I’ll be totally in for a .300 BLK, 16 inch barrel, threaded 5/8″-24 and taking Magpul / Lancer mags.

    Too much to ask, Ruger?

  12. Does it fire the cheap Russian stuff? I had a mini thirty and it choked at least twice on every mag with the Russian ammo. It was made for soft primers, not the hard Russian ones.

  13. If it is intended to serve as a ranch rifle–meaning varmint control–why would anyone chose a bolt gun over a semi auto AK or Mini? After all, coyotes travel in packs.

  14. I love that Ruger chambers their firearms in calibers other companies won’t. 10 mm 1911s, 357 magnum and 7.62×39 bolt actions, etc. Makes the world more fun when everything isn’t 9mm and 5.56 and 308

  17. This would be good for those people behind the iron curtains of NY, NJ, CA etc. if they don’t want to hassle with the AWB BS. Relatively cheap ammo in a decent rifle platform. I’m sure the street price will bring it down to the price of the SKS type rifles, but it can be easily scoped.

  19. I’d rather see a Savage Axis II XP in 7.62×39. Better price point and come with the optic (as well as the adjustable trigger). Now that Ruger has done this, fingers crossed.

  22. Anyone who wants a bolt action 7.62 can get an SKS and remove the gas piston. Or just shut it off if you have a YUGO. At that point the gun is now straight pull bolt action. The accuracy can be massively improved by removing the rear leaf sight from above the chamber and adding a tech sight to the back of the receiver. Your groups will generally tighten by 50% at least with the longer sight plane and the peep,

  23. Inexpensive rifle shooting inexpensive ammo that is big enough for deer sized animals.
    What is not to love.
    If you don’t like it, simple. Don’t buy it.
    I will pick up the first one I see.

    Maybe Ruger Ranch rifle in pistol caliber 9mm, 10mm, 357 mag or 45 ACP

  24. I want one. Dunno why I want it or why I need it but a bolt gun that can share ammo with my WASR is always a welcome addition.

  25. I HAVE A CZ 7.62X39–WHAT EVERYONE IS MISSING ON–IT HAS NO RECOIL & IS VERY QUIET COMPARED TO OTHER 30 CAL AMMO. A FRIEND OF MINE COMMENTED ON THIS, WHEN NEXT TO ME WHILE I WAS FIRING IT! GREAT SHORT RANGE ROUND & APPEARS THE RUGER IS VERY ACCURATE TOO! WONDER IF IT IS FOR .308 OR .311 PROJECTILES THOUGH ?

  26. Anybody know where to get a heavier hammer spring for this rifle so it can fire Russia Ammo reliably? I’ve checked all the common venders to no avail. Thanks.

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