{
  "apiVersion": 1,
  "kind": "work-order",
  "purpose": "Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification.",
  "firearm": {
    "slug": "ruger-mini-30",
    "name": "Ruger Mini Thirty",
    "manufacturer": {
      "id": "ruger",
      "name": "Sturm, Ruger & Co."
    },
    "category": "rifle",
    "action": "gas-operated-short-stroke",
    "calibers": [
      "7.62x39mm"
    ],
    "alsoKnownAs": [
      "Mini-30"
    ],
    "coversAlso": [],
    "page": "firearms/ruger-mini-30.html",
    "bundle": "api/v1/firearms/ruger-mini-30.json",
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-29"
  },
  "notices": [
    "Sturm, Ruger & Co. limits owner disassembly: Trigger housing, barreled action out of stock, recoil spring and guide rod, slide, bolt, and bolt stop; gas block stays on.",
    "No manufacturer torque values are recorded. The values listed are reported by other sources, not the manufacturer — confirm them before use."
  ],
  "disclaimer": {
    "headline": "Read this before you use anything here.",
    "points": [
      "This is a guide, not an authority. Entries are compiled from manufacturer manuals, technical manuals, published references, and community knowledge. Some of it comes from sources that are not authoritative, and some of it may simply be wrong.",
      "Always consult the manufacturer's manual for your specific firearm and serial-number range. Manufacturers change designs mid-production without renaming the model. The manual that shipped with your firearm outranks anything on this site.",
      "Consult a licensed gunsmith for anything beyond routine field stripping and cleaning, for any firearm you are unsure about, and for any procedure marked as gunsmith-recommended here.",
      "Treat every firearm as loaded. Verify it is unloaded, with the magazine removed and the chamber physically and visually checked, before any procedure in this database. Point it in a safe direction the entire time.",
      "Disassembly can damage a firearm or injure you. Springs are under tension, parts can launch, and reassembling a firearm incorrectly can make it unsafe to fire in a way that is not obvious from the outside. If a reassembled firearm does not pass a function check, stop and see a gunsmith.",
      "Torque values are shown in two groups. Values from the manufacturer or the issuing military are shown as such, with the document they came from. Values reported by anyone else — parts makers, gunsmithing publishers, articles, forums — are shown separately with who said them, how reliable that source is, and their exact words. Those are not specifications. Confirm any torque value with the manufacturer or a licensed gunsmith before relying on it.",
      "Nothing here is legal advice. Firearms law varies by country, state, and city, and some modifications or configurations are regulated or prohibited. You are responsible for knowing and following the law where you are.",
      "No warranty of any kind. Contributors and maintainers accept no liability for damage, injury, or loss arising from use of this material."
    ],
    "page": "disclaimer.html",
    "legal": {
      "summary": "Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.",
      "page": "legal.html",
      "notice": "https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown/blob/main/LEGAL.md"
    }
  },
  "sourcing": {
    "confidence": "high",
    "verification": "manufacturer-manual-verified"
  },
  "manufacturerDisassembly": {
    "status": "limited",
    "limit": "Trigger housing, barreled action out of stock, recoil spring and guide rod, slide, bolt, and bolt stop; gas block stays on.",
    "statement": "Ruger says removing the gas block is not advisable and any disassembly beyond its field strip should only be done by a trained armorer experienced in firearms repair.",
    "source": {
      "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
      "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
      "page": "26",
      "pdfPage": 26,
      "pageUrl": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf#page=26",
      "quote": "Further disassembly of the RUGER® MINI THIRTY RIFLE is not required for normal cleaning purposes and should only be performed by a trained armorer who is experienced in firearms repair."
    }
  },
  "recalls": [],
  "shopTier": {
    "tier": 3,
    "group": "rifle",
    "rating": "Pew-Takedown editorial rating (1 easy – 3 hardest), not the manufacturer's",
    "reason": "The same M14-pattern action as the Mini-14, with 71 pieces. It has the strongly compressed recoil spring, the held bolt-lock plunger, the trigger group's pinned hammer spring and slave pin, and a gas block Ruger says needs factory fixtures.",
    "confidence": "medium",
    "partCount": {
      "value": 63,
      "kind": "line-items",
      "covers": "Complete Mini Thirty, all stock variants in one list (63 line items)",
      "basis": "manufacturer-parts-list",
      "source": {
        "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
        "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
        "reliability": "primary",
        "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
        "page": "36–40",
        "pdfPage": 37,
        "pageUrl": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf#page=37",
        "quote": "63 Pistol Grip Cap Medallion"
      }
    },
    "painPoints": [
      {
        "issue": "The recoil spring is strongly compressed on reassembly and can fly out.",
        "during": "both",
        "source": {
          "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
          "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
          "reliability": "primary",
          "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "CAUTION! The recoil spring will be strongly compressed during this step and can fly out with considerable force, possibly resulting in injury. Keep it under your control and proceed with care."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "The gas block is factory-fitted with special fixtures. A full barrel strip should not take it off.",
        "during": "both",
        "source": {
          "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
          "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
          "reliability": "primary",
          "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "Removal of the gas block assembly is not necessary and is not advisable. The gas block assembly is factory fitted using special fixtures and torque tools."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "The trigger group needs the hammer spring trapped with a pin, and a slave pin for the magazine latch (same group as the Mini-14).",
        "during": "both",
        "source": {
          "title": "Servicing The Ruger Mini-14",
          "publisher": "Gun Tests",
          "reliability": "secondary",
          "url": "https://www.gun-tests.com/?p=26372",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "Insert a 1/16-inch punch or pin into the hole under the hammer spring and pull the trigger. The hammer will fall. Now remove the hammer strut/spring assembly."
        }
      }
    ],
    "minutes": {
      "strip": 60,
      "rebuild": 90,
      "basis": "estimated",
      "note": "Same scope as the Mini-14.",
      "source": null
    },
    "stripScope": [
      {
        "assembly": "Stock / trigger group",
        "removes": [
          "trigger guard and housing",
          "hammer, hammer strut and spring",
          "trigger, secondary sear and spring",
          "safety and safety detent spring",
          "magazine latch and spring",
          "stock hardware, recoil pad"
        ],
        "tools": [
          "1/16 in pin",
          "slave pin 0.125 x 0.310 in"
        ]
      },
      {
        "assembly": "Barrel / receiver",
        "removes": [
          "recoil spring and guide rod",
          "slide (op rod)",
          "buffer bushing and cross pin",
          "bolt",
          "bolt lock plunger, spring, bolt stop, cover plate",
          "rear sight",
          "front sight (cross pin)",
          "gas block (factory fitted, not advised)"
        ]
      },
      {
        "assembly": "Bolt",
        "removes": [
          "extractor and plunger/spring",
          "firing pin",
          "ejector plunger and spring"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "hardware": {
      "pins": 7,
      "springs": 6,
      "detents": 4,
      "basis": "counted from the manufacturer's parts list (one per key number unless a quantity is given)"
    },
    "specialTools": [
      {
        "tool": "1/4 in steel rod",
        "usedFor": "Springing the trigger guard open"
      },
      {
        "tool": "1/16 in punch or pin",
        "usedFor": "Trapping the hammer spring"
      },
      {
        "tool": "slave pin",
        "usedFor": "Magazine latch spring"
      },
      {
        "tool": "Ruger factory fixtures",
        "usedFor": "Gas block (factory only)"
      }
    ],
    "fitOnRebuild": [
      {
        "check": "Gas block fit",
        "why": "Factory-fitted, same as the Mini-14.",
        "source": {
          "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
          "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
          "reliability": "primary",
          "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "The gas block assembly is factory fitted using special fixtures and torque tools."
        }
      },
      {
        "check": "Function check (safety, trigger reset, feeding, extraction)",
        "why": "Standard after any detail strip. No single source.",
        "source": null
      },
      {
        "check": "Re-zero sights or scope",
        "why": "Sights and optics come off for coating, and point of impact must be re-confirmed. This is a standard check, so no source.",
        "source": null
      }
    ],
    "assessed": "2026-10-29"
  },
  "videos": [],
  "configurations": [],
  "tools": [],
  "phases": [
    {
      "id": "clear",
      "title": "Clear and make safe",
      "steps": [
        {
          "n": 1,
          "instruction": "Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger."
        },
        {
          "n": 2,
          "instruction": "Press the magazine release and rock the magazine forward and out.",
          "partsFreed": [
            "Magazine"
          ]
        },
        {
          "n": 3,
          "instruction": "Pull the operating rod handle fully rearward and lock the bolt open."
        },
        {
          "n": 4,
          "instruction": "Inspect the chamber and magazine well and physically confirm the chamber is empty."
        },
        {
          "n": 5,
          "instruction": "Engage the safety inside the front of the trigger guard and remove all live ammunition from the work area."
        }
      ],
      "videos": []
    },
    {
      "id": "disassemble",
      "title": "Disassemble",
      "videos": [],
      "procedures": [
        {
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "title": "Field Strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "configuration": false,
          "steps": [
            {
              "n": 1,
              "instruction": "Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure with the safety ON. Work on a bench covered with an old blanket or shallow-nap rug so the rifle does not slide or get scratched."
            },
            {
              "n": 2,
              "instruction": "Pull the slide handle all the way to the rear and release it. The hammer must be cocked and the safety must be ON for both disassembly and reassembly.",
              "warning": "Confirm the chamber is empty again before you release the slide.",
              "tip": "Hammer cocked, safety on. The Mini-14 will not come apart or go together otherwise."
            },
            {
              "n": 3,
              "instruction": "Insert a 1/4 in steel rod, punch, or screwdriver shank into the hole in the rear of the trigger guard and use it as a lever to spring the trigger guard open from its latched position.",
              "warning": "Do not use a cartridge as the lever. Ruger warns against it because it can loosen the bullet in the case.",
              "tip": "A quarter-inch rod. Anything much smaller will not give you the leverage and will mar the hole."
            },
            {
              "n": 4,
              "instruction": "Invert the rifle and carefully pull the trigger housing assembly upward and out.",
              "tip": "Take care not to damage the stock on the way out — or on the way back in.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Trigger housing assembly"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 5,
              "instruction": "Remove the barrel and receiver assembly from the stock by swinging the rear end away from the action slightly, then pulling the stock out of engagement with the gas block.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Stock"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 6,
              "instruction": "Remove the guide rod and recoil spring.",
              "warning": "The recoil spring is heavily compressed. Wear eye protection and keep control of it — the guide rod and spring can escape forcibly and cause injury.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Guide rod",
                "Recoil spring"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 7,
              "instruction": "Pull the slide handle to the rear, align the locking projections on the slide with the disassembly notch on the receiver, and remove the slide.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Slide"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 8,
              "instruction": "Pull the bolt forward until it can be pivoted out of the receiver, align the firing pin projection with the slot in the lower receiver bridge, and lift the bolt out.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Bolt"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 9,
              "instruction": "Stop here. Removal of the bolt stop assembly is not normally required for routine cleaning, and Ruger states that removing the gas block is neither necessary nor advisable."
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "refinish",
      "title": "Refinish",
      "components": [
        {
          "name": "Trigger housing assembly",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 4
        },
        {
          "name": "Stock",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 5
        },
        {
          "name": "Guide rod",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 6
        },
        {
          "name": "Recoil spring",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 6
        },
        {
          "name": "Slide",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 7
        },
        {
          "name": "Bolt",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 8
        }
      ],
      "manufacturerPartsList": {
        "parts": 63,
        "scope": "Mini Thirty; part numbers differ between blued, stainless and synthetic-stock models. Exploded views on pp. 41 & 42"
      },
      "partsDiagrams": [],
      "materials": [
        {
          "component": "Receiver",
          "material": "Stainless Steel",
          "finish": "Matte Stainless",
          "appliesTo": "Model 5804 (hardwood stock)",
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Ruger Mini-14 Mini Thirty Rifle Autoloading Rifle — Specifications (model 5804)",
            "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co.",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://ruger.com/products/miniThirty/specSheets/5804.html",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "Material Stainless Steel … Finish Matte Stainless"
          }
        },
        {
          "component": "Stock",
          "material": "Hardwood",
          "finish": null,
          "appliesTo": "Model 5804",
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Ruger Mini-14 Mini Thirty Rifle Autoloading Rifle — Specifications (model 5804)",
            "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co.",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://ruger.com/products/miniThirty/specSheets/5804.html",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "Stock Hardwood"
          }
        },
        {
          "component": "Receiver",
          "material": "solid steel",
          "finish": null,
          "appliesTo": "Mini Thirty",
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Ruger Mini-14 Mini Thirty Rifle Autoloading Rifle — Specifications (model 5804)",
            "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co.",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://ruger.com/products/miniThirty/specSheets/5804.html",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "Integral scope mounts, machined directly on the solid steel receiver, provide a stable mounting surface for included scope rings, eliminating a potential source of looseness and inaccuracy in the field."
          }
        }
      ],
      "note": "The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks \"factory fit\" should not be swapped or reworked."
    },
    {
      "id": "reassemble",
      "title": "Reassemble",
      "videos": [],
      "procedures": [
        {
          "procedure": "reassembly",
          "title": "Reassembly",
          "configuration": false,
          "steps": [
            {
              "n": 1,
              "instruction": "Confirm the hammer is cocked and the safety is ON before you begin. This is a precondition, not a courtesy."
            },
            {
              "n": 2,
              "instruction": "Align the bolt's firing pin projection with the slot in the lower receiver bridge, set the bolt into the receiver, and pivot it into its raceway."
            },
            {
              "n": 3,
              "instruction": "Align the slide's locking projections with the disassembly notch, fit the slide, and run it forward to engage the bolt."
            },
            {
              "n": 4,
              "instruction": "Fit the guide rod and recoil spring.",
              "warning": "Same heavily compressed spring, same eye protection, same care. It goes in under more control than it came out."
            },
            {
              "n": 5,
              "instruction": "Set the barrel and receiver assembly back into the stock, engaging the gas block first and then swinging the rear down."
            },
            {
              "n": 6,
              "instruction": "Seat the trigger housing assembly into the receiver, taking care not to damage the stock, then swing the trigger guard closed and latch it fully."
            },
            {
              "n": 7,
              "instruction": "Cycle the action several times and perform the function check."
            }
          ],
          "instruction": null
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "torque",
      "title": "Torque",
      "coverage": "reported-only",
      "manufacturer": [],
      "reported": [
        {
          "fastener": "Gas block screws (four top screws) — black screws",
          "appliesTo": "Ruger Mini Thirty fitted with the Accuracy Systems Gen 4 adjustable gas block",
          "qualifier": "exact",
          "value": 32,
          "valueMax": null,
          "unit": "in-lb",
          "converted": {
            "value": {
              "N-m": 3.6,
              "in-lb": 32,
              "ft-lb": 2.7
            },
            "valueMax": null
          },
          "sequence": "Seat the factory gas bushing into the new block; snug each of the four top screws evenly with the supplied Allen wrench; tighten in an alternating criss-cross pattern keeping the gap between top and bottom halves even on both sides; then torque in the same pattern, a little at a time on each screw.",
          "threadlocker": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "New Generation 4 Positive Click Adjustable Gas Block Instructions (page title: Mini 14 30 Pin Bedding Instructions)",
            "publisher": "Accuracy Systems, Inc.",
            "reliability": "secondary",
            "url": "https://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/Gen-4-Block-Instructions.php",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "Torque Specifications for Gas Block Screws are black screws 32 inch LBS and stainless screws 28 inch LBS. Except for the set screw!!"
          }
        },
        {
          "fastener": "Gas block screws (four top screws) — stainless screws",
          "appliesTo": "Ruger Mini Thirty fitted with the Accuracy Systems Gen 4 adjustable gas block",
          "qualifier": "exact",
          "value": 28,
          "valueMax": null,
          "unit": "in-lb",
          "converted": {
            "value": {
              "N-m": 3.2,
              "in-lb": 28,
              "ft-lb": 2.3
            },
            "valueMax": null
          },
          "sequence": "Seat the factory gas bushing into the new block; snug each of the four top screws evenly with the supplied Allen wrench; tighten in an alternating criss-cross pattern keeping the gap between top and bottom halves even on both sides; then torque in the same pattern, a little at a time on each screw.",
          "threadlocker": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "New Generation 4 Positive Click Adjustable Gas Block Instructions (page title: Mini 14 30 Pin Bedding Instructions)",
            "publisher": "Accuracy Systems, Inc.",
            "reliability": "secondary",
            "url": "https://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/Gen-4-Block-Instructions.php",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "stainless screws 28 inch LBS"
          }
        },
        {
          "fastener": "Gas block screws (four top screws) — ceiling",
          "appliesTo": "Ruger Mini Thirty fitted with the Accuracy Systems Gen 4 adjustable gas block",
          "qualifier": "maximum",
          "value": 40,
          "valueMax": null,
          "unit": "in-lb",
          "converted": {
            "value": {
              "N-m": 4.5,
              "in-lb": 40,
              "ft-lb": 3.3
            },
            "valueMax": null
          },
          "sequence": "Seat the factory gas bushing into the new block; snug each of the four top screws evenly with the supplied Allen wrench; tighten in an alternating criss-cross pattern keeping the gap between top and bottom halves even on both sides; then torque in the same pattern, a little at a time on each screw.",
          "threadlocker": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "New Generation 4 Positive Click Adjustable Gas Block Instructions (page title: Mini 14 30 Pin Bedding Instructions)",
            "publisher": "Accuracy Systems, Inc.",
            "reliability": "secondary",
            "url": "https://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/Gen-4-Block-Instructions.php",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "WARNING: DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE FOUR TOP GAS BLOCK SCREWS (40 Inch LBS maximum)!!!"
          }
        }
      ],
      "notes": "The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: \"The gas block assembly is factory fitted using special fixtures and torque tools.\" (Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles, PDF p. 25) \"Then tighten the eight top screw each a bit at a time to grip the scope body.\" (Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles, PDF p. 31)"
    },
    {
      "id": "function-check",
      "title": "Function check",
      "checks": [
        "Verify the rifle is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each step.",
        "Cycle the action by hand and confirm the bolt locks and returns fully to battery.",
        "With the selector on safe, press the trigger. The hammer or striker must not release.",
        "Move the selector to fire, cycle the action, and press the trigger. It should release.",
        "Hold the trigger back, cycle the action, and release slowly to feel the disconnector reset.",
        "Confirm the magazine seats and locks positively, and that any hold-open engages on an empty magazine.",
        "Confirm the trigger guard is fully latched."
      ],
      "videos": []
    }
  ],
  "troubleshooting": [],
  "sources": [
    {
      "n": 1,
      "id": "ruger-mini-30-manual",
      "title": "Instruction Manual for Ruger Mini Thirty Rifles",
      "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": "https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/miniThirty.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-09-14"
    },
    {
      "n": 2,
      "id": "accuracy-systems-inc-c53180",
      "title": "New Generation 4 Positive Click Adjustable Gas Block Instructions (page title: Mini 14 30 Pin Bedding Instructions)",
      "publisher": "Accuracy Systems, Inc.",
      "reliability": "secondary",
      "url": "https://www.accuracysystemsinc.com/Gen-4-Block-Instructions.php",
      "accessed": "2026-09-27"
    },
    {
      "n": 3,
      "id": "ruger-specs-c7b109",
      "title": "Ruger Mini-14 Mini Thirty Rifle Autoloading Rifle — Specifications (model 5804)",
      "publisher": "Sturm, Ruger & Co.",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": "https://ruger.com/products/miniThirty/specSheets/5804.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-03"
    },
    {
      "n": 4,
      "id": "tier-71cb753d",
      "title": "Servicing The Ruger Mini-14",
      "publisher": "Gun Tests",
      "reliability": "secondary",
      "url": "https://www.gun-tests.com/?p=26372",
      "accessed": "2026-10-29"
    }
  ]
}