MINI 14 Magazines

I'm buying a used MINI 14 from a local GS. Barrel, bore, and stock are close to 100%. Last time I had one was around '94 when 20-30 rd mags were hard to find and really expensive. Gun I'm buying comes with one 20 rd mag.. I found a couple 20 rounders in my spare magazines box and I want a couple more. What's the best place to get 20 rd magazines and are there any acceptable alternatives?

Thanks, Jim

Try these guy for OE mini 14 mags decent prices as well http://www.cdnninvestments.com/

lipofsky said:

Try these guy for OE mini 14 mags decent prices as well http://www.cdnninvestments.com/

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Yep, they usually have the best prices on mags.

Brownells was selling Ruger factory 20 rounders for $22.99 last month with free shipping if ya bought 5 or more. I've seen similar deals from Midway also.
Point is...genuine factory mags can be had a lot cheaper these days than is generally believed if you look around.

And BTW...regardless of how they are being advertised, the "Original Equipment" (O.E.) mags being sold by CDNN are NOT genuine Ruger mags...so buyer beware.

DGW

OE brand magazines work just fine in my series 185 Mini 14. Can't speak to the newer versions.

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It has been a few years, but my CDNN purchased Mini-14 mags are Ruger marked and packaged. Ruger may use a subcontractor, but mine all work.

Jack

Ruger factory magazines and OE magazines are from two different companies and are not affiliated with each other.
OE ( Original Equipment ) magazines might work just fine . but if you ask me I believe they are being a little deceitful with the name and that is why they call themselves that.

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Because Ruger still has DCMA contracts and customers, it would be verbotten to discuss parts and supply chains outside the company. So it would be pointless to ask...

From decades of supply chain work; Suffice it to say any part or sub-assy which can be purchased complete (ready for assembly/shipping) cheaper than being manufactured in-house - is or will be purchased from a supplier. A simple 'make/buy' analysis.
Agreements n contracts change, and supply chains have built-in redundancies for safety-stock. It is just a machine shop, after all.

COSteve said:

Busterswoodshop said:

Ruger factory magazines and OE magazines are from two different companies and are not affiliated with each other.
OE ( Original Equipment ) magazines might work just fine . but if you ask me I believe they are being a little deceitful with the name and that is why they call themselves that.

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Not necessarily true.

Eric Schellhorn, Director of Sportswear & Accessories, Ruger® Firearms; "Ruger's Mr. Magazines" called me on April 30th as the result of a suggestion I sent to Ruger's CEO. I told the CEO of my review of OE's 20rd straight mags vs my Ruger brand 20rd mags and how I thought the quality of the OE mags was better than Ruger's current ones.

Eric wanted to discuss my review and findings and he stated that they buy mags from different suppliers; they don't make them themselves. When I asked if they ever bought them from OE he changed the subject and never answered. As some early Ruger Mini-14s apparently came with straight 20rd mags (per posters on PerfectUnion.com who claim to have got them) it's possible that OE did in fact supply Ruger with mags at one time.

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I bought a series 180 somewhere around 1974. It came with a 5 rd magazine but the shop had straight sided 20 rd magaznes that they sold to LEOs but allowed me buy some since I worked at the shop part time. Even back then Ruger was trying to limit access to their magazines greater than 5 rounds.

COSteve said:

Busterswoodshop said:

Ruger factory magazines and OE magazines are from two different companies and are not affiliated with each other.
OE ( Original Equipment ) magazines might work just fine . but if you ask me I believe they are being a little deceitful with the name and that is why they call themselves that.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily true.

Eric Schellhorn, Director of Sportswear & Accessories, Ruger® Firearms; "Ruger's Mr. Magazines" called me on April 30th as the result of a suggestion I sent to Ruger's CEO. I told the CEO of my review of OE's 20rd straight mags vs my Ruger brand 20rd mags and how I thought the quality of the OE mags was better than Ruger's current ones.

Eric wanted to discuss my review and findings and he stated that they buy mags from different suppliers; they don't make them themselves. When I asked if they ever bought them from OE he changed the subject and never answered. As some early Ruger Mini-14s apparently came with straight 20rd mags (per posters on PerfectUnion.com who claim to have got them) it's possible that OE did in fact supply Ruger with mags at one time.

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I guess anything is possible...but how likely is it really?
Was this same Original Equipment Company even around 40+ years ago during the brief period of time that Ruger's strait-20's were being made/sold?...
Some folks say that it's a subsidiary of Metalform. Me thinks that is an assumption based on Metalform's own "OE" line of 1911 and Sig mags. Thing is though, I can't find a single thing either on line or on Metalform's website that suggest that they manufacture magazines for a Mini-14. I suppose that it's possible that they do, but it's done under exclusive contract soley for CDNN?...Yeah maybe, but given the facts that they offer to custom-design mags and that buying $1000 worth of stock can make anyone a "Metalform dealer", I find that highly unlikely...

And how's about those green followers?...does that not harken back to a time that green followers were the "in thing" for AR mags?...Kinda strikes me as being another marketing ploy....just sayin'.

DGW