Maybe I need to carry a scale around with me? As it is The Ruger SR-556 doesn’t feel, at least to me, any heavier than any other AR with quad rail forearm.

For the price of this Ruger I can buy a black rifle but a four rail on it and beat Rugers price plus have a lighter gun that shoots the same, like I said I see no differance with the gas piston on the Ruger, so wait till all the hype dies down and the truth will be told!

Want a real gas piston gun buy a Sig or try M&P who just came out with a new gas piston system this month, until then shoot your buddies Ruger & keep you light weight AR.

Same gun machined completely differant Hmmm which to choose….See my previous post

~Matt

Now my dilemma the chrome bolt carrier, Ruger made a big change in the machining of it which changes the function of the gun, if you look at the bolt carrier pictured above the serrated edge on the right side of the bolt is only machined up to the shell ejection window on the gun, now Ruger is machining the serrated edge all the way up to the Ruger logo on the bolt carrier “which now matches all AR’s”…
Why did they extend the surration another two inches? What problems will this cause having one like pictured above with the shorter surration?

If you would like a better comparison look in last months rifleman magazine and you can see the surration when the bolt is closed…I called Ruger & they said the first ones they machined for aesthetics “looks” but limits the function, with the bolt carrier above when the action is closed all you see is a nice rounded chrome bolt “yes looks nice not surrated?”.
Compare the bolt above to another black rifle you will see the differance…

Has anybody else noticed this? Or would Ruger like to comment on this?

I set out to buy a second SR556 when I noticed this, but refuse to be Rugers guinea pig with my money!

I’m very disapointed with Ruger making changes while in production without an answer or a fix to the ones already sold!

I agree with Keith Applegate that this is basically a Beta version that is now getting real-world testing, and issues are going to show up. They always do. I don’t know if Ruger is implementing corrections as problems are found, presumably they are, and as such, there could already be multiple ‘versions’ of the rifle out there, and this could account for some of the differences in first-hand experience. These corrections will have to be for both design bugs and any manufacturing problems.

And, of course, the influence and impact of different ammunitions on the operational performance of a weapon always has to be a consideration.

Are you asking for maximum effective range or accuracy? They’re different.

I don’t know about this rifle, but MER for an M-16 for a point target is 550m, and area is 800m. So it’s conceivable to hit a target at a grand with an AR, but far beyond most shooters’ abilities. I know I couldn’t, and I’m a soldier.

As for accuracy, the data I’ve read is that it shoots sub-MoA with the right ammo.

These days, most rifles will shoot MOA and it’s entirely dependent on you, the operator, to exercise proper technique to make it do so.

And I saw up there someone said it’s an 11lb trigger pull? Sounds a little heavy.. I’m thinking about picking one up next week before someone on the Hill makes them illegal again.

I have recently purchased mine for $1500, so go buy any gas piston design, with the Ruger quality (upper lower receivers are tight)(I own their bolt actions, and both the LCR, and LCP hand guns, all great quality), and all the extras they offer with it, and stay at $1500 or better. Hope you can, but I doubt it all things being equal.

I am off to shoot it tomorrow, and will give my feed back. GT Distributors Inc of Austin TX was my vendor, they had their’s out and had nothing but praise. They don’t BS customers at that store.

Looking at buying one would like to hear some feedback this.

I am happy.

I love the lwrci rifle…..but if i couldnt have gotten it at $1700, for my needs, i’d have gone with the ruger sr-556 based purely on similiar specs and value for the $…assuming i could get it for <$1600 vs the lwrci $2200+

Is the ruger the next thing since sliced bread, no, but for $1599 (in Cabella's current sale add – http://cabelasflyers.dirxion.com/7fe/Glendale/WebProject.asp?CodeReleaseId=7.0.3.0001#), it's got a lot to offer for a high end ar…given all the goodies and specs….and it kicks the tar out of the DI S&W's for the price point

I'm also in the market for a 6.8 or .308 / ar10….i may just hold for a few months to see if a SR-308 is in the works….if the actual street price is proportionally less with similiar specs to a high end .308 is…..i'd more than consider it.

For the politically-minded among us, the most significant feature is that Ruger ships it with 30-round mags.

I spoke with a fellow at my range last week (he was packing up as I arrived so I didn’t get to fire it-drats) who had installed a Magpul stock that was formerly attached to a DPMS.

He reported zero problems in 500 rounds and is very satisfied with the Ruger’s accuracy. He also said that so far he was liking it slightly better than his Stag and had already sold off his DPMS since it couldn’t hold a candle to the Ruger.

The only thing that is what is always on my mind with a new gun is proven reliability which is obviously non-existent. This is something the poster above me addressed in much more depth.

Can anyone inform me on how is this things accuracy out of the box?

I also agree with 1994 gun ban, however the company has taken a completely different direction now.

First there was the recall to fix a minor problem with the Ruger SR9. That was their first really modern gun in thirty years. It was discovered that some of them (Not All just SOME) could fire if dropped with their safety off. A minor concern, but a concern no less. Now I would have really been worried if some had fired with the safety on. But Ruger, unlike some plastik pistol companies, freely admitted there was a real defect and promptly instigated a zero cost repair program.

Next came the eagerly awaited .380 caliber LCP. Finally a true pocket rocket from a mainstream manufacturer. And guess what? OOOOPS, it was discovered that they too could fire if dropped with a chambered round. It was determined that an upgraded hammer mechanism would fix the problem and once again a ZERO cost repair program was put in place.

It would seem, at first glance, that new Rugers have teething problems. Possibly, in their desire to shorten the timeline from concept, to announcement, to dealer delivery, there just isn’t enough time to discover all of the ways Murphy can appear.

Consider this for a moment, Ruger COULD produce a hundred or so and put them in the hands of real “operators” (and not just a few magazine writers) who would really put them through their paces for six months, or so, in hopes of discovering any weaknesses. Naturally, this would delay the final production by AT LEAST six months. Six months that is IF no problems werwe found. If any problems arose then they would be addresses and then the process would begin again. POOF, then you are looking at a year delay at best. And then there would be no assurance that every conceivable operational faux pas had been encountered.

As it is, Ruger does its best to produce a reliable tool that will give years of trouble free service. [All in all, they have an enviable track record.] Then they release it to the public where thousands are put to use all at once. Now, between all of the professionals using it in hard life environments, the hobbiests shooting the snot out of them in the first week, the chairborne rangers (those few who actually buy one) nit-picking it to death after field stripping it 14 times per day and the novices dropping it on the kitchen floor while practicing their quick draw, any real problems will appear rather quickly. A lot quicker than they would in any contrived testing protocol.

Just like I vow to never buy the 1.0 version of any software, I usually wait until the furror dies down on any new firearm. I am quite content to sit by and let someone else do the beta testing.

Now I understand that there are those of you out there who simply need to be the first on your block with the newest of the new. That’s fine.
But you have to accept the reality that by having the first version, you may not (yet) have the best version.

Personally I just wait for the SR-556 Service Pack 2.