New Ruger in Hand
A few entries ago, you were promised that as soon as we got our hands on the latest new Ruger rifle, you’d hear back. Well, we muckled onto three or so of ‘em this past week, so here we go.
As noted here earlier, the rifle is designated SR556, for Sturm, Ruger 5.56 millimeter. It takes standard AR15/M16 magazines, and comes with three of them, produced by Magpul, one of the best makers. It’s the most “vendor-outsourced” firearm this company has ever assembled – really, pretty much everything but the barrel and barrel extension come from outside the factory – but it’s an AR15 clone, after all, and that’s the logical way to make one given the nature of the industry. The trick is to use the best parts.
We toured the production cell at the Newport, New Hampshire plant. Ruger’s switchover to “lean manufacturing” has changed the look of the factory dramatically in the last few years. SR556s were literally flowing off the production line.
But, enough of that: how does it SHOOT?
The subtle feel of the mechanism as it cycles is different from your usual Stoner-type AR15, because the Ruger entry works of a piston design, specifically a proprietary two-piece piston. One of my fellow shooters said, “It feels like a whoosh, not a sproing.” That about describes it, even if it ain’t engineer terminology.
My buddy Russ Lary threw a 6.5-20X variable power Leupold Tactical scope onto his T&E SR556, and cranked it all the way up. Twenty power magnification ain’t much for sophisticated bench rest shooters, but for us meat n’ potatoes riflemen, think “Hubble telescope with crosshairs.” At about 100 yards, he found sub-one-inch groups easy, with Match grade 69 grain and 77 grain loads from Black Hills Ammunition shooting the tightest.
The piston system does indeed run cool. I could race a pair of 30-round magazines through it as fast as I could pull the trigger, and the carrier (bolt) was still room temperature to the touch. I’m told by folks I trust at Ruger that this thing has gone 20,000 rounds without a malfunction OR a cleaning in factory torture-testing. In the several hundred rounds of 5.56mm and .223 Remington that we’ve run through it, we didn’t have any malfs either.
It’s early yet, but I’m likin’ this rifle!
Russ Lary discovers that the SR556 is accurate…
…Gail Pepin discovers that the SR556 is reliable…
…and Mas discovers that the SR556 is fun.
On the SR556 production line.
June 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Very nice, please ask the good people at New Hampshire to manufacture at least one that can be legally shipped and sold in New Jersey.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Mitch,
I think your problem there is not the source, it’s the destination. You live in a state that regards the Second Amendment as distilled evil to be thwarted by any means possible. The biggest problem with trying to make a rifle like this legal for sale in New Jersey or, worse, California is that the respective states keep changing the definition of legality every time someone finds a way to comply with their existing definitions. Have you seen some of the bizarre stocks people have come up with in efforts to make AR-15s that comply with the increasingly tortuous California laws?
Mas, if I might ask:
Have you an opinion on the Magpul Masada (aka Bushmaster ACR) and/or the Kel-Tec RFB? Both look very interesting, from what I’ve read, but I’ve never had the opportunity to inspect or try either. On the basis of this review, the SR556 looks like a very likely competitor to the Masada/ACR, although aside from being a gas-piston action the SR556 is (intentionally) otherwise a very conventional AR-15 “clone”, while the Masada appears to have significant design influences from the FN SCAR.
The Kel-Tec of course is completely different from either; the closest I can see to an “intellectual parent” for its action is the FN FAL, and it uses FAL magazines, but at the same time it’s obvious from a single glance at the mechanism that it’s not simply a bull-pupped FAL. It’s unclear to me from the information and internal diagrams Kel-Tec has thus far published whether it’s direct-gas or gas-piston operated.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Looks nice. Ruger is really trying to stay competative with the relase of some good service pistols, the upgraded mini 14 patrol and now this ar-15 style rifle. Good for you Ruger!I’m glad to see them staying competative.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Looking forward to seeing them hit the shelves. At nearly two grand, they’re a bit cashy, but compare favorably with some of the semi-custom rifles from other manufacturers here in Illinois.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Mas,
Is the adjustable gas system really necessary or offer much advantage on a 5.56/.223 short barreled “urban rifle” such as this?
I do like the piston concept since it’s more reliable than direct impingement. It’s a real chore cleaning the chamber of my direct gas AR after extended shooting sessions.I’ve read many arguments that the Stoner gas system is more accurate than pistons systems due to fewer reciprocating parts & “in-line” rearward recoil,but based on the groups posted,it sounds like this rifle is plenty accurate for a lightweight carbine designed for social work.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
In spite of custom features, price is a problem.
But my biggest problem is this:
Just how many proprietary or non-standard parts are in this rifle?
I ask, because of Ruger’s stupid policies regarding mandatory factory installation of most repair parts. They seem to believe that they, and only they are competant to do so, and I’m not going to own any AR type rifle that requires a trip to the factory for repairs. I don’t care how good it is.
In Ruger’s twisted world, a gunsmith of decades of experience is unqualified to fit a new firing pin to a mini-14 (much less us idiot end user’s, who have been home building AR-15’s for years).
Whenever I am tempted to consider anything from Ruger, this comes to mind:
Pack, insure, ship, wait, and hope some magpie doesn’t intercept my weapon along the way.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Phil, I don’t have enough experience with either of the rifles you mention to offer a cogent comparison.
Steve, pretty much everything outside of the piston system is interchangeable.
DWW: How necessary the new design is depends on how hard the gun is going to be run, in how hostile environment, and how much/how little maintenance opportunity the user will have.
best,
mas
June 13th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Heck, I just want to work there! Can you imagine the pride of producing a product like that in this day and age? That`s what is missing in America today. I see it daily, how the futility creeps in. I love the manufacturing environment, but we need to get back to the reason we are making a product in the first place. It shouldn`t be about getting paid and punching the clock wishing for Friday. I`d love to work in a place that made quality firearms right now. And the gas system looks like a winner in my book.
June 14th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Now I wish I had waited and just picked up this Ruger rather than spending 6 months waiting on parts to build the gas piston AR I finished this week.
Would have been about the same price in the end, too.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Sounds like a very nice gun. I wish I was on a call list to come and try some. Look forward to reading a Magazine article on the SR556 in the future.
I just picked up a used AR, The guy got tired of ‘dumping mags’ as he called it. I mounted a 4×16 scope on top and it shoots nice, has the heavier barrel. Now I’m just waiting on the other parts I ordered to mount the open sights on it angled as well as the new gasblock to replace the front sight.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Everything I’ve heard about this rifle so far points to a sound, reliable design. I wouldn’t sell any of my AR’s to finance an SR556 but I am hoping they are planning to manufacture an AR platform, gas piston rifle in .308. I would be all over that. Has anyone in the know heard any rumblings from Ruger about such a thing?
June 19th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Not to the best of my knowledge.
June 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I wonder if ruger will make these available as uppers for the aftermarket, it could prove to quite lucrative
June 21st, 2009 at 11:19 am
This rifle makes the AR-15 look good to me. And that’s really saying something. I’ve always had a bitter taste in my mouth when handling Colt’s (and clones’) squirt gun-type, franken-gun offerings. And the gas system just always seemed hinky to me. This one looks like a coherent, precision-made machine outfitted with the best parts money can buy. When I just want to have some pure fun, I’m a wooden stock, traditional tube magazine, semi-auto .22LR shooter here. It’s what I grew up on. But I’ve always eyed that .223 for it’s fantastic trajectory. I like me some long-range shooting without having to hold 6 inches over, too. You look like you’re having a literal blast with that rifle.
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I am loving what I am hearing about this rifle and I want to know are they going to put it in other calibers? 7.62/39?
September 27th, 2009 at 1:05 am
what Ruger needs to do is come up with a .556/.762 GARAND type rifle with box magazine insertable from top down only… Although I’m in free florida i would be a first customer
October 4th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Has anyone heard the repair neccesary to keep my SR-556 from gouging a hole in the buffer tube? I have a request in to Ruger no news from them yet. I only have about 60 rounds thru it and gouge is small now. Did the test rifle show any signs of this?
October 4th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Ryan, can you send along a photo?
Thanks,
Mas
October 4th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Mr. Ayoob i am having difficulty getting the picture on this format i need an email address to be able to get you the picture, as i do not have a regular camera just my phone, it is a decent picture tho you can definetly see the left side of gouge
October 19th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I love my SR556. It doesn’t have a lot of recoil and the gas piston systems allows it to fire a lot cleaner and cooler than a normal AR. It was a bit pricey but in my opinion well worth it. The only problem I’ve had is it jammed up after the the 3rd shot with steel casing ammo. That stuff is hard on equipment anyway. Ive fired 800 rounds rounds of brass jacket ammo w/o cleaning it and I had no trouble at all. It’s a great weapon!
November 20th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Its been over a month since they recieved my SR-556. I am not at all happy with the rifle or service. I cannot reccomend this rifle for anyones use nor will I reccomend Ruger’s service department. A month and a half may not be a long time to you guys but it seems like long dang time to me. I cant wait to get it back that way it can finance a real AR.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Ryan, please keep us posted.
I recall that you & I exchanged private emails on this, and a top Ruger exec was the one who said to send them the rifle.
Please let us know when it comes back…and how it comes back.
Thanks,
Mas