Ruger SR556C at 5,000 rounds. A Photo Essay

Tokarev · #1 04-23-11, 12:20

I've been shooting my SR556C rather regularly in the year or so I've owned it and just reached the 5,000 round mark. Most of this has been on semi- but I have fired several hundred rounds of this on a select fire lower. In all this time, the gun has been accurate and reliable with the only exceptions being some failures to extract with some Silver Bear and WOLF steel cased ammo. I do note that the gun runs properly with Hornady steel cased ammo and WOLF 75gr ammo but doesn't seem to like the lighter WOLF or Silver Bear stuff. The gun runs fine on setting #2 with brass cased ammo.

The gun has been used in a couple of carbine classes and has also been used to shoot jackrabbits and for general plinking and range practice. While I do see some internal wear, I note nothing alarming or unusual and I've not had any broken parts, etc. Some speculated that the Ruger piston was of improper design and would break bolts in the few thousand rounds but mine seems to be going strong.

Next report at 10,000!

The carbine in its current form:

Carbon fouling under the gas block. This is a hard spot to get to for cleaning but I believe Ruger's decision to vent under the gas block is a good one. This keeps the hot gasses away from hands, slings, flashlights, etc.

No carrier tilt:

Some slight wear on the face of the buffer:

An overall shot of the bolt carrier assembly and BCM charging handle:

Bolt carrier and bolt:

A view of the upper:

Some wear from cam pin drag. The POF roller cam pin has been in the gun pretty much since it was new:

Barrel extension:

Gas piston, regulator and spring. My usual regimen for cleaning is to soak these parts in Bore Tech C4 and wipe with a rag.

Inside bottom edge of upper:

soapboxpreacherman · #2 04-23-11, 13:21

Wear!!!....that looks pretty normal to me!! No carrier tilt!! Do you have the new carrier design on that 556C? That is impressive!!! I think this might settle some of the critics down a little. But I have had issues with Wolf as well. On 3 it will cycle but I have had a few casings stuck. Wolf is just wolf! Pressure seems to be a little different. And the casing expand different because they are steel vs brass.

Redline · #3 04-23-11, 14:59

I see that u said u have a BCM CH. Is that the Gunfighter? If so just curious if u got the small, med, or large?

That leads me to my next question. In the picture of the inside of the upper, I see what looks like a scratch along the top inside surface (the white line). Is that in fact a scratch? And do u know if u got that from your original stock CH or the BCM one?

I ask because I have the same thing on my Colt MT6400C. I just changed from stock CH to BCM Gunfighter CH. I have a similar scratch but I didn't notice if it was there originally or if it was caused by the BCM CH.

I also have a Colt match target hbar. It doesn't have the scratch with the stock handle. I put the BCM CH in there, cycled it a few times, and didn't see a scratch develope.

threefeathers · #4 04-23-11, 15:06

thankyou for your time and effort.

BIGUGLY · #5 04-23-11, 17:06

Thanks for the pics and update. The dept. I work for is about to purchase 125 of the same rifle. I'm hoping ours will work as well as yours has. thanks again.

jbsmwd · #6 04-23-11, 17:40

What is that red/brown stuff on the back end of the bolt and the front rail area of the BCG just below the cam pin or roller cam pin in your case?

Kchen986 · #7 04-23-11, 17:52

That bolt looks pretty new for 5,000 rounds through it. I have 5,500 rounds through my chrome bolt in a piston rig, and I'm considering dropping a new bolt and buffer spring in to it.

EzGoingKev · #8 04-23-11, 18:01

Interesting to see the amount of wear in the upper at the cam pin area. It doesn't look any different than my upper with a normal cam pin in it.

Tokarev · #9 04-23-11, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redline

I see that u said u have a BCM CH. Is that the Gunfighter? If so just curious if u got the small, med, or large?

That leads me to my next question. In the picture of the inside of the upper, I see what looks like a scratch along the top inside surface (the white line). Is that in fact a scratch? And do u know if u got that from your original stock CH or the BCM one?

I ask because I have the same thing on my Colt MT6400C. I just changed from stock CH to BCM Gunfighter CH. I have a similar scratch but I didn't notice if it was there originally or if it was caused by the BCM CH.

I also have a Colt match target hbar. It doesn't have the scratch with the stock handle. I put the BCM CH in there, cycled it a few times, and didn't see a scratch develope.

I've got the Gunfighter medium latch. The wear comes from racking the action over and over again and will eventually appear in all guns.

Tokarev · #10 04-23-11, 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGUGLY

Thanks for the pics and update. The dept. I work for is about to purchase 125 of the same rifle. I'm hoping ours will work as well as yours has. thanks again.

Can you share which department you work for? Did you guys do any testing of the Ruger v. other piston guns?

Tokarev · #11 04-23-11, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbsmwd

What is that red/brown stuff on the back end of the bolt and the front rail area of the BCG just below the cam pin or roller cam pin in your case?

That's Brian Enos Slide Glide grease.

Tokarev · #12 04-23-11, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by EzGoingKev

Interesting to see the amount of wear in the upper at the cam pin area. It doesn't look any different than my upper with a normal cam pin in it.

We can speculate about the amount of wear I'd have if I had left the factory cam pin in but I doubt it would be much different. The POF roller cam pin looks cool but I think that's about all it does.

berserk · #13 04-24-11, 20:03

Looks good

deadduck357 · #14 04-26-11, 00:04

Your many more rounds ahead of me, great to hear.

Dirtyboy333 · #15 04-26-11, 00:26

I second that bolt. That thing looks really nice for 5k. I know it's chrome and it would be harder to see wear but all the corners seem sharp and new.

RUSKI · #16 04-26-11, 05:21

Nice report, it's good to see the ruger running strong.

ReaperAZ · #17 04-26-11, 08:59

Good to see she's doing the job in a propper way. Thanks for the update and pics!

Todd.K · #18 04-26-11, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by soapboxpreacherman

No carrier tilt!!

Just because you don't see wear in the buffer tube does not mean that there is not off axis force on the carrier. It's just going somewhere else, likely a tighter fit between the upper bore and the carrier is why some see it in the buffer tube and some do not.

M90A1 · #19 04-26-11, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd.K

Just because you don't see wear in the buffer tube does not mean that there is not off axis force on the carrier. It's just going somewhere else, likely a tighter fit between the upper bore and the carrier is why some see it in the buffer tube and some do not.

If Ruger has found a way to successfully deal with the off-axis force, what's the problem? Just curious, not being critical.

Todd.K · #20 04-26-11, 13:26

I didn't say it was a problem, just that it doesn't go away. Does a smooth raised pad on the back of the carrier reduce the off axis force or just make it not as apparent?

The force has to go somewhere, if it's going into the upper was the upper designed for it?