Thanks to Silver 78 who has donated this rare photo of the XGI.
Ok guys here it is a very rare peek at the XGI, which didn't go into mass-production.
The verbage in the pic wouldn't come out so I will type it. It reads:
"The more powerful Ruger XGI semi-automatic rifle, like the Mini-14, retains the essentials of the durable Garand design used in the U.S. M1 and U.S. M14 military rifles --Garand-type gas system, rotating bolt, oerating rod and handle. The safety is also the Garand-type conveniently located for quick operation. This sporter also features and M14-type magazine release.
The Ruger XGI is chambered for two of the most popular sporting rounds in the world: the versatile varmint-to-deer class .243 Winchester cartridge and the .308 Winchester big game cartridge."
Update. Ruger is auctioning off a very rare XGI .308. I've added new pics. Thanks stevekaw for catching this before it was gone.
Wow! I would have bought one! I got to get me an open sighted rifle!
I missed a lot of opportunities because of a scope today(usually hunt eastern side of Oregon, instead of Western)
It just got in the way to took to long to find the target. My dad is a natural with a scope, but I am a better shotgun shooter. I like open sights.
I'm taking my Grandpa's 45-70 Marlin tomorrow, if I get my deer with it, I will be buying me a marlin lever gun!
Cajungeo thanks for posting the picture.... And for all the other great stuff you do for everyone on the board here.
I pulled this picture from the Ruger product catalog many years ago. It was the center page of the Ruger product catalog for that year. They were so close to production that they placed it in their product catalog. Then at the last minute they pulled it out of production. If I recall correctly, Ruger said that quality problems caused them to change their mind about selling the rifle.
I think I read somewhere about someone who toured the Ruger factory in 2003 and observed that Ruger still has hunderds of the XGI receivers in storage. So maybe one day...
Boy, I bet that would a been a sweet shooter in 308..How bout a 10 rnd
mag for that puppy. Too bad they couldn't get it to fly, I would a bought
one in the 308..SWEET !!
You know all day at work I've had the thought in my mind that it used M-14 mags for the Hi-caps. Now I have been trying to figure out if I read that some place or not. That would be perfect though if it did. I never had a M-14 jamb on me all the time I was in the Marine Corps.
BTW I'm pinning this topic so it will always be on top, for members to look at, and to comment on.
Howdy Cajun and Silver78; I think it was really cool of you guys to post these pics of the fabled XGI! Looks like it was from the 1984 catalog,since they printed(Ruger)that the XGI in .243 will be out in 1985. I my opinion if Ruger were to start putting out these two rifles and a PC45, plus a Ruger 1911-.45acp. They would be one of the preimer firearm manufacturers in the USA today. Not to say as they dont already make some very nice firearms. Getting back to the XGI, I most certainly would buy one in .308 caliber. I think it would be a sweet rifle. Any idea of what the MSRP was supposed to have been? Again thanks for the pics.
canjungeo, heres what was listed in 1986 prices and models.
Mini-14/5 blued 351.75
K-Mini 14/5 stainless 393.75,with folding stock 430.00
Mini 14/5R (Ranch Rifle) 380.50 available in .223 or 7.62x39
K-Mini 14/5F stainlees steel with folding stock 476.75
Also says 10 and 20 round mags. available but doesn't list any prices. Now would someone tell me what the F model is? I don't have a clue to what that is and why it is so much more expensive.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If I recall correctly, Ruger pulled production on the XGI at the last minute because of some reliability problem that they could not solve. Making the Mini 30 was a reasonable (but not sufficient) substitute because the shorter, less powerful cartridge could be used in the existing Mini 14 system.
I wish they would send me one to work on. If I could solve their problem then I would get to keep it for free. Then they could hire me as a consultant.
It's nice to have a dream.
That is very nice. Kind of a streched Mini 14. Seems much more streamlined than the M14 for some reason. I wonder how the two compare as far as size. Sure would make a nice Camp Carbine project.
Speaking of M14's and camp carbines, Im quite stoked about Springfields new M1A SOCOM 16. I must have one.
Location: Lo-Cal So. Cal. where the money is plastic & the people are too!
Posts: 10
Originally posted by hpg@Nov 23 2003, 12:35 PM I don't remember why Ruger never went ahead with the XGI project. I remember they introduced the Mini-30 instead.-hpg
The story as I heard it was that the XGI had too small a receiver, w/ inadequate barrel support, which led to cracking after a few [10's of?] thousand rounds.
As inaccurate as the Mini14 is, the XGI was much, much worse, and wouldn't hold up in the long run.
But using a modified XGI receiver as the basis of a rifle firing the new 6.8Rem round that has all the AR15 shooters in a tizzy would be sweet, since you could sac some of the barrel thickness to beef up the receiver where the barrel mates up. And since it already has a much superior gas system than the black rifles, it might yet see the light of day? Wouldn't that be cool? B)
__________________
Never forget that the only reason anyone has for taking your gun away is to make you weaker than he is, so he can do something to you that you wouldn't allow if you were equipped to prevent it.
It looks like, from the pics, that they were going to skip the tapered barrel with this gun. That might have helped the accuracy.
cajungeo,
I think there is a write-up on here somewhere from a guy that went to a gunsmith (armourers sp?) course at Ruger.
I didn't have time to search for it, but I kept a hard copy.
He said don't give up on the XGI, and mentioned seeing the left-over parts.
He also said that it used M14 mags.
If they could keep the price around $500, I would check one out!
cajungeo
Looks like it was from the 1984 catalog,since they printed(Ruger)that the XGI in .243 will be out in 1985. I my opinion if Ruger were to start putting out these two rifles and a PC45, plus a Ruger 1911-.45acp. They would be one of the preimer firearm manufacturers in the USA today. Not to say as they dont already make some very nice firearms. Getting back to the XGI, I most certainly would buy one in .308 caliber. I think it would be a sweet rifle. 
Any idea of what the MSRP was supposed to have been? Again thanks for the pics. 
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