Ruger has announced a new takedown addition to their operating rod actuated SR-556 rifle line. From the press release:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is pleased to introduce the new Ruger^® SR-556^® Takedown autoloading rifle, an innovative twist on an already innovative rifle. Compact and easy to maintain, the SR-556 Takedown sets a new standard for the modern sporting rifle.

Like the popular Ruger 10/22 Takedown^®, the SR-556 Takedown was designed with ease of use in mind. The barrel is removed from the upper receiver by simply moving the slider bar towards the breech, rotating the barrel and pulling it free – no tools required. Installation is simpler yet – just slide the barrel into the upper and twist until it locks. The takedown mechanism provides a repeatable point of impact and employs a patent-pending, chrome-plated, two-stage piston driven operating system for a cleaner, cooler running, reliable firearm that is truly state-of-the-art.

“We are excited to bring the portability and ease of storage that we introduced with the 10/22 Takedown to a modern sporting rifle” noted Mike Fifer, CEO. “The SR-556 Takedown has all the reliability of the original two-stage piston SR-556 and adds new and innovative features for MSR shooters.”

The removable 16.1″, chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged Mil-Spec 41V45 chrome-moly-vanadium steel barrel is chambered in 5.56 NATO. The headspace is set at the factory so no adjustment is necessary. The barrel assembly includes an elevation & windage adjustable flip-up front sight so that the zero stays with the barrel. The SR-556 Takedown also sports the shorter Ruger flash hider on the ½”-28 threaded muzzle.

MSR shooters that desire a larger cartridge will be excited to find that a replaceable barrel kit chambered in 300 AAC Blackout is available on ShopRuger.com. The cold hammer-forged 300 AAC Blackout barrel is 16.1” long, has a 1:7” twist, and is capped by a 5/8”-24 threaded muzzle fitted with a Ruger flash hider. This range-ready barrel’s headspace is set at the factory and comes complete with a metal flip-up elevation & windage adjustable front sight and two, 30-round metal magazines marked with “300 AAC BLACKOUT” to ensure easy differentiation.

The SR-556 Takedown maintains the best-of-class elements of the SR-556 and comes standard with a host of accessories that today’s shooters demand. The quad rail handguard provides ample mounting area for accessories and provides a stiff and secure mount for the takedown mechanism. The slider bar for removing the barrel is located on the bottom rail under the gas block and is out of the way of accessories. The upper receiver is complete with dust cover, forward assist, and metal flip-up windage adjustable rear sight. All aluminum parts are hardcoat anodized.

The Ruger Elite 452^™ two-stage trigger is installed in the standard mil-spec pattern lower receiver. At 7 pounds 10 ounces, the SR-556 Takedown handles easily with Magpul’s MOE grip and MOE SL stock on a mil-spec buffer tube.

Three, 30-round Magpul PMAG^® magazines and three full length rail covers ship with the SR-556 Takedown in a rugged, ballistic nylon case.

Based on the mechanism Ruger is using for their new takedown offering, my guess is that its development was spun off of a program designed to provide user-changeable barrels to military customers, but that’s speculation on my part.

Phil Note: We have one ordered for review.