Survivalist Forum banner

SR-556 AR15 Rifle

4K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  Diddy 
#1 ·
after month and month of reading and learning, i starter to lean toward a AR15 rifle, for hunting, protection, size and .223 bullets available mostly everywhere. i wasnt sure on what brand to get, and many places were sold out, back ordered, some were 5-8 months waiting period.

Ruger has created a AR15 rifle SR556... after some reading about it, i decided to get one, they quickly sold out but i kept trying and trying and ended up waiting only a couple weeks before i got one.

It seems like an excellent gun indeed, piston upper is also very reliable, i hear nothing but good things about this gun. however... because the rail guard is longer and added piston on the barrel, it makes it a faily heavy gun for its class. I believe in stock form its about 4lbs heavier than a stock AR15 rifle. After i installed the scope, front grip, flashlight, and 10 rounds loaded in a 10/20 magazine, its set at exactly 11lbs.

11lbs might not seem much, but compared to a 7lbs to a AR15 with no goodies, it does make a huge difference.

so now im having doubt if i should maybe puller the upper and sell it, and get a AR15 upper, and maybe save 3lbs right there, the gun would be more balanced, it would be easier to carry, easier to aim and not feel as the nose is to heavy, what do you guys think, is SR556 good for survival and i would just need to get used to it, or should i bite the bullet and convert the upper to a AR15?

i might try and move the flashlight more back and see if it will improve a bit.

here is the 11lbs pig :)

 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
Nice rifle, Wanna lose weight? Remove all the extras. It's an M4, what more do you need then the Irons, maybe a reddot and a full mag? It's also a piston gun, why would you want to go backwards to a DI gun? Also you might want to add a sling of some sort to help with all that extra weight.
 
#4 ·
Nice lookin rifle brother;) Thanks for sharing.

11 pounds takes away from the best asset that an M4 type rifle has going for it IMO. Iron sights are always my priority with a rifle, and once they are mastered, I then look at optics as a "multiplyer". It all depends on what I want to "multply, such as the use of NVS at night, for example.

What does your gas piston rifle weigh out at with the scope removed/rail system removed, and and some non rail handgaurds in place?


11B
 
#5 ·
nice rifle:cool:...so whats the problem? i mean are you figureing on hiking with it along with a full pack through the rockies?....weight is relative to what your going to be doing or training for so 11lbs for a rifle is not excessive if your total postman teotwawki marching load is 45lbs overall see what i mean?....question is: is it good weight or bad weight and are you planning on carrying it overland for extended periods or just at the range.......
 
#7 ·
Body mechanics play a role in the use of an assault style weapon as well. If you take the vertical foregrip and move it back toward the magazine well as close as you can get it and still utilize it, that will help. The farther out you have to hold your off hand along the rifle, the faster it will fatigue and become uncomfortable.

11 pounds is not unbearable. If you carried it all the time you would get used to it and learn to adjust. If you are going to carry a rifle of that sort during a SHTF scenario, you should have load bearing equipment, an LBV, or some other device for carrying loaded mags, etc. A full combat load is going to weigh well over that anyway. My suggestion, just get used to the weight. You bought an outstanding rifle. I'm sure as you spend more time with it you will fall in love with it. Here's a pic of mine to show you what I mean about the foregrip position.

Moving your light farther back will help, as well as taking off the fullsize rail covers and replacing with low profile rail covers.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
The M4 profile barrel shrinks to an iddy bitty outside diameter under the handguard. This saves a good bit of weight on M4s.

The SR-556 doesn't use this profile... it has a heavy profile barrel. Your Ruger will always weigh more for that reason alone given all else being equal... can't get around that unfortunately - but you get all the advantages of a heavy profile in exchange.

You send me that upper, I'll send you an M4 upper, straight up trade! :D:
 
#9 ·
Man, very nice looking rifle!! :thumb: You did just fine. If you want to lighten it up abit, take some of the extra's off. If not, then take it out, practice with it, and just get use to it. But i'd say it should be JUST FINE!!

And if you really want to get rid of that upper, as bozar said, you can send it to me!! :D:
 
#10 ·
The SR-556 is a very sweet riffle indeed.
I was real close to getting one but then I decided that another Mini 14 would be better suited for me. They are closely related riffles but at a $1000 more than the cost of a Mini. But I do like the Troy sights on the SR and the AR style mags.

If you can pony up for one I doubt you would regret it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top