Initially I intended to order a new Mini-30 tactical after I moved to Oregon next year. I changed my mind, though, because the Mini-30 and my Mini-14 will be the only non-Cowboy Action Shooting long guns I will bring back to to Commiefornia, when we come back down months at a time to visit kids and grandkids. If I got a tactical Mini-30 it would have to stay in Oregon. So I started looking around, and found that Mini-30s on the Left Coast are north of $900, even on sale, especially up here in the northern part of CA. I put the Mini-30 idea on a back burner.

As an aside, my wife and I decided not to move my monster 6 ft x 3 ft x 2 ft, 750 pound gun vault. I got it in 1988 when I was an active FFL and needed secure storage. Most of my stuff is now in smaller medium sized 4.5 ft x 2.5 ft x 1.5 ft gun safes that a 67 year old can move on a dolly by himself. There big vault is used for ammo storage and boxes of parts and magazines.

Yesterday my wife suggests to me "Why don't you see if you can trade that monster to Brian (my buddy that runs the local gun shop) to replace one of the guns you sold this summer?" So, armed with some pictures, I headed to my buddy's shop. He looked at it and sat down and ordered me a Ruger 5804 Stainless Mini-30 in a wood stock! I will have to pay about $100 tax and DROS fee. I am a VERY happy camper!

His price is about $800, and he had a heck of a time finding a stainless in a wood stock. One or two places had the in polymer, but I wanted wood. It is exactly the one I had and had to sell.

Good choices: wood, stainless, and caliber!

I look forward to photos and a range report.

Congrats..

When I sold my last Mini-30, I kept all my brass cased reloads and loading components, but sold all my Russian ammo.  At my son's in So-Cal and happened into a WalMart to check ammo. (No WalMarts within a hour and a half of my house).I found Tulammo 122 FMJ 40 round packs for $10+ each.  Bought all they had and got 640 rounds at $0.27 each after tax.  Not too bad for plinking ammo.

Stainless/wood Mini-30 finally arrived at the LGS, and started Commiefornia's 10 jail period.  Unfortunately, Christmas happened, so it will be the 26th.

Argh!!!  I went to see my Mini-30 and asked what time on the 24th my 10 day Commiefornia jail is over...The clerk who handles it forgot to enter the paperwork and start the 10 day.  I sat there and stared at hi until he entered it. Now it is the 29th instead of the 24!!!  The only good thing is that I have to leave for Oregon Friday, and would not be back until at least the 28th...