I bought up a several guns for a package price. One was a ruger mini14. Looks to be in good shape. I don't think its ever been fired. It looks exactly like the one on this link

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/Vie...p?Item=7345990

It has wood overtop the barrel where most I see are not built like that. Was they all made like this years ago and now have the metal shoud in the recent years?

The early ones had the wood handguard. I also remember the stainless ones, at least the ones I saw back then, started to have the fiberglass handguards first.
My first center-fire rifle was a blued Mini-14 with a wood handguard. And that would have been in about 1982. Mine a a 181-prefix.
I don't recall when they switched to fiberglass on all of them though.
I had to replace my wood handguard with a vented Choate zytel one after I cooked the varnish off of it.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot;Lord, make me fast and accurate.&quot;

BigEd is correct.The early Mini 14's did have a wooden handguard.They would hold to much heat in.Not sure when it was but the Black plastic handguards appeared and are now standard equipment.Not only looks nice but serves the purpose of releasing the heat.
Ruger Redhawk

..... A Proud NRA Life Member since 1977 .....Ruger Redhawk