OT - Ruger SR-556

[Griff]

Since I just got a hand-me-down Ruger 10-22 (only the 2nd .22 gun I've owned), and the new American Rifleman (Oct '09 issue), has a writeup on the new Ruger SR-556, and I've thought about a AR platform rifle, does anyone out there in "Levergunner Land" have any experience... even to fondle one of these new AR types from Ruger?

[Hobie]

I have coon-fingered one. I liked it. I wish I'd bought one rather than do the build I did but like a lot of people never expected them to get out in the market as quickly as they did. My dealer can sell 'em for about $1575 or so. Jeff Quinn has a review of one, I would say that he likes it.

[AJMD429]

I've not handled a SR-556, but, I've never seen a Ruger I was disappointed in, even the 96/xx family of leverguns traditionalists love to hate. The gas-piston AR system seems to take the best of the AR (modularity) and the best of the AK (ruggedness) and combine them.

OTOH, for the price of ONE SR-556, you could buy TWO DPMS's, or maybe THREE generics, and have lots more spare parts and flexibility.

I doubt any of us here on this forum will ever shoot a 'gas tube' AR enough to foul it up that badly that a thorough cleaning won't restore function. Maybe if in the military, I'd demand the 'gas piston' type, but for me as a hobbyist/hunter/home protection shooter, I'll take the lesser priced alternatives.

[Thunder50]

Kind of think they are too late to the market. Those that thought things would be where you couldn't buy an EBR, got one, and the market is saturated now. I would just buy a DPMS, or maybe a good used Colt and then get a piston upper, for less than the Ruger, if I wanted an EBR. If I wanted an EBR now, I would get a 450 Bushmaster rifle and then the piston upper, for the same $$$ as the Ruger. The large bore uppers are a blast to shoot

[Ysabel Kid]

Just saw that Para-Ordnance has also come out with a AR-style rifle. S&W did earlier as well. Looks like everyone who's anyone will have one in their line-up - just like the 1911.

I agree with AJ - if Ruger does it, it's gonna be good!

[Rusty]

There's also an article in the "American Hunter" about using the platform in all kinds of different calibers. I think that may be the way to go. I'd like to do a little more investigation on the 6.8 SPC myself. I looks like a semiauto .270 for the most part.
I think I also read some time back about a .280 Remington in one.

[FWiedner]

There's a guy over on MarlinOwners who recently bought one.

Says it's got a tight chamber and doesn't like the reloads he's been using to break it in.

[Hobie]

There's a guy over on MarlinOwners who recently bought one.

Says it's got a tight chamber and doesn't like the reloads he's been using to break it in.

How did it do with FACTORY ammo? I say that because as a long-time handloader/reloader I know that often faults with otherwise good guns can be traced to improperly prepared reloads.

The two that have come through our shop have very satisfied owners both of whom are "professionals" of one kind or another.

[ceb]

I have seen and handled though not fired one, it was in the rack along with S&W Colt Bushmaster AR type rifles. In comparison, I liked it better than the others as far as feel, sight picture, was concerned. Guess I'm just not a AR type guy though, I would have bought the Ruger Mini-14 they had over any of them. I know their not as accurate, I just prefer the more traditional style.

[Jeff Quinn]

I love mine. I have several ARs, from several gun makers, but the Ruger is enough different that it will stay here. The price ain't really bad, with them selling in the $1400 range. For that, you get some good accessories, like the Troy sights and quad-rail handguard. The piston offers a lot of versatility. The American Rifleman review had a couple of mistakes. Look here for more details, and a short video:
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SR556.htm

[FWiedner]

There's a guy over on MarlinOwners who recently bought one.

Says it's got a tight chamber and doesn't like the reloads he's been using to break it in.

How did it do with FACTORY ammo? I say that because as a long-time handloader/reloader I know that often faults with otherwise good guns can be traced to improperly prepared reloads.

The two that have come through our shop have very satisfied owners both of whom are "professionals" of one kind or another.

He apparently didn't take any factory ammo with him on that trip to the range.

He did mention that he was going to buy some and try it.

[3leggedturtle]

[quote="Hobie"]I have coon-fingered one. Now there's a saying I have never heard b4!!

[AJMD429]

Guess I'm just not a AR type guy though, I would have bought the Ruger Mini-14 they had over any of them. I know their not as accurate, I just prefer the more traditional style.

I believe an outfit called Accuracy Rifle Systems (and probably many others) will re-barrel Mini-14's with a heavy or even 'bull' barrel of your choice, put on a different gas port and op-rod if needed, and bed it to guarantee < 1.0 MOA.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

And the winner of "last to the AR party" is officially ... Winchester. Unless you count their parent FN ... then they can claim to have been in the game for quite a while.

[Streetstar]

And the winner of "last to the AR party" is officially ... Winchester. Unless you count their parent FN ... then they can claim to have been in the game for quite a while.

serious? Geez -- when will it end. I thought the Ruger was a bad idea too until i saw it came stock with Troy sights --- the piston system is different enough that some guys will "have to have it" also.

The Ruger is cool, but i personally would prefer a Colt 6920 and a case of ammo. 6920 Colts can be had now for $1150-1200. I am not a Delta Force "operator" or anything (Delta Farce maybe) and will likely always keep my rifles clean enough that the benefits of the piston system over the gas impingement system will never be realized.

[Ysabel Kid]

Didn't take Ruger long to adapt the line!

http://www.gunreports.com/news/long_gun ... :&st=email

Sturm, Ruger Introduces New SR-22 AR-Style Rifle
September 21, 2009
GunReports.com

SOUTHPORT, Conn. -- Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. has joined the ranks of manufacturers who are making AR-style rimfire rifles.

The Ruger SR-22TM Rifle is an autoloading rimfire rifle that uses 10/22-style magazines on the new AR-style Ruger SR-556 platform. The new SR-22 Rifle allows shooters to use economical .22 LR ammunition, while still enjoying the look and feel of an “AR.”

The SR-22 Rifle uses a standard 10/22 action inside an all-aluminum chassis that replicates the AR-platform dimensions between the sighting plane, buttstock height, and grip.

The SR-22 Rifle provides a Picatinny rail optic mount, and includes a six-position, telescoping M4-style buttstock (on a Mil-Spec diameter tube), plus a Hogue Monogrip pistol grip. Buttstocks and grips may be swapped out for any AR-style compatible option.

The SR-22 Rifle is equipped with a cold hammer forged alloy steel barrel that is 16-1/8” long and is capped with an SR-556/Mini-14 flash suppressor mounted with a ½”-28 thread.

The SR-22 Rifle also features a round, mid-length handguard mounted on a standard-thread AR-style barrel nut. Picatinny rails, specifically designed for this handguard, are available from Ruger, allowing the handguard to be configured to accept any number of rail-mounted sights or accessories. A barrel support block is installed in the handguard.

[Jeff Quinn]

More details and pictures on that SR-22 Rifle here:
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SR22.htm


This is the best part:

[Hobie]

I have coon-fingered one. Now there's a saying I have never heard b4!!

It is something I used to hear when I was a kid in Appalachian Kentucky. I had quit using the term before I turned 18 because we had moved to a place where it was thought "backwards". Then I was on another board and the term was used there. Made me feel at home...

[Buffboy]

I handled one today. It looked nice and I'd love to try one out. However, the mid-length, H-bar, 1/7 chrome, CAR flattop I built (had built, a little of both)was about half of the price(pre-BHO, but only just) I looked at on the Ruger. Even after flip up sights and the scope were added to mine. Mine isn't piston, but still.

I think they are gonna have trouble selling the quantities they want as supplies of ARs are catching up to demand and prices are coming back down. I wish Ruger good luck with it but I'm afraid it's gonna flop at that price.

[Ysabel Kid]

I have coon-fingered one. Now there's a saying I have never heard b4!!

It is something I used to hear when I was a kid in Appalachian Kentucky. I had quit using the term before I turned 18 because we had moved to a place where it was thought "backwards". Then I was on another board and the term was used there. Made me feel at home...

PC run amok. If you've ever seen a raccoon hold something, especially something it is eating, it tends to move it around and around rather quickly. That's where the phrase comes from, but some folks get bent out of shape thinking it is a racial slur...

[Ysabel Kid]

More details and pictures on that SR-22 Rifle here:
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SR22.htm


This is the best part:

WOW! Looks and performance!!!

[AJMD429]

PC run amok. If you've ever seen a raccoon hold something, especially something it is eating, it tends to move it around and around rather quickly. That's where the phrase comes from, but some folks get bent out of shape thinking it is a racial slur...

Yep - the first thing I thought of was the way raccoons kind of look like blind piano players as they look absentmindely away while sort of 'patting' whatever they're examining.

Of course our race-obsessed PC-philes will turn anything into a 'racist' thing...

[a357lever]

yet another company remaking the little m16 cousins for more and more cost thanks ruger more expensive is better, make a 1911 for $2000.00 you will be right on track.

[Sixgun]

I've seen and handled the new Rugers. A buddy of mine has shot his extensively and he likes it. Another buddy of mine sells black rifles like Carter sells liver pills and he tells me he sells 10-15 Colts for every Ruger. I bought a Colt (LE6940) earlier in the year and after several thousand rounds, I have yet to have a failure to feed or fire. I might add that most of the ammo fired was my handloads.

Colt has been making AR/M-16/M-4 since the early sixties. Ruger just started.

A gas piston in a AR platform rifle is a solution to a non-existent problem. Just ask our military guys.-----------------------Sixgun

[Travis Morgan]

I have coon-fingered one. I liked it. I wish I'd bought one rather than do the build I did but like a lot of people never expected them to get out in the market as quickly as they did. My dealer can sell 'em for about $1575 or so. Jeff Quinn has a review of one, I would say that he likes it.

They also had a veritable orgy over the Colt .22 LR AR.

[Travis Morgan]

Kind of think they are too late to the market. Those that thought things would be where you couldn't buy an EBR, got one, and the market is saturated now.

That's what I was thinking when I was looking at the pricetag on a Remington R-25 the other day; no way I'm giving $1500 for that thing; I'll buy one right before Christmas when people need money.