Ruger AC 556

I had an AC556 (actually I still have it, but I have a Form 4 in to the ATF to transfer it to the dealer to whom I sold it). It was my very first machine gun. Seemed like a great deal at the time, for all the reasons previously stated. Sure, it is a fun toy. Nevertheless, in the end, I sold it and bought an M16 (although selling the AC556 and buying the M16 happened in unrelated transactions, and not in that order :)). Once I heard that Ruger was equivocating on servicing them I figured that was the last nail in the coffin.

If you can afford to buy something as utterly impractical as an AC556 you can probably also afford to spend a little less than twice as much and get an M16 lower receiver. You will be happy you did. There are simply so many more things you can do with an M16 -- so many high-quality uppers and accessories that are just made for it. Why get a conversion kit when you can just have a whole dedicated .22LR upper? Heck, there are even belt-fed uppers (the mythical Shrike, for instance -- I'm sure some day supply will catch up to demand). The ergonomics are great. And even though there is an element of absurdity when talking about the accuracy of a machine gun, you can still shoot it accurately in semi-auto.

You will just be much happier with an M16 in the end.
 
Everyone would buy a registered lower M16 lower receiver over an AC556, if they were priced comparably. But they are not anywhere near comparable!! That's an extra $6,000+ Just so you can play with extra do-dads. Yes, an M16 will be more accurate at long distances than my 13" AC556 in semi-auto....if that means anything to you, or you could just buy an $800 AR.

From a practical standpoint, there isn't $6,000 (or even $2,000) worth of differences between an M16 and an AC556. Both will appreciate, and it may be that the M16 lower will appreciate more over time than the AC556. So, for purely investment purposes, I'd consider buying the M16 lower wrap it up and put it in the safe. But, I could tell you there is no way in heck I'd trade my AC556 (which I like to shoot) + $5,000+ for an M16 lower receiver.....but then again, that's just me. And, if I were to ever even consider it, it would have to be for a converted lower, probably not a registered DIAS and definitely not for lightning link.
 
The M16 is a better weapon than the AC556 but only by $300 or so.

The reason the M16 is so much more is due to legislation.

The AC556 is what it is, it might be a .22lr gun.

The M16 is long, short, .22lr, most handgun calibers, .223 300whisper, 6.8mm 7.62X39 and beltfed all for one registered machinegun. It is that alone that makes it thousands more in the civilian market.
 
ac556

ruger product service department must have changed their policy regarding this firearm. for I had a ac556 repaired and refinished by ruger with a 2 week turnaround for $160.00. Service was done in the last 10 weeks:)
 
ruger product service department must have changed their policy regarding this firearm. for I had a ac556 repaired and refinished by ruger with a 2 week turnaround for $160.00. Service was done in the last 10 weeks
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Well, that's good news! I know that when I checked about 6 months ago, they said they weren't doing anymore refurbs, but would consider repairs, if they had the parts. My thought is that they don't want to manufacture any new stocks, or refinish stocks or reblue rifles. Hopefully they will still replace worn and broken parts.
 
Old School Cool!

Here are a few pictures of a 100% factory original KAC556-F along with her cousin, a 100% factory original Mini-14 KGB-F. Both shoot very well. An AC556-F along with a Gemtech Halo suppressor make a nice suppressed machine gun package.

KAC556FoverKGBF.jpg


FrontSlingSwivels.jpg


Let's not forget the "Happy Switch".

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Side front sling swivels are correct for factory folders and both firearms have my inventory tags attached. For Mini's and AC's, I prefer original Ruger folding stocks over anything else. They just look right together.
 
Very nice guns!! Please notice the difference of the "older" stainless steel finish on these two Rugers as opposed to the newer dark-gray stainless finish on present-day Mini-14's. I really wish Ruger would go back to this old, brighter finish. The newer stainless steel finish looks rough and takes some of the refinement away from what I consider to be an excelent gun.
 
In 1984 I bought this 191 series AC556K for $800.00
In this case the "K" was folding stock, not stainless
 

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The last time I went to the range, the guy beside me was bench-resting a short-barreled AC556 @ 100 yard. I didn't see what kind of groups he shot, but I developed a case of rifle envy.:D
 
So long as Ruger will work on them and especially rebarrel them, then I wouldn't mind owning one myself. However, with the AR system, you can work on it yourself and rebarrel it yourself. The AR is the LEGO of the gun world. You need a bunch of specialized tools to work on the AC-556 and the Mini-14.
 
The AR is the LEGO of the gun world. You need a bunch of specialized tools to work on the AC-556 and the Mini-14.
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"Cheap" transferable Bushmaster M16 - $12,500. Transferable fixed-stock AC556 - $5,600. For the price of the M16, you can have two good quality rugged .223 machineguns and a DSA FAL para-folder .308.

Comparing an AR-15 to a Mini-14 is fair game. But, comparing an AC556 to an M16 is like comparing apples to oranges. What you are really comparing is a license to own a machinegun in multiple calibers and formats with a license to own a machinegun that is designed only to fire 5.56 (yeah, it can fire .22LR also).

If you need or want all of the calibers and formats that an M16 can provide, go ahead and pay the money for it. On the other hand, if what you really want is a 5.56 machinegun and don't care about other full-auto in other calibers, then the AC556 is quite sufficient.
 
that thing gets hot!!!!!!!

my buddy bought one, and we have taken it to the range a few times. the first time i was with him, we were shooting it at full auto with 556 rounds. the forward part of the stock where you would rest your front hand is very small. this makes it hard to hold onto while you shoot. in semi-auto, this isn't a problem, but try holding the barrel down while it wants to rise during full auto fire. you could try to wrap your hand around the barrel, but you would end up with some pretty serious burns. that thing gets hot! if you could somehow mount a foregrip on it, it would be much easier to handle.

the second two times we went, he had a 22 kit installed. that was fun! easy to control. very accurate. very reliable.

another fyi - the 3-round burst setting isn't very reliable. it likes to kick out 2 just as often than 3.
 
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