Ruger SR-556? Thoughts, Opinions, Reviews....

[Warthog]

Ruger SR-556? Thoughts, Opinions, Reviews....


So I have been reading and watching the Ruger Video's on the new SR-556. I am just wondering what everyone else is thinking about it, and weather or not your going to consider owning one?

Read More

 

[Silver Fox]

Personally, After handling a PWS 16" piston upper for $1395.00 at the last WAC show, I would buy one of those and replace a DI gas upper on one of my AR's

SF-

 

[CEF1959]

I've looked the SR556 over a few times now and read the reviews and seen the videos, and I like what I see. The price on the street is now down below $1500, which is reasonable given the quad rail, mags, etc. that come with it. I could see buying one in a year, but I don't want to be a sacrificial lamb if there turns out to be a flaw that starts showing up or if it really doesn't sell well (in which case parts will be an issue in the future).

If you google "SR556 reviews" or run that search on youtube, a lot of stuff comes up. All positive.

 

[coctailer]

My distributor has one available for $1,450

 

[unionguy]

I'm pretty impressed with what I see on it...but I'm also waiting at least 6 months to a year to see how it holds up durability-wise...if anyone here's of someone doing a "torture test" on it, let me know!

 

[Scott]

Look cool and some positive reviews but a little too expensive I feel for a Ruger product. But hey I could be wrong.

Scott

 

[markw76]

Give me a 20" barrel A2 rifle option and a pneumatic buffer and I'd like it a lot more. Until then, my 180B and mini keep me happy.

I'm pretty impressed with what I see on it...but I'm also waiting at least 6 months to a year to see how it holds up durability-wise...if anyone here's of someone doing a "torture test" on it, let me know!

+1. Torture test? At these ammo prices?

 

[Silver Fox]

I'm pretty impressed with what I see on it...but I'm also waiting at least 6 months to a year to see how it holds up durability-wise...if anyone here's of someone doing a "torture test" on it, let me know!

There doesn't seem to be much Ruger could manufacture on this rifle. I mean whose Piston system are they using? I am pretty sure Ruger didn't come up with one on their own. My guess is that they are paying a royalty to someone for the use of really good gas piston design. Troy rail system and sights. Magpul plastic. Kind of hard to screw up an AR barrel. Do they make their own upper and lower receivers or out source them like some big name gun company that has a popular well known name and nice advertising campaign?

I am sure this is a good rifle and its durability will last right along with everybody else's rifle. Guys I have talked to shot or own a POF have had alot of issues, so if they are the "bar", it probably doesn't take much to surpass that.

SF-

 

[s12tactical]

I rather have this from ruger

 

[markw76]

There doesn't seem to be much Ruger could manufacture on this rifle.

Ruger is really into investment casting bigtime, so I'd think they could do most of it in house, but I doubt they could tool up and still make the profit they could and still keep the price down. I read there are only 2 or 3 outfits making AR uppers and lowers, they just put others names on them. Better to custom order from someone already tooled up and producing.

 

[MEP1000]

I'm very tempted to buy on of these rifles. I have a Colt already and kinda want something a little different so to say. I've handled them a few times and even took out the money.. Just can't seem to pull the trigger so to say yet.

 

[bigbang]

Well, what a big fan of Ruger firearms am I, you name it I got it! So when I saw the new product line advertisement for the SR-565 I had to have it. So I located one whooped out the plastic, and bough it 7/17/09. I could hardly wait to get to the gun rage to try this bad boy out. Like a shiny new car with all the bells and whistles, loaded her up, sat down at the bench, squeezed off 1, 2, 3 rounds….bubblegum! Stuck shell case!!!!! Well, I had to pop out the two hinge pins and work the upper receiver off, run a cleaning rod down the barrel and hammer it against the table top to get the case dislodged. I then gave it a thrall cleaning, as if I hadn’t all-ready done this before I left home. Popped it back together and got about 15 rounds thru it, and guess what? Yet another shuck shell case. The extractor was ripping a chunk out of the rim. I tried different brands of ammo with the same results, and it would usually happen after 15-20 rounds. It happened a couple of time with Fiocchi and once with Lake City ammo, but more often with Wolf ammo. Sometimes I could get a full clip fired, but the first round out of the next clip would stick the shell case. All spent cases had heavy extractor claw marks. The wolf ammo would eject about 90° from the gun; the lake city ammo would eject slightly forward and the Fiocchi much more forward. While cleaning the gun after the day of use the gas regulator was difficult to get out of the gas block. I could go on with this story, but you can guess how the rest of that day went. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. Disappointed, very pissed off and aggravated, I contacted Ruger and they had me to return it to the factory for repairs. I guess there is a bad apple in every barrel. Now they have had the gun for 3 weeks, let’s see how well it operates when I get it back.

Shipped the gun to Ruger on 7/22/09 and received it back on 8/18/09, Ruger stated on the repair order that the bolt was replaced and test fired. I gave the gun a good cleaning and wet to the gun range on 8/22/09 and was able to fire the gun about 60 times before it got yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out!!!!! Dislodged that shell case, cleaned the camber with a wire brush and swabbed the chamber. I fired about 50 to 60 more rounds only to have yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out. I gave up and went home even more frustrated than before.
Now I have lost all faith in this rifle! If I could get my money back on the rifle I would!!!

 

[markw76]

That have a chrome chamber? Any sign of roughness in there? Whatever Ruger did, it sounds like it's in the right direction at least.

 

[MEP1000]

Well, what a big fan of Ruger firearms am I, you name it I got it! So when I saw the new product line advertisement for the SR-565 I had to have it. So I located one whooped out the plastic, and bough it 7/17/09. I could hardly wait to get to the gun rage to try this bad boy out. Like a shiny new car with all the bells and whistles, loaded her up, sat down at the bench, squeezed off 1, 2, 3 rounds….bubblegum! Stuck shell case!!!!! Well, I had to pop out the two hinge pins and work the upper receiver off, run a cleaning rod down the barrel and hammer it against the table top to get the case dislodged. I then gave it a thrall cleaning, as if I hadn’t all-ready done this before I left home. Popped it back together and got about 15 rounds thru it, and guess what? Yet another shuck shell case. The extractor was ripping a chunk out of the rim. I tried different brands of ammo with the same results, and it would usually happen after 15-20 rounds. It happened a couple of time with Fiocchi and once with Lake City ammo, but more often with Wolf ammo. Sometimes I could get a full clip fired, but the first round out of the next clip would stick the shell case. All spent cases had heavy extractor claw marks. The wolf ammo would eject about 90° from the gun; the lake city ammo would eject slightly forward and the Fiocchi much more forward. While cleaning the gun after the day of use the gas regulator was difficult to get out of the gas block. I could go on with this story, but you can guess how the rest of that day went. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. Disappointed, very pissed off and aggravated, I contacted Ruger and they had me to return it to the factory for repairs. I guess there is a bad apple in every barrel. Now they have had the gun for 3 weeks, let’s see how well it operates when I get it back.

Shipped the gun to Ruger on 7/22/09 and received it back on 8/18/09, Ruger stated on the repair order that the bolt was replaced and test fired. I gave the gun a good cleaning and wet to the gun range on 8/22/09 and was able to fire the gun about 60 times before it got yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out!!!!! Dislodged that shell case, cleaned the camber with a wire brush and swabbed the chamber. I fired about 50 to 60 more rounds only to have yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out. I gave up and went home even more frustrated than before.
Now I have lost all faith in this rifle! If I could get my money back on the rifle I would!!!

Man that sucks. Sorry to hear about all the trouble your having. Guess I'll wait a little longer and see if they get things fixed.

 

[chadmaster]

Wow! Guess I'll wait myself. I made the trip to Cabela's over the weekend to pick up some goodies at their big sale. I killed some time at the gun counter looking over a 556 they had in their little AR rack. Looked awesome! Really wanted to handle it, but didn't give it. New I would have to take it home. I was so awe struck I don't even remember the price they had on the gun!

I really want one!

 

[bigbang]

Wow! Guess I'll wait myself. I made the trip to Cabela's over the weekend to pick up some goodies at their big sale. I killed some time at the gun counter looking over a 556 they had in their little AR rack. Looked awesome! Really wanted to handle it, but didn't give it. New I would have to take it home. I was so awe struck I don't even remember the price they had on the gun!

I really want one!

today the tech support told me I should only shoot US name bramd ammo only. unless you can afford top qualty ammo wait for a while to buy one.

 

[bigbang]

Well, what a big fan of Ruger firearms am I, you name it I got it! So when I saw the new product line advertisement for the SR-565 I had to have it. So I located one whooped out the plastic, and bough it 7/17/09. I could hardly wait to get to the gun rage to try this bad boy out. Like a shiny new car with all the bells and whistles, loaded her up, sat down at the bench, squeezed off 1, 2, 3 rounds….bubblegum! Stuck shell case!!!!! Well, I had to pop out the two hinge pins and work the upper receiver off, run a cleaning rod down the barrel and hammer it against the table top to get the case dislodged. I then gave it a thrall cleaning, as if I hadn’t all-ready done this before I left home. Popped it back together and got about 15 rounds thru it, and guess what? Yet another shuck shell case. The extractor was ripping a chunk out of the rim. I tried different brands of ammo with the same results, and it would usually happen after 15-20 rounds. It happened a couple of time with Fiocchi and once with Lake City ammo, but more often with Wolf ammo. Sometimes I could get a full clip fired, but the first round out of the next clip would stick the shell case. All spent cases had heavy extractor claw marks. The wolf ammo would eject about 90° from the gun; the lake city ammo would eject slightly forward and the Fiocchi much more forward. While cleaning the gun after the day of use the gas regulator was difficult to get out of the gas block. I could go on with this story, but you can guess how the rest of that day went. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. Disappointed, very pissed off and aggravated, I contacted Ruger and they had me to return it to the factory for repairs. I guess there is a bad apple in every barrel. Now they have had the gun for 3 weeks, let’s see how well it operates when I get it back.

Shipped the gun to Ruger on 7/22/09 and received it back on 8/18/09, Ruger stated on the repair order that the bolt was replaced and test fired. I gave the gun a good cleaning and wet to the gun range on 8/22/09 and was able to fire the gun about 60 times before it got yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out!!!!! Dislodged that shell case, cleaned the camber with a wire brush and swabbed the chamber. I fired about 50 to 60 more rounds only to have yet another stuck shell case with the rim ripped out. I gave up and went home even more frustrated than before.
Now I have lost all faith in this rifle! If I could get my money back on the rifle I would!!!
8/24/09 today the tech support tells me I should only shoot US name brand ammo. Unless you can afford to buy only top quality ammo I would wait to buy one.
For now I will go back to my Olympic arms, I have almost 5000 rounds fired in it with no errors.

 

[cobra150]

I was just curious, was the casing lodged even after cooling down and was there very significant buildup of deposits in the chamber (I know you had cleaned it after it jambed). I was just wondering if the ammo brand/case expansion was the issue, the deposits or the finish of the chamber bore/sizing. The extractor was obviously trying to do its job. Maybe Ruger thought it was an issue with the bolt unlocking speed.

I am a Ruger fan also and would like to believe that this is an uncommon thing but it is a new piece. I want to get one but now I will wait like the others and do more research.

 

[MEP1000]

I couldn't wait any longer. I just picked one up today. Hoping to shoot it Sunday but may have to wait till next week.. I'll let you guys know how she does

 

[cobra150]

Where did you buy it and was it @ MSRP? (just curious)
I would be very interested to hear how well it functions if you stay with the recommended ammo. Don't forget us.