Do you think a Ruger M1 Carbine would be successful?

[mini14jac]

I was thinking about this the other day.
Ruger has the 10/22 and the .44 mag carbine.
They could probably start making a .30 cal version with a couple weeks worth of engineering.

I bet, if they made a M1 copy, that used government mags, it would sell like hotcakes!


Yeah, I know.
I've been pushing my earplugs in too far.

 

[Dorrin79]

If it was designed to the M1 specs and took M1 mags, I think it would be a winner.

Big part would also be price point, though - I for one think the Minis are VERY overpriced. They'd need to slide it in at around $400 or less for me to consider one.

 

[El Tejon]

But, but it's an eeeevil militree weapon with no legit purpose. Ruger execs would scream in terror and jump on their desks!

 

[cordex]

El Tejon,
They'd calm down if the gun could only accept a proprietary 3 shot rotary mag, I think.

 

[David4516]

I think it would be a big hit if it were A: a real M1 carbine, not something like a 10/22 in .30 carb caliber, and B: reasonably priced.

 

[Benjamin]

I dunno.

What niche does it fill, that others don't do better?

.30 carbine ammo isn't as cheap as many others (7.62x39; .223; pistol calibers)

There are already commercial copies of the Cal. 30M1 carbine in production from IMI, as well as surplussed GI units.

If someone is looking for a cheap, rifle caliber plinker there are AKM's, FAL and CeTME, as well as lever actions of various types.


Without the historical significance of a 'real' M1 I'm not sure what the attraction would be.


As an aside, Ruger hasn't been too accomodating to persons looking for rifles with more than 5 round capacity. Another sticking point.

 

[MP-44]

As stated many times before, they should just make the Mini-14 take M-16 mags & the Mini-30 to take AK mags.

 

[SodaPop]

I think the people working at Ruger have the worst marketing skills.

There seems to be too much ideology coming from that company for them to not be making 10rd mags for the Mini 14/30.


Has Springfield armory ever made an M1 Carbine?

 

[Kaylee]

I rather doubt it.. too many other options out there to compete against, and their Mini and Deerfield series cover that ground pretty well already.

Ruger's strategy seems to be "find a niche, pick the best features of all those on the market, add one or two more, and make the finest, ruggedest, toughest,bulkiest gun investment casting can produce."

I'd LIKE to see them try a non-exposed oprod semi .44 Auto with a boxmag.. something along the lines of a civilian "thumper." Seems something right up their alley.

As it is... my guess is their next intro to the rifle market is going to be a "classic" style lever gun. They seem to be courting the SASS market something fierce, and I bet the die-hard Ruger fans in that sport would like a rough-and-tumble match to their Vaqueros. If they could come in price-wise under Winchester and toughness-wise over the Brazilian and Italian clones... they'd likely have a pretty decent marketshare.

-K

 

[keederdag]

#1:Why? #2:NO

 

[C.R.Sam]

Successful....No.
Don't think they would consider it....bucks.

Sam

 

[Detritus]

Nope,

they have ALREADY ditched the "upscaled Mini-14" concept they were running with (would have been a competitor to the M-1A), b/c there just was no "niche' for it. and a carbine clone would fall under tha same heading.

and as noted there is absolutely no reason why they should enter an already over saturated market. WAY too many M1Carbines and clones out there already.

 

[six 4 sure]

yes

I'd buy one.

six

 

[seeker_two]

I'd settle for a Deerfield in .357Mag w/ a 6-10 rd. magazine. Cheaper ammo & a nice, light carbine.

 

[mini14jac]

I read somewhere, a while back that someone had talked to Bill's son,
(Bill Jr. ?), and the article said that the .308 Mini idea had been revived.
Who knows?

The need for a Ruger M1 carbine?
1. M1 carbines are accurate, and fun-as-all-getout to shoot.
2. IMIs are hard to find.
3. G.I. guns are overpriced, and in mostly poor condition.
4. All other copies are junk.

I agree with many of the above posts.
1. Ruger M1 would have to be <$400.
2. Take G.I. mags.
3. I would buy one.
4. Probably not going to happen.

Hey, we can dream.

 

[RustyHammer]

Depends upon price ....

 

[Joe Demko]

Is there a market for a big, thick, clunky .30 carbine with a restricted magazine? Heck yeah! Maybe ruger could aslo incorporate some of the features and improvements from their other rifles.
They could give it the durable flip up sights from the Ranch Rifle.
They could give it the plastic buttplate from the 10/22 and Mini-14.
A proprietary magazine is always nice, especially if they make ones that hold more than 5 rounds and then refuse to sell them to civilians.
Hey, whatever it is they do to make Mini-14 barrels so tack-driving accurate, they should do to these carbine barrels as well.
Oh, and if you ever send it back to the factory for any reason, they should switch out any modified parts and return it to "factory spec". Wouldn't want to have any out there with less than a 27lb trigger pull.

 

[Newton]

The price would likely be close to that of a decent USGI M1 carbine.

The cost of the ammo will always be a problem however, still can't understand why what is essentially a .357 FMJ should cost so much to buy.

 

[Sunray]

"...the .308 Mini idea had been revived..." They discontinued working on it after announcing its production because it didn't work. Not because there was no interest. Lots of people started to breath heavily when the .308 Mini was announced. Then after 6 months or more, Ruger quietly stopped all work on it. They calimed they couldn't get the accuracy up to their standrads. Funny, it doesn't seem to bother them that the Mini-14 is a sprayer. "...make Mini-14 barrels so tack-driving accurate..." You must have gotten lucky. Most of 'em don't know what a tack is never mind how to drive one. Fun, but far from accurate.
"...All other copies are junk..." Nonsense. The late model Universal's are junk, but the Plainfield is just fine. IMI's are iffy in their quality too.

 

[Mannlicher]

While I am not a 'Certified Rugerphobe', I am not pleased with many of their marketing decisions, and product blunders.

Trying to reinvent the M1 Carbine would be another marketing and product blunder. Today's large American firearms companies are not geared to the niche market.