SPECIAL REPORT Tactical Firearms & Optics l Ruger AR-556 Patrol Rifl e
S RUGER’S OWN GRIP DESIGN IS SIZED AND TEXTURED JUST RIGHT.
three or more hands to remove, the AR-556’s ring simply screws on and unscrews off . T e hand guard is a plain round version, but after-market mid-length styles will swap out if there is a need to mount a light or other item on a rail. T e six-position collapsible stock moves back and forth on a Mil-Spec buff er tube. T e front sight is adjustable for elevation (tool included) on a fi xed A2 style, F-height pillar that allows the use of most electronic (red dot) or magnifi ed (scopes) optics mounted on the Picatinny rail fl attop upper. T e rear sight is their own Ruger Rapid Deploy® folding aperture that provides windage adjustment. It pops up when a side latch is depressed, making it ready to aim.
Ruger’s own ergonomic pistol grip feels good in the hand and provides good trigger control. T e trigger guard is enlarged for shooting with gloved hands. T e only item accompanying the fac- tory rifl e that is not made by Ruger is the 30-round PMag included in the box. T ere is no need to try to improve on Magpul’s reliable polymer magazine.
Standard forward assist, spring-loaded dust cover, magazine re- lease button, and brass defl ector are all located on the right side of the gun. T e left-side safety lever and bolt release paddle are set up for right-handed operation. Because all of the components are standardized M4/AR, customization is readily accomplished including various setups for left-handers.
Both the upper and lower frames are forged from 7075-T6 alu- minum. T e Ruger AR-556 feels light, due to its aluminum con- struction and the fact that its mid-length carbine gas block and hand guard move weight slightly rearward. It weighs in at a mere 6.5 pounds and handles well when carried, slung, or aimed.
Range Time At an indoor 50-yard fi ring range, the AR-556 proved its reliability with fi ve diff erent types of ammo, including 45-grain, 55-grain and 62-grain bullets from four diff erent manufacturers in both 5.56mm NATO and 223 Remington. T e AR-556’s chamber handles either chambering without a care. T e Ruger readily digested over 300 rounds without a hiccup. According to Ruger and other outlets, test AR-556 rifl es have fi red 20,000 rounds without breakage.
38 Tactical Response Winter 2015
S WITH A SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE OF $749, THE RUGER AR- 556’S REAL-WORLD SELLING PRICE IS AROUND $600. IT’S AN EXCELLENT AND AFFORDABLE CHOICE FOR DUTY USE.
After cleaning the bore, testing at an outdoor range was con- ducted at 100 yards. A Leupold 3-9x40mm scope, secured in a Burris P.E.P.R. mount, was attached to the Ruger’s Picatinny top rail. T is quality, but inexpensive Leupold gives rifl es a better chance to prove themselves in my hands than lining up their fac- tory iron sights. T e AR-556’s trigger is a single-stage type that breaks at 7 pounds, 7 ounces on a trigger pull gauge. During actual shooting, there is a bit of discernable creep before the trigger lets a round fl y downrange. It is pretty typical of AR-15 triggers in that it is serviceable, without being overly hard or sniper light. Groups with inexpensive ammo turned in radiuses around 1.5 to 2 inches at 100 yards. However, PMC Bronze 55-grain full- metal jacket ammo produced consistent sub-MOA groups at 100 yards, the best being a 5/8-inch trio. Boxes of 20 rounds of PMC Bronze usually cost around eight dollars. It would seem that the Ruger AR-556 could be even more accurate with more expensive Match rounds. Shooting sub-MOA with the cheap stuff says a lot for this fi rearm’s quality.
Affordable Quality T e Ruger brand has always stood equally for quality and aff ord- ability. T e new AR-556 upsets the price point on the AR-15 apple cart and spills all the competition onto the ground. Left standing upright is Ruger’s semi-automatic AR-556 and its sug- gested retail price of just $749. Actual selling prices are around $600. Law enforcement offi cers get a lot of gun for this relatively small cost. T e gun is ready for duty, right out of the box, with American-made quality.
Steve Tracy is a 27-year police veteran with 25 years experience as a fi rearms instructor. He is also an instructor for tactical rifl es, use of force, less-than-lethal force and scenario-based training. He can be reached at
steventracy@hendonpub.com.
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