Anyone else think were only a barrel swap away from having a Mini-350 in the catalog? I'd buy one.
Mini-350
- Thread starter Patriot_Precision
- Start date
If you mean 350 Legend all I can say is....XGI......how'd that go?...not to mention throwing in a straight walled cartridge into the mix.
I understand your reasoning(?) but I don't think the engineering would work.
I suspect Ruger could do it fairly easily. The bolt face is the same as 5.56, and they make AR15 mags that can handle the 350 Legend, so Mini mags should be possible, also. I know they built some 6.8 SPC Minis, but apparently they didn't sell well, so the corporate bean counters may condider the risk factor too high to be worth the time, effort, and expense (but who knows)...
:-)
:-)
Just to be off topic a bit, especially since I don't have a clue what this 350 cartridge is. I have two pistol caliber carbines that will shoot 9mm, 40 cal, 357 sig and 10mm with just a barrel & magazine swap and that takes all of about 5 or 10 seconds....
The 350 Legend is basically a 9mm Luger that's been stretched about an inch in length, with a little bit of metal shaved off the rim so it will fit a 5.56/.223 bolt face. Here's a photo showing a 350 round on the right, next to a 7.62x39 cartridge (Mini-30 ammo):
FWIW, I love firearms that let you change calibers (which may be one reason some folks buy AR15s instead of a Mini-14 or Mini-30)...
:-)
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But yet Ruger couldn't get the 308 and 243 to function in the Mini "platform". I don't see a straight walled cartridge working too well in a mini. Not just the barrel or mag but the gas. Not saying it's impossible just not practical for Ruger to chase it in my opinion. I'm sure you could pay a ton of money for a custom one though. But even if it worked, I only see interest in a market where only straight walled cartridges are legal for hunting, and only if semis are legal for hunting in that market.
Well, Ruger chambers their American bolt guns for the 350 & 400 legend, and 450 Bushmaster, so the market must be fairly sizeable. And there are quite a few companies offering AR15s chambered for the 350 Legend. Plus, Walmart sells 350 ammo (even here in wide-open Wyoming), which suggests that the 350 Legend is popular outside those states that require 'straight wall' cartridges for hunting.
30 years ago, the Minis were cheaper than ARs, but that has now flipped - today, the Minis are largely an expensive alternative to ARs for people in states controlled by 'The Gun Ban Party', or folks who prefer traditional wood & steel rifles. As previously mentioned, I'm not sure it would be worth the time and effort for Ruger to offer a Mini-350 (heck, they don't even chamber .40 S&W anymore)...
:)
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I've been barking up the Mini 450 Bushmaster tree for years. As mentioned, Ruger chambers the American rifle for 450 BM and the 450 BM works in AR-15 platforms. As for a straight walled cartridge in a semi auto let me draw your attention to the 44 Mag carbines both the Deer Stalker and the original. Come on Ruger. It would be the perfect brush gun for the black growth and cedar bogs of northern New England where I like to spend cold November days. 
