Poll on SR556

[Jeff Quinn]

A comment to GunBlast and Jeff Quinn:
I suspect that I've been shooting, and buying Ruger product with my very own hard-earned, for more years than you have.
I have earned the right to 'gripe'. I prefer to call it candid criticism.
The company that brought the common man the Standard Auto, the Single Six and Blackhawk, and the #1 is no more. Now it's just another cash cow for investors, run by bean counters. And I still feel soiled. SAD, that is.

You probably have, and you have the right to sit around and be bitter every time Ruger introduces a new product, if that is how you want to live out the rest of your life.

Here is a bit of news for you: Ruger still makes those products that you listed, even the Number 1. They did not discontinue them, and new shooters are discovering them everyday.

What would YOU like for Ruger to make, that they do not make already? Let them know. They listen. That is why they are building an AR. People want to buy ARs, and Ruger has attempted to build a better AR. What is wrong with that?
I harbor no bitterness towards Browning because they no longer make the Auto 5 shotgun, and now make only the gas-operated shotguns. The reason for that is because shooters were buying the gas guns, and not buying the Auto 5. Yep, you guessed it, they are in business trying to make a profit. Instead of building a gun that doesn't sell, in hopes of keeping some sour old folks happy, they gave in to real world economics and built a shotgun that buyers were willing to pay for.
Ruger was the only major gun company at NRA that you could walk up and speak with the CEO, all day, everyday. Mike Fifer was working in the Ruger booth, talking with anyone who needed help with a product, showing Ruger's wares, and listening to folks. He didn't make a big deal out of it. He was there like everyone else who worked in the booth, putting in time talking with customers and potential customers, even bitter old folks who just wanted to gripe about what Ruger is building. They are building what shooters want. It is called a "marketing plan". Businesses that make products try to make products that people want to buy. What a concept! Ruger makes these products in the USA, employing a lot of people. This time, they didn't make what you wanted, but I would be willing to bet that no matter what they build, some people will want it, and others will not. There are many guns on the market that I have no desire to own, but I do desire that the company that builds them will succeed.
I also do not buy every product that Ruger builds, nor do I do so with other companies. I pick and choose, buying what I like, as does everyone else. The marketplace decides what is and is not a success. We each have the right to choose what we want, and the more choices available, the better the products we get to buy.

 

[slabsides]

The vehemence with which my comments are rebutted says that I have touched a nerve. It's the same knee-jerk reaction that created the great anti-Zumbo movement. How dare I attack the almighty EBR!
I'm not 'bitter' and I'm not gonna fight about it. I spoke my piece. If some have a different view, that's fine. I'll bet there are plenty of 'Fudds' out there that are frightened of being flamed. I'm not. I stand by my right to opine, even if the opinion is unpopular. I've made my unpopular point, it's nothing more than a gentle nudge from an old man who's probably as out of touch with the zeitgeist as regards black rifles as I am with respect to other things.
I don't own a black rifle. Don't see spending that kind of cash for one. Suspect that those who do, are a few dedicated real shooters and a whole crowd of cammo-clad Swat wannabes and crank survivalists. If I felt like them: that I need a quick-firing man killer with multiple magazines capable of dealing company-level destruction, I'd probably sell my five Ruger SA's, my two Ruger target .22's, my No. 1, my M77 (which I have owned a lot longer than many other rifles in my safe, and which I welcomed upon its introduction: long live the 7x57 M77!) and with the proceeds, arm myself for Armageddon.
Ruger's current administration may be more approachable than in the past, I don't know. They haven't replied to my e-mails. But approachable or not, they aren't running the company that made me like Ruger way back in 1959. And their introducing an overpriced EBR at this point in time, makes a bad taste flood these toothless old gums. Not afraid to say it. Sorry if that pains ya. You'll have to live with it, as will I.

 

[Ruger_rules]

First thougts: Another 'me too' and overpriced. But I, and we, shall see. Would've liked to have seen another pistol carbine, 'ala PC-9, a 9mm SP-101,..., another #3,.... Basically, anything but this given the competition already out there.

 

[sturmenater]

I hope they sell a ton of them and they will.
But i dont need all the extras i will wait for something without a thousand dollars of junk on it

 

[mekender]

if this entire rifle was built from the ground up by ruger in house i'd already have 2 pre-ordered. as it stands though i'm not going to pay 2k just for rugers rollmark on the same damned ar15 i could buy or build with someone elses branding on it for half the cost.

please tell me where you are going to get the parts to built a piston AR with a troy rail and troy sights for half the price? those parts alone are worth over $1000

 

[BEER]

if this entire rifle was built from the ground up by ruger in house i'd already have 2 pre-ordered. as it stands though i'm not going to pay 2k just for rugers rollmark on the same damned ar15 i could buy or build with someone elses branding on it for half the cost.

please tell me where you are going to get the parts to built a piston AR with a troy rail and troy sights for half the price? those parts alone are worth over $1000

gun shows, friends, private sellers, classified ads, trades, sales, and on some occasions just sheer flat out luck.

 

[emeraldcoaster]

I like the SR556 features but have limited M-16 experience (service quals) to base things on. I am intrigued by the adjustable gas piston feature (thanks GunBlast review) and would love to see Ruger offer a parallel mod for my new mini-14. I'm looking into getting replacement gas port bushings, but I'd like to see them offer an adjustable gas port for the mini. When queried, Ruger's customer support advised me that "there is no adjustment that can be made to reduce the severity of the ejection." Maybe Ruger will reconsider.

 

[welder]

Adjustable gas block for mini 14:

www.brownells.com part # 100-002-140




www.ruger-mini-14-firearms.com adj. block and bushing set Has anybody tried these?

 

[jengel]

I think that the gun will go over well. Sig Sauer has the 556 gas piston gun that used standard AR magazines. Some people don't like it because only the mags are interchangable and nothing else. I think that from reading Gunblast.com that this piston design is better than most out there and still maintains all the other parts for a good reliable AR platform. I would buy one but don't have the funds. It would be nice if they offered the upper seperatly but I doubt they will anytime soon.

 

[emeraldcoaster]

welder: Thanks for the reference to Brownells.

 

[deadduck357]

Called Ruger today and was told they are shipping already.

 

[Rolan_Kraps]

Most of the people that are griping about the SR-556 are also the ones who gripe about the Mini. And the LCP. And the LCR. And the Flattop .44 Special.

Well Said Jeff.

 

[MFD]

Ruger has been mfg. lower receivers for others for sometime now, but marketed under different names, i.e., via their casting division. I would assume the lowers/uppers of these new rifles are Ruger castings?? In any case, being a firm Ruger believer, feel the new offering will be a quality product. Who would have thought Ruger would offer the MINI 14 w/ the M4/folding stock, flash hider, quad rails, to the general public which is a departure from their policy of shying away from "military/assault" type firearms to the general public. They did/do mfg. full auto AC556 mach. guns for various agencies, but not advertised. Ruger is in business to make money, pure and simple, happens to be with firearms and the AR15 platform is the "hot seller..." these days and will be for sometime to come. The MINI 14 just never did cut it in the accuracy department; however, in the reliability department, excellent and at some half the cost of the AR15. It would not come as a shock to me that in the future they would offer a target/varmint version of the same rifle and if they do so, that will appease the critics of Ruger entering into the "black rifle" marketplace. Ruger is fully aware that the current generation of "jet powered" AR15's are "old hat" and the piston operated version is the next evolutionary step and by adding their name, reputation, engineering expertise, etc., to the firearm only serves as a big plus in the marketplace. I have owned/own quite a few AR15's, built many, but went to my dealer and placed an order for one of them. Upper should snap on any mil spec lower and only hope that they did not follow Colt's policy of using non mil spec trigger/hammer pins. Now, if I can just come up with the money before the SR556 arrives!!(won't have any problem selling one of my 15's to fund the new purchase)

martin

 

[Go Navy]

I think a point that needs emphasis is that a gas piston type AR-15/battle rifle is superior to direct gas impingement no matter what anyone says. True, the M-16 is reliable and can be kept that way with diligent maintenance.

But look at the FN/FAL, the M1, M1 Carbine (I own one) the M14 (I want one), the Mini-14 (I own one), and was it a SIG 556? This type of operating system will go to hell and back and keep running. In fact, it HAS!!

So, we finally have a major American manufacturer rolling out a production gas piston AR-15 type. Instead of criticizing Ruger for this, we should be glad. Ruger deserves a piece of this market and they made the perfect move to get their share. They loaded it up with quality features. The company will make more money and stay in business longer. The only thing they should have done was roll it out sooner. They'll get a year or 18 months out of it and then the libs will have outlawed it.

I live in Taxifornia and don't know at this point if it is even legal here. For those of you who live where it's legal, get one now if you can afford it, and don't look back. Plus, three 30 round mags included is a complete dreamworld fantasy to those of us who live in Pelosi-land.

 

[drew76]

I too hope Ruger profits from this but won't be buying right now due to price. A mini-14 or mini-30 will happen for me first. I look forward to the reviews and performance/reliability reports.

 

[Quarterbore]

Called Ruger today and was told they are shipping already.

I have been searching but have not found one yet...

 

[deadduck357]

Called Ruger today and was told they are shipping already.

I have been searching but have not found one yet...

Mine is supposed to be in the end of this week or next week at the latest

 

[maxpress]

A comment to GunBlast and Jeff Quinn:
I suspect that I've been shooting, and buying Ruger product with my very own hard-earned, for more years than you have.
I have earned the right to 'gripe'. I prefer to call it candid criticism.
The company that brought the common man the Standard Auto, the Single Six and Blackhawk, and the #1 is no more. Now it's just another cash cow for investors, run by bean counters. And I still feel soiled. SAD, that is.

jeff quinn wrote:
Here is a bit of news for you: Ruger still makes those products that you listed, even the Number 1. They did not discontinue them, and new shooters are discovering them everyday.

please read what you quote before responding to it.

he said the company that produces those firearms is no more.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I guess I will never understand some people.
Did Ruger announce that they are going to stop making the Mini-14?
Did they announce that they are replacing anything in the catalog with the SR-556?
No. I have never understood the concept of "choosing" one over the other. We are not limited to just one gun.
Most of the people that are griping about the SR-556 are also the ones who gripe about the Mini. And the LCP. And the LCR. And the Flattop .44 Special.
Some folks never pull the trigger on anything, but just live to gripe.
The AR is the hottest-selling rifle in the country, and I think that Ruger made a wise decision to get a piece of that market. They were working on this project long before the current rush to buy ARs. They built EXACTLY what many AR buyers are asking for, and they have used a lot of high-dollar parts in building the SR-556.
If you do not want to buy one, that is perfectly fine, but you fellows that are griping about this newest Ruger firearm would have found something wrong with anything that they could have made. You always do.
Any gun that is produced by any gun company, I wish them success. We need more guns on the market. It is better for shooters, and for the country. Ruger is entering the AR market, at a time when most AR makjers are many months behind in filling orders. Any Ruger stockholder who doesn't think this was a wise decision is an idiot. I would love to see Ruger produce a .480 Bisley. They would probably sell a few hundred of them. However, they will probably sell many thousands of the SR-556 rifles.

I for one am glad Ruger jumped early. Now Smith and Bushmaster are going doing the same thing and it's just like you said. That's what the market is wanting. This may come as a surprise to some people but there are knowledgeable shooters out there that doesn't judge things by the cheapest price. The whiners are enough to make a guy tired.

 

[Jeff Quinn]

A comment to GunBlast and Jeff Quinn:
I suspect that I've been shooting, and buying Ruger product with my very own hard-earned, for more years than you have.
I have earned the right to 'gripe'. I prefer to call it candid criticism.
The company that brought the common man the Standard Auto, the Single Six and Blackhawk, and the #1 is no more. Now it's just another cash cow for investors, run by bean counters. And I still feel soiled. SAD, that is.

jeff quinn wrote:
Here is a bit of news for you: Ruger still makes those products that you listed, even the Number 1. They did not discontinue them, and new shooters are discovering them everyday.

please read what you quote before responding to it.

he said the company that produces those firearms is no more.

Then he lied. It is called Sturm, Ruger, & Company. It is the same company. Look it up.