New Guy: thoughts on the Ruger SR-556 and other starter packages.

[desaljs]

Just getting back into shooting, and have been reading here to learn about AR style rifles. The whole DI vs. piston is interesting, and I was not aware of these different platforms. For someone like me, who will use an AR for target shooting, and not put 1000's of rounds through it, would the Ruger SR-556 be a good starting point? I am not looking to do a custom build, and the "package" aspect of the Ruger would set me up with everything I need except an optic, and I already have that covered. I like the idea of piston system and the diversion of crud away from the moving parts, but there seems to be a weight penalty.

Just looking for some seasoned thoughts on a "starter" package. I have also looked at the offerings from Daniel Defense, Knights Armament and Smith & Wesson. Cost is not a huge factor, but I want to keep it reasonable (<$2000.00).

Jim D

[Rekkr870]

There are many great options available other than Ruger. For under 2k I personally would go with someone like Daniel Defense or BCM. You can get a BCM rifle and the accessories one needs for less than 2k. The Ruger is a nice rifle, but pistons aren't worth the added weight/cost in my opinion. I hope this helps.

[C-grunt]

The "crud away from moving parts" is pretty much a lie. Watch some slow motion video of an AR operation and you will see that there is A LOT of gas coming into the gun from the chamber after extraction.

If you want a target gun get a stainless steel free floated BCM. It will be cheaper than the Ruger and much more accurate.

[whick1]

If you have $2000 to sped you could get a Daniel Defense, BCM, Colt setup pretty much however you wanted it. As stated above gas pistons are a lot of extra weight and for the cost you can get a much better rifle than the Ruger. I have saw a couple instances where Ruger SR 5.56 have not been able to make it thru a 2 day carbine class. Both had issues with the gas piston. All the advantages of gas piston compared to DI is overblown in my opinion. If it were me I would get a DD or BCM with whatever rail I wanted. Should be able to get for around $1400 then a good sling ($50), some sort of light ($100-$150) flip up rear sight (Magpul is $40 or so) that would leave you with $400 or more that you could use on ammo. Also with all the gas pistons there is no one setup. Each companies gas piston guns are different therefore parts are not interchangeable meaning replacement parts are going to be expensive and hard to find.

[shutup&shoot]

I personally like this one.


http://sionicsweaponsystems.com/store/product.php?id_product=82

[brickboy240]

Wal Mart sells the Colt 6920 for 1040 bucks.

...there is your "starter" AR.

-brickboy240

[desaljs]

Good thoughts from everyone and thanks much. I have more reading to do, and the points made here are very valid.

[9mmsteve]

I own a Ruger 556E and a couple of other AR's including a PSA Dissy and a flat top. I like my Ruger 556E but it is heavy and if it was my first AR and I did it over again I would go to Walmart and buy a Colt 6920 and spend a grand on ammo.

As far as cleaning goes the Ruger chamber stays cleaner than my others. However, breaking down the regular AR's for a quick cleaning is a breeze and that would be the last reason why I would choose the Ruger over the others.

[TehLlama]

When G&R Tactical can sell you a DD V5 with Aimpoint PRO for under the MSRP of a base version of an inferior rifle - I'd consider the former (or Colt 6920, or BCM)

[diving dave]

Comments are spot on... Colt,DD, BCM is the place to start. If you really " need" a piston, buy a SCAR.

[rapomstage3]

Bcm for midlength and lifetime warranty. And awesomeness.

[Vandal]

For $2k you can get a Colt 6920, optic, sling and some mags. Or a BCM rifle, optic, sling and some mags.
You could also get a Daniel Defense rifle and an optic.

I run a piston rifle, PWS MK114 Mod1, and a long stroke piston will help keep things a little cleaner but they car a few ounces heavier. There is some benefit while running suppressed but not much. I will say that I don't get as much gas in the face. For a piston AR the Ruger wouldn't be my first choice. A good DI gun will be less expensive, last just as long, and save you money that can be spent on an optic, mags and ammo. Pick one of the 3 recurring brands and you'll be just fine.

[JusticeM4]

Get a DD or Colt6920 Socom for around $1500 and spend the rest on ammo and mags.

Don't get caught up on the piston AR. A good DI will be just as reliable

[big_pErm]

GandR tactical

Got my DDM4v7 with Aimpoint pro, amazing rifle will outrun my buddy's sr556 any day if the week.

Ready to go out of the box, great company to order from.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[rhale]

Two years ago I bought a 6920 with the magpul furniture from sportsmans warehouse for 1099.99. It was my first an only AR and after spending hours on here with the search button I felt it was my best option. Mil-spec build, burns through any ammo and has never hiccuped. For that it gives you 900.00 for any optic/accessory you desire and maybe a little ammo to chew up as well.

Good luck and keep learning!

[wilson1911]

For someone just getting into the AR thing, I would go with a bcm for two reasons. The first being price, the second has more to do with bcm as a company who makes great products at a great price. This is not to say the others are bad in any way at all. I own several Kac, Noveske, and BCM. The Kac being my fav, but its not for the beginner as the cost is high. BCM is one of my favorite sites to shop from.

IF you go ahead and spend the money on a FF rail, you will be glad later on down the road. You will be able to add "mods" as you get the available funds, instead of being locked into installing magpul guards and being done. If you buy a triangle front post, I can guarantee you will buy another AR that is FF. The new rage is keymod, and all my weapons have nsr's and kac urx 4 rails. No more rail covers and all that wasted space !!

I would highly suggest one of the new bcm kmr's as a first rifle, or if funds aren't quite that high a basic carbine. Out of all the mods I have bought I have found only 3 that I continue to put on each rifle I get.

1. a Light
2. forward grip of some kind
3. QD slot/ bipod

Having money to spend on ammo and pmags is very important. Later on you will want to do more than just target shooting. When you find yourself watching training class vids on youtube, you will know two things. You have the black rifle bug, and you will want to run the gun hard. A good class will take 30 mags(to save reloading all day) and 2k rounds.

As for the piston vs di matter. Unless you plan on running a can, there is no advantage to buy a piston gun. I started class with a clean gun and only cleaned her the first night. 1800 rounds later, I had one ftf, which was my fault for loading 30 rounds in a mag. What most will try to persuade you on this site to do is buy right the first time. That means a Kac, Noveske, BCM, DD, or Colt. Not in that order, just one of those brands. For bench shooting buy four 10 round pmags, all the rest 30 rounders.

If price is not too much of a concern, get the BCM KMR, a short rail section for a bipod, and a harris bipod. Then all the ammo you can afford. The KMR will leave you with lots of options later on down the road as you figure out what works best for YOU. There are lots more pieces to the puzzle that will come with time and xp. What I would like most is to see you shooting your black rifle with a smile, no matter what brand^^^^ you go with. If you want a rifle that you can put your life on the line with, pick from the four above.

Here is a pic of two of mine. These were setup for Costa's class. A Novekse on the left, Kac on the right.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc171/jeep4tw/194.jpg (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/jeep4tw/media/194.jpg.html)

[thebarracuda]

For a starter rifle, as stated, go with Colt, BCM, DD. They are a well known proven rifle. You can't say the same about the Ruger to same degree. The recommended rifles are well built, hard working, no nonsense guns. Everything you need, nothing you don't. They are the 3/4 ton, 4x4 pickups of the AR world.

[desaljs]

Great advice here, and I have more reading to do about BCM. You all have convinced me to go DI. Glad I joined here. Will be doing much more reading than posting, but I needed this post to get going.

Jim D

[fido4x]

I have a Colt M4 as a 1st AR. Love it and have not had any issues with it. It came with Magpul toys already on it. Only thing to one of these days get is an Aimpoint.