Does anyone know the specific % of what sort of price increases Ruger has been implementing?  The numbers I'm seeing are outpacing inflation by a lot.  Have they released any information explaining this?  
    Are they just accepting the fact that ARs have the market share, so now they are over pricing the mini,  hence sales drop, and they can justify discontinuing them?

Besides the fact all US made guns have gone up I think the Samson folder can be to blame as well

The Mini has never been bargain priced.

Of course inflation has everything increasing in price, but Ruger really seems to have been overachieving when it comes to price increases for the last few years.  Their DA revolvers used to be a good deal for a strong, durable, well made revolver, but now they seem to be pretty close to S&W prices.  Same thing with their bolt actions.  When they were first introduced, the standard American models could be had pretty easily for $299.

Depends on how you look at it.  When you compare them to AR prices they looked like a bargain 20-40 years ago.

MSRP for the Ruger Ranch rifles jumped like $200 last year, currently $660.

Rugers are great, got more than a few rifles & hanguns from new back to ‘64.

But at that price, there’s other rifles worth looking at.

But Minis have never been cheap, they require a lot of hand fitting to assemble, and if you want one, there’s not really anything else exactly like it. Surplus M1s yea, but not in .223, .300bo, 6.8 or 7.62x39.

The fact they’re one of the few semi auto loaders still approved/ grandfathers by ban states is also keeping sales going.

Don't forget about the pandemic and panic buying being another cause of price increases.

It was (at least I think so) for most of it's life.  You used to be able to find a used mini for approximately half the price of an AR.  Not anymore.  In my view there are many reasons for this.

1) It's become a much better/more accurate gun especially with the thicker barrel in the later generations.
2) Supply and Demand - you can go into any gunshop and buy a new AR, you cannot do so for a Mini14 anymore.  They are rarely in stock.  I suspect/wonder if Production may be diverted to less restrictive areas as you can own a Mini14 just about if not everywhere - that isn't the case with the AR15 and is a reason why the demand is so high, people aren't as worried about it being restricted or taken away.  Any bans that are ever announced/implemented the Mini is almost if not always absent.
3) Cost of manufacture - your basic AR is plastic and phosphated steel.  That wood and blued steel on the mini not only is old school, it isn't as cheap to manufacture in my view (kinda looks better too).
4) Everything has gone up - priced an SKS or AK lately?  It's beyond nuts.  The reason AR's are so much better priced figuratively speaking is there are just so many companies making them now.  Only one company of course makes the Mini.

While I mostly have AR's and love them - I also have a Mini for the reasons stated above.  Everyone likes to get a Little A team going on...I agree the aftermarket folders haven't hurt the demand for the guns at all either.  Still haven't splurged for one myself but I most likely will.

Some additional thoughts come to mind:

Ruger spent a lot of money buying the "Marlin" brand and is doing a lot of "development" on the items they will eventually bring to the market.  That money's got to come from somewhere...

It is possible that Ruger is selling all the Minis they can make, particularly in Ban States, because the Mini is still legal in those States, at least for now.  Demand rises, price goes up.

I was able to get all my money back out of one of my "overpriced" Minis thanks to one of the panics.    I'm happy I didn't take a loss, and I'm sure the new owner is happy they got something they want.

I still have my shorter SS folder, which is the one I preferred anyway.

Mini14s never were “cheap”, ARs were just overpriced until a lot competition developed.
I sure don’t see many in local stores anymore.

How much have the sales dropped? I am curious as to what you think they should cost. As long as they are legal in the Ban States I can't see them getting discontinued but I guess anything's possible.

lol we really going that far back. You can also buy $2,000 AR's now.

Attached File


My first non-Fudd gun, bought in 1986 when I was in high school.

A-Team might have had something to do with it.

Cheaper than ARs at the time.

The Armson OEG (Occluded Eye Gunsight) mounted on that Mini was considered pretty avant-garde at that point in time.

Armson OEG

It was super high tech at the time.  I just got it recharged by Armson USA.  They were great to work with.

How/why?  I didn't know those needed recharging in any capacity?

At least some Armson units had/have the possibility of installing a Tritium element for night use.

Since Trit elements diminish in light output over time, Trit elements past a certain age need to be replaced with new Trit elements.

Ugh
You clowns need to stop buying them so Ruger drops them to $599
I’d buy one for $599. Mags are like $30, right?

I am looking at the Mini 14 Stainless with black syn stock with Gov  G/B type flash hider for 979 , another shop had one for 1100 , I haven`t seen this model for a while .

Bill Ruger called them the "World's most expensive plinker".

When I graduated from HS in 78.  The wholesale on six pack of Mini-14's was about $150 each.   You could buy a Rem 788 with 4x Tasco scope package for about 85 each wholesale.
My first one was more of a shotgun then a rifle.  I tinkered with reloads.  I had the scope mount where it replaced the rear sight and was then anchored with screws into the receiver that had to be drilled and tapped.
I had 4x loopy scope. About the best I could get was 2in.  Factory 55gr FMJ was about 3in.

New standard models retail $950 around the local shops here. Stainless or tactical $1050+.

Like said never been cheap just ARs got cheaper  Ruger obviously sells so they will keep making them.

IIRC, 2 MOA is well within the typical acceptance standard for M1/M-14 rifles, using fresh GI ammo.

Few have claimed any Mini was a literally a tack-driver.