Tag: Ruger

Categories
Rifles

Ruger SR-556: Ruger’s New Piston Driven AR-15

Ruger SR-556
The Ruger SR556 rifle.

Ruger announced a new piston-driven AR-15 rifle: the Ruger SR-556. Announced at the NRA convention, the SR-556 is a completely new line for Ruger, and part of an obvious effort to redefine the company.

The SR-556 has a host of quality features, the most significant of which is the two-stage piston system. But, in a market that seems to have an overwhelming number of AR-15 makers, will the SR-556 be interesting enough to survive?

The “black rifle” market is clearly hot, as AR-15’s have been selling extremely well throughout the United States. Some manufacturers have stated that orders are backlogged six months or more. Bringing a new AR-style gun into the market now may be good timing for Ruger, as a scarcity of all AR rifles may push more customers into their rifles.

Let’s take a look at some of the features of the SR-556.

Continue reading “Ruger SR-556: Ruger’s New Piston Driven AR-15”
Categories
Rifles

Ruger’s New Tactical Mini-14

A few days ago, a photo leaked of a possible new tactical version of the Ruger Mini-14. At the time, I stated that it looked like a Mini-14 with the ATI stock on it. Well, that is exactly what it is.

Ruger was showing the “new” Mini-14 at the 2009 Media Day at the Range. According to the Ruger rep, ATI is manufacturing the Strikeforce stock with the Ruger emblem and shipping them to Ruger, where the Mini-14 is assembled and shipped to dealers. According to the rep, that’s it: no other new features or items that you wouldn’t get by ordering your own ATI Strikeforce stock and putting it onto a Runger Mini-14.

Continue reading “Ruger’s New Tactical Mini-14”
Categories
news

Ruger to Unveil a Show-Stopper at the 2009 SHOT Show?

Ruger logo
Ruger logo

In recent years, Sturm, Ruger & Co. have deviated from the larger, bulkier pistols they were known for and have been producing slimmer and smaller pistols such as the SR-9 and the LCP. The SR-9 has achieved moderate success, while the Ruger LCP has been an undeniable sensation.

The question is: What will Ruger introduce at the SHOT Show?

Michael Bane has made several comments about some new firearms he has seen that will be announced at SHOT. Bane even went so far as to refer to Ruger in his Christmas Eve podcast as the “Makers of the product that is going to absolutely, stone-cold, rock the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando.” That is a pretty strong statement.

Back in November, Massad Ayoob suggested that Ruger may be introducing an SP101 revolver with an alloy frame chambered in .38 Special. While I think this would be a profitable gun for Ruger to bring to market, would it be the gun that “rocks” the SHOT Show. I don’t think so. After all, several other manufacturers already make lightweight .38 revolvers.

What would excite the public? How about a 9mm LCP. There are a lot of people that really like the LCP, but dislike the .380 ACP cartridge. In my opinion, a LCP chambered for the 9×19 cartridge would be a big hit. Enough to “rock” the SHOT Show? Maybe.

How about a completely new Mini-14? Something along the lines of a Kel-Tec SU-16, maybe. Think of a Mini-14 that would be completely synthetic and stainless, that folds up nicely into a compact size, that can be marketed as a survival tool. The SU-16’s are popular, but imagine the same gun with the Ruger name and Mini-14 heritage attached to it. It might be a winning product. And lets face it…anything .223 is selling right now.

I do not believe that Ruger will be announcing a new full-sized pistol that would cut into the SR9 market. I also can’t see a new 10-22 being terribly revolutionary. I expect that the “show-stopper” Bane has predicted is coming from the concealed carry market or the black rifle market.

Regardless, stay tuned. I will bring you all of the new product announcements from the SHOT show.

Update: The gun was the Ruger LCR. I don’t know if it was quite the show stopper that Bane claimed, but it certainly was popular.

Categories
Rifles

Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Stocks

I’ve had several people recently inquire about the availability of aftermarket stocks for the Ruger Mini-14. Specifically, they were interested in tactical style stocks for the Mini-14. There are two Mini-14 stocks I suggest people consider if they are looking for something more tactical for their Ruger: the TAPCO and the ATI stocks.

TAPCO is a company based in Kennesaw, GA, that has been involved in the firearms industry for many years now. I recall stopping into their offices back during the Clinton years and buying SKS stripper clips from them when I still lived and worked in that area. The TAPCO people are good folks.

TAPCO manufactures a Mini-14 replacement stock called the FUSION system. The FUSION system is a complete stock replacement that gives the owner a M4 style, adjustable buttstock, SAW-style pistol grip, and a Picatinny rail on the top and the bottom of the barrel cover. Other nice features about the FUSION system include the pistol grip has a storage compartment, the lower rail has a removable cover, the system is available in black, dark earth, and olive drab colors, and the system works with the Mini-14 in .223 or 6.8 SPC plus the Mini-30. MSRP is $129.99 and is worth every penny.

Advanced Technology, Inc. (ATI) manufactures glass-filled, injection-molded stocks for a wide variety of firearms. ATI recently introduced the Ruger Mini-14 Strikeforce Package, which gives your Mini-14 a definite tactical look and feel.

The Strikeforce gives the Mini-14 four Picatinny rails on the forend of the stock and molded inserts to cover them when they are not in use. The Strikeforce also features a folding, six-position adjustable buttstock that can store batteries in the tube. The stock has a pistol grip and a removable/adjustable 3/8″ cheekrest.

The Strikeforce MSRP is less expensive than the TAPCO at only $109, but only comes in black.

Categories
Ammunition

.327 Federal Magnum A Viable Self Defense Caliber?

Ever since Ruger and Federal introduced the .327 Federal Magnum in November of 2007, I have been intrigued by the potential of this caliber. Granted, any new firearm caliber has a serious uphill battle to be accepted by the general shooting public. But, the .32 has been around and used for self-defense since the 1800s. Let’s be honest…the .32 has never been known as a “man-stopper,” but is has had a small portion of the firearms market. Could the .327 Federal Magnum make the .32 a serious self-defense caliber?

After Ruger’s introduction of the SP101 chambered for the new cartridge, Charter Arms released the Patriot series of revolvers chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum. In the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of American Handgunner, John Taffin tested the Patriot and gave his opinions on the gun and caliber. Out of the 2.2″ barrel on the Patriot, the 115 grain Speer Gold Dot was smoking along at about 1230 fps for more than 385 foot-pounds of energy. The milder-recoiling 85 grain Federal JHP was in the 1220s with more than 280 ft-lbs of energy.

Those are respectable numbers for a self-defense firearm, especially when you consider they are coming out of a 2.2″ barrel. In a short carbine, I imagine the .327 could be a fantastic small game gun.

To my knowledge, no one has been forced to use a .327 Federal Magnum in a self-defense shooting. Without a stack of positive results from “the street,” I’m hesitant to recommend this caliber. However, if you prefer a .32 caliber firearm, the .327 is a vast improvement over the .32 H&R Magnum and its predecessors. With speeds in the 1200s, the bullet will expand after striking, unlike the bullets out of the weaker .32’s.

Update – Speer added another Gold Dot load for this cartridge. The new load uses a 100-grain bullet that is rated at a blistering 1,500 fps. This is exceptionally fast. I would imagine that this load in a lever-action rifle would be incredible. It should be more than adequate to provide for home defense and could even be a decent combination for taking small to medium size game.

Another Update – Ruger no longer makes the SP101 with a 3″ barrel for this cartridge. They do make the gun with a 4.2″ barrel for it now. While you get the benefit of additional velocity, I wonder how much harder it is to conceal the gun. In an IWB, it should not be a problem. However, in an outside the waistband rig, the extra barrel length may be visible from under a short jacket.