I have talked to many mini-14 buffs who brag about the price of their purchases. Yes, they probably did pay the low amount reported but, that is also like saying how easy it was to win $700 at the dog track. Unless you are at the right place at the right time with Dr. Murphy busy elsewhere, you are going to have to pay more and more for factory originals. Everyone wants to buy low however, anyone who owns factory originals in very good to mint condition will do their top level best to sell as high as possible. The real dummies are the ones who get talked down by those who want to buy. After market mags are most valuable to novice mini shooters who haven't been burned yet by every manufacturer out there. Accuracy Rifle Systems, in Odessa, TX sells the most reliable mag I have found. It comes as a 10 rounder in pretty tough plastic for about $17.00 ea. I learned to never pay for a aftermarket mag until I checked for fit and function. That is a neat trick when you are mail ordering mags. Out of probably 60 mags from ProMag, USA, and others I ended up with one S.S. 45 rounder, six 30 rounders, one 20 rounder, and five 10 rounders that were reliable in fit and function. Not being a home mechanic on mags, I turned to original Ruger Factory mags for peace of mind. You can find mags in pretty fair shape for $75 to $125.00. When you do, hang on to them. The price has not and will not decrease. Many people are now getting burned by paying this high amount for factory mags with the LEO stamps on them and are not protected from this kind of thing. These mags are worth about $5.00 to maby $10 to a LEO or government mini driver.