Howa is taking advantage of the situation with the Mini. Takes a bit of lipstick to bring them into the “nice rifle” category, but they are made with steel forgings and are solid. One of mine is now fitted for 527 magazines. I bought four, one 3-shot flush-fit and three 5-shot that hang down. I actually prefer the look with the 5-shot ones over the winged guard assembly on the 527. They fit very snugly in the slot, so I have to conclude the wings were superfluous.
A nice walnut stock would be a plus for the Mini. Brownells used to list one, checkered even, for something over $200, but I don’t see it now.
You can order a walnut stocked Mini from a dealer. I have two on order to see what they look like. They are supposed to have Turkish walnut stocks.
