Ruger Discontinued 6.8spc Mini-14?

amprecon · February 22, 2012, 12:12 AM

I recommended a 6.8 caliber Mini-14 to a friend who was looking hard at a Mini-14. He said he couldn't find the Mini-14 in 6.8, when I went to their website I couldn't find the Ruger Mini-14 in 6.8spc either.

They offer an upper for their SR-556 in 6.8spc.

Just wondering.

bamaranger · February 22, 2012, 01:39 AM

I'm not surprised. Folks buy Mini's to blast with, I suspect most Mini's belong to relatively hign volume shooters, or at least a higher percentage of Mini's get shot more than the "average" rifle. Translation, affordable ammo needed, ie .223/7.62x39. You won't buy a case of 6.8 to waste down at the landfill.

The 6.8 round, no matter how superior ballistically, is not common or cheap. Price drives everything these days, and I suspect especially at Ruger since Bill Sr. is gone. If Ruger wasn't selling enough of 6.8 Mini's to satisfy the bean counters, wouldn't surprise me they'd drop it.

Anybody know for sure?

TMD · February 22, 2012, 05:28 AM

Ruger dropped the 6.8 from their lineup completely. The problem isn't sales, in fact 6.8 is alive and well. The problem Ruger was using the original SAAMI spec chamber and 1:10 6 groove barrel. Everyone else in the industry went to the newer SPC II chamber with a 1:11 4 groove barrel. At the time Ruger introduced the 6.8 the SPC II chamber wasn't recognised by SAAMI. Hence they didn't sell well for Ruger.

Crosshair · February 22, 2012, 08:10 AM

That and a great many 6.8 shooters, to be frank, are believing all sorts of crazy things. Like that number of grooves and twist rates has a serious impact on chamber pressure when the real problem was early batches of barrels that were undersized in certain dimensions. Lots of nuttiness going on to justify why their overload reloads are having problems and how they can't match the pie in the sky statistics that Remington was first using in the early days but no longer uses.

Gunplummer · February 22, 2012, 08:36 AM

I had a 6.8 and hunted with it. I thought it to be a good little round, but I believe it will just "Go away" because the military never picked it up.

hodaka · February 22, 2012, 08:49 AM

I think Crosshair hit it. I have an early 16" 6.8 AR and it shoots 110 Prohunters into an inch at 100 at 2500 fps. Seems fine to me. I don't hunt anymore but I'm sure this would be fine for hunting most anything. Too bad Ruger dropped it. I thing I agree with the cost of blasting ammo being a factor. I reload so it is a non-issue.

leadbutt · February 22, 2012, 08:56 AM

Wouldn't surprise me if they aren't working on putting the 6.5 creedmore into it since its their own 6.5

February 22, 2012, 12:12 AM	#1
amprecon Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 1999 Location: TN Posts: 786	Ruger Discontinued 6.8spc Mini-14? I recommended a 6.8 caliber Mini-14 to a friend who was looking hard at a Mini-14. He said he couldn't find the Mini-14 in 6.8, when I went to their website I couldn't find the Ruger Mini-14 in 6.8spc either. They offer an upper for their SR-556 in 6.8spc. Just wondering. __________________ "You can't get 'em all Josey." "That's a fact". "Well how come you doin' this then?" "Cause I got nothin' better to do."

February 22, 2012, 01:39 AM	#2
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,300	If true........ I'm not surprised. Folks buy Mini's to blast with, I suspect most Mini's belong to relatively hign volume shooters, or at least a higher percentage of Mini's get shot more than the "average" rifle. Translation, affordable ammo needed, ie .223/7.62x39. You won't buy a case of 6.8 to waste down at the landfill. The 6.8 round, no matter how superior ballistically, is not common or cheap. Price drives everything these days, and I suspect especially at Ruger since Bill Sr. is gone. If Ruger wasn't selling enough of 6.8 Mini's to satisfy the bean counters, wouldn't surprise me they'd drop it. Anybody know for sure?

February 22, 2012, 08:10 AM	#4
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	That and a great many 6.8 shooters, to be frank, are believing all sorts of crazy things. Like that number of grooves and twist rates has a serious impact on chamber pressure when the real problem was early batches of barrels that were undersized in certain dimensions. Lots of nuttiness going on to justify why their overload reloads are having problems and how they can't match the pie in the sky statistics that Remington was first using in the early days but no longer uses. __________________ I don't carry a gun to go looking for trouble, I carry a gun in case trouble finds me.

February 22, 2012, 08:56 AM	#7
leadbutt Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2002 Location: Tidewater,Virginia Posts: 289	Wouldn't surprise me if they aren't working on putting the 6.5 creedmore into it since its their own 6.5 __________________ "I am always willing to learn,but not always willing to be taught" Sir Winston Churchill

February 22, 2012, 05:28 AM	#3
TMD Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2011 Posts: 1,293	Ruger dropped the 6.8 from their lineup completely. The problem isn't sales, in fact 6.8 is alive and well. The problem Ruger was using the original SAAMI spec chamber and 1:10 6 groove barrel. Everyone else in the industry went to the newer SPC II chamber with a 1:11 4 groove barrel. At the time Ruger introduced the 6.8 the SPC II chamber wasn't recognised by SAAMI. Hence they didn't sell well for Ruger.

February 22, 2012, 08:36 AM	#5
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I had a 6.8 and hunted with it. I thought it to be a good little round, but I believe it will just "Go away" because the military never picked it up.

February 22, 2012, 08:49 AM	#6
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	I think Crosshair hit it. I have an early 16" 6.8 AR and it shoots 110 Prohunters into an inch at 100 at 2500 fps. Seems fine to me. I don't hunt anymore but I'm sure this would be fine for hunting most anything. Too bad Ruger dropped it. I thing I agree with the cost of blasting ammo being a factor. I reload so it is a non-issue.