Death of a Gun

The Ruger Mini-14 (and, by extension, the Mini-30) is one of those guns that ought to be a stalwart in most collections. They ought to be bought and sold with great frequency. They ought to be more than a has-been in the gun world. 

What's not to like? 

The Mini-14 is chambered in a popular caliber (.223 / 5.56 mm). It is somewhat inaccurate for the cartridge, but most shooters wouldn't know. It is a magazine-fed semi-auto. It is lightweight and easy to use. With minimal effort, one can mount a scope of choice... or just stick with the perfectly fine iron sights that come standard. It is based off the same fundamental design as the M1 and M1A - two revered rifles. 

So why is it so relatively unpopular?

Here is a basic list of some of the reasons. Call it a perfect storm, if you will.

• Cheap AR15's - meanwhile, Mini-14 prices are soaring. (This due primarily to the fact that ARs are produced by many competing companies - but the Mini-14 is not)
• Bill Ruger's assistance with anti-gun legislation.
• Fairly expensive magazines.
• Extremely inaccurate due to design issues. 
• No updates/improvements in above-mentioned design flaws!
• Timing of cheap SKS rifles on the American market in the late 1980's - early 1990's.
• Poor QC, resulting in unreliable models during the 1980's and 1990's. 

Basically, it is a list of things not to do if you want to successfully sell a gun. 

.