Price of a Ruger minus the panic?

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Paladin_Hammer

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I've been thinking of trading in my Saiga for a Ruger Mini-14 for a little while now. That was until I went to Great Guns in Kearney, MO, and Showmeshooters in Claycomo, MO.

$698!!! $698 dollars!!! And its a MINI-14! I'm not really stepping up in the accuracy department with a Mini-14, but reading Perfect Union for awhile I figured out how I could bring it down to 1-2" groups at 100 yards. But for $698 dollars? I was told these ran just a little higher than the Saigas, which Showmeshooters had on the wall for $324! Highest was $378 for the .308 version!

Is the ridiculously high price a result of the recent "panic" thats been sweeping the nation? Or have Ruger Mini-14's always ran higher than $400-$500 dollars? Who the hell would pay that much for a rifle you have to spend another hundred bucks just to get accurate?
 
To telomarse: go to prefect union and lookup the $20 strut, and then lookup the "bedding" options they've gone over. Apparently, thats been good enough for anywhere from 1" to 3" groups.
 
Normal price at Walmart etc. is around $600, currently Gander Mt. has them marked up to $749. Of course Gander has them in stock, Walmart has been out for a while.

It;s rprobablly been a good 5 years since you could buy a new one for $500.
 
If the price is going to be that high though, whats the purpose of purchasing a Mini-14/Mini-30 if you can get a AR-15 for the same price? Some sites and dealers carry them for as low as $800, and sites that sell kits will sell an AR for as low as $600! If your getting better accuracy, and the same cartridge, whats the point of buying a Mini-14? I just can't see the reason to it.
 
I've never understood the point of a mini-14 either. If you want a .223 rifle get a good bolt action. If you want a semi-auto .223 rifle get an AR!
 
Paladin, your startin' to come around, the selling price of the mini has been far more than the rifles worth for some time. It did fill a niche for some, as a good reliable plinker, but now the market is filled with inexpensive SKS's for which you can find hi-cap mags that work, which is an impossible task for the mini-30. As stated above, pay a few extra bucks for the AR, modify it to sing and dance as you like and out shoot the mini-14 in any configuration you choose. I look for Ruger to close the door on both models before long.
If your still looking for one, buy used, and don't pay a penny over $400, if ya have to sell it later it wont hurt much.
 
I'd like to know where you guys live if you can buy a AR for $600-$800. There hasn't been an AR in my area for less than $900 for two years, except perhaps some of the bottom-of-the-line Bushmasters.

I bought a 580 series Mini-14 for just under $600 and have been very pleased with it. I don't expect MOA with my Mini, I didn't buy it for that, but I do get 2"-4" groups from 75 to 125 yards and that is OK with me. I can put rounds on an 8" paper plate all day at any reasonable range, and in case you didn't know, that is about the size of the center of a B-27 silhouette target.

If targets of opportunity show up at ranges approaching 150 yds or more, I have scoped rifles that are much more appropriate than any AR or Mini.
 
If the price is going to be that high though, whats the purpose of purchasing a Mini-14/Mini-30 if you can get a AR-15 for the same price?
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I agree $698 is high for a Mini 14, but if you can't get an AR from an even semi-reputable company for that price. If you can, I would like to know where.
 
Some people just don't like AR's, nothing personal, but that is the truth. there are also people who don't like the AK's either. Everyone has their own taste and the beauty of this country is that everyone has a choice (unless you live in Cali.)

Now on to the mini. they have gone up in price but not as much as some other rifles, if you have the patience you could try and wait for the price to fall again. If you are going to buy used make sure the serial # starts with 580- these are the updated models that have better accuracy. No they will not compete with most AR's out of the box, but they do serve a purpose and can be upgraded cheaply. Good luck with which ever way you go.
 
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My WallyWorld has a Mini 14 for $490 somethin.
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Then Jesus himself works at that Wal-Mart, in the Sporting goods section.

I've been to three stores and called Cabelas in KC, MO an hour ago. All they're prices were $600 and up (Cabelas had a special on them for $629.99, Showme had one for $748, Great Guns for $719, and Wally-World in Liberty had one at $698).

I've looked at Gunbroker and GunsAmerica, the cheapest rifle I found was This one, used, either bid or buy price of 599.99, and for a Mini-14 here. Both used, both lack the sort of info we'd all like (year made, barrel thickness, etc etc). Also, the Mini-30 owner won't respond to any questions about it, he just keeps asking if I'll buy it. Gunsamerica had ridiculous prices.

Is it that they can be accurized? But that doesn't make much sense because you can get a new AR kit from J&T Distributing for $600-700 (depending on what features you put on it)!

I'm just not seeing the reasoning behind the Mini right now. Do we have a Mini owner here who can make sense of it?

EDIT: Also of note, I can't use gunbroker because the apartment I'm living in doesn't give the owner an e-mail, we just use free-ones from Yahoo! and the like :(
 
While I like the AR better, the Mini-14 isn't that bad if you can get it to hit where you aim. I've had one in the past and got rid of it for that very reason.

One often overlooked advantage that I did like about mine was the compactness when used with one of the Butler Creek folding stocks. It could be stowed in the the same space as an AK underfolder, an advantage the average AR lacks due to the buffer tube.
 
I think a Cummins is a much better motor than a Powerstroke or Duramax.

I think living in a big city would be like dying and going to hell.

I think being married is infinitely better than being single.

I suspect not everyone would agree with those opinions.


So -

I can't - and won't try, because I'm not that smart - to make sense of why one should own a Mini-14 for anyone but myself, though I own a new 580 series Mini-14 and am buying another one within the next month or so.

IMHO the accuracy, though not 0.5 MOA, is sufficient for my specific applications/purposes - I have several other rifles from .223 to .300 Win Mag that I can use to drive tacks.

It is a proven, simple and utterly reliable (with the right ammo) firearm for a reasonable price - at least what I consider to be reasonable, within the context of what I see as other current options. It may not be the very best SHTF rifle, but it's one that will stand an enormous amount of hard use in extreme conditions and still operate well enough to provide adequate protection if used within certain limitations.

I can buy two Mini-14s right now for the cost of one good AR-15, and that's a factor. I fully intend to buy an AR-15 if/when prices return to something more reasonable(?) - if they don't, then I still have a couple of poor man's ARs; which at some point might be a lot more important that not having any sort of .223 semi-auto at all.

Just like an old guy told me once when we were discussing agreeable disagreement: "well, shoot, if everybody thought exactly like me, they'd all be in love with my wife" - which is a good point.
 
Just go to M&A parts inc and get a kit for $600. I bought one there and it works fine for me. They will mail it to your house ... less receiver

I don't think its fair to compare the cost of a sack of parts to the cost of a factory built gun that will always have manufacturers support.
 
Just like an old guy told me once when we were discussing agreeable disagreement: "well, shoot, if everybody thought exactly like me, they'd all be in love with my wife" - which is a good point.
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A very good point indeed. Although your entire post doesn't do anything to the problems with the Mini's pricing, and that J&T and other companies will sell you a decent AR for the same price, at least...

Well I still don't know why you'd want a Mini at these prices. But at least I know that its a good thing everyone doesn't think like me. :D
 
The point of my post - which admittedly might have gotten lost somewhere along the line - is that from my perspective (which again I don't propose should be important to anybody but me) - there is no "problem" with the Mini's pricing.

It is what it is, and in my mind is no less reasonable or unreasonable than the NIB Colt HBAR I was looking at for $2000 or any other AR-15 derivative that is currently in someone's opinion "overpriced".

It's only overpriced if nobody is willing to pay that price - once somebody pays it, was/is it still overpriced?

I'll admit the argument is to a certain extent philosophical, but the reality of "whatever the market will bear" pricing is fundamental to the whole concept of capitalism. If you think for whatever reason the price is too high, then don't pay it - when enough people feel that way, the price will come down because supply has gone up.

So, then, it would follow that it's dipsticks like me still buying the Mini-14s who are the "problem" !!!!!
 
As far as the Mini-14 accuracy thing goes, I just changed out the gas bushing, chopped off that thin crap at the end of the barrel (4.25"), put a target crown on the muzzle, and attached a John Masen muzzle brake with integral front sight. Now mine shoots MOA, and not just for the first three shots! Cost me all of $80, not including the crowning tool I bought from Midway ($85) so I could do the work myself. I had a Colt carbine that couldn't shoot half that good. I miss it, but I like my Mini better.

Also, my mom works at Walmart and receives a 10% discount on purchases there. When they come back in stock, she plans on buying another stainless ranch rifle with the factory 20 round mag for around $600.;)
 
Just picked up a NIB stainless 580 Mini this August for $599---factory mags are reasonable in price now and I have about 10.

Its minute of coyote(or human) accurate out to 300yds---dead nuts reliable---far more durable and tolerant of abuse or lack of maintenence than ANY AR.

And yes---I own AR's too.
 
I have bought two Minis this summer. Both are the new 580 series. One has the straight taper barrel. Thats the one that shot the the 1.5" group that I posted a picture of in an earlier thread. That 10 shot group was shot with a hot barrel that had just fired 30 fast rounds. I didn't have pay one extra cent to shoot that group either. And that was using Monarch ammo from Academy too.

I have a new 580 with the flared barrel. I just got week before last and haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. It came with the Ruger 20 round mag.

I paid $575+ tax for the first one and $675 for the second gun including tax.

I like the mini. It looks like a real gun and not something from a star wars movie. I have tried to make myself like an AR and they just don't do it for me.

I like the reputation for dependability that the ruger has. I like its heft. I can hit a canalope sized target offhand at a hundred yards. I don't have to worry if its properly lubed. I don't have to worry if the bolt or whatever is properly staked. I don't have to have a special tool to remove the forearm.

Now I can't hang all sorts of stuff off the mini, I can't change calibers. But for my use that doesn't matter. Its all a matter of personal choice and what you want it for. Be glad you can still have a choice.

The other poster that said you can buy all the guns you want in a few months from out of work people is most likely correct. I hope not. I like it when everyone has a job and is busy.
 
I forgot to add. I have 7 of the Pro-Mags 20 round magazines and have never had a jam or misfeed in my rifle. Also they look just like the factory mag. I can buy these at Academy for about 20 bucks a pop.
 
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