Why are mini 14's so expensive

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Compared to what? They're a fraction of the price of a new M1A.

Compared to an AR15? Ruger is the only manufacturer of the Mini 14, compared to the zillion different manufacturers of AR15s and components. The Mini 14 is not renowned for its accuracy, and is functionally inferior to the AR15. Thus there is a much lower supply and requisitely higher per-unit production costs.
 
None of that makes sense to me. I've owned several Mini's over the years and don't dislike them. But when I owned them a Mini-14 was 1/3 the cost of an AR. I didn't think then, and still don't think an AR is worth 3X what a Mini-14 costs. But today I'm sure not going to pay double, or even triple what I can get an AR for to get a Mini. If an AR can be sold, at a profit, for $450-$500 then a Mini-14 can too.

My theory. In a few states AR's are not legal, Mini-14's are. With no competition in those states Ruger can charge whatever they want. And they probably sell quite a few in those states at those prices. If they were to try to sell them in the rest of the country for $400 they would be accused of price gouging. And rightfully so. It is easier to justify the higher cost if it is the same everywhere. The bean counters have probably figured out that the bottom line works better for Ruger to do this. Plus there are still a few people who dislike AR's enough to pay the outrageous Mini-14 prices even in the rest of the country.

Of course I've been wrong before, but that is my guess.
 
I dunno. I had one for a few years and it was the ranch. I tried and tried, but that thing was determined to be inaccurate. Took it to a gun show, let it go for the $450 I had in it about 10 steps in the door. Then saw all the $700-$750 range ones and got a little sick feeling down deep inside. Guess knowing 4" at 100 yards in it's best days made it easier to swallow.
 
Production units made and costs to manufacture would be two reasons. I wonder how easy it would be for someone to complete and 80% Ruger?

I don’t own a lot of them or have shot hundreds of them either but from what I have seen the mini is the more accurate version and doesn’t chunk the brass into the next county, the ranch makes it easy to mount optics. So I have a scope on my ranch that’s not as accurate as an iron sighted mini....
 
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Production units made and costs to manufacture would be two reasons. I wonder how easy it would be for someone to complete and 80% Ruger?

I don’t own a lot of them or have shot hundreds of them either but from what I have seen the mini is the more accurate version and doesn’t chunk the brass into the next county, the ranch makes it easy to mount optics. So I have a scope on my ranch that’s not as accurate as an iron sighted mini....
Ruger can't be the company able to take the M14 design and downsize it to use .233 Rem....

Now sells for AR prices?
 
I love the Mini 14. Simple and just fun to shoot. I've owned 5-6 though the years and I've found the accuracy to be acceptable for what its designed for. The last one I bough several months ago is stainless with the wood stock which I prefer. I decided that I would give it a real tryout and see how much accuracy I could wring out of it.Mounted a 3-9 Scope and I tried maybe 15 different loads and discovered this one loves a heavy bullet. 63gr and 77gr bullets shoot great when pushed to the max. Varget and BL-C(2) work the best. I can get a 1" group at 50 yard off a rest and can consistently hit the 8" gong at 200 yards. That's plenty accurate for hogs and defense use.
 
That's news to me.

Do any reliable, complete ARs cost half the price of a new Mini 14?

A buddy (retired US Army officer, Non-infantry) never does research and bought a bottom-dollar ATI "AR". I witnessed, in this brand-new nib rifle, about every other, or every third case fail to eject.
He then was handed my Maadi AKM clone, and was able to do some rifle shooting with Zero issues, never mind the very constant failures in his crappy "AR".

But at least his AR didn't cost much.

My 1990's ("Property of the State of KY") used Mini 14 with the Ruger OEM magazine was totally reliable, but the thick post sight along with the trigger needed improvement.
 
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Minis got a rep for having very bad accuracy back when they were much cheaper. Ruger finally took that to heart and make them more accurate--but also more expensive. IMO, they were better as they originally were. They were accurate enough to have a decent following, and they were definitely cheaper.
 
I bought one in 1986 for less than $300. To me, that seems like a fair price for one today. They just don't pass the common sense test for the cost and performance of the product, IMO. Unless of course someone is in a place where the AR and similar rifles are illegal.
 
I was lucky to buy my ranch mini-14 at half off during the Walmart dump in August of 2018. They had two left, guy in line in front of me got one, I got the last one. Price was $399. Up to that point I wouldn't have paid the full price, but half off was a steal that could not be ignored.

The regular price has to do I think with the amount of work going into it, as well as being a proprietary product with some extra popularity.
 
The mini looks better than any AR. plus it's cooler.
I'm tired of seeing ARs , they work and are a good tool but have no soul. With boring accuracy and easy lego style accessories there's no challenge there. It should be next to impossible to mount doo dads all over your rifle, to slow down progress of the mall ninja rifles that flood the internet .
 
I had a ranch rifle in the early 90s. It was the most inaccurate rifle I have ever fired, and that includes a 7.35 Carcano. Not just the most inaccurate rifle I’ve owned, the worst one I’ve ever fired. I would buy one of the pump AR conversions or a Fightlite SCR before I would buy another Mini.
 
I had a stainless mini 14 years ago and sold it for $550 and was going to replace it with a AR15. A coue of days after I sold my mini 14 Sandy Hook took place and things went crazy. Never bought a AR.
Now years down the road a friend gave my grandson a AR15 last year, Last Tuesday I bought a blue/wood Mini14.

We will get out to shoot it later today or tomorrow.
My last one wasnt a tack driver by no means. We'll see how this one fares.
I got the mini14, three ammo cans of ammo, eight mags, a complete RCBS relading set up (three boxes of reloading supplies) for $400.
So the whole deal was really sweet.
 
Look at the machining process of building a mini 14 vs an ar receiver set. Then look at single sourcing your stock, sights, flash hider, mags, etc. A mini is a lot more complex than an ar15. It should cost more. Weather they are better than an ar15, or worth the extra cost, well that's up to you.
 
Look at the machining process of building a mini 14 vs an ar receiver set. Then look at single sourcing your stock, sights, flash hider, mags, etc. A mini is a lot more complex than an ar15. It should cost more. Weather they are better than an ar15, or worth the extra cost, well that's up to you.
So why are Mini-14's so expensive now compared to 2006?
 
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