Ca Dept of Corrections Surplus Mini 14

[RESSOR130]

I have a CA DOC stamped barrel on a Mini 14 that is a 180 series and would like to find out what it may be worth.

 

[dobegrant.45]

Can’t help with the value but it is cool looking

 

[RC44Mag]

Maybe it was used against the zombies.
pretty cool having that stamped barrel.

 

[RSIno1]

If you are selling I'd get a letter to assure the provenance. I'd add the usual police premium that collectors add to Ruger handguns. Being 200th year should also add to the value. CDC had a lot of these at each prison. Yours was probably a trade in when they bought new ones. This was a "working" gun owned by the State of CA. Don't confuse it with the fund raiser rifle that was sold to the public (I think they had a CDC prefix on the SN). https://www.californiavictims.com/mini-14-instructions.html

If you want to be a prison guard in CA the academy includes:
State and apply the safety rules, nomenclature, and qualification requirements for the Mini-14 rifle, and be familiar with operation and shooting techniques.

 

[hittman]

Welcome to the forum.

I think we’ve got a member here who works there. Not sure if he’s followed these or not. Hopefully he’ll chime in.

 

[eveled]

Neat rifle for sure.

Do they still use Ruger Mini-14’s?

 

[RESSOR130]

I don’t know.

 

[RSIno1]

Do they still use Ruger Mini-14’s?

It appears they do. From the
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Basic Correctional Armorer Course
($TBD tuition). This is a 5-day, 40-hour introductory course designed to train correctional officers to maintain their firearms & department firearms to factory service levels. Basic Correctional Armorer Course instructs functions and repair of departmental weapons such as the Glock Semi-Automatic Handgun, Remington 870 shotguns, Penn Arms launcher, and Ruger Mini 14

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!

I'll play the smart-alek. CDC,, Center for Disease Control.

Seriously,, I guess working for the DOC would be trying to control a disease of criminals.
As noted above,, it's an early gun,, and with the 180 prefix, it's a little different than the 181 prefix & later versions. I agree that you need to get a letter from Ruger to verify it was shipped to a DOC contract.

 

[RESSOR130]

I have a Ruger factory letter showing this gun was sold to the CA DOC.

 

[Hvymax]

Looks like they took the barrel straight off the lathe and threw it in the bluing tank!

 

[eveled]

Those are cooling fins. Lol.

Sticking with mini 14’s all these years, makes me wonder if they have some M14 squirreled away for emergencies.

 

[harley08]

Look on Gunbroker.
I see one there for $2000.00 and $2750.00
Way more than I would pay!

 

[contender]

Having the letter helps a bunch! Kudos!

 

[57springer]

C. D. C . Calif. Dept . Corrections .

 

[wolfsong]

I wouldn't pay a premium price for a surplus CDCR mini-14. Keep in mind that every Tom, Dick and Harriet uses the weapons from the prison's arsenal every quarter in order to "qualify". The mini-14s, much like the S&W .38s and the Remington 870s that the department used to use, are well worn, and used & abused. The .38s and 870s were sold off a few years ago for dimes on the dollar. Many COs purchased the commemorative weapons offered from time to time, but few of us bought the surplus guns.

 

[RESSOR130]

This one is full of honest patina but shoots great and is tight. Not a rattler.

 

[RC44Mag]

Looks like they took the barrel straight off the lathe and threw it in the bluing tank!

It’s pretty common with USGI M1 carbines. One of mine has a similar to the one below. I actually like the look.

 

[blume357]

My first thought was it is for sure a collectors piece and not a shooter... but the OP says different... that is interesting....

 

[john guedry]

I have a mini 14 and mine also looks like "right off the lathe into the bluing tank". If I remember right the m1 I had in basic looked pretty much the same. Hard to remember 1961 stuff.