are there other brands that make the mini-14 that are considerable? Or is Ruger the only maker?
Ruger is the only manufacturer of the mini-14, but the Russian Saiga rifles in .223 and 7.62x39mm are comparable to the mini-14 and Mini Thirty, respectively, and the SKS is comparable to the Mini Thirty (except it's
much more difficult to mount optics satisfactorily on an SKS). Civilian AK lookalikes are functionally identical to a Mini Thirty, but may be hard to find at the moment due to demand.
http://www.raacfirearms.com/rifles.htm
Saiga in 7.62x39mm
The Kel-Tec Su-16 is comparable to a Mini-14, as is the Remington 7615 (pump-action, though).
The Springfield M1A and similar rifles resemble the Mini-14/Thirty in many ways (due to common design heritage), but are larger, heaver, .308 Winchester, and VERY expensive.
Used mini-14's will undoubtedly be cheaper, but the new ones (580 series and up) are more accurate.
If you can't find them anywhere else, Wal-Mart sells relatively inexpensive blued Mini-14's, and may sell the Mini Thirty as well.
Be sure to budget for magazines.
Reliable over-5-round magazines for both the Mini-14 and Mini Thirty are expensive and availability is sometimes spotty.
It is very simple to change the stock on a Mini if you ever decide to.
Top, factory; middle, Choate; bottom, Butler Creek folder