Ruger SR-556E Rebarrel Project--Marvin Pitts Comes Through!
Back in late June or early July, I sent Marvin Pitts my Ruger SR-556E upper with the idea of shaving some weight off the gun. I like Ruger's "E" variant very much and think it's one of the better values in piston guns on the current market. The new smooth forend is thin and comfortable and feels much better than the traditional quad rail used on previous models.
While the new smooth forend takes some weight off when compared to previous models, the gun is still fairly heavy as shipped. My initial plan was to have Marvin re-profile the factory barrel to reduce weight but we later decided to replace the factory barrel with a stainless steel 1x8 twist.
Well, the upper arrived yesterday via US Priority Mail and it looks fantastic. I should've taken weight measurements before I sent the upper off to give an exact measurement of the weight shaved off. Using Ruger's website as a guide I see that the Ruger SR-556E, as shipped, is listed with a weight of 7.36 pounds. The gun now weighs 7.12 pounds. That's with Troy BUIS, VLTOR pistol grip, PWS muzzle brake and VLTOR A5 buffer tube and buffer in place. Weight without the Troy sights is 6.92 pounds. I'd guess that going back to the standard buffer tube and plain carbine buffer would reduce weight by three or four ounces.
I ran 240 rounds of ammo through the gun this afternoon with zero issues. I ran 30 rounds of WOLF, and 90 rounds of Silver Bear through the gun and all 120 rounds fed, fired and extracted without issue.
I'm very pleased with the work Marvin did and wouldn't hesitate for a second to use him again. His machining is perfect with no signs of tool marks or imperfections.
The gun looks great and feels much more balanced. Hopefully within the next couple of days I'll be able to get the sights and Aimpoint dialed in properly. I'll shoot the gun with everything from 55gr ball to Barnes 70gr TSX so get an idea of what the 1x8 twist will do for accuracy.
The gun as I originally configured it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/P1010713.jpg
Views of the old and new barrel assembly:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/DSC05391.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/DSC05426.jpg
And the completed project!
Just over eight pounds with a full mag of M193:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/P1020706.jpg
The dimpled stainless steel barrel:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/P1020714.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/P1020707.jpg
It's difficult to see but the the barrel's been turned to .625" under the handguard:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...E/P1020712.jpg