Rob Starline
Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
- Messages
- 35
They cost more because....it’s an A Team thing!
The Mini-14 price is entirely a result of limited production. As the sole manufacturer Ruger seems only interested in plodding along and producing just enough Minis to keep it alive. But not enough to gain any costs savings from scale and boost sales. If someone like S&W or PSA started making a clone and revived interest in the design, the price would drop significantly.
The answer is blindingly simple.
Ruger has priced them for ban-states. Where you can't buy a proper AR or AK.
Accurate... That requires some definition. Bug hole groups, nope! Minute of 2 liter at 100, ya it'll do that.If Mini-14s are supposed to be accurate, or reliable, I wish some body would explain that to mine, because it doesn't understand...
I don't know how many Mini's Walmart had, but when they blew them out at $400 a year or two ago they all disappeared real quick. A sub $500 Mini would sell mighty quick in AR ban states and elsewhere, too, in my opinion.I'll play. Let's say Ruger decided to build half a million Mini 14 rifles to get that economy of scale. Let's say that they manage to get the street price down to $500.
How long do you think it's going to take to sell that half a million Mini 14 rifles?
I don't think it's the gas itself. When people change the size of the gas port bushing, they also usually try and get equal clearances on the gas block, and equal tension on its 4 screws. This is what is supposed to increase the accuracy.I do like the Mini 14 and 30. Had to laugh at the comment about throwing brass into the next county. I have never shot a rifle that blows brass as far as the mini can. But, I learned something new that I will read up on. That the mini is over gassed at the factory to ensure reliability and that can effect its accuracy. That is why I love this forum. Always can pick up ideas that can improve one of your weapons.
Accurate... That requires some definition. Bug hole groups, nope! Minute of 2 liter at 100, ya it'll do that.
Reliable? The only unreliable thing with minis are the mags. Good factory mag they run and run. If yours doesn't something is broken.
you'll never win, sometimes there are lemons, and sometimes even good company's don't take care of them. I had a RIA that was at least 5 kinds of defective, and the manufacture blew me off, said I was free to never buy again. The whole world calls me a liar. Rugers customer service sucks too, from the one time I called for a replacement part. My mini is the newer model, that weighs 1.5lb more, most of it in the barrel. It shoots very well, but I have heard the stories aobut the old pencil barrels, and seen their terrible sights.Factory mags, 5.56 brass ammo, cycles when it feels like it, REGARDLESS OF THE GAS BUSHING SIZE, I've tried about 6 different orifices, from .35 to .75.
it's got one of those hot -poo accu-struts, and it's doing better than it ever did, at fifty yards, now I can get most of the shots on a dinner-plate-size target.
I guess we can leave the fact the factory staked front sight was shooting TWO FEET TO THE LEFT, when I got it, out of the discussion, NOT that it gave me much confidence in Ruger's QC paradigm.
But oh, please, regale me, what, precisely, is broken ?
Except that isn't true.
ARs got cheaper than minis before the bullet button.
Pretty much a monopoly on mini14s. They can charge whatever the market will bear.
But, it's true today on a larger scale. More States are banning or making it impossible to own an AR. If you want a .223 in the year of the Covid-19 and antifa running loose, ya got to pay up. I'm sure Ruger is smiling all the way to the bank.
kwg
I think he was relating to Rugers monopoly on semi-auto centerfire rifle sales on AR ban States. Since you can’t buy any AR in Ca, unless it’s a workaround gun, your choice for a .223/5.56 semi is a Mini, a Kel Tec or the like.Again, being a ban state doesn't really have anything to do with it.
Using galleryofguns and a zip for southern California and another zip for east Texas (Tyler) and a 3rd zip in W.AZ, once you take out the extra fees paid to CA, the price is nearly the same.
So not only is the price basically the same in S. CA and E.TX, and W. AZ would appear the Ruger isn't making any more money.
If your gun is really running that poorly, call Ruger. They will fix the gun, regardless how old it is or if purchased second hand. Just make sure you don't send in any aftermarket stuff on it as they will remove and send back in stock configuration.Factory mags, 5.56 brass ammo, cycles when it feels like it, REGARDLESS OF THE GAS BUSHING SIZE, I've tried about 6 different orifices, from .35 to .75.
it's got one of those hot -poo accu-struts, and it's doing better than it ever did, at fifty yards, now I can get most of the shots on a dinner-plate-size target.
I guess we can leave the fact the factory staked front sight was shooting TWO FEET TO THE LEFT, when I got it, out of the discussion, NOT that it gave me much confidence in Ruger's QC paradigm.
But oh, please, regale me, what, precisely, is broken ?
Ruger is very good at fixing their guns, though they may say it will take time. It rare they actually charge anything for repairs. But yeah, they won't sell a lot of parts to the public. It's all return to the mother ship for fixing.you'll never win, sometimes there are lemons, and sometimes even good company's don't take care of them. I had a RIA that was at least 5 kinds of defective, and the manufacture blew me off, said I was free to never buy again. The whole world calls me a liar. Rugers customer service sucks too, from the one time I called for a replacement part. My mini is the newer model, that weighs 1.5lb more, most of it in the barrel. It shoots very well, but I have heard the stories aobut the old pencil barrels, and seen their terrible sights.
I get it, and I know thats nearly everyones experience. But it was a simple, easy to replace part that requires no fitting. They told me no, I would have to send it in. First, only time I have ever been told "if you have to ask, you can't afford it". I asked again, and was snottily given the "minimum service" list, and the least expensive would be $190, before parts. I did not get the return authorization number, and ordered the part from Brownells, and have stopped buying Rugers. Not because of the bad attitude, but because of the NO PARTS policy. Love the ones I have, and Ruger not making anything I like is more the reason than even the policy. I'm sure the service person was having a bad day, and I'm sure she doesn't work there anymore, but still, it was one hell of an impression.Ruger is very good at fixing their guns, though they may say it will take time. It rare they actually charge anything for repairs. But yeah, they won't sell a lot of parts to the public. It's all return to the mother ship for fixing.
They effectively have a monopoly because nobody else is building them. So if somebody wants one there's only one place to go. I can remember 40 years ago they were considered relatively low cost rifles.There's nothing legally stopping other manufacturers from building Mini14 clones. The demand just isn't there to justify the startup costs. There could potentially be a very small pool of customers for a premium, forged or milled receiver Mini14 rifle, but it would end up costing $1500+.
Nobody can domestically build a Mini14 pattern rifle at a lower cost than Ruger, that's for sure.