New Mini's from ruger? Target and 6.8SPC model.

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I was reading this years issue of Guns And Ammo Christmas Gift Guide. On the cover there is a new Mini from Ruger. Its called the Mini 14 Target. It has a enlarged thumb hole stock and a hevy barrel with a adjustable weight (harmonic balancer?) They also mention that Ruger is interested in other chamberings, including the 6.8SPC. There is no mention of this at all on the Ruger website. Has anyone heard anything else about these new Ruger Mini 14 models and varyants?
 
I like the thumb hole stock on the Mini 14 target. Its a decent article. I have a mini 30 in my collection. its not the most acurate gun in my collection but it is the least maintained firearm I own and its as sure as the morning sunrise.
 
sounds good, i just hope if the do come out with a 6.8spc model that it goes over better than the .308 version they had, that totally flopped. If it works out I think that would be a great, rifle/ caliber combo, that would be pretty sweet. we will see.
 
An accurate Mini-14/30 from Ruger?? No way! :what:
:) It sure took them long enough. The Mini-14 I have shot has got to be the most inaccurate piece of crap ever.
 
Will it work though? Not only is the Mini-14 inaccurate it does not run.

Improvements to Ruger's dinosaur line? Be still my heart!:D

Now that Bill Ruger is dead and buried maybe Ruger can instill some innovation (or life) into their catalogue. Once again history is carried forward by pallbearers.:)
 
Doesn't take long for the Mini bashing to begin, does it? I am on my second Mini (a new Stainless 580 series). It shoots 45 grain white box hollow points into 5 shot 2 1/2 groups at 100 yards with ease. Neither of my Minis have EVER jammed with any make of magazine.

My Mini is not as accurate as my bolt .223, but serves its purpose as my farm/truck/security rifle just fine, thank you. I am glad ruger is taking the new retooled Mini to new heights. It will help those of use who want a reliable .223 auto and don't care for or are forbidden from getting the military look-alikes. I am going quail hunting in about an hour and my mini will be riding in my pick-up in case a coyote makes an unexpected appearance. I may be going coyote calling at daybreak tomorrow and my Sako .223 will be going - different guns for different purposes.
 
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My cynical side makes me wonder if the thumbhole stock is Ruger's way of slowly easing into non-PC Mini variants for civilian sales over the next few years.
 
sounds good, i just hope if the do come out with a 6.8spc model that it goes over better than the .308 version they had, that totally flopped.
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The .308, called the "XGI" IIRC, didn't flop. It never made it to market. They had a bunch of pre-release hype, but had so many problems with the design that it never made it as a production gun.
 
Not only is the Mini-14 inaccurate it does not run.
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That's a laugh and a half.

A part in mine broke. It was the part that holds the guide rod and piston spring in place.

With the part BROKEN, it continued to feed 100% perfectly, rapid fire, with the gun hot and dirty -- I hadn't cleaned it at all in a good while, and it had been shot a good amount, in dusty desert country.
 
I've always wanted to like the Mini-14. I had a ranch model for a year or so, and really like the way it handled. Just wasn't happy with its four-inch groups. Sold it and eventually bought an AR.

Interesting that in the video Boddington makes a lot out of the stock. I'm much more interested in hearing what they've done to the barrel, which seems to have always been the Mini's weak link. I've rarely heard anyone complain about the Mini's durability. The complaints always seem to focus on their relative inaccuracy and the unavailability of factory high-cap magazines. The barrel looks like it might take care of the inaccuracy problem, and I presume one could go back to the standard stock.

Wonder what kinds of magazines it will be offered with? Any way, I wish them well. And if it gets good range reports down the line, I might just buy one.
 
ArmedBear, attend any carbine course, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, any of the touring instructors and bring your Mini. If it survives, I will be amazed.

I have been to more than several carbine classes, I've yet to see a Mini make it through. Back it the '70s when the weapon was released it was evaluated for militree use, in every case it was deemed too fragile for military use.

If you shoot a Mini hard, it will not stand. Most people just haul them out of the car and play around by shooting a few magazines. Take it to skul and see how it stacks up.:)
 
I saw an article at the bookstore today ont he target model. It's a rag that Ruger puts out and says it is a prototype. They said it was a "first look" but gave no date for intro.
 
The muzzle weight looks horrible, seriously ***?? What ruger needs to do is sell the 20 rounds to us commoners. If they did that Mini14 sales would skyrocket.
 
The Ruger 20 rounders are pretty easy to find on the internet these days (also saw some at a gun show last weekend) and prices are rapidly dropping. Still higher than AR mags, but getting better all the time.
 
I have been to more than several carbine classes, I've yet to see a Mini make it through.
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Well, I’m sure this is true, but I don’t think “more than several carbine” is statistically significant, especially compared to the dozens of people on THR and the hundreds of people elsewhere who attest to the reliability of their Mini-14s.

Back it the '70s when the weapon was released it was evaluated for militree use, in every case it was deemed too fragile for military use.
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Military equipment, including firearms, are subjected to more and more severe abuse that most equipment civilians use. I’m sure a Mini-14 will break if you use it as a club, pry-bar, or foothold for boasting a squad mate over an obstacle. But this has no bearing on the number of rounds a Mini-14 will likely fire before failing.

Improvements to Ruger's dinosaur line? Be still my heart! Now that Bill Ruger is dead and buried maybe Ruger can instill some innovation (or life) into their catalogue. Once again history is carried forward by pallbearers.
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Have I read correctly that the Mini-14 trigger group and some of the piston assembly are based on the M-1 Garand design? If true Ruger should NOT innovate away from one of the greatest, most reliable and easiest to manufacture firearm designs in history.
 
ArmedBear, attend any carbine course, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, any of the touring instructors and bring your Mini. If it survives, I will be amazed.
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For what its worth, I used my mini at front-site's 4 day practical rifle course and it ran with out a hiccup. It survived and I still have it today. Another guy in the class had a mini30 and it did ok too.

Mini's are what they are. If you don't like them, thats fine. There are plenty of people that do like them. I like mine mini for what it is, but I also do own an SU16 and an AR as well. They all seem to get along in the safe just fine together. None of them seem to get jealous when one gets left behind on a range trip. As along as I keep them all properly cleaned & lubed and maintained they all seem pretty happy. :)

drc

oh I might have done it now... I said Front-Site and mini14 in the same post
 
My cynical side makes me wonder if the thumbhole stock is Ruger's way of slowly easing into non-PC Mini variants for civilian sales over the next few years.
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I was kinda thinking the same thing. Hope not.

On that note, it sounds like the rifle should be capable of 1.5" or better @ 100 yds. Not exactly match-grade, but definitely minute of coyote to ~300 yards.

ArmedBear, attend any carbine course, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, any of the touring instructors and bring your Mini. If it survives, I will be amazed.

I have been to more than several carbine classes, I've yet to see a Mini make it through. Back it the '70s when the weapon was released it was evaluated for militree use, in every case it was deemed too fragile for military use.

If you shoot a Mini hard, it will not stand. Most people just haul them out of the car and play around by shooting a few magazines. Take it to skul and see how it stacks up.
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Have you ever owned a mini? The very design parameters were robustness and simplicity, a tribute to it's design influence: the M1 and M1 carbine. The mini's only real fault has been mediocre-to-poor accuracy as a stock rifle. Reliability, OTOH, is one of it's greatest attributes. I honestly can't recall a single failure in my stainless ranch rifle.

That, and it is a handy, lightweight autoloading centerfire rifle.

Back it the '70s when the weapon was released it was evaluated for militree use, in every case it was deemed too fragile for military use.
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Care to quantify that? By the time the mini was in production, the M-16 was solidly in place as the rifle of the United States armed forces. There had been way too much invested in the M-16 to even consider a change.

The mini is, however, very popular with prison tower gaurds.
 
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