They already addressed accuracy also. I'm not saying it's at the level of a top-notch barrel on a custom AR build, but the whole rifle sells for less than the price of a really accurate barrel and people still complain about the price too.
Where are you buying Mini-14’s for under $500? Or what $1000 AR barrels do you think are required to beat a Mini for precision? ‘Cuz this is upside down in a big way.
For the last few years, I see Mini’s at $800-900 on the rack, $1000 at the chain stores now. On this date, the Ruger site doesn’t show any Mini-14, Ranch, or Mini-30 model below $999. Only 2 models at $999, two or three at $1169, and half a dozen between $1000-1100.
Alternatively, I typically buy two or three AR-15 barrels which will shoot sub-MOA for $800-1000. The only time I slip into $450-500 is when I order fluting or custom cerakote options. For “using rifles,” I typically pick up barrels at $300-350 street price, BEFORE my volume/dealer discounts.
The Mini accuracy “problem” isn’t really “fixed.” It’s certainly “better” than it used to be, but if the yardstick with which they’re measured is the typical precision of competing products in the market around them instead of just the abysmal precision of their past, they still aren’t “fixed.”
Picatinny base options for the Mini have been widely available for a long time, and tends to be a welcomed addition to fit the objective bell over the heat guard. A cheek riser might be nice, but it’d add further cost. It might seem logical that they integrate their shim set into the Mini, but you’re really talking about a broad gap between how they are marketing the American vs. the Mini’s now. The Mini’s are effectively a (relatively) highly featured line, not the everyman’s rifle, while the American, obviously isn’t meant to be such - it’s the rifle for every American. Similar to the comparison for AR-15 barrels above, a guy can buy 2-3 Americans for the price of the Mini, so throwing a cheap American feature on the Mini would be out of place. A more refined version adds cost to an already high-cost model line.
I sure wouldn’t mind seeing a Mini with no sights, pic rail in the box (D&T’d preferably), semi-bull barrel, an updated gas block dimension to facilitate a larger minimum diameter, a wider forend and an adjustable cheek rise stock - especially if it would deliver 1/2-3/4moa. Until then, I’ll buy and use Mini’s as range toys and “something different,” and focus my time serious shooting time upon different products.
I have one of those. Put a Matech buis on it and a Sig Romeo6 circledot on it.
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