Ruger SR-556: AR-15 has arrived
Ruger was that attractive girl at high school who you wanted to love but she stabbed you in the back and you just could not trust her again. That was two decades ago. Sturm, Ruger & Company CEO Michael O. Fifer has listened us, the customers, and changed the company culture for the better.
There is no better illustration for this change than the Evil Black Rifle itself which has just joined the Ruger product offering. The slogan for the SR-556 is "a platform redefined". I say it should be "a company redefined". I present to you the Ruger AR-15, the SR-556:
Ruger SR-556
Ok, I will wipe the tear from my eye, be a man and shove my emotional outburst back down where it came from 
Onto the features ...
The most significant feature is a new short stroke gas piston designed by Ruger. It shares the same benefits as other gas pistons system: a cleaner, cooler bolt carrier as the excess gas it vented out the gas block, far from the upper receiver. The AR-15 was not designed for a piston and retrofit piston systems can cause problems, for example the pressure from the piston operating rob can cause the bolt carrier to bind. It was been suggested that the Ruger bolt carrier is designed to mitigate this particular problem. Time will tell (I am no expert on this topic).
The chrome lined SR-556 bolt carrier.
Disassembly of the gas system.
Another feature is a four position gas regulator. The first position prevents any gas entering the piston system. This turns the rifle into a single shot which requires the bolt to be manually cycled between shots. The next position allows the normal quantity of gas into the piston system to cycle the bolt. The next two position each let in more gas than the previous system which can help when the rifle is dirty or the ammunition is low powered. It is a compelling feature for reloaders because it gives them a greater range of adjustment for thier powder loads.
Chromed gas regulator.
Gas regulator positions.
The rifle also features:
- Full length Troy Industries Quad Rail with rail covers.
- Hogue Pistol grip.
- Ruger branded Troy Industries flip up Backup Iron Sights (BUIS).
- Ships with three 30-round Magpul PMAG magazines.
Ruger branded Troy Rear Sight
The Specs:
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO / .223 Remington Barrel: 16.12" Barrel Twist: 1:9 Right Hand Weight: 7.92 lbs Total Length: 32.75" - 36" (depending on stock position) Stock: 6 position M4 style
It is nice to see Ruger has explicitly said .223 Remington AND 5.56mm NATO are compatible with the rifle.
The MSRP is $1,995. It is expensive and you could build one your self from parts for less, but if the gas system works flawlessly then I think it will be a good seller. I think it will sell for about $1800 on the street.
Here is the Ruger promotional video. They seem to be keen to promote it to law enforcement and military:
GunBlast.com made this video showing the rifle in action:
This photo is from Snowflakes in Hell. For the high resolution version and many more photos as well as on the ground reporting from the launch visit Snowflakes in Hell:
This photo Adam's Incoming blog. For many more photos check out the Guns and Hunting Incoming blog.
More information about the rifle is at Caleb's Gun Nuts Media blog.
Thanks to y'all who emailed me about the SR-556. I appreciate it. Contrary to popular belief I am not dead just slow and overworked.
UPDATE: Many thanks to Brian for sending me these photos of his new Ruger SR-556.
Fore-end and gas regulator.
The Backup Iron Sights.
Nice touch with the buttstock Ruger logo.
I have a SR-556C and this morning I put the 500th round through it. I have owned it just about a month now. I had some difficulty sighting it in, but I am almost positive it was caused by the new Burris AR-332 that I slapped on top of it. After I swapped out the mount with a GG&G ACOG mount and re-zeroed the gun it has shot excellent. Today I shot at a rather busy range in Tucson. I didn’t feel like pelting the guy next to me with brass every few seconds so I turned the piston on the 0 position. This allowed me to shoot, then slowly pull back the charging handle and let he case land on the table instead of bombarding my fellow shooters who were trying very hard to make 500yd shots. In the past I have also cranked it to 2 or 3 to put the brass in front of me. I typically shoot on 1 with factory loads as the gun functions smoothly, and doesn’t cause a whole lot of wear and tear on the innards. (IMO most of the carrier tilt is caused from shooting on 2 or 3) I was shooting XM193. At 100yds I shot a 1/2, 10 shot group. I am not the best rifleman in the world, so this was good enough for me. I then shot 200, 300, 400 and 500 yds at steel targets. With the BDC on my optic is was no problem. Hit a 12 inch target at 400 yds 8 of 10 shots without a solid rest (using my backpack) so I was pretty happy about that because as I stated before, I am not the best crack shot on the block.
I have not noticed any carrier tilt yet, but I usually shoot with the piston valve in the 1 position. Compared to other AR’s I have shot and my issued M4 and M16 this gun is SUPER EASY to clean. I only need to wipe down the carrier, and pull the bolt and wipe it down as well. No scraping or scrubbing. The hardest part is removing the piston valve and cleaning that. A .50cal bore brush works great for this.
The rifle is a tad heavier than your standard AR, but that doesn’t bother my at all. It is solid and when you shake it there is no “rattle” what so ever. Even the take down pins are solid and fit very tight. Over all I would say that I am VERY pleased with this rifle.
The only thing that I am questionable about is how tight the barrel is. It is quite difficult to put a 5.56mm bore brush down it. I have been using military issued brushes. I have not gone out and bought any commercial ones yet. This may also be attributed to the fact that the gun has only 500rds through it, and the barrel is chrome lined. Not sure if this would cause it to be tighter. Time will tell I suppose.
I see quite a few comments critizing Ruger for “just another AR” or bashing them for their overpriced, borrowed design. I haven’t seen 1 single thread about it’s actual performance.
Let me inform you:I have 2 AR’s, a Colt & the Ruger. I paid about $1600 for mine(the Ruger)… about $200 more than a “good”, close competitor(a gas gun, not the piston design of the SR 556). My Colt performs exactly as I believe it should, ie- I have no qualms with it but the Ruger shoots better, hands down. The Colt is older and was less expensive but I do have to say that Ruger, while some of their ideas maybe ‘borrowed’, did not “half-ass” it.
I’ve got a brother, a brother-in-law and a couple of buddies that own different brands of AR’s. Some of those have had “a little work done”….mine shoots every bit as good, if not better right out-of-the-box,factory trigger, factory barrel, etc. I’m not a Ruger spokesperson, in fact I’ve not been all that pleased with them over the past 15-20 years. I’ll admit, I do own 3 other Ruger firearms…a couple of which are badass, another one- not so much! So, in essence, I’m not paid by Ruger to tell you these things; I’m just telling you the truth as I know it. A friend of mine(who doesn’t own an AR style rifle) went with me yesterday to do some handgun work. I took the 556. He sat down and busted standard orange claybirds(stationary), consistently at 200M. That’s a guy who doesn’t own(nor am I sure he’s ever fired) an AR. He had a blast & even commented that now he “had to have one”!
Long story short, this weapon is fine! Believe or Not…that is your choice but I know the truth
I have to start with the price. Yes a little steep. I’ve had this rilfe for about two years now. the first shot out of the box was a bulls eye at 25 yards. Very nice. The rilfe is a touch heavy, but managable. I do like the full rails, thous aading the weight. The stocked butt stock is a little lose. Nothing Magpul cann’t handol. How ever. I put about 2500 rounds though it, and last week I took it to a 300m range, and after about 45 rounds I thought I’d go check the target. I took my finger off the trigger, fliped the safty and BANG!!! Scard the $#!* out of me. I drop the mag, and opened it up, check to see if there was something visably wrong. Nothing. SO I loaded and pulled the charging handle and BANG!! The only two times a firearm has fired without me pulling the trigger. By now the safty is locked in the fire position and the hammer will not lock in the down position. I understad were and tair, but after 2500 rounds a trigger asembly should not be failing. Needless to say, I am very disapointed. My $1600 AR is worthless at the moment. I’m going to see if my dealed can send it back to Ruger. Hopefuly thay will remady this problum. Untill this, I was very happy with the Ruger SR 5.56. I would love to see them make a semi auto 308 in a AR plat form.
I wasn’t aware of anyone, ever, producing a stainless steel AR-15.
And why would anyone want to?
Since the AR-15 already has an upper and lower reciever made of aluminium there’s no need for the corrosion resistance of stainless. And the increased weight would be a deal breaker for most.
price of ar-15′s .. also price of stainless steel ar-15
ok first off, i gotta comment on what Bobby said about the 5.56, one, the 5.56 is a very powerful round, i have an AR-15 and it is one of the best rifles i have ever owned, second i think the SR-556 is a fairly nice looking rifle although i still prefer mine though because it has the traditional handrail that the original M-16 had, anyway i think ruger should come out with a new rifle, somethign that could both be used by civilians and the military, also something that is under $1,000, something to redefine rifles but keep the classics around, the person to do that will change history forever…and i think Ruger can do it.
Just saying I have a friend with the Ruger and believe it is overpriced compared to the deal I got from Stag Arms. Nothing more
What does the stag have too do with the Ruger 556???
I like Ruger alot. However I got a Stag Arms Model 8 piston driven with Pelican hard case, 2 mags, 60 rounds ammo, quad rail w/bipod, Eo Tech HWS, and much more in 2012 Survival Kit. Look it up at stagarms.com. Rifle is freaking awesome and get alot more for your money. BTW I had to pay a little extra to get the 8 instead of the model 2t the kit comes with.
I have had my Ruger 556 for almost two years now.
This will be my 3rd post regarding it. One of my posts was under David K, one under this moniker.
I have just shy of 3K rounds through it. It is accurate, and easy to feed. New shooters have impressed me often with it; several nailing paper plate size steel gongs at 325 yards off the bench repeatedly.
It cleans easy with all the major parts being chromed; I can hold the bolt carrier in my hand promptly after firing thirty rounds. I prefer the rod driven system.
It is a touch on the heavy side compared to other AR-15s.
Avoid the Russian Wolf ammo, as stated in my post under David K, the coating on those rounds melts and sticks the casing in the chamber if allowed to sit, causing the casing rim to be ripped off by the extractor.
Russian Bear ammo coated in zinc feeds and extracts great.
Even with all the competition today, this is still a contender with any AR-15 at its price point.
No buyers remorse here!
Yikes. For someone looking to buy their first AR these comments are all over the place. Positive and negative. I asked my friend who was a 6 year Army sniper to recommend and AR and he instantly said “The new Ruger 556.) Enough said for me. With nothing else to compare it to, I’m buying one with the proof in the shootin. Thanks everyone.
When I was in the Marines my M-16 jammed on me religiously on the ranges and live fire exercises. Scared shitless I would be sent to war with such a weapon. Shot alot of rounds through my friends new ruger ar and no problems. Mebbe their is something to the new piston driven system? The Marines Corps taught us when you have a jam it was tap rack bang. Tap the magazine rack the bolt and shoot again which was bull shit because you almost always had a double feed and it didnt work. Think Ruger may have gotten it right. Only M-16 impersonation I have been impressed with.
Yes the open sights are truly wonderful! I am able to group one inch or less at 100yds. with them.
I love this rifle!
YIKES !!! Someday I’ll learn to proofread. (and type better)
The 2nd sentence of my 4th paragraph above SHOULD have read;
More gas increases the unlock SPEED and the speed that the bolt carrier moves.
(someone really should have called me out on that one)
Haven’t been on the blog for awhile, had sent my sr556 back to Ruger to fix a feeding ramp issue. I received my rifle back in four days after they had received it. Flawless, simply flawless, the rifle shoots great. I had a date at the range the day after I got the rifle back, perfect is the only word I can use to describe the way it functioned. I put about three hunderd rounds thru it, couple different brands, slow fire, fast fire sideways and upside down. Gun spit the rounds out as quickly as I could pull the trigger. Great job by Ruger for fixing the gun in a timely fashion and simply standing behind their product. Gun is now standing its post with Hornady Tap ammo as my number one deterent firearm……
The 4 position gas plug on the Ruger is an obvious copy of the 4 position plug used on the Daewoo piston rifles. Since my only piston 5.56 rifle is a Daewoo K2 (and I have two uppers for it ) I am very familiar with their operation.
They both have a position that allows no gas to enter the system making the gun a single shot straight pull bolt action rifle.
The other three positions control the amount of gas that reaches the piston. I leave my Daewoo on S which is the smallest port allowing the least gas to operate the rifle. My rifle runs flawlessly with every factory load I have tried (including steel cased ammo from Wolf, S&B and Herter’s) as well as all of my handloads, so that’s where I leave it set. In fact I have no reason to use anything else.
Now since it runs great that way, why would I choose to open it for more gas? More gas increases the lock time and the speed that the bolt carrier moves. If you are ripping rims that nmeans your rifle is unlocking too soon. It means that the case has NOT had time to release its grip on the chamber wall.
So if your rifle works well on the lowest setting why worry if it doesn’t on a higher setting? I suspect that if I were to set my Daewoo on a higher setting (either M or L the middle and largest port settings respectively) I’d probably be ripping through case rims too.
I served in the USMC and I thought the AR was junk, thats putting it nice.But it is nice handeling,accurate,and shooter freindly. I did not like how picky with dirt,and jamming POS it was. My brother got a Berret Rec-7 6.8 and it ran great. And that red neck did thing to that gun that is realy bad. That maid me a beleaver that there are good ones out there. I bought one for 1500 at cabela’s . And that gun runs dam good , shots staight. I broke the barrel in and now have 250 through it with out cleaning. I never liked them after seening fristhand men going down over them. But I think ruger built a dam good gun. I even put the AK in the safe and now carry the Ruger SR-556 in the truck every place I go with the 1911 and 870. Ohrah
I still get the ripped casings on setting 2. No matter what the ammo. It doesn’t shoot wolf great at all. I don’t shoot crap ammo much but when I’m broke I would like to fire some wolf. Since my last post 2,000 rounds of Eagle Tactical have been fired. Great feeding on setting 1 but when you turn it up to 2 jam first shot. I’m going to send mine in for repair since it’s deer season and I don’t upset the hunters. Really pissed me off though for 1,500. If it’s not fixed on the first try. Selling it and grabbing another Colt Match Target. Those are the daddy of the AR platform when using a scope like me.
David- just sent the rifle back today. I am holding back my disappointment till I get it back, hopefully cured of its wows. Bullit casings are catching on the claws leading the bullit into the barrel. When it jams it jams tight. Put only couple hundred rounds thru the rifle jammed to many times to remember
bp. Really? I have used over 10 ammo manufacturers and both 556 and 223, have maybe 1500 rounds, and not a single failure to feed, extract or any other type of failure.
Does anyone here have one? I love everything about this rifle except mine jams way to often! Not good when you spend the money they are asking.
I bought the Ruger because I have and believe in their product. Maybe I got the Black sheep of the litter,Ha. I’m sending back to Ruger hopefully they get it right. ( I’m sure they will )…
I’ve put close to 3000 rounds through my SR556 in the past 7 months with absolutely no issues…and let’s just say I should be a little more “vigilant” with my cleanings. Still no issues.
Thank you sir.
Practice safe,
Practice hard,
Practice often.
Hey all
and to Kieth & rocky thanks for your coments and info you guys sure have helped with understanding a lot fo issues with ths SR556.
I am about to purchase one and yall have convinced me that my first choice was the correct one. as I have been in lawenforcement for many yrs I have had acess to many weapons and am not new to them by any means I have worked as a favor to a friend in his gun shop on and off for quite a long time also so I hear things good and bad about many guns but the SR556 has all been good with the ocassional hickup. so for my money I will be purchaseing a Ruger SR556 with no major concerns I also have talked with our Ruger rep and Ruger is behind thier new rifle for any probs that might be. All yall out there keep up the chat it so helps people gather the info they want and need. PS I like firearms history kieth.
I apologize for my participation in the thread drift. My intentions where simply to illustrate the differences between the original Eugene Stoner designed direct impingment system and the more recent piston system developments such as the Ruger SR-556. I wanted to show that the Ruger has several advantages over a common M-forgery carbine length AR-15.
There are some people who think all AR-type rifles are the same.
Welll,the Ruger SR-556 is NOT just another AR. It’s quite a different critter under the hood.
Yes, perhaps I went a little too far back into history with my explainations.
But I just wanted anyone who reads this to understand what we were discissing. Not everyone who reads a blog is a firearms expert. We must never forget there are many silent newcomers among us who are looking for information. We risk turning them off if we talk over their heads or treat them as stupid.
Once again I’m sorry for my part in the derailment of this thread.
Steve here,
Lets keep this on topic. Please discuss the SR-556 only, not AR-15 rifles in general.
OOOPS… In my previous reply to David K, I accidentally deleted several sentences;
It sould have read as; This is why the Soviet designed weapons all have such powerful extractors. And why the Soviets were pioneers in the application of hard chrome to the chamber and bore. Hard chrome prevents the corrosion from corrosive primers and a chromed chamber is better suited to steel cases. Most US civilian ARs do not have a chrome bore. The only drawback is a slight accuracy loss. All else being equal a non-chromed bore will usually be a little more accurate.
About a decade ago Wolf stopped coating their cases with lacquer and switched over to a polymet coating that is a lot more slippery than lacquer. Bown Bear, Silver and Golden Bear steel cases are either lacquer, zinc or brass coated respectivally. (Recent production Bear ammo has non-corrosive primers.) Lacquered cases and noticably stickier in the chamber.
And while I know this is not supposed to be a history lesson. Let’s not forget that there were several early autoloading weapons, both semi and full automatic, that REQUIRED lubricated AMMUNITION in order to achieve even basic functioning. I consider the “new” Wolf to be lubricated ammo. The polymer coating makes a big difference.
So IF you are experiencing your extractor ripping through the rims LIGHTLY lubricate your chamber. And I don’t mean use a small squirt of CLP. I mean a damp (not wet) patch or at MOST 2 drops of lube directly in the chamber.
Don’t forget the bolt will remain locked with the case tight in the chamber, until the carrier moves it. Timing will remain exactly the same. When the bolt moves the case needs to have released its grip on the chamber walls.
One should never lubricate the chamber in a recoil operated firearm. Especially if it’s a simple unlocked blowback.
Hopefully I do not need to define recoil operated as opposed to gas operated.
I would never oil my chamber, unless it is put away for storage, same with the barrel.
to David K, the info you found on steel vs brass wasn’t entirely correct.
The mild steel cases as used by Wolf/Tula and Bear expand and seal the chamber just like brass. The problem with steel is that it doesn’t “skronk” back to a smaller size like brass does. This is why no one males steel cased revolver ammo. If you have ever fired steel case .45acp or 9mm ammo in a revolver, you know how nearly impossible it is to extract. This is why the Soviet designed weapons all have such powerful extractors.
I have never had any problems using Wolf Steel cased ammo in an AR-15 or M16 RIFLE. However the AR-15 CARBINE is a whole ‘nother ballgame.
Especiall when using the short M4 style gas system with a 16″ barrel. The greater distance between the muzzle and the gas block with the sixteen inch CAR length gas system causes an increase in the “timing” of the bolt. The bolt starts to open sooner than designed with more chamber pressure present. If the gun is not properly lubricated the steel case will adhere too tightly to the chamber walls forcing the extractor to either fail or pull through the rim.
This problem is NOT quite so severe in the mid-length gas system.
So, when shooting steel cases in a CAR/M4 semi-auto rifle make sure you keep your chamber clean and lightly lubed.
I like it. I have owned a great many guns, rifles, pistols and shotguns. I have researched the hell out of the ar type rifle. Talked to a great many owners multiple ar type rifles, and truly done my homework. The concensus is, LWRC is the best on the market. Unfortunately they are in the 2k-2500 range. If there is a second tier, the sr is in it. It shoots like the child of an ar/ ak marriage. It has that distinctive ak piston recoil, while performing ar type accuracy. I brought mine out to VT to break it in. I used eight different types of ammo, both 556 and 223 and it had not a single failure to feed/fire. I shot the hell out of it, and this thing works! Plain and simple. I would also like to add that I am a glock-guy. So if you are looking for reliability above all else, look no further.
Magpull mags are awesome!!
Pmags are great but are only 13 dollars a piece. They are very cheap but good reliability.
I posted back on 26 Sep 2009 after having made my Ruger SR-556 purchase, and now I provide entertaining/helpful feedback at this time, I hope.
Setup: Ruger SR-556, Scope:Leupold® Mark AR
(http://www.cabelas.com/p-0070323713304a.shtml), Grip Pod
(http://www.grippod.com/), VLTOR RIFLE MODSTOCK, Ammo: Wolf : WOLF POLY 223REM 62GR FMJ, as nasty as it gets, nasty why?
plagiarized—> “…Steel doesn’t expand as well as the brass. So gasses and fouling escape around the case neck and deposit between the case and chamber wall, causing a restriction. This is how cases get stuck.”
The above ammo I used is the first batch that I had/have major issues with in my Ruger. After 100rds or so the a casing expands sticks, and the case rim gets ripped off. Cleaning the chamber fixes this issue after getting the very jammed casing out. This batch I believe is just hotter then the standard, another issue with cheap ammo, consistency.
I have fired maybe 1000rds of this stuff prior to this batch no issues, and currently Bear ammo with no issues. The stuff is still nasty and I may rethink its usage. It does allow me to shoot a lot of ammo on the cheap, and introduce new shooters( on the cheap), the cusp of my post.
So a family get together at my Dad’s home in MO, I have my Ruger SR-556 on a bench shooting at a 12″x12″ steel target at 320 yds via my range finder. No bags just the Grip Pod. The scope allows adjustment for dead on aim, no hold over with a click of the dial.
I had my sister’s boy friend from Chicago who has NEVER shot a rifle, ever, get behind the Ruger, and at said target five hits in a row. My sister supplied eight for ten hits, my seventeen year old niece 99% steel on target (30rds or so, she was almost annoying). My eight year old nephew slaughtered a large dead tree at 50yds sitting on his mother’s lap. That was just pure entertainment; he had no issues with the recoil, I believe he emptied a 30rd mag.
The morale of the story: The Ruger shoots so well, and is so forgiving (as the design was intended) that with a little instruction even totally new shooters can nail a 300+ yard target.
I wipe the bolt, and carrier down with a cloth, nothing more. I run a Hoppes Bore Snake through it. It is clean. I have yet to clean the rod system.
I can hold the bolt carrier in my hand after 500rds, it is hardly warm, even in TX 100+ temps.
With this crappy ammo I get 2″-2.5″ MOA at 200yds, and 1″-1.5″ MOA at 100yds, off the bench with said optic. I know good ammo will provide better results.
All other aspects of the Ruger have provided rock solid performance, and durability. I made a great purchase. Nice to get it right once in a while ;D.
Oh yes, I love my 6.8 LWRCi as well! ;D
You consider P-Mags to be cheap?
Do you mean cheap as in inexpensive?
or
Cheap as in shoddy worksmanship and unreliable performance?
That is Great new’s travis, I feel the same way bro. thanks a bunch
Got my ruger sr 556 the other day. After 500 rounds in 2 days it never failed to fire on setting 0-1-2 but 3 was hitting really hard. My guess is it’s still very clean and too much gas is getting in. I’ve run 10 different pmags, 4 GI mags. 1 command arms & one tango down each having mixed ammo in them all brass with different grain loads. It worked better than my old Colt match rifle. The iron sights are so badass. The rail is custom the sights are custom the buttstock custom. Even the hogue grip is customized with the ruger logo. As a youngster who knows that politicians on both sides don’t care too much for guns. NRA just gives them slot of coin to support it and their constituients love guns as well. But anyways the SR is a great price for a AR with $320 back up sights. $priceless Custom Troy Rail(don’t think you can buy that on it’s own) 3 Cheap Admittedly Pmags. Cheap bag cheap ass rail covers. But I have xtm magpul rails covers Troy grip and Magpul UBR stock mil spec. It looks better than any AR on the Market. Everytime I’m at the range I get the Hey Is That A Ruger SR
.
PS since it seems that words surrounded by arrows do not appear, I must correct the fifth sentence in the post above.
That sentence should have read; I guess that pesky “Caps Lock” can become rather tricky.
Also the “quote on” and “quote off” notices didn’t appear either.
Sorry for that.
THIS FORUM IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT THE RUGER SR 556.
NOT A HISTORY OF OLDER WEAPONS, AND SYSTEMS KEITH.
STAY ON SUBJECT PLEASE.
keith i do it cause my eyes are poor, thats all, i am not yelling at anyone, i just like to use caps. it helps me.
Operating Systems
The very first autoloading rifles were blowback. It worked (works) well for .22 Rimfire and low pressure pistol type cartridges but that system just isn’t suited to high pressure, high velocity cartridges. (That is unless you mount it on a tripod and use a team of horses to charge the action.)
Autoloading development then split into two camps. One continued to focus on recoil oiperation in this case delayed recoil as exemplified by the German G3 (HK 91) and gas operation.
The first successful gas autoloading rifle came from the amazing mind of John Browning. In the 1880s he started working to use the propellent gasses to operate the action. He modified a rifle (either a Colt or a Winchester – reports differ) to fire 16 shots per second. This became the basis for his 1895 machinegun. In that gun the gasses excaped through a port near the muzzle acting against a swinging lever under the barrel to operate the bolt. It worked okay for a mounted weapon but was useless for a mobile application. He next developed a gun that trapped the gasses in a chamber near the muzzle that forced the barrel and bolt rearward. Patented in 1900, a busy year for Browning, his long recoil action was a breakthrough in rifle development. A similar system was employed in his Auto-5 shotgun. But it still had several drawbacks and was very heavy, he felt a true piston of some sort was the way to go.
Browning then focused on using a piston mounted under the barrel once again operated by gasses bled off near the muzzle. The 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) used this system. The fabulous M1 Garand also used a long stroke piston as does the German Sturmgewehr and the Russian Avtomat Kalishnikova (known as the AK to y’all) and its offspring. The short stroke system designed by David Williams that made the M1 Carbine so efficient dates back to the late 1920s. Eugene Stoner used the short stroke system for his AR-18. (Not because it was better than DI but because he wanted it to be different from his AR-15 since the patent rights to that had been sold to Colts.)
While the direct impingment system used by Stoner in the development of the AR-10 and AR-15 dates back to 1901 with the French made Rossignol (which was not a big success) and later used in the 1940s Swedish Ljungman (which was, sort of). So the old saying that “Everything old is new again” certainly applies here.
For those who say that DI is awful and piston is the only way to go should consider these two statements…
The AR-15 platform was the FIRST mass produced autoloading rifle that could be manufactured to shoot 1MOA out of the box! There are a LOT of great ARs out there and a lot of long range matches have been won with them. Camp Perry for one. However there are some sloppily manufactured/assembled ARs out there. The M16 family of rifles/carbines have been the Standard A US Military battle rifle longer than ANY rifle in our history. So it must work or we would have replaced it by now instead of ordering more and more.
And…
The poorest functioning, least accurate battle rifles of all time were all piston designs. But there have also been some great ones too. Just look at the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14/M1A, FN-FAL, SKS and Kalishnikov. Also the M14 which was our Standard A rifle only from 1957 to 1967 (Limited Standard to 1970) has been called out of retirement and once again proudly serves on the front lines with our brave troops. And those who use it seem to love it.
What I am trying to convey to everyone here is that there are pros and cons with BOTH systems and neither is perfect. BOTH can function extremely well IF properly designed and manufactured. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
Rocky,
Have you notice that yuou are the only person here with your caps lock on? Online, TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE YELLING!
Plus it’s a little harder to read. Typing a single word in a sentence in caps is used to indicate emphasis.
Okay now that it out of my system…
As for the weight of any battle rifle, has anyone ever handled a 1903 Springfield? A M1917 Enfield? A 98 Mauser or an M1 Garand? All of them are nine pounds or more. And that’s with ZERO attachments.
That was one of the great advancements the M16 had over the old M14. The M14 with its 20 round steel magazine of 7.62 NATO (.308 Winchester) gets real heavy real quick. The M16 was touted as being under six pounds. But since then we have added the A2 upper receiver, A2 buttstock (on rifles only), heavier barrels, railed handguards with optical sights, lasers, forward grips, etc., etc. and the beast has grown (groan) heavier. But anytime I hear somebody missing and poaning about the weight of the AR I remind them that our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought TWO World Wars dragging around 10 pound rifles and lugging .30-06 ammo. Consider WWII when the basic battle load was a 10lb M1 Garand and 88 (yes only eighty-eight) rounds of .30-06. The modern day basic load of an M16A2 and 210 rounds of 5.56 is a comparable weight. NOTICE: I said BASIC load. Many of today’s soldiers carry much more ammo than that. Also, a modern day warfighter has many more tools to choose from and therefor carries a lot more gizmos than our forefathers did. But they also have much better webgear to carry it in. Now imagine the poor BAR gunner of WWII and Korea… he had a 20 pound BAR with 200 rounds of .30-06 in 10 heavy steel magazines.
But then again I also say, “Shut Up and Man Up!” War ain’t supposed to be easy.What was it that Clint Smith said about people who complained about a pistol being too heavy? “Carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting not comfortable.” or somethin like that.
When I hear some whiner at the range cmplaining how his uberlight unobtanium 13oz .38 special is the only gun he can manage to carry but the recoil is too brutal to shoot I say, “Well, if a standard 16oz (ONE POUND) snub nose is too heavy for you to lug around all day they maybe you’re too pussified to be carring a gun at all”.
That’s the way I see it, YMMV.
WHAT PHIL SAID!!
I purchased one of these gems about a month ago. I paid just over $1500 for it. It was LOADED with a lot of great accessories..directly from the factory. If I had bought a DI BushmasterI would have spent even more in the long run and probably have less quality items to dress it just like the Ruger. The rails, the guards, the grips, the Troy sights…!! Plus..I have the newest gas piston set up. I have added a Grip Pod, a Fennix flash light with mount and a Eotech 517, This thing rocks, Runs flawlessly. I had a few problems with some re-loads I bought from a great reloader and while shooting, it was jamming up. I turned it up a notch to 3 on the settings for the gas piston and fired off another 200 rounds without a hitch. LOVE IT! Accuracy is good. From 75 feet, I was in a 1 1/2″ grouping firing at every 2 second mark. I can live with that! Good looking weapon as well. The weight is nothing that I would be concerned with that much. As said in previous posts, I guess if you were running through the jungles and had to keep it reeaaalll light, then maybe…just maybe… it could be a problem…but I’m too old for that crap. I just want something to target shoot with and maybe a few tactical maneuvers and maybe when the SHTF. You can NOTR make a wrong choice with this weapon..and they are NOT that unreasonably priced at all. Man up and buy the darn thing!
THAT IS CORRECT, I PURCHASED A HIGH QUALITY ATTACHMENT FOR THE FORGRIP, AND HAD TO MOVE MY FRONT SIGHT FORWARD A LITTLE.
I WORKED GREAT.
Hey Rocky, I don’t know if I need my eyes checked, but does the SR only have a sling attachment on the stock and not the foregrip?
MARTIN, DON’T FORGET THE SUPER HIGH QUALITY OPEN SIGHTS, THE FOR GRIP WHICH IS ADJUSTABLE WITH THE SNAP ON COVERS, THE ONE OF A KIND GAS SYSTEM, NICE RUBBER GRIP, AND VERY GOOD QUALITY.
NOT TO MENTION THE GREAT ACCURACY USING MILITARY GRADE AMMO.
MINE IS EQUIPPED WITH A E-OTECH MODEL 512 HOLO SIGHT, AND BY THE WAY THE WEIGHT DOES NOT BOTHER ME A BIT, ESPECIALLY WITH A GOOD TACTICAL SLING.
ROCKY
Hey all! Long time reader, first time poster…
I was shopping around my local gun stores recently, looking for a new 5.56 AR platform. This would be my first weapon and I was really excited just to be looking.
I won’t lie to you and say that my first choice was the Ruger. It wasn’t even on my radar. I was seriously considering shelling out the big bucks for the Bushmaster ACR, or some other weapon that “Call of Duty” has made popular…
I held a few rifles in my hand, wasn’t able to shoot any, just clearing that question up right now, and there were some good ones, to be sure. Remington and Bushmaster were the most prominent.
I’ll also take this time to state that I’m not gun savvy in the least. I have a BASIC understanding of firearms and what makes them go boom, but when looking for my rifle, aesthetics played a big part in the selection. I had no preference betweein Gas Piston and DI. Hell, I didn’t know there was another choice. Yeah, I know it’s shallow, and some would argue stupid to buy a rifle based on how “pretty” it is, but hey, that’s the kind of guy I am, I suppose…
Anyways, I was at my last stop for the day, just browsing, when my firend pointed something out to me. Lo and behold it was the Ruger SR-556. I shrugged, and picked it up and held it to my shoulder. I know it sounds corny, but this one felt right. Yeah, it was heavier than the Bushmaster and Remington, but in my experience, (Which is limited to pistols, yes I know, totally different animal, but you gotta start someplace, right?) heavier framed weapons seem to work better with me.
Just a note here on weight: Unless you’re planning on running through the forest or a desert with body armor and gear on, IMHO, just cowboy up and carry the extra pound. “Yeah, it’s the best gun I’ve ever fired, but it weighs an ounce too much, so I can’t use it.” I think you can handle carrying 8 pounds from your car to the shooting lane. If you can’t, then why are you shooting the 5.56? No disrespect meant at all, but there’s plenty of .22LR out there. Weight isn’t an issue with them. I could understand if you’re chambered for a .450 Bushmaster or something outrageous like that. The bullets are enough, so cut the weight of the gun. I understand that. But for a .223/5.56? come on, man…
Anyways, back to the rifle. Aesthetically it is a beautiful gun. The quad rail, flip-up sights and stock just made this look like a mean mamma-jamma.
As far as the inner workings… from what the gun store owner told me, it’s the same as any other gun, save for the Gas piston system. Is there anything significant I should know about the innards of this thing that he may not have told me?
Ah, the GP system. For my money (A lot of it) the GP system seems the way to go. I haven’t seen anyone talk about the SR-556′s ability to become a bolt action rifle! To me, this seems like something that give the Ruger a bit of a right to charge what it does for the rifle. It seems to me that the SR-556 is almost 2 guns in one. (Forgive my nievete, because for all my research, I haven’t been able to find any rifle using a DI system that can function as a bolt action rifle as well as an autoloading semi-auto.)
I guess I should wrap up…
Out of all the weapons I held that day, the Ruger SR-556 seemed to be the way to go. Looks great, feels great in hand. Never shot it, but what I read on here looks positive… I think this will be a good investment. I suppose I’m not just paying for a rifle, I’m paying for the brand as well!
*hops off soapbox*
THATS GREAT NEW’S, THANKS BRYAN.
I’M FEELING BETTER, AND BETTER ABOUT THIS RUGER EVERDAY.
THERE WAS SO MUCH NEGATIVE INFO. FOR SO LONG THAT EVEN I FELT THAT MAYBE THERE WERE TO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS RIFLE.
IT JUST AFFIRMS THAT ANYTHING NEW DOES HAVE IT’S GLITCHES, BUT I AM SO HAPPY WITH MINE NOW, AS ARE SO MANY OTHER OWNER’S. I DO LOVE RUGER PRODUCTS.
I NEED MORE AMMO GUY’S!!
Guys, I got one last December and now since its shooting season I have been at the range many times with the SR556. Its been flawless and very little recoil compared to my Colt LE6920.
Awesome gun, piston driven, chrome lined full profile heavy barrel. A bot heavy but the weight makes follow up shots on target easy so your groups are nice and tight.
I GOTTA SAY, THIS RIFLE IS GETTING SOME GREAT REVIEWS!!
I DO LOVE MINE, AND NO COMPLAINTS FROM ME.
THIS WEAPON WILL ONE DAY SAVE MY LIFE, AND MORE.
I bought my SR 556 for 1.495. I have put about a 1000 rounds thru it and never had a jam, from the time it came out of the box. My reloads, new ammunition, 55 gr 62 gr SS 109. I have decided not to clean it to see how many rounds I can put thru it before it starts to act up. Kind of mean huh. The thing is extreamly accurate. The only complaint is, it is a little heavy. I think Ruger should have fluted the barrel. And yes mine smoked to when I first shot it.
After viewing the 37 minute video of Wayne LaPierre’s address to the NRA convention in Charlotte, I could not resist the temptation to seek out and purchase an AR. I just had to possess a weapon that so many idiots don’t want me to have. Not being a regular at gun shows and ranges, I went to the only person I know that is. He told me of the SR 556 that had recently been re-priced to $1549 at the local Shoot Straight store. Other gun enthusiasts in our R/C flying club had good things to say about the Ruger, so I loaded my planes and headed straight for the store. I added a nice optical sight for $90 and bought a 300 bulk pack of rounds for $150. After sighting the gun in, I was extremely impressed with the accuracy and performance. I now understand why the AR is so popular. I think it is a better investment than the current yield on 12 month CD’s!
I finally put some once fired milliatry and nice looking 55 gr rounds this past weekend. To my disappointment, the 2nd round jammed in the chamber. I cleared this and then the 3rd round……..well it didn’t load into the chamber.
All 87 rounds rounds after that fired flawlessly.
It’s been awhile since I have purchased a semi-auto rifle, but I was surprised at how hot the quad rails got. Good thing for the hand guards. Also, I shot the last 40-50 rounds fairly quickly and was amazed at how much the barrell was smoking. I hope this is normal for a new rifle. I think it is the chemicals or coatings used to treat the parts just burning off.
If this not normal, then someone please let me know.
Being new to the this type of sights, how am I supposed to aim these? I only shot 90 rounds and not at a bench, I wasn’t able to really figure out the best way to use the sights before it was time to leave.
Any help is always appreciated. Otherwise I am impressed with this being my first AR.
Fishndude19721
Hello All !!!!
I am buying my first AR-15 in the next month and im about 90% sure ill go for the Ruger SR-556.
My first question is, are there any internal or significant differences between the FB & C versions ?
Second, are these guns still having the Carrier Tilt issue ?
Thirdly, For casual / occasional shooting is it wise to always leave the gas regulator in the same position ? & which setting is best ?
Lastly, anyone who has owned one & put a lot of rounds through it … what do u think !
I would really appreciate the feedback … Thanks
I Love Rambo, America, Cincinnati Chili & my Wife
Richard,
Contact Bill Springfield about your trigger.
http://www.triggerwork.net/
I’m quite impressed with the SR-556. A bit pricey. However, if you want quality, your going to have to pay for it. Ruger is quality.
I recently aquired an SR-556 and mounted a Burris AR-332 scope to it. Not a bad combonation. My only complaint is the trigger pull. I’m presently looking for a gun smith, “trigger guy”, to lighten it up about 8 lbs. I could be wrong, however it feels like about a 10 to 12 lb. pull. It’s enough to through off my aim. Perhaps being new it is in need of being functioned for several thousand rounds. I put 200 rounds down range the first day out. My trigger finger was sore by the end of the day. Odd, or I’m just a woos. No matter. Perhaps someone could offer some advise.
Overall, out of the box, it’s a great wepon. Any ney-sayers are merely blowing smoke. Ruger has redeemed themselves with this offering.
HEY CORRICK, I OWN A SIG 556.
AND ALL OF YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT PISTON RIFLES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SO MANY YEARS NOW.
GOODNESS, LOOK AT THE M1 GARAND, THE M1 CARBINE, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON.
THE AR PLATFORM WAS A TECHNICAL BREAKTHROUGH AT THE TIME IT WAS INTRODUCED, IT WAS A FIRST FOR DIRECT GAS AGAINST A BOLT, INSTEAD OF A PISTON PUSH.
SO JULIO, YOU SHOULD FOR THE FUN OF IT CHECK OUT THE HISTORY OF PISTON RIFLES, THEY ARE VERY RELIABLE.
I LOVE MY M1CARBINE, AND TO THIS DAY I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT LITTLE PISTON CAN DO WHAT IT DOES, IT’S AMAZING.