Ruger AR 556 MD Compliant Model

[armed_economist]

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with the Ruger but if you can afford it why not go high end on your first AR, the LWRC DI is top shelf, has great features and won't need to be upgraded.

Lol heard that argument before when I first got into photography. If you can afford it, buy a full frame instead of a crop sensor, sure it's triple the price, but it has better controls, more ergonomic, way better image quality (if you have the skills and use it right), etc. Even the shutter sounds more crisp (trigger analogy here)!

 

[Exuberon]

The other posts touting LWRC, Daniel Defense, Sig Sauer and Colt all have valid points. By the time I finished upgrades for my Ruger I would have spent about the same for an aforementioned brand. However, I was having trouble finding availability of rifles with all the options I wanted. Some also had some proprietary equipment that would be expensive or difficult to replace.

Depends on your patience, finances and comfort level.

If upgrades are not in your near and foreseeable future; then there is nothing wrong with a Ruger. As I said before this Ruger is a nice rifle and a great starting point for plinking and home defense without breaking the bank.

 

[danb]

A good trigger is absolutely no joke, and its not at all like the sound of a shutter. A heavy, wobbly, or gritty, trigger really can make a rifle suck. Pistols too, but less so. A good trigger is a beautiful thing of precision that breaks in the same place every time, a bad one can make you hate a gun. There is a clear and appreciable difference between triggers.

 

[armed_economist]

The other posts touting LWRC, Daniel Defense, Sig Sauer and Colt all have valid points. By the time I finished upgrades for my Ruger I would have spent about the same for an aforementioned brand. However, I was having trouble finding availability of rifles with all the options I wanted. Some also had some proprietary equipment that would be expensive or difficult to replace.

Depends on your patience, finances and comfort level.

If upgrades are not in your near and foreseeable future; then there is nothing wrong with a Ruger. As I said before this Ruger is a nice rifle and a great starting point for plinking and home defense without breaking the bank.

Thanks, that calls for more product research and figuring out what features and accessories I do or do not need. Up to this point, I have considered putting on a drop in handguard that allows for maybe a fore grip, and an optic that can do co-witnessing. Buttstocks, triggers, barrels, I have not thought about those as they come with the gun already, and it may take some time and experience to feel a difference. I will use it for range target shooting, not even home defense (bullets not allowed in the house..).

 

[armed_economist]

A good trigger is absolutely no joke, and its not at all like the sound of a shutter. A heavy, wobbly, or gritty, trigger really can make a rifle suck. Pistols too, but less so. A good trigger is a beautiful thing of precision that breaks in the same place every time, a bad one can make you hate a gun. There is a clear and appreciable difference between triggers.

Point taken, no wonder they say trigger happy, not barrel happy or grip happy. From what I have read, nothing too bad has been said about the S&W and Ruger AR triggers, although they probably can't be as fine as the expensive ones.

 

[rockstarr]

as an owner of a an lwrc di, I will say that the extra money spent is certainly worth it. aside from sights or an optic, that is a done rifle out of the box.

with a del ton or ruger, you will certainly end up replacing a good bit or parts, and then wonder to yourself, why didn't I just buy the DI in the first place?

For what you get, you would easily spend the extra money trying to making the lower end rifle the same as the higher end rifle if not end up spending more.

the lwrc used to be a 1400 dollar rifle, now its about 1,100 or so. The barrel alone is something worth noting.

No fanboy here, just someone who has had low end rifles vs higher end rifles.

 

[Ranchero50]

I wouldn't stress over the dumb stuff. What's your intended use and duty for the rifle? Base you purchasing decision on what it must do well, not what you'd like it to do well. There's a lot to be said for buying a lower end product so you know what you can and can't live with. Gun snobs are just as bad as camera snobs.

If it goes bang repeatably and keeps hitting the target I'm good with it. Sub MOA is pointless at 3 yards through iron sights however it better go bang when needed.

 

[clandestine]

I wouldn't stress over the dumb stuff. What's your intended use and duty for the rifle? Base you purchasing decision on what it must do well, not what you'd like it to do well. There's a lot to be said for buying a lower end product so you know what you can and can't live with. Gun snobs are just as bad as camera snobs.

If it goes bang repeatably and keeps hitting the target I'm good with it. Sub MOA is pointless at 3 yards through iron sights however it better go bang when needed.

What dumb stuff are you referring to?

What comments are coming across to his being from a gun snob?

 

[Ranchero50]

What dumb stuff are you referring to?

What comments are coming across to his being from a gun snob?

Just that we as a community of gun enthusiasts sometimes get too worked up about the nitty gritty of all the little bits versus finding something that works well for the need.

Not referring to the OP as one but hoping we don't come off as gun snobs which are like audio snobs and I'm sure camera snobs. Gotta have the latest greatest shiny new thing and last weeks new thing is now no good.

I'm just trying to reinforce the point that a sound basic rifle should do duty if that's all he needs.

 

[clandestine]

Point taken, no wonder they say trigger happy, not barrel happy or grip happy. From what I have read, nothing too bad has been said about the S&W and Ruger AR triggers, although they probably can't be as fine as the expensive ones.

I've worked on a little over 10,000 AR-15s, and for the most part stock triggers are nothing exceptional. They all feel generally the same. There are ones from time to time that feel pretty good out of the box but they are the exception and not the rule. Even when you run into those exceptions I have never said to myself wow I would like to have this over a nice aftermarket trigger.

I would not select a gun based on what someone says the trigger feels like unless it has an aftermarket group from someone like geissele or LaRue.

You don't want to do trigger work to a factory fire control group in an AR if you wish to maintain reliability and in some cases maintain consistency. Trying to put light Springs to make a trigger feel better will reduce lock time and couldn't create shot pattern inconsistencies. It may feel better to your trigger finger but the actual gun is performing worse.

You don't have to buy a premium AR15 too get good internal components.

The ruver is not a terrible option once you account for replacing the unshrouded bolt carrier, and installing quality buffer and extractor Springs.

 

[danb]

Just that we as a community of gun enthusiasts sometimes get too worked up about the nitty gritty of all the little bits versus finding something that works well for the need.

Not referring to the OP as one but hoping we don't come off as gun snobs which are like audio snobs and I'm sure camera snobs. Gotta have the latest greatest shiny new thing and last weeks new thing is now no good.

I'm just trying to reinforce the point that a sound basic rifle should do duty if that's all he needs.

When you miss the gong, you look waaay coooler with a $2800 rifle than a $700 rifle. 4x cooler in fact. Proven scentific fact.

 

[clandestine]

Just that we as a community of gun enthusiasts sometimes get too worked up about the nitty gritty of all the little bits versus finding something that works well for the need.

Not referring to the OP as one but hoping we don't come off as gun snobs which are like audio snobs and I'm sure camera snobs. Gotta have the latest greatest shiny new thing and last weeks new thing is now no good.

I'm just trying to reinforce the point that a sound basic rifle should do duty if that's all he needs.

I do understand where you're coming from and it is a valid point in many areas where people ask advice. In my experience most people Champion what they own, not because it's great, but simply because they bought it. Therefore it must be good. Right?

I usually question those who give advice on a few examples of something they own because it comes across as being biased. I'm not saying that the owner should not give positive Praises. I'm simply saying that unless they work one or own a very wide variety of models being discussed their experience is limited.

Another problem that I see all the time on gun boards and internet groups is not the advice given but the person seeking advice. They will ask advice on what they should purchase when the reality is that they've already decided on the purchase and simply want reinforcement of the decision they have already made. A vast majority of Internet postings are exactly like this.

Anyone who has talked to me for any length of time or has taken an AR class or had me work on there AR15 will tell you that I'm far from a gun snob. My recommendations on things change so often I rarely give the same advice from year to year on what brands I buy and recommend. I'm not a person who usually Champions certain brands as I know from personal experience that Brands tend to rise and fall with their quality. The great ones don't often stay great forever.

For example BCM for years has been the gold standard for a defensive AR15. The bolt carrier groups that they are selling as of late look like they came from the seconds bin at Palmetto State Armory. They look terrible and Bravo Company has been called on the carpet about it and they say that they are okay with the product. For some time now I have been seeing problems with their extractor Springs.

I'm not here to sell anything that I own or make. I'm just trying to give Sound Advice within certain budget parameters for a person so they can actually enjoy their purchase and not end up with problems that they simply lack the knowledge to resolve. The Next Step often leads to a phone call or a private message asking someone like me for help.

 

[Decoy]

I do understand where you're coming from and it is a valid point in many areas where people ask advice. In my experience most people Champion what they own, not because it's great, but simply because they bought it. Therefore it must be good. Right?

I usually question those who give advice on a few examples of something they own because it comes across as being biased. I'm not saying that the owner should not give positive Praises. I'm simply saying that unless they work one or own a very wide variety of models being discussed their experience is limited.

Another problem that I see all the time on gun boards and internet groups is not the advice given but the person seeking advice. They will ask advice on what they should purchase when the reality is that they've already decided on the purchase and simply want reinforcement of the decision they have already made. A vast majority of Internet postings are exactly like this.

Anyone who has talked to me for any length of time or has taken an AR class or had me work on there AR15 will tell you that I'm far from a gun snob. My recommendations on things change so often I rarely give the same advice from year to year on what brands I buy and recommend. I'm not a person who usually Champions certain brands as I know from personal experience that Brands tend to rise and fall with their quality. The great ones don't often stay great forever.

For example BCM for years has been the gold standard for a defensive AR15. The bolt carrier groups that they are selling as of late look like they came from the seconds bin at Palmetto State Armory. They look terrible and Bravo Company has been called on the carpet about it and they say that they are okay with the product. For some time now I have been seeing problems with their extractor Springs.

I'm not here to sell anything that I own or make. I'm just trying to give Sound Advice within certain budget parameters for a person so they can actually enjoy their purchase and not end up with problems that they simply lack the knowledge to resolve. The Next Step often leads to a phone call or a private message asking someone like me for help.

Same here and to reinforce your point, I recommend the LWRC even though I do not own one, I really believe they are great rifles that are worth the extra expense.

 

[fidelity]

Ruger is ok, but their QC on their guns could be better.

IMO, you would be better off with a Colt HBAR or Windham HBAR. Colt will hold value better.

FN now makes MD compliant models too.

Ruger used to use an unshrouded carrier like the older ban era AR's. They chew up firing pins.

Might want to buy a different carrier if you don't want to eat FPRP and FP's.

Armed_economist/new guy (and not meant in any pejorative way), the guy above is one of the foremost AR experts on MDS, such that many of us pay money to take his AR build and armorer's classes. His advice will often save you money and grief.

You can get a Ruger or Windham HBAR, order an after market trigger before the MD state legislature potentially tries to ban them, and take his Armorer's class to get your rifle up to spec - and likely be out ahead vs getting a >$1000 rifle with issues.

*And not talking about LWRC, which I have no experience with.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[danb]

When I was new, people told me the rules was 2 months salary on a rifle, so I bought a pre 86 transferable M16. The trigger on that was really dope.

 

[clandestine]

Same here and to reinforce your point, I recommend the LWRC even though I do not own one, I really believe they are great rifles that are worth the extra expense.

I remember getting into a debate with an lwrc employee about nickel boron.

My gauging and experience with the product in the AR15 has shown me it's a downgrade and every area that it is applied. The main problem that I have with it is bolts not headspacing properly when treated with nickel boron.

The employee told me that does not happen and that NiB is an improvement over a phosphate bolt.

I don't know if you noticed but not long ago lwrc no longer uses nickel boron bolts. When asked why, the response was issues with tolerances.


Oh my.

 

[clandestine]

Armed_economist/new guy (and not meant in any pejorative way), the guy above is one of the foremost AR experts on MDS, such that many of us pay money to take his AR build and armorer's classes. His advice will often save you money and grief.

You can get a Ruger or Windham HBAR, order an after market trigger before the MD state legislature potentially tries to ban them, and take his Armorer's class to get your rifle up to spec - and likely be out ahead vs getting a >$1000 rifle with issues.

*And not talking about LWRC, which I have no experience with.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I appreciate the kind words my friend.

I have come to accept that most people will not listen to my AR advice, and that's okay. If the O.P. chooses to ignore my advice then others reading who may have the same questions might learn from what I'm saying, take my advice, and benefit from it.

I like it when people don't have AR problems. Odd for a guy who makes a living from working on them eh?

 

[fidelity]

When I was new, people told me the rules was 2 months salary on a rifle, so I bought a pre 86 transferable M16. The trigger on that was really dope.

Lol, ouch. Wonder if he knows that he might not be the only "armed economist" in this thread.

I appreciate the kind words my friend.

I have come to accept that most people will not listen to my AR advice, and that's okay. If the O.P. chooses to ignore my advice then others reading who may have the same questions might learn from what I'm saying, take my advice, and benefit from it.

I like it when people don't have AR problems. Odd for a guy who makes a living from working on them eh?

It's respect, buddy, which has grown over time. Always also noted your willingness to help.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Decoy]

I remember getting into a debate with an lwrc employee about nickel boron.

My gauging and experience with the product in the AR15 has shown me it's a downgrade and every area that it is applied. The main problem that I have with it is bolts not headspacing properly when treated with nickel boron.

The employee told me that does not happen and that NiB is an improvement over a phosphate bolt.

I don't know if you noticed but not long ago lwrc no longer uses nickel boron bolts. When asked why, the response was issues with tolerances.


Oh my.

Yeah you probably don't remember but we have spoken about it at length and it's one of the only things about AR's I disagree with you on, I still like NIB.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

Thanks, that calls for more product research and figuring out what features and accessories I do or do not need. Up to this point, I have considered putting on a drop in handguard that allows for maybe a fore grip, and an optic that can do co-witnessing. Buttstocks, triggers, barrels, I have not thought about those as they come with the gun already, and it may take some time and experience to feel a difference. I will use it for range target shooting, not even home defense (bullets not allowed in the house..).

A personal recommendation, so you can learn about the platform in more than the put the mag in, flick off the safety, and pull the trigger kind of learning.

Buy a few stripped lowers for yourself, so that you have them on the shelf. Once you own them, they are grandfathered in. Then get an idea of what you want it to do, and how you want it to look for pure function. I'm not saying tacticool, but set it up in your mind so it can fulfill the roles you want it to. Some of my AR's fulfill multiple roles and are so stripped down basic, it would make your head spin, while others are tricked out for what I want them to do that it will make your head hurt. At that point start researching parts, so that you get exactly what you want, right out the gate. Once all the parts come in, sign up for one of clandestine's build classes, so that you are being taught how to assemble the rifle properly under the eyes of our favorite resident gunsmith. His classes are well worth the price of admission. Almost everything I know about the AR came from clandestine.

If you want ideas on what you want it to look like, go thought the Official AR15 picture thread in the rifle section. What you will see, will probably be mind numbing.
https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=6312