"I love it when a plan comes together."
That line, from actor George Peppard—as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith in the ’80s-era television series about falsely accused, renegade commandos, “The A-Team”—is a likely reaction when fans of the Ruger Mini-14 factory folding stock used in the show realize that those stocks shown here are newly manufactured examples of models now available for sale.
These A-TM folding stocks are the result of a collaboration between Samson Mfg. and Sturm, Ruger & Co., the metal side-folder is faithfully re-created by Samson using mostly parts supplied by Ruger from its original casting molds and upgraded walnut wood, along with modern polymer grips to functionally and visually duplicate the originals. Those early stocks, which relied on stained birch and Bakelite grips, have soared in value in recent years, receiving another Hollywood bump when one was depicted on the DVD cover of a film reboot of the series starring Liam Neeson.
Regardless of their dramatic DNA, the stocks were originally sold by Ruger exclusively through law enforcement channels—including on the fully automatic AC-556 version of the Mini—and are well-regarded as one of the strongest, trimmest folders ever. While Ruger has not yet stated whether new folding-stock Minis will be available from the factory any time soon, Mini-14 and Mini Thirty owners can buy them as accessories for retro-fitting to existing guns through shopruger.com. And, for the first time, a model will be available to fit the ever-popular 10/22 rimfire.
All of the metal construction is stainless steel, and the Samson Mfg. A-TM stock is designed as a direct, drop-in fit for all Mini-14 and Mini-30 rifles on the market. When collapsed, the stock measures 19.5" long, 5.5" high and 3.5" wide. Extended, the stock measures 29" long. Total weight on the stock is 4.2 lbs. Those lucky owners with NFA-regulated, select-fire Ruger AC-556 rifles will have to wait, though. The Samson Mfg. stocks do not come with a cutout for the gun's selector switch, but the company has plans to offer an AC-556-compatible stock later in 2020.
The suggested retail price on the Samson Mfg. A-TM Ruger Mini-14 Folding Stock is $279.99.
