Low prices on the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Blued Synthetic .223/5.56 start at Champion Firearms-

Because it's not an AR-15. Perhaps the biggest factor motivating Ruger Mini-14 buyers is the simple fact it's not an AR-15. While tacticool rifles have their place and certainly enjoy a large and dedicated following, they're not for everyone. Traditional style rifles are still very much in vogue and for the discerning shooter, a classical design like the Mini-14 maintains a time-honored rifle tradition.

As recently as a decade ago, the Mini-14 used to be half the price of most AR's, but that's no longer the case. With Ruger's various upgrades and enhancements to the core design, the two platforms are now similarly priced. What really appeals to many shooters is the fact this little rifle is handy, lightweight, fast shooting, decently accurate and most importantly-- it has conventional styling.

Sturm, Ruger and Company was founded in 1949 by business partners Alexander ("Alex") McCormick Sturm and William ("Bill") Batterman Ruger. Prior to the partnership, Bill Ruger had previously designed machine guns for the U.S. military during World War II and afterwards, successfully duplicated two Japanese Baby Nambu pistols in his garage based on samples acquired from a Marine. It would serve as the basis for launching the company after Ruger ingeniously combined the looks of a German 9mm Luger with rimfire engineering from the Colt Woodsman and the operating mechanism of the Nambu.

Bill Ruger and Alex Sturm rented a small machine shop in Southport, Connecticut, then introduced the world to the greatest rimfire pistol in history right out of the blocks-- the legendary MK-I, which still continues to this day in its third generation. Alex Sturm was married to the granddaughter of President Teddy Roosevelt, was a Yale graduate, a talented artist and business entrepreneur that supplied the capital investment to start the fledgling company.

In addition, he personally designed the famous Germanic heraldic red eagle that still serves as Ruger's company logo. Bill Ruger supplied the business acumen plus technical know-how as a skilled gunsmith and celebrated inventor. Tragically in 1951, Alex Sturm fell seriously ill and died at the age of 28 just as the company was beginning to gain traction.

After Sturm's passing, Bill Ruger mourned the loss of his old friend and business partner by permanently changing the company's distinctive red eagle logo to solid black (or white, shrouded in black), where it remains to this day. Bill Ruger would go on to lead the company to world prominence, becoming the largest manufacturer of firearms in the United States.

A pioneering legend in American industry until his death in 2002, Ruger had a hand in the design and styling of every single gun the company produced while under his direction. To date, Sturm Ruger has manufactured more than 30-million firearms, while also becoming a leading supplier of precision investment castings in diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive and even golf clubs.

At the heart of the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical is its M1 Garand rotating bolt and simplified self-cleaning, fixed gas piston system. The model was actually so designated because it was intended to be a miniaturized version of the M14 rifle.

In 1967, Bill Ruger designed the rifle as a replacement for the U.S. M14, but as we are all aware, the military officially adapted the M-16 as its standard issue service rifle by 1969. Somewhere around 1973, the Mini-14 was released on the civilian market and like many of history's more famous firearms, the rifle made its rounds in Hollywood on such hit TV shows as the A-Team.

Today, every Mini-14 is technically a "Ranch" model, but that was not always the case. This designation meant that the high quality investment cast, heat treated receiver has an integral set of scope bases built-in from the factory and was also shipped with a set of Ruger medium height rings for securely mounting a scope.

The "Tactical" designation simply means the rifle is equipped with a flash suppressor. Sometimes the Ruger receives a bad rap for for being inaccurate, but this is mostly undeserved-- especially when using quality hunting ammunition and with the factory upgrades that were made to the series in 2005. Ruger added a hammer forged 16.12" heavy barrel, which improved accuracy over the older and thinner taper barrels.

A faster 1:9" twist rate replaced the slower twist barrels, giving the Mini-14 the ability of stabilizing heavy 75-grain match rounds down to standard 55-grain ball ammunition. For iron sights, the rifle now features an upgraded set of ghost ring aperture adjustable rear paired with a non-glare post front.

A secure traditional flat style rubber buttpad replaced the old carbine style smooth design that tended to skip around on your shoulder. The weather resistant black synthetic stock will not warp with the changing of seasons and has a checkered texture for improved handling.

A matte blued finish is professionally done and consistent on all metal parts. The M1 Garand style trigger guard safety is one of the most intuitive designs ever created-- when ready to fire, simply insert your into the guard and push forward. One 20- round magazine is included with the package and the rifle weighs in at 6.75 pounds unloaded.

Even though Ruger does not offer a written warranty, the company has always promptly and courteously repaired the limited number of malfunctioning firearms we've sent them-- regardless of how far back the weapon was purchased. In fact, in our humble opinion, the company has a better warranty policy than most of the firearms manufacturer's currently advertising a "limited lifetime" warranty (which is not your lifetime, but what they determine to be the life of the gun).

Overall, the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical is a high capacity, incredibly reliable, compact semi-auto rifle that is perfect for serious work around the ranch, out of a deer blind or strictly for use in home protection.

Established in 1993, Champion Firearms is a retail gun store and indoor range located in College Station, Texas.

As a brick & mortar store, we pride ourselves on customer service, quality products and our competitive pricing.

Each listing is an item we actively plan to stock. While not all of our inventory is listed, the items contained on our website represent some of the most popular products we carry.

Our staff has worked hard and done their best to ensure the accuracy of every listing. In the event an error has been made, Champion Firearms asks your understanding while we make it right.

From all of us here at Champion Firearms, thanks for visiting our store. For assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do to help: (979) 693-9948 or [email protected]