Okay...now they went and put out a gun I just gotta get....and I wasn't even looking for one...damn them
The M14 or current M1A is older brother and template of the mini 14. Minus the Full Auto parts of course. For the price, about the same, the SR762 would have less felt recoil. Easier to maintain and piston operating systems have less heat wear and carbon on the bolt.
They actually had one, the XGI, that got to the early production stage about 28 years ago. They weren't satisfied the rifle would stand up to the .308 or the .243 and dropped it from the line. The XGI not making it to regular production was the instigating event that caused Ruger to put out the Mini-30 as a light deer rifle instead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_XGI
Got one from the LGS and took it to the range for a quick 60 rd function test. It ran perfectly without a glitch thru a box of Fed XM80, a box of PMC and a box of Win 308. I put a Leupold VX-R Patrol 3x9 on it and during the 60 rds did a quick sight in. Rds 55-57 actually butterflied into a single hole. The gun is slightly heavier than I wanted (11.5# with scope and a full mag) but the weight makes the recoil feel a about the same as a 20ga shotgun. OTD price was $1699 and for what you get I feel it's definitely worth it. Nice fit and finish but the M4 stock is a little sloppy, over-all a nice gun!!! Mods now include an LMT SopMod B5 buttstock, BAD-ASS ambi safety, Raptor charging handle and a Tacticool 22 .308 break.
