Ruger Firearms has just announced the introduction of the SR-556 Take-Down AR-15 rifle. Expanding upon the innovative technology that brought the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00JJK5JBW” locale=”US” tag=”bluesheecom-20″]Ruger 10/22 Take-Down[/easyazon_link] rifle in 2012, the Ruger SR-556 Take-Down will offer shooters the same incredible adaptability on an AR-15 platform.
The Ruger SR-556 was a welcomed addition to the AR-15 market in 2009. At the time the AR-15 market was on fire, with record sales, accessory development, and design innovations. The market became saturated with manufacturers offering the full range of quality and advanced features; as well as, gimmicks and eye candy. Ruger’s SR-556, however, delivered the time-honored craftsmanship expected of a Ruger firearm. Features included a piston driven gas system, chrome-lined barrel and bolt carrier, full quad rail, folding iron sights, and enhanced Ruger pistol grip. All the features were tailored for specific benefits to the shooter, without unnecessary frills to increase price.
Ruger SR-556 Take-Down Features
The SR-556 takedown barrel is designed to be removed from the upper receiver without any tools – just like the 10/22 takedown. By simply moving the slider bar towards the breech, and rotating the barrel, the shooter is able to pull the barrel off the receiver. Installation is even easier in design, simply requiring the shooter to slide the barrel into the upper and twist until it locks into place. Ruger has designed the takedown mechanism to provide a repeatable point of impact, so shooters do not have to worry about re-zeroing their rifle after disassembly.
In addition to the standard SR-556 Take Down rifle in 5.56mm, Ruger has already produced a replacement barrel kit in the popular .300 AAC Blackout cartridge. The .300 BLK kit comes range-ready, with a head space that is already set at the factory for an installation as easy as described above. The .300 BLK kit comes with its own flip-up front sight with elevation and windage adjustments, and also comes with (2) 30-round magazines clearly marked “300 AAC BLACKOUT” to ensure magazines are easily differentiated.
The Ruger SR-556 Take-Down comes with several original SR-556 features and some upgrades:
- Patented chrome-plated, 2-stage piston with multi-stage regulator
- Ruger Elite 452™ AR 2-stage trigger
- Chrome-lined bore
- Chrome plated bolt carrier group
- Magpul MOE pistol grip
- Magpul SL collapsible stock
- Mil-Spec buffer tube.
The 2-stage trigger offers a smooth, crisp, 4.5 lb. trigger pull, with a tactile and quick reset. These features ensure that an experienced shooter can make rapid and accurate follow-up shots with confidence. The Ruger Elite 452™ trigger features a full-strength hammer spring for consistent primer ignition and a lightweight hammer that provides what Ruger claims is a 30% faster lock time over standard MSR triggers. The front sight is both elevation & windage adjustable, meaning that when you swap barrels, the zero stays with the barrel.
Ruger SR-556 Take-Down Specifications
- Upper Receiver – Aluminum, (18.5″)
- Lower Receiver – Aluminum, (15.75″)
- Barrel Material -Cold hammer-forged Mil-Spec 41V45 crome-moly-vandadium steel
- Calibers – 5.56mm or .300 BLK
- Rifling – 6 grooves
- Twist – 1:9 RH
- Length – 32.75″ to 36″
- Barrel Length – 16.12″ (17.8″ with flash suppressor)
- Weight – 7.6 lbs. (unloaded, no magazine)
- Height – 7.75″
- Width – 2.5″
- Length of Pull – 11.1″ to 14.4″
- Sights – Folding Ruger iron sights
- Flash Hider – Shorter Ruger flash hider, 1/2″-28 threaded
- Magazines – three Magpul P-Mags are included
- Accessories – Rugged ballistic nylon case; three rail covers; and lock
- .300 BLK Kit – $449.00
- MSRP – $2049.00.
Final Thoughts
Though I do not own a Ruger SR-556 I have been able to shoot one. I found the 2-stage trigger to be very nice, and accuracy impressive enough to keep the rifle highly competitive. I favor the chrome-line barrel for ease of maintenance, though some true diehards prefer non-chromed barrels for potential improvements in accuracy. In my personal experiences between chrome-lined and non-chromed barrels, I have found the differences negligible as long as the barrels were properly broken in at the beginning of shooting.
The Ruger SR-556 Take-Down provides multi-caliber shooters a great rifle, that should save the cost of having multiple rifles in different calibers. Familiarity with features, controls, and the Ruger guarantee of return to zero after barrel swaps, should be a great benefit to shooters. The ability to break an AR-15 down also provides a much greater ability for concealed and discreet carry of the rifle between home and car, or car to range.
I’m still not a great fan of the Ruger bird-cage flash hider, but it is threaded to allow customization.
Haywood Jablome says
What do you recommend for “break in”? I just bought one and want to make sure I do it right.
Aaron says
Haywood,
I try to follow the American Sniper Association (ASA) protocol. It takes several hours, but it will be worth it in the end.
Start by shooting once and then thoroughly cleaning the bore until there is no residue of powder or copper. Do this 10 times.
Then shoot 2 times before thoroughly cleaning the bore. Do this process 5 times.
Next shoot 5 times before thoroughly cleaning the bore. Do this process 4 times.
Finally, shoot 10 times before thoroughly cleaning the bore. Do this twice.
The purpose of thoroughly cleaning the bore is to clean out all the powder, copper and lead fragments before another bullet is fired. This not only cleans the bore and provides a clear path for the next bullet, it is “seasoning” the bore. In essence, the firing/cleaning process is allowing the microscopic pits from manufacturing (happens to all barrels) to seal up and make the bore smooth. When that is accomplished, the bullet is able to travel down the bore with only the lands and grooves acting to cause sling for balance.
If this seasoning process is not done those pits will hold debris and effect the spin of the bullet thereby effecting accuracy.
Good luck, you’ve got a great rifle!