[Tyrantresister]

Went to a Ruger weekend sales event today. They had a couple factory reps on hand, as well as GREAT sales prices on a lot of Ruger's most popular guns.

Talked to one of the reps who had been there for 30 years.

"Don't you think it would be a good idea to make a mini-30 rifle that takes AK mags, since the rifle accepts rock in mags anyway?"

"No"

"I think if you did you would tipple sales of the rifle, at least."

"We already have a hard time keeping up with the demand of our guns."

"What are the biggest sellers? The mini-14s?"

"No, we don't sell that many minis anymore, they aren't popular like they were 20 years ago. Most of the guns we sell are handguns. People don't care about minis anymore, and the old ones weren't accurate because of the thin barrels. We makes 20 round mags for the mini-30, why do you need it to take AK mags for?"

"You know, Sig sells a rifle that takes AK mags."

"They might need to, they're not as big as us! We have enough new things coming out to have to worry about something like that."

"What do you guys have in the works?"

"I can't tell you."

"Anything mini related?"

"No, we don't do much mini stuff anymore. Back in the day, we sold what old man Ruger wanted to sell. Now, we can sell what the people want."

"I think the people would like a mini-30 that took AK mags, and even a mini-14 that took AR mags."

"No."

 

[kwg020]

They sell what keeps the stock holders happy too. The Mini's have 40 years of neglect and baggage. Except for maybe the tacticals, I see them going away some day soon. Not enough profit in them and too much competiton from the AR's. They had the market once and let it slip away. kwg

 

[Stellar724]

Thats disapointing to say the least. I love the Ruger Mini 14 but Ruger management needs to get their heads out of their asses.

 

[bai78]

Sounds similar to the reps I met at the Cabela's opening in Allen last year. I couldn't really get any usable feedback regarding the SR556 or even the GSR.

Consequently, I had found more info from forum posts/reviews and the youtube videos. In any case it is disappointing to say the least. It does happen when long term employees become complacent and are just burnt out. Perhaps at one time they actually had a "passion" but those days are long since gone.

My 2¢

 

[scottybaccus]

I think it's presumptuous to think that Ruger isn't using sales and marketing data to make these decisions. The Mini- fan club is actually quite small in comparison to other weapons in the Ruger line-up or from other mainstream manufacturers.

 

[Tyrantresister]

I think it's presumptuous to think that Ruger isn't using sales and marketing data to make these decisions. The Mini- fan club is actually quite small in comparison to other weapons in the Ruger line-up or from other mainstream manufacturers.

Yeah, but how much would that "fan" club grow if Ruger was actually making weapons that would draw a large fan base?

Things like good piston opperated 7.62 rifles with peep sights, are almost non existent. Everyone loves the AK, but hates the sights.

Same with the mini, if you had a piston driven mini that took AR mags, who wouldn't be all over it? Most piston drive AR type rifles are well over a grand.

Why don't they make Mini's with muzzle attachments?

They do too many things to make serious users not even CONSIDER the mini. Can you imagine an AR company that made POST ban ARs that only took Galil mags?

Would they get much business?

People wouldn't even think of marketing an AR without a threaded muzzle, bayonet lug, and STANAG mag ability.

 

[kwg020]

I have no issues with the Ruger mags except the price. Promag makes some good ones for about 10 bucks less. It's just that the AR's have dominated the market and competition for the .223 money is going that way and not to the Mini's. I'd be surprised if the Mini's are around in 5 years. They had so much potential 30 years ago and they let it slip away. They are still great rifles no matter how you slice it but without firing pins and bolts, it's a dead end.

I would like to see the scout rifle in .223 and and let the Mini fade away. I would even take the scout rifle with the Ruger style mags. kwg

 

[40nascar]

Well, I love the mini, and if Ruger stops production, I hope someone else picks it up and Improves it. By the way, the mini is basicly a piston operated semi-auto rifle. The operating rod acts as the piston. This is why the mini had a reliability advantage over the Ar type for so many years.

 

[jim580]

Mag prices weren't a deal breaker for me.

My Mini came with a twenty and the LGS threw in a five when I asked. I bought one more of each for a total of around $50 and that's all I really need.

 

[tri70]

Mags are starting to get more popular now, I wish they had more at the LGS level. Prices are not bad for aftermarket they cost as much as AR or AK, for factory mags around $25-30 is not bad, consider Glock mags around $24 and its way more popular than the mini.

 

[specs]

I wonder why they retooled the mini and made it so much more accurate? If they would just make it easier to replace the bolt and pin all would be well. Now that we are facing anew AWB, it may become the beginning of the end for the mini. Let's hope not.

 

[Dacotua]

I wonder why they retooled the mini and made it so much more accurate? If they would just make it easier to replace the bolt and pin all would be well. Now that we are facing anew AWB, it may become the beginning of the end for the mini. Let's hope not.

Ruger Re-tooled because their machinery was getting worn out. They didn't intentionally make it more accurate either. Ruger decided to use the same barrel stock for the Mini-30s for the Mini-14 in order to save money by stocking only ONE barrel rod. Rugers standard accuracy test is a 2" circle at 50 yards (I believe that is what it is). Ruger is completely happy if your rifle shoots 5 MOA at 100 yards.

I've been saying this for some time. Since the introduction of the SR556 Ruger has been concentrating its efforts into their AR Platform. Ruger doesn't really care for the mini-14 anymore since they've basically priced it at the AR Level. Most people at the stores will buy the AR Over the Mini-14 just on price alone.

I would have loved to see Ruger retool the Mini to take AR-15 Magazines. Ruger wouldn't have to produce magazines since there are a TON of AR-15 Magazines. Besides the AR-15 Magazine is the NATO Standard for the 5.56 world and Ruger should have adpoted it. Likewise my opinion is that the AK Magazine is the 7.62x39 standard of that rounds world. Ruger should have adopted it too during the retool. (Fact is Rugers managers don't care and didn't want to spend the time to or money to do it.)

Could you imagine the possibilities of the Ruger Platform IF they did the following. Made the Gun take AR-15 Magazines, put a 5/8" to 3/4" round barrel on the gun from the chamber to the muzzle and have it threaded for a standard AR-15 flash hider. Since the advent of the removeable barrel on the 10/22, if Ruger would adopt that for the Mini it would make barrel swaps easy. The possibilities would be endless for the Mini then. (Want a 6.8, its a barrel and bolt swap.). Also having Ruger sell parts would also further expand the market.

Todays gun buyer wants a gun thats modular. Lets face it, whenever I go to the range now, I see 20 AR's to any mini that I see these days. Its funny that 20 years ago this was REVERSED. I used to see 20 Mini's to every AR I saw. Thats because the Mini was HALF the Price of the AR-15.

Why does Ruger price the Mini-14 at the AR-15 level? Come on, people won't buy them at that price and will jump on the AR-15. Make the Mini's MSRP like 500 dollars and they'll sell a ton of them.

 

[kwg020]

I think the AWB will be back. That will make the Mini Ranch popular, especially in the states that kept the AWB. But, if it's a bolt action, the AWB won't apply in most cases. Ruger avoids the whole issue.

I talked to a guy in California who said their attorney general has already written the bill to ban all semi autos and she is waiting for the right time to introduce it. My guess is it won't get any better than the next 4 years. If Ruger is thinking ahead, now would be the time to introduce the Scout in .223. If Ruger intro's the Scout in .223, that should drive up the collector value of unmolested Mini's.

This is all speculation on my part. But the issue of the bolts and firing pins goes away for the more publicly acceptable option of a bolt action. Let's face it, the lawyers of the world are forcing change to less litigation prone products. My guess is, that's why Ruger will not let pins and bolts out to the public.

Semi autos are the scourge of the world according to some folks. Ruger could get a jump on this issue. Make is so they use the Ruger magazine and all of those mags laying around will get a second use, the Mini's already built and the new Scout rifle. How many of those magazines refused to work in the semi auto but may well work in the bolt action?

Think about it, Ruger phases out the Mini's and there will be a rush to buy them up before they stop production. The Scouts come out and there will be a rush to buy them up. Ruger and their stock holders win. JMHO kwg

 

[kwg020]

Dacotua said:
I would have loved to see Ruger retool the Mini to take AR-15 Magazines. Ruger wouldn't have to produce magazines since there are a TON of AR-15 Magazines. Besides the AR-15 Magazine is the NATO Standard for the 5.56 world and Ruger should have adpoted it. Likewise my opinion is that the AK Magazine is the 7.62x39 standard of that rounds world. Ruger should have adopted it too during the retool. (Fact is Rugers managers don't care and didn't want to spend the time to or money to do it.)

The Mini started life before 1975. The only AR mags available was what few Colt was selling and the stolen ones from the military. I can easily see why Ruger decided to make the Mini with it's own magazine. In 1975 there was talk of gun control and magazine control as well. Ruger bypassed the issues by making them themselves. kwg

 

[Old Navy]

Why this constant bashing of Ruger? I own or have owned Ruger products and I've been pleased with all including the Mini. It is what it is. I live in the country and use it for what it was intended for, a "Ranch Rifle". I have used it to good effect dispatching the bobcat that ate my grandaughter's hens and messed up her little egg business. In other words, it worked! Also, I like the wood and steel. To me, it is more akin to the old 30/30 lever action, which I'm thinking about getting as well (always wanted one).

Also, I had an e-mail exchange with Mr. Fifer of Ruger who works in the CEO's office. All I did was send a polite e-mail to him asking about all the negative things I see in the forums. First, he was kind enough to respond. Next, he explained that the number of Minis coming in for repair is not of a high percentage. Also he stated that as firearms come in they have quality meetings to address the defect/problem and have a consumer advocate present. Now, this seems reasonable and I doubt this gentleman would not have gone to this trouble to BS a stranger. In fact., I sent a second e-mail thanking him for the response and that I was happy with my Mini 14 581 Tactical with the cicasssion walnut stock. He then resonded that he had one as well and then proceeded to tell me what other firearms he owned and what type of hunting he enjoyed. All in all it was a polite interesting exchange.

Finally, if the Mini falls out of production someday, then so be it. How many out there would like to have a new Remington Nylon 66, A real new Winchester 94 30/30, etc.. I could go on but we all have a list. If one wants everything on the Mini just like an AR, then buy an AR. The Mini and AR are just two totally different rifles. In fact, out here on the farm, I usually just keep a five round mag in I bought separately since it is lighter and handier. Yes, just irons as well.

As for Bill Ruger himself, he took the chance and built a business. It was his and what policies or decisions he made were his to make. Disagree or not, he had the right to make them. Right now Ruger is one of the major american firearms manufacturer employing Americans. I will support it. As for politics, lets all get more active before the next election at the precint level. We need to do this to preserve what we have left. I am less concerned about fighting off the mythical hordes and more concerned about the slow erosion of our Bill of Rights like a thief in the night.

 

[K1500]

So...a guy walks up to a Ruger rep in a store and suggests a TOTAL redesign of the proven Mini line (that has done well for nearly 40 years) and the Ruger rep didn't jump all over it. What was that rep thinking?

 

[Tyrantresister]

I am less concerned about fighting off the mythical hordes and more concerned about the slow erosion of our Bill of Rights like a thief in the night.

Yeah, that your boy Bill Ruger supported. Sure he started a business, and he had a right to do what he wanted with it. However, he had no right to impose his morality on anyone else, which is what he advocated. He should have stuck to just influencing his business policies vs trying to influence others through the coercive arm of government.

It's sad because, as others have noted, the Minis really did have GREAT potential. I wouldn't write them off yet, the recent retooling and subsequent higher sales prove that improvements are appreciated. However, they DO have to take those corrective steps to improve it.

Who cares if it takes a propriety mag? Why do I want to have 5 different rifles, that all take the same caliber, but all take different magazines (when they could all easily be made to take the same one), especially, when our country's police and military use the NATO standard? Logistically, that doesn't make any sense.

Esp if you ever want to use those rifles in any type of combat environment. It's a logistics nightmare, which would have easily been rectified (and still can be).

Do you want a rifle that if SHTF, you're likely to never find any mags for? Or do you want a rifle that uses plentiful mags, that will be around in MUCH more abundance?

If you're only concern is plinking and recreation, then I can see why you wouldn't care about proprietary mags that cost five times as much, but the majority of gun buyers in TODAY'S market, that are panic buying because they forsee a unclear forthcoming calamity, are NOT those types of gun owners.

Sure, Ruger can say "F em all" and not care about them. Not care that they loose a large potential market share, and loose increased revenue which thus would cause them to increase production, which would requires them to hire MORE OF THOSE AMERICAN WORKERS you claim to be so proud that they hire now.

Most people here wouldn't think of tolerating an auto company that took this attitude with their customers, but you think it's ok for a gun company? Your gun is much more important than your car.

 

[TMB]

So...a guy walks up to a Ruger rep in a store and suggests a TOTAL redesign of the proven Mini line (that has done well for nearly 40 years) and the Ruger rep didn't jump all over it. What was that rep thinking?

LOL got me? They should make all their pistols take 1911 mags & put tube mags on the 10/22 & make the detachable mag model same as Marlin.:lol:

 

[Tyrantresister]

Having a rifle take a different (but still rock-in), more logical, magazine is not a "total redesign".

 

[PDXS3T]

Since I own an HK USP 40 and a Ruger P89, I think Ruger should make the P89 accept HK magazine's! I wouldn't have to buy so many magazine's then. :2guns: