Ruger SFAR (Small frame AR in .308)

[richiecotite]

I've always heard Ruger's secret weapon in making 6 shot .454 revolvers was the Carpenter 158 steel used for the cylinder. Since they already have an "in" with Carpenter, I wonder if they were involved with whatever this wonder alloy for the bolt and extension might be?

No clue about the ruger bolt, but the POF is made of aermet


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[Tokarev]

I have one on the way. It should be here this coming week. Down side is I'll be out of town for part of the week. I may not be able to pick it up until the week of the 25th.

Anyway, things I'm super curious about, aside from this being a new and interesting MSR:

1: what does it use for buffer and spring? Is it a common length and/or will stuff like the VLTOR A5 work?

2: what are the dimensions of the barrel nut? Can it be replaced with Brand X so that other forends can be used? BCM, etc?

3: gas block journal. Is it .75" and in a common location so that other gas blocks and gas tubes can be used? Somewhat related to Q2 above. If I can replace the forend with something else can the gas block also be changed? Not sure I'd want to delete the adjustable one but there may be other adjustable blocks that might be smaller, lighter, easier to set, etc. Or one that may fit under whatever forend might be installed.

4: what does the barrel extension look like? Being that Ruger rarely, if ever, releases certain parts I wonder if the extension can be pulled so that Proof or someone similar can make different barrel options.

5: why no 6.5 Creedmoor? Seems kind of funny that Ruger would launch this as a .308. I like .308 but it seems to be overshadowed and outperformed in some ways by the Creedmoor. A 6.5 would make more sense to me in the current markets.

I'll update when I can. I may pull my 1-6 Viper off a .223 and stick on this rifle to test things out.



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[GyroF-16]

Thanks for being our Guinea Pig, @Tokarev.
I’ll look forward to hearing your reports.

[TicTacticalTimmy]

Good stuff Tokarev, I have most of those same questions.

Regarding 6.5CM, pretty sure the answer is ammo prices. I cant imagine anyone buying a 6.5CM in 2022 unless they reload or it is strictly for hunting. It looks like 6.5CM prices have come down quite a bit but as recently as 2-3 months ago the cheapest 6.5cm was more than double the price of the cheapest .308 ammo.

[idahojess]

This video has some details on the gas system, and different gas porting:



It looks like it falls in the accurate enough, but not tack-driver accurate category. Looks like a fun gun.

Edited to add: It would be academically interesting to see what accuracy looks like with a five shot group with the gas system totally off (the gun functioning as a charging handle operated, with each round being chambered manually).

[JEC]

This video has some details on the gas system, and different gas porting:



It looks like it falls in the accurate enough, but not tack-driver accurate category. Looks like a fun gun.

Edited to add: It would be academically interesting to see what accuracy looks like with a five shot group with the gas system totally off (the gun functioning as a charging handle operated, with each round being chambered manually).

Shot one for groups yesterday. Hornady 168gr TAP shot the best 3 shot group at .442” at 100 yards.

Generic 147gr FMJ ammo averaged 1.38” 3 shot groups at 100. Function was 100% through 60 rounds. I’m really impressed with it so far. This was the 16” model. I will say the brake is obnoxiously loud.

[GJM]

Shot one for groups yesterday. Hornady 168gr TAP shot the best 3 shot group at .442” at 100 yards.

Generic 147gr FMJ ammo averaged 1.38” 3 shot groups at 100. Function was 100% through 60 rounds. I’m really impressed with it so far. This was the 16” model. I will say the brake is obnoxiously loud.

For a lightweight, this seems like plenty good enough precision!

[Tokarev]

Good stuff Tokarev, I have most of those same questions.

Picked the rifle up from my dealer over the weekend. That's as far as I got. No range report, etc. I still need to figure out what I want to do with this thing. Which optic to pull off another rifle, etc.

What I'll probably do is take the 51T muzzle device and optic off my DPMS G2 Recon and put on here. These guns would seem to occupy the same market space. Plus the DPMS is pretty much obsolete. I love the gun but may sell it depending on how the Ruger does.

Anyway, initial impressions are good. The upper and lower fit together nicely. Trigger is pretty good. It feels like an AR with a big mag well.

Not sure about the buffer. I haven't weighed it but it seems to be a standard carbine 3 oz buffer. The buffer spring is long. Maybe longer than rifle? The buffer tube is six position but longer than standard carbine. It may be A5 length.



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[ECVMatt]

Picked the rifle up from my dealer over the weekend. That's as far as I got. No range report, etc. I still need to figure out what I want to do with this thing. Which optic to pull off another rifle, etc.

What I'll probably do is take the 51T muzzle device and optic off my DPMS G2 Recon and put on here. These guns would seem to occupy the same market space. Plus the DPMS is pretty much obsolete. I love the gun but may sell it depending on how the Ruger does.

Anyway, initial impressions are good. The upper and lower fit together nicely. Trigger is pretty good. It feels like an AR with a big mag well.

Not sure about the buffer. I haven't weighed it but it seems to be a standard carbine 3 oz buffer. The buffer spring is long. Maybe longer than rifle? The buffer tube is six position but longer than standard carbine. It may be A5 length.



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Sounds like a good start.

Post some pics of the internals if you get a chance.

I look forward to a review when you get time to shoot it.

[Tokarev]

So there's no free lunch. I assume a sub-8 pound 308 will kick like a sub-8 pound 308. Not that it will necessarily be unpleasant but it no doubt won't handle like a 223, either. That's a guess since I haven't fired the SFAR yet.

Externally the gun is very familiar. Effort needed to work the charging handle is more but otherwise everything feels correct. Distance to selector, bolt catch, mag release all feel right. The distance the charging handle travels also feels right. Most 308 pattern guns are sort of "off" with everything kind of being 5% or 10% out of whack. Not so here.

Balance is good. But that's naked and empty. I assume 20 rounds of 168 BTHP will offset the general AR15 feel. But it still should feel more or less correct.

The bolt and barrel extension is where the "magic" happens. Ruger claims to be using some kind of hot rod material in these parts. Lug geometry is also supposed to be improved. Too bad the Armalite crew didn't have modern stress analysis tools.

Anyway, here are a few pics of the bolt and carrier.















My opinion may change after I actually shoot this thing but presently I think it is one of the coolest things Ruger has done in a long time. Something like this in 6.5 Creedmoor with a Proof barrel would be pretty much as modern as the modern sporting rifle can get.



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