Ruger SR-556 worth it?

[TheCracker]

I am getting ready to by my 1st AR15 and have been studying a bit.

The ruger comes with a lot of the features that I want such as the free floating quad rail, and flip up battle sights.

Comparing prices on a couple models it appears to be a good deal if the gas piston is worth it.

If I bought a bushmaster OCR then added the Troy rails and battle sights it would only be about 200 cheaper than buying a completed lower locally and ordering the SR556 upper from midway or something.

I want the AR for basic play, range shooting and hog hunting. I plan on rigging it up with a red dot with backup flip sights, a grip and a super bright light or SD and hog hunting.

Any opinions on the Ruger?

 

[kwelz]

I would look at better options. Heavy, proprietary parts. A piston system which is just pointless on an AR.

 

[threefeathers]

It is a good solid AR. But I have 9 AR's and 5 are Colts. My M-4 is my go to gun. SOCOM barrel with a flash hider tacked on to make it legal.

 

[Frankl03]

Are you set on getting a piston gun? if not get a BCM upper and a BCM bcg. Slap it on the lower of your choice. Better way to go than the Ruger. There are lots of options for Free float rails or handgaurds.

 

[Z-Michigan]

It's fine, but the piston is mostly pointless, and the combination of the Troy rail and the piston makes it extremely front-heavy. There are really good deals to be had on Colt right now, like the model 6520 for $899 at CDNN and elsewhere, or the fancier 6920 (the closest you can get to a real Army M4 without NFA registration) for $1099 or so, again CDNN and other places. Also really nice stuff from Daniel Defense and Bravo Company, and for less money very good stuff from companies like S&W, Spike's Tactical, and various others. I would only get the Ruger if you are absolutely certain that you want the piston system and that heavy Troy quadrail. (Much lighter quadrails are made by Daniel Defense and some newer entrants, and you probably don't really need a quadrail anyway.)

 

[BamAlmighty]

I like mine, but if I were to do it again I would probably buck up and get a LWRC.

the SR-556 is painfully heavy.

 

[Semyon Vasilii]

LWRC is better if you neeed that piston.

but if it was me, and i was gonna spend that much on an AR, i would go daniel defense, colt, or noveske.

or spend less on a spikes tactical and then get an AK too haha

 

[Rubber_Duck]

By all accounts they seem to be pretty reliable but after handling one myself I would pass on the SR simply because it's so heavy. Better off buying a high-end DI gun.

 

[Girodin]

TO me a Noveske upper, on a lower you put together how you like, offers a better gun for the money. If one wants to save money a BCM would be a good choice and provide a very good AR. The piston gun is not going to offer you any real world reliability advantages ( http://www.bravocompanymfg.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/filthy14_oct10.pdf ) and has its whole own set of issues.

A Noveske is going to be as reliable, more accurate, and isn't an obese 8 lbs rifle.

I'm sure the Ruger is an OK gun but, to me, it is not worth the money over a BCM or a colt and certainly not over a Noveske upper.

 

[Zerodefect]

Are you set on getting a piston gun? if not get a BCM upper and a BCM bcg. Slap it on the lower of your choice. Better way to go than the Ruger. There are lots of options for Free float rails or handgaurds.

Exactly.

Check out BCM's uppers and bolt carrier groups.
I like the 14.5" pinned middys and the 16" middys. Both with 12" Larue forends.

Then just swing by your gun store and order the complete lower that fits you the best, or order a stripped lower and build the whole thing.

 

[mljdeckard]

I don't have a reason to get a piston gun, but if I did, I would probably get this one to start with.

 

[DAdams]

Handle the Ruger, then go handle a DI mid length of another brand. I think Ruger has a model with a little less front end now.

After significant research I ended up with a DI BCM upper and lower, mid length in a 14.5 inch. I really like it and it came in slightly less expensive than the Ruger and about a pound lighter.

I like this set-up also.



This is mine. My one and only so far.

 

[TheCracker]

Thanks for all the info!

I'm going to look into all of the ones you guys recommended before purchasing.

I'm not totally set on a piston gun but if they are more reliable and easier to maintain I want one. I'm a "buy once cry once" guy so would rather get the best the first time than a POS that isn't what I wanted.

 

[RX-178]

The only thing about the whole DI vs Piston debate is just... well, it confuses me. For the longest time, everyone 'knew' that DI was dirtier, and made the rifle unreliable if it wasn't kept clean, right? And everyone 'knew' that making it a piston would solve that whole issue.

Now that everyone's making piston ARs, everyone knows that the piston rifles cause bolt carrier tilt. But now they also 'know' that the pistons don't make the ARs any cleaner or more reliable.

Here's a theory given to me by a friend of mine that was with the Rangers in Iraq. It makes sense to me, but I'm not putting my signature on it or anything.

The problem with the direct impingement rifles ONLY seems to be relevant when you're firing them a lot, firing them a lot on full auto, and having to fire them a lot without a lot of time to break them down and clean them properly. What happens is, the repeated instances of high temperature and high pressures when firing an M4 on full auto cause the fouling from the gas tube to harden into a solid residue over the bolt and the inside of the receiver, so it can't just be oiled and wiped off, it would literally have to be scraped off, or even chipped off. So a piston-driven system would prevent that from happening and make maintaining the weapon easier.

I guess my current opinion, with what little first-hand knowledge I have of it, is that yeah, piston ARs offer a few neat advantages over DI, but DI systems are generally lighter and have better balance. DI systems are also usually a lot cheaper, just because they've been around a lot longer and are so standardized in the industry.

Now, if you ARE willing to spend money in the 1500-2000 dollar range, I'd probably go with an XCR. Actually, I /DID/ go with an XCR. It's even easier to clean and maintain than an AR-15... hell I think it's easier to clean and maintain than an AK. Mine did have some bolt-over-base issues with early P-mags, but the problem never developed with later P-mags.

That being said, I don't see there being much difference between the XCR and the SR-556 when it comes to performance. If you've done your homework (preferably including handling an SR-556 in person), and think that's the rifle for you, I say go for it.

 

[KC.45]

I also liked the idea of the Ruger SR-556 until I handled one. Man is it heavy up front.

 

[hapidogbreath]

Ruger

I got one last year and love it. Put a Millet DMS on it and my Wife says it shoots itself!!! ( Wife hates guns...) Yes it is a little front heavy but it does help hold the front down during rapid fire and.... It Is FUN to shoot and easy to clean. I love mine.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I'm not totally set on a piston gun but if they are more reliable and easier to maintain I want one.

RX-178 gives some good info on this. A piston may also be helpful if you're mostly using a supressor. For >95% of civilian uses, including intense competition or "carbine classes," there is no real benefit from a piston vs. a quality DI gun. I find cleaning a DI gun no more hassle than cleaning any other rifle. There's a bit more carbon on some spots, but it wipes off. BUT, this is all semiauto fire. I had a few exposures (via a brief ROTC stint) to old M16s that had been fired full auto with blanks and blank adapters. Those do get a lot of carbon and take a while to clean. But firing blanks on full-auto in a gun with badly worn gas rings is a different ballgame than firing any decent commercial ammo on semiauto in a gun that's decently maintained.

If after all this you still want a piston gun, I would do some more research and consider, among others, the POF, the XCR, and the FN SCAR-L. Possibly even the ACR depending on pricing. The last three were engineered from the beginning as piston guns. The POF is still an adapted AR, but it seems to have more thorough re-working for the piston, and some other good features. I'm sure the SR-556 is fine, but I wouldn't pay more than $1200 for one and then only if I was doing something where the piston had a clear benefit.

 

[Girodin]

A piston may also be helpful if you're mostly using a supressor (sic).

The following has John Noveske discussing piston guns and DI guns being shot suppressed and why they didn't put into production their plans for a piston gun.



http://www.defensereview.com/novesk...ecce-carbine-john-noveske-interview-part-one/

 

[Z-Michigan]

Great info Girodin - thanks.

 

[alexguy101]

Just got mine and love it. An all around reliable, surprisingly accurate (out of the box) AR that pretty much comes fully loaded with premium stuff (Troy products are pretty top notch).

It was between the Regular 556 and the 556c model. I opted for the Original "heavy" 556 because I would rather have that weight helping me out with muzzle rise. I also wanted the option of the threaded barrel. It also just "feels" more solid than the lighter "C" model (hard to explain). I'm not gonna say the extra weight on the front end isn't noticeable compared to the "C" model or a standard DI AR-15, but i'm not going to cry about it either. I just man up to it, use it to my advantage, and put accurate rounds on target.
Ruger has gone a great job with this rifle and I doubt you will regret buying one, whether the original "FB" or the "C" model, hell even the "E", you'll def feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

[mdauben]

There are really good deals to be had on Colt right now, like the model 6520 for $899 at CDNN and elsewhere, or the fancier 6920 (the closest you can get to a real Army M4 without NFA registration) for $1099 or so, again CDNN and other places.

You really need to consider how the guns are set up, and exactly what you are looking for, however. Certainly, if you want "the closest you can get to a real Army M4 without NFA registration" the Colt 6920 is a better, less expensive choice. But that's comparing apples to oranges, it seems to me.

The closest comparison to the SR556 I have seen is the S&W M&P15T, which has the same collapsible stock, quad-rail and high-end folding sights as the Ruger, for just about the same street price (around $1450). The Ruger, however, also has rail covers and 3x30rnd mags (as opposed to the 2x20rnd mags that come with the S&W). About the only advantage of the S&W is that it's a little over 1/2 pound lighter.

Now, the issue of the piston versus DI is up to the buyer, but comparing apples to apples the Ruger is actually a reasonable price. Certainly if you will be satisfied with any AR you can go a lot cheaper, but for a pre-assembled gun set up like the Ruger is set up, I was unable to do any better locally.

 

[Castr8r]

I've had mine for a little over a year and I love it! I'm looking for a scope to use to set it up for varmit use- the accuracy is there. I'm still using the 'battle sights" and have scored 1 shot stops on cats and muskrats at 10-30 yards; in fact, I have missed twice (my fault both times) out of 11 shots. One of these days, I will take it to the range and see what it will do. I did add a bipod for a reason: I'm not as steady (at 69) as I used to be, and the extra weight does help. It also is a great help when shooting from prone. When I was younger...

 

[Lakedaemonian]

SR 556E... Its a lot lighter than the standard SR 556. Drilled and tapped in case you want to install rails later. P.S. The gas piston is NOT pointless on an AR if you dont like scraping carbon. I love cleaning guns, but sometimes I could definaltly do without all that carbon smeared all over the inside of the rifle.

 

[JustinJ]

There are "experts" on both sides of the piston vs di arguement and statements such as "pistons are pointless" are just opinions stated as facts. They both have pros and cons and it is ultimately up to you to decide which you prefer. Given that the gun is for recreational use, which you like better should be the deciding factor. I would however consider that the Ruger may have less modularity than other platforms. I would suggest a heavier caliber for hog hunting so the ability to swap barrels and bolts should be considered. I don't know if that is possible with the Ruger or if it will even accept other uppers. Anybody else know?

As others have suggested handle whatever you are considering before buying and if it all possible shoot it as well.

 

[TonyAngel]

The Ruger is a pig of a rifle. It's nice, but it's heavy. Piston guns are nice, but they really don't bring anything to the table that the AR needs. Yes, the receiver stays cool and cleaning the receiver all but becomes a thing of the past. I just didn't think it was worth messing with. I just prefer to not have to deal with any sort of proprietary system.

For the amount of money that you are considering spending, I'd be looking at a Noveske or Daniel Defense. There's really nothing wrong with DI, or pistons for that matter. Each has its pros and cons.