Range Report Ruger SR-556 Carbine.
In May of 2009 Ruger announced the SR-556 Carbine and for some indefinable reason I knew that it was the “AR platform” rifle that I had been waiting for.
The technical details of the SR-556 have been covered pretty well by now and those wanting more technical information can find it here (http://tinyurl.com/reddx5 ) or on the Ruger website. I’m not going into the technical details except as they apply to my range experience.
Immediately upon picking up the SR-556 I noticed two things, first it’s a little “nose-heavy” and secondly it is NOT a lightweight (with a scope and a front mounted flashlight it weighs in at precisely the same 9lb 11oz as my SKS rifle).
When I got the rifle home I immediately “field stripped” it and then went a little further by also removing the upper from the lower and completely disassembling the carrier group/bolt and the recoil buffer. Everything was then sprayed down liberally with Gunzilla (http://www.topduckproducts.com/ ) and left hanging to soak for about 30 minutes. Following that I spent a good amount of time going over every detail with rags and q-tips and then used compressed air to blow off any excess Gunzilla still remaining on the rifle. I then lubed where necessary (though the Gunzilla took care of 90% of that).
The gun was very clean right out of the box and the careful machining and attention to detail were obvious.
Next came the “set up”. The first challenge came as I tried to install the included Troy Industries rail covers as they were so tight I had to gently tap them into place with a plastic rod and a rubber mallet, working them back and forth until I could lock them in place. The handguards make for a pretty “fat” grip and those with smaller hands may not like them but they suit me just fine. Next I bore-sighted the Troy Industries folding battlesights and then mounted an NCStar, STR3942G, 3-9x42 Illuminated Red/Green Rangefinder Scope and bore sighted it as well.
In the course of the “setup” I worked the action a number of times and discovered that the stock charging handle latch and I were not really getting along with each other. It’s small and the scope and my left-handedness were conspiring to make operating of the charging handle annoying. I rectified that situation the next day by purchasing a Badger Ordinance “Tactical Latch” and installing it.
Finally the weekend rolled around and I was able to get out to the range.
(NOTE: all ammo testing was PMC “bronze” .223, 55gr FMJ-BT)
First I fired 2 “single” rounds (loaded one at a time) purely as a function check. I then loaded 5 rounds into a magazine and burned them off rapid fire. I then spent eight rounds getting the scope “dialed in” at 100 yards, the bore sighting was pretty close so this didn’t take long and the rifle was providing nice, obvious, groups for me to work with…and then the wind picked up <sigh>. When all was said and done the “On Target” software (http://www.ontargetshooting.com/index.html ) said that at 100 yards I was keeping an average 2.5” group (2.46 MOA) with a fairly strong, gusting, crosswind using PMC “Bronze” 55gr ammo. Given that I’m no superstar shooter I suspect the rifle itself to be capable of at least 1.5 MOA groups with a better shooter and less wind.
Next I let the rifle cool back down until a non-contact thermometer read the following temperatures
Barrel: 73, Gas Block: 75, Bolt Face: 67.
Then I ran a rapid fire 30 round string and immediately took another set of temperature readings getting
Barrel: 289, Gas Block: 263, Bolt Face: 74.
It quickly became apparent that the gas block was the major heat sink, eventually heating more than the barrel and taking a little longer to cool down. WARNING: Do not touch the gas block on this rifle, it gets HOT! In fact I have to use extra care to make sure the gas block is cool enough before putting the rifle into it’s bag or it would melt the nylon material. Regardless, I did some benched 100 yard shooting and some offhand 50 yard shooting and was very pleased with the results (again, especially considering the high winds). The trigger really could use a little “tender loving care” though. It’s not especially bad, but it could be better.
During the course of the trip I ran 230 rounds through the rifle which ran flawlessly through the entire test. I completely enjoyed the low recoil and the fact that, as a lefty, I was not getting a blast of dirty gases in the face each time I pulled the trigger! After letting everything cool down I packed up and went home for the cleanup and inspection phase of this run.
When I “field stripped” this rifle for cleaning here is what I found.
1) The interior of the gas block, including the gas regulator and piston, were somewhat dirty. A brief soak of the parts in a small jar of Hoppes 9 and they wiped clean with almost no effort.
2) The bolt carrier group wasn’t even really dirty. A little Gunzilla on a cloth and a quick wipe-down was all it took to make the carrier group pristine again.
3) I have read a lot about the “carrier tilt” issue and the wear it allegedly causes to the buffer tube. I had no such issues and the interior of the buffer tube wasn’t even scuffed after 230 rounds.
Cons:
Charging handle latch seems small and not lefty friendly.
Trigger needs a little work.
Pros:
No gas blowback in the face for the left-handed.
Accuracy well within my expectations.
Cleanup is easy
Final Summary: HIGHLY recommended.
In May of 2009 Ruger announced the SR-556 Carbine and for some indefinable reason I knew that it was the “AR platform” rifle that I had been waiting for.
The technical details of the SR-556 have been covered pretty well by now and those wanting more technical information can find it here (http://tinyurl.com/reddx5 ) or on the Ruger website. I’m not going into the technical details except as they apply to my range experience.
Immediately upon picking up the SR-556 I noticed two things, first it’s a little “nose-heavy” and secondly it is NOT a lightweight (with a scope and a front mounted flashlight it weighs in at precisely the same 9lb 11oz as my SKS rifle).
When I got the rifle home I immediately “field stripped” it and then went a little further by also removing the upper from the lower and completely disassembling the carrier group/bolt and the recoil buffer. Everything was then sprayed down liberally with Gunzilla (http://www.topduckproducts.com/ ) and left hanging to soak for about 30 minutes. Following that I spent a good amount of time going over every detail with rags and q-tips and then used compressed air to blow off any excess Gunzilla still remaining on the rifle. I then lubed where necessary (though the Gunzilla took care of 90% of that).
The gun was very clean right out of the box and the careful machining and attention to detail were obvious.
Next came the “set up”. The first challenge came as I tried to install the included Troy Industries rail covers as they were so tight I had to gently tap them into place with a plastic rod and a rubber mallet, working them back and forth until I could lock them in place. The handguards make for a pretty “fat” grip and those with smaller hands may not like them but they suit me just fine. Next I bore-sighted the Troy Industries folding battlesights and then mounted an NCStar, STR3942G, 3-9x42 Illuminated Red/Green Rangefinder Scope and bore sighted it as well.
In the course of the “setup” I worked the action a number of times and discovered that the stock charging handle latch and I were not really getting along with each other. It’s small and the scope and my left-handedness were conspiring to make operating of the charging handle annoying. I rectified that situation the next day by purchasing a Badger Ordinance “Tactical Latch” and installing it.
Finally the weekend rolled around and I was able to get out to the range.
(NOTE: all ammo testing was PMC “bronze” .223, 55gr FMJ-BT)
First I fired 2 “single” rounds (loaded one at a time) purely as a function check. I then loaded 5 rounds into a magazine and burned them off rapid fire. I then spent eight rounds getting the scope “dialed in” at 100 yards, the bore sighting was pretty close so this didn’t take long and the rifle was providing nice, obvious, groups for me to work with…and then the wind picked up <sigh>. When all was said and done the “On Target” software (http://www.ontargetshooting.com/index.html ) said that at 100 yards I was keeping an average 2.5” group (2.46 MOA) with a fairly strong, gusting, crosswind using PMC “Bronze” 55gr ammo. Given that I’m no superstar shooter I suspect the rifle itself to be capable of at least 1.5 MOA groups with a better shooter and less wind.
Next I let the rifle cool back down until a non-contact thermometer read the following temperatures
Barrel: 73, Gas Block: 75, Bolt Face: 67.
Then I ran a rapid fire 30 round string and immediately took another set of temperature readings getting
Barrel: 289, Gas Block: 263, Bolt Face: 74.
It quickly became apparent that the gas block was the major heat sink, eventually heating more than the barrel and taking a little longer to cool down. WARNING: Do not touch the gas block on this rifle, it gets HOT! In fact I have to use extra care to make sure the gas block is cool enough before putting the rifle into it’s bag or it would melt the nylon material. Regardless, I did some benched 100 yard shooting and some offhand 50 yard shooting and was very pleased with the results (again, especially considering the high winds). The trigger really could use a little “tender loving care” though. It’s not especially bad, but it could be better.
During the course of the trip I ran 230 rounds through the rifle which ran flawlessly through the entire test. I completely enjoyed the low recoil and the fact that, as a lefty, I was not getting a blast of dirty gases in the face each time I pulled the trigger! After letting everything cool down I packed up and went home for the cleanup and inspection phase of this run.
When I “field stripped” this rifle for cleaning here is what I found.
1) The interior of the gas block, including the gas regulator and piston, were somewhat dirty. A brief soak of the parts in a small jar of Hoppes 9 and they wiped clean with almost no effort.
2) The bolt carrier group wasn’t even really dirty. A little Gunzilla on a cloth and a quick wipe-down was all it took to make the carrier group pristine again.
3) I have read a lot about the “carrier tilt” issue and the wear it allegedly causes to the buffer tube. I had no such issues and the interior of the buffer tube wasn’t even scuffed after 230 rounds.
Cons:
Charging handle latch seems small and not lefty friendly.
Trigger needs a little work.
Pros:
No gas blowback in the face for the left-handed.
Accuracy well within my expectations.
Cleanup is easy
Final Summary: HIGHLY recommended.
) It only took a few "clicks" back and forth to say "yeah, this is what I needed". 
