Cant find the Mini14 page for info yet,( I lost my boookmark), but mines a 184- XXX.. and it IS a pre-ban so that puts yours in the pre era also

Quoted: I thought Mini S/Ns started at 180 and went up from there.

Still cant find the original site for the information, but youi could be right, as I did find this list

Ruger Mfg Dates
                        Mini-14, Ranch Rifle, and Mini-30

                        Year Mini-14 Ranch Mini-30
                        1974 180-00001
                        1975 180-05101
                        1976 180-28282
                        1977 - 180-59251
                        1978 - 181-07488
                        1979 - 181-48351
                        1980 - 181-84879
                        1981 - 182-45601
                        1982 - 183-03581 187-00001
                        1983 - 183-40455 187-02611
                        1984 - 184-17175 187-13218
                        1985 - 184-26063 187-27226
                        1986 - 184-95448 187-50919
                        1987 - 185-14140 187-59308 189-00001
                        1988 - 185-50455 187-70033 189-15143
                        1989 - 185-56556 187-84127 189-17652
                        1990 - 185-81009 188-01157 189-25005
                        1991 - 186-05029 188-30499 189-38805
                        1992 - 186-18250 188-50902 189-51041
                        1993 - 188-66901 188-66901 189-52528

remember this is unconfirmed at this time

NOTE:

Unless it was a factory "GB" model, or the seller can provide PROOF that the gun was assembled into AW configuration before the ban, the gun is a post-ban, regardless of manufacture date.

Remember: the 1994 Ban isn't based on manufacture date, but on the date of assembly into AW configuration.  A gun that left the factory in AW configuration can probably be documented as such.  One that did not would need some other kind of evidence of pre-'94 AW assembly.

-Troy