No, Ruger, no (SR556 6.8)

[68wj]

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr556/specSheets/5909.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr556/index.html

Ruger has introduced the SR556 in 6.8 SPC now. Unfortunately they are using obsolete chamber specs. For that price tag, I just don't know why you would want one when you will never be able to achieve the caliber's potential. You should be fine if you stick to standard factory loads (not SSA's TL) or load on the lighter side, and it will still probably be a good rifle, but I expected more from them. Oh well.

 

[CraigC]

Cool that they're chambering the SR556 in 6.8SPC, bummer they're using the old specs. Probably because they're still using the old chamber in their other rifles.

 

[Tirod]

Six groove 1 in 10 twist isn't a horrible situation. As the chamber isn't spec'd, I'll assume it's SAMMI, just out of consistency. It's a typical response from a traditional maker marketing to what they think their customer base is. (Hmmm... I'll leave that alone.)

It's just one more of the very few that offer the old standard. The actual difference in performance is a few percent compared to SPC II from their perspective. It's still about a 50% improvement over 5.56, and another offering in 6.8, which aint all bad. It will put more market demand out there for the cheap plinking ammo that so many want to shoot off like firecrackers.

For Ruger, as a company, the existence of the firearm at all is just short of miraculous, considering the founders previous mindset. It's another of the continuing efforts to get up to speed on the market by the new administration. As for the price point, it's MSRP, not street or dealer. It's typical for a piston gun, about $400 extra for the privilege of cleaning it more often than DI actually needs, but, I digress. (See the first sentence.)

More mainstream 6.8 means more 6.8 ammo, which drives further improvements. I'd like to see 6.8 with Superperformance powder, it'll probably happen as the speed nuts will want another 200FPS to brag about. That will probably still shoot in the old spec and show the same results because it's not chamber/rifling dependent.

I'm not rushing out to buy it, I can build a 6.8 for way less, including a side charger handle. But it's out there for Joe Suburbanite who can't step outside the boundaries of name brand materialism. (Doggone it, I was trying not to do that. )

I'm glad to see it.