  This is the promo pic of the Ruger SR-762, with the included handguards and rail sections mounted. The rifle is like a larger version of the AR-15, but like this rifle’s little brother the SR-556, it has a gas system that pushes a piston instead of directly forcing the bolt carrier. This results in a cooler running and softer shooting 7.62/.308 CQB hammer of a firearm.  Our SR-762 came in last week and it is a sweeeet new gun from Ruger.  The rifle comes with a nice soft assault bag and 3 Magpul P-Mags, as well as three handguards and two rail sections, with all the screws.  What makes the SR-762 different is the same gas block and piston system that you’ll find on the SR-556.  The chrome plated piston and rod system is pushed on by the gas bled from the barrel. A regular AR-15 funnels the gas directly to the bolt carrier, heating it and dumping burnt powder on it. The Ruger design is unique in the American AR market and very welcome in a 7.62/.308.  The lower of the SR-762 takes standard AR trigger groups, safeties and Mil-Spec buttstocks and buttstock tubes.  The upper is a split receiver/handguard design, resulting in a full top Picatinny rail.  The SR-762 comes with excellent adjustable flip up AR type sights, and a front sight adjustment tool.  It is a handsome rifle with Ruger emblems on the receiver, the chromed bolt carrier, the upper rail, and molded into the handgrip. Made at the Ruger rifle factory in Newport, NH, Ruger fans will love this gun.  The SR-762 does have the A2 style forward assist and brass deflector. |
Ruger SR-762
https://ruger.com/sr762
Sturm Ruger & Co. knew back in 2009 that they needed to be in the semi-auto rifle market with more than just the Mini-14. They wanted an AR-15-type rifle, but soon discovered that the“Mil-Spec” AR-15 left a lot to be desired. A standard AR sends its hot gases back to the bolt, pushing on the bolt carrier and opening it for the next shot. This makes for a very hot and very dirty bolt group after only a few rounds, and this can and does hurt both short and long term reliability. So while most of the market was busy copying the standard AR-15 design with their own branded product, Ruger decided to take the less beaten path, and create their own design. That design was the SR-556, in 5.56 NATO, or .223 Remington. Instead of just gas, the 556 employed a rod to move the bolt, this rod rode above the barrel, and was controlled by an adjustable gas block. The design is very similar to the rifle that used to be called “the right arm of the free world,” the FN-FAL. This new Ruger rifle contained the gas/rod system of the FAL, yet had the weight advantage and ergonomics of the AR-15. Out of the gate the SR-556 was a hit for Ruger, and several variations of the SR556 are still extremely popular today.
The only thing is, the FAL is a 7.62×51 (.308 Winchester), not a 5.56. So since the introduction of the SR-556 the market has been screaming for a SR-762. About two weeks ago Ruger finally introduced one into the market, based on the exact design of the SR-556. The MSRP of the SR-762 is a hefty $2195, but as an “all you’ll ever need” rifle, we found it to be just that, and worthy of a lifetime purchase decision. There are other good 7.62/.308 battle rifles out there. But the SR-762 brings the smart, cool running design of the SR-556 to a larger and more punishing caliber, thereby making the engineering of the original rifle more relevant. There is a big difference in the design of Ruger’s SR-762 and the rest of the 7.62/.308 field. . The 762 is lighter and more accurate than an AR-10, the FAL and even the M1A. And though Colt, DPMS and others make an good AR design in 7.62/.308, they are purely gas driven, like their 5.56/.223 counterparts. If you are going to spend $1,500 to $3,000 on a battle rifle a little homework wouldn’t hurt, and judging by our testing of this SR-762 and the impeccable reputation of the SR-556, the Ruger just may be the most gun for the money.
Something many people don’t realize is that there is no “Mil-Spec” design for the 7.62 NATO AR-15 clone. There is also no “Mil-Spec” design for any“piston driven” AR-15 type rifle of any caliber. So if you want either of those things, you have to entrust your choice to the company that makes it, because each has its own, usually patented, design and engineering specification. I’ve always found that kind of scary because guns break down when you use them a lot, especially semi-autos. If I am to trust both the engineering of a firearm design, and the longevity of the manufacturer, I may or may not trust Colt, who I love, but who has come and gone from the firearms market for the last two decades, and I doubt that I’ll trust DPMS after their “Freedom Group” owners went jellyfish in the latest and unprecedented attack on our 2nd Amendment rights. Even the Armalite AR-10 has undergone several changes since the original Stoner design, and the year after I bought my AR-10, they switched the spec to take P-Mags. Now that company has been sold. Sorry to digress a bit into a tangent, but these are important points when you are deciding to buy a gun that costs two grand, and I think that when you look at the picture as a whole, the facts favor Ruger and the SR-7.62. I trust Ruger to be there in 10 years when I finally bend my op rod from running 50 round X-Products mags through it with my bump stock.
None of that would matter, though, if the gun didn’t perform really well, and this week I was able to put the SR-762 through its paces. What makes this gun so unique is the FAL-like rod and gas block system, so I’ll explain how that works. When you fire a round in any AR style firearm, the bolt doesn’t immediately open. It is locked. After the bullet passes a port drilled into the barrel, towards the end, some of the gas from your shot bleeds off into a tube. This tube carries that gas back to the bolt carrier, and pushes it open, ejecting the shell. With the SR-762, instead of the gas coming all the way back, it pushes on a gas piston, which is connected to a pusher rod. Ruger’s design does this in two stages, though I don’t know what that means, and this makes for a smoother stroke, presumably than the FAL and other piston guns like the AK-47. The rod then engages the bolt carrier and pushes it back, just like the gas would in a standard AR, but because of the piston the gas never reaches the bolt, so it doesn’t heat it up and dump particulate from the burnt powder into the action. The gas block in the front of the SR-762 has numbers on it, 0-3, and this controls the size of that hole through which the gas bleeds from the barrel into the tube that holds the piston and rod.
The zero setting on the gas block allows no gas through at all, making the SR-762 a single shot that doesn’t eject its shell (for wet work where you don’t want to leave a casing). Settings 1-3 allow gas, measured in a little to a lot, with 1 being the least. This allows you to control the action of the rifle and tune it to your ammo. All ammo is not created equal, and one size does not fit all, despite the fact that in other ARs there is no setting like this. A regular AR is set to cycle the action using the lightest bullet and the lightest pressure that meets SAAMI specifications. That means that if you use a very heavy bullet, or hot military surplus machinegun ammo, the gun is being battered far more than it needs to be. This isn’t a huge issue with 5.56 NATO, because it is after all a woodchuck cartridge, but 7.62 NATO/.308 Win. is a bruiser, and will beat the daylights out of your gun if the action is set too light.
The SR-762 gas block ships on setting 2, which is medium. If the fired brass from your preferred ammo lands behind the shooter, this means that the action is running a bit slow, and you can turn it up to 3. If it is landing in front, it means that the ammo is too hot for 2 and should be dialed back to 1. In our testing, both Hornady TAP 150gr. and Hornady American Whitetail had to be dialed to 3, yet their velocities were not the same for the same weight bullet, so there is some leeway in there. Setting 3 will work on everything, but on hotter ammo it will beat you and the gun up more than is required. By easing back the size of the gas hole, to 2 or 1, you can take advantage of the rifle’s ability to adapt to different ammo, and save you and the gun some wear and tear. If you put the setting on 3 with hot military ammo, the bolt carrier group comes back harder than it needs to, and will shorten the life of all of those moving parts, and kick harder. Overall the SR-762 is light for a piston rod gun, but at just over 8 ½ pounds, with the delayed gas system, the recoil is manageable for even a timid shooter when the gas system is properly adjusted.
Before we go on, I have to come clean that I am a Ruger fanboy, and I wanted nothing more than to write a great review on this gun. The trouble was, I didn’t think it would be accurate. The barrel is heavily fluted under the handguard to reduce weight, and the gas block system is attached to the barrel forward of this. To me this looked like a recipe for accuracy disaster in such a heavy caliber with a strong shock wave and the ensuing “barrel harmonics,” which are the bane of good rifle accuracy. Then I tried the trigger, which is a standard AR drop in. It is very heavy, later measured at almost 9 lbs. I thought this would add insult to injury, and I figured I’d be lucky to get 2MOA (minutes of angle) out of the gun, which would be roughly a 2” dispersal at 100 yards. I was wrong, but let me explain.
We try to be realistic with accuracy testing here, so I mounted a
Meopta ZD 1-4×22 on the top rail, in between Ruger’s open sights. The Meopta is one of the best “CQB,” or close quarters battle scopes on the market, clear as a bell even in low light, with a 1 MOA illuminated dot. At 4 power, the dot covers the center dot of these green targets at 100 yards but it is probably the type of scope that most people would put on this gun. The 7.62 NATO/.308 Win. cartridge is effective to 1000 yards, but most people would think of this rifle as a CQB powerhouse that can punch through just about anything, and take a long shot if needed. The holdoff markets on the Meopta are points, not dots, so you can use it on 1x for open eyes, right up close and personal CQB, as well as a 600 yard holdoff shot. The average police sniper shot in the US is only 80 yards, so with this type of scope, the rifle is set up for most every urban situation you will encounter. The 3-Gun shooters also use this type of scope, though they would not use a 7.62/.308 rifle for competition.
After zeroing the SR-762 at 50 yards I decided to shoot a 5 shot test group. To my surprise, it measured under an inch across, center to center. Hmmpfh. Let’s try 100 yards. Several 5 round groups later, my average with 150 grain Hornady TAP ammo was about 1 ½ inches, which would translate to 1.5MOA. Then I tried Hornady American Whitetail in the same 150 grain weight. It was even better. Looking around the web, I see that my friend Jeff Quinn at Gunblast put a 20x scope on his Ruger SR-762 and got MOA accuracy out of the gun, even with what he also measured as an unusually heavy trigger. The trigger is heavy, but crisp, and there is no pull-through drag at all. As Jeff noted, the lower on this gun is a standard AR configuration, and it can therefore take drop in triggers to improve performance. Do you need sub-MOA accuracy? It never hurts I guess. But it is amazing that this rifle is already at 1.5 MOA with a 4x scope on the existing trigger, and more like 1 MOA at higher magnification.
The rest of the rifle is fairly straightforward. Ruger put the Mini-14 birdcage flashider on the SR-762’s 16 inch 6 groove 1:10 twist barrel. The stock is a standard six position M4 style, and the tube is Mil-Spec (so yes, we can try the SlideFire on this gun). It comes with a Ruger branded Hogue Monogrip, and there is also a nifty Ruger logo on the chromed bolt carrier. The forend comes out of the box bare, but has pre-drilled positions for 3 included plastic handguards and two rail sections. The upper has a forward assist button and brass deflector, and the gun takes MapPull P-Mags, not a proprietary alternative, which is awesome. Magpul makes 3 and 5 round hunting mags, so you can get right out this season if you are so inclined. As you can see from the pictures, the Ruger SR-762 comes with a soft black tactical case, 3 mags, 20 rounds each, the handguards, rail sections, and all the screws you need to mount the optional parts, as well as a U bolt locking system. We couldn’t get the gun to fail over about 150 rounds, but that was expected. Just remember, if your hunting ammo doesn’t seem to be ejecting right at setting 2, turn her back to 3. These guns should be available in the market now, or soon, so ask your dealer to get you on a list if you want one for Christmas.
 For accuracy testing we mounted a Meopta ZD 1-4×22. This is a great CQB scope for this gun, with realistic hash marks reaching out to 600 yards. |  Initial accuracy tests were a shock as the gun shot into an inch or better at 50 yards. |
 The trigger pull is harder than expected, at almost 9 lbs., so I didn’t expect to be able to shoot the gun well. |  With 150 grain Hornady TAP, the gun repeatedly shot into about 1.5 inches. Others have shot the gun at high magnification and gotten it down to an inch. |
 Hornady American Whitetail came in even better. Some groups were down to almost an inch at 100 yards at 4x power over 5 shots. |  The TAP averaged over 2500 feet per second in the 16″ barrel. |
 The American Whitetail was even faster. |  At gas setting 2 the brass landed behind for both types of ammo. If you use branded commercial ammo and it seems to run slow turn the gas system up to 3. |
 Since there is no “Mil-Spec” mag for 7.62/.308, it was a relief that Ruger used the P-Mag design. They make 3 and 4 round hunting mags already. |  The box and Ruger soft case. |
 Even the box is Made in USA. |  These are the hand rails. I preferred the thinner feel without them. |
Just bought a 2016 production model. This is my first A-10 ever. First one I have ever shot too. And to top it all off….First time I ever shot a 308/7.62×51.
This rifle is topped with a Leuipold 3X9X40 Gold ring scope (primary purchase for this gun is hunting and ISIS defense).
Out the box, mounted scope on a Burimount for AR’s and took completely apart and cleaned inspected and got ready for sight in. Took to indoor 100yd range to sight in scope. 5 shots is all it took. (was 2″low and 3″ to the right).
Then the fun begun.
first 5 shot group at 100yds was centered around a .75″ group!!!!
second 5 shot group was .625″.
shots were taken from a bench with a bipod and no rear rest at all (well just my hand. 147grn military brass loads. no fps data or manufacturer unknown. This is unreal!!!
Now I’m an experienced shooter and have been shooting 300 Win Mag for decades. Also have had many variants of AR-15’s too. Currently have AAC 300 Blackout AR.
Recoil seemed a bit heavy but not evil. I liked it. Not a fan of the birdcage has tremendous flash. A good brake would do wonders for this rifle!!! Trigger is ok, aftermarket can give you much lighter pulls and eliminate creep substantially. But not a bad trigger from the factory. 2 stage piston is AWESOME
I personally feel this is a great value for its edge of the market.
Back to the data…. outdoor was hot day 48% humidity and 31% humidity with a light 4mph south by southwest breeze. 200 yd range in my sights. got the Chrno too!! The unknown ammo was crushing at 2540fps ave with a 178 ave high and low. Then groups were amazing for what I was doing. from full prone I was laying 1-1.312-5 shot groups like some kind of match rifle, she was laying in group after group. For comparison I had my Browning X-bolt 300 Win Mag. It lays 1.25″ groups all day with 180 grn Remington hunting rounds.
All I have to say is I have found a new hunting partner. If you want a 30 cal A-10 style rifle with the versatility of many hats…this is your rifle!!!
I’m sold on this rifle and recommend it to anyone who is considering a thumper!!!
You could say the RUGER SR-762 is a greatly improved FN FAL i wonder who was responsible for that Mouse gun they used in Nam, not a smart cookie I would say! Probably just wanted cash to line his pockets with government cash. There are two constants bad government and greed. The Bane of all things good!
I do however wonder how the accuracy would be after say 100 rounds, the barrel will have retained a lot of heat by then. But still since I wont be in a war anytime soon, It would work well for whitetails and other animals of this type. I tell you true it may not be long till we will need to hunt to supplement our food supply.
I’m not sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more.
Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
28 yrs miltary, USMC, enlisted and officer. I own both rugers, 5.56 and 7.62. No problem with either one. Great shooters. Works great, on target. Price is fine now. I have owned or do own all the best. These two are the standard in my judgment. MOS ? 0311
Hey ADMIN, I was wondering if you ever got around to trying the Slidefire stock to see if it will fit? If not, I wonder if the new 308 Slidefire stock will work?
It doesn’t.
Took new Ruger SR762 at the range today. Not one single cycle, not one. Three different factory mags with all factory new ammo. Finally on the 20th odd round, the gun jammed completely and action would not cycle at all. Stupid me for not checking the forums first. Too numerous to count accounts of the same from people who sound much more experienced with firearms than me. All kinds of explanations for the FTF FTE and even more complaints about customer service from Ruger being poor. My LGS will get one opportunity to take this back with credit towards another rifle.
Not a big fan of Ruger products but this appears to be a possibility. Recently burned bad with a purchase of a POF in .308 as they would not or could not fix a 4% malfunction rate. Piss poor customer service. I wood like to try a Ruger piston in .308 if the bugs have been worked out.
I just spent about two weeks looking, researching, making calls, comparing, etc all available black guns in 7.62. I broke it down to the SR762 and the 716. I wanted a piston type op system, and a gun that came with features as a complete package. I like the 716 a lot, and admire the rotating bolt action and was looking hard at it.but in the end, I decided on the Ruger. Its a great gun, and has extras included that I deemed important. So say what you will, don’t give a damn, I will have the SR in my hands in just a few days. I’m stoked, and the trigger, who gives a shit , I will rework it or if needed drop in a two stage after market
This review states that the SR-762 is more accurate than the FN-FAL, yet the listed MOA figures from testing don’t seem to support that claim (unless the tester’s skills were not up exploiting the rifle’s full potential). (Here I mean a modern FAL (e.g., DSA), not a beat-up Imbel or some Asian knock-off). Moreover, it’s not clear exactly how this design improves upon the FAL in any meaningful sense, aside from having “borrowed” the basic design and applied modern manufacturing techniques. Also, it appears that the stock is only M4-style collapsing, not side-folding. The weight advantage (if any, since the article doesn’t provide a quantitative comparison) is less important to me that length for carrying and storing. All in all, it seems like a fine alternative rifle, but I wouldn’t exactly call this a “lifetime” buy or the “last rifle you’ll need.” The review reads too much like an ad for Ruger.
PS: I goofed, “all other self-loading battle rifle designs” should be immediately followed by, “(except the H&K recoil/roller lock)”. Please, edit this in for me. Thanks, Kent
With the two DGI exceptions of the MAS-49 (1949) and the M-16 (1963), all other self-loading battle rifle designs have been gas piston operated. That alone speaks volumes. The reason? Reliability. In fact, the MAS-49 was likely more reliable than the M-16, probably because the MAS was semi-auto only. I have read countless accounts of M-16’s ‘jamming’ in combat. Also, given the choice of one rifle between the M-16 and AK-47, all the military ‘experts’ I’ve read chose the AK-47. Why? Reliability, again. In a kill or be killed situation, you want a weapon that always goes Bang! when you need it to. Lastly, if Stoner’s choice of a DGI action 50 years ago was that good (his reasons, aside), why hasn’t ANY other successful combat rifle designer made the same choice since, and had his design adopted?
Great article! Has me wanting one already. It is just too bad that other sites that carry gun reviews can’t be as thorough as this one.
I trained people on the M-16 rifle for over nine years. I never did really like the weapon. I left the military in 1984 and since that time I have seen “AR” rifles coming out from company after company. I’m waiting for 7-11 to come out with one, maybe Pizza Hut will one day bring out one. When Ruger brought out the Mini-14 I was so happy to see this rifle. I’ve always wondered if they would make a real “M-14″ in 7.62. Springfield Armory makes the rifle and their 18” barrel model is perfect for me…….the cost prevents me from getting one. I like the concept of the M-14 in that a user could “top off” a magazine in the rifle. The “AR” requires lots of mags, with a “spoon” to reload those mags. 7.62 would just involve carrying a bandolier. The bottom line for me is I am “tired out” with the AR and all of the “hoopla.” Hey Ruger bring out a real rifle and not just another “AR.”
Thanks! How does this one compare to the Sig 716?
DISREGARD! I should have read the comments before posting… DOH!
The Ruger SR-762 has its flaws. Overall, its still a keeper:
Problems:
Problem 1: 2 of the 3 supplied P-Mags had many FTE and FTFs. I called Ruger and was told I’m not the only one with this problem. Ruger has started a national mag exchange program for the 762. I sent my 2 bad mags in (11/25) and am still waiting to get 2 good mags back. The third mag runs flawlessly (or at least it has for 225 rounds so far).
Problem 2: The stock trigger was less than satisfactory. I dropped in a giesselle (sp?) and that solved the problem.
Problem 3: The peep aperture on the rear sight interferes with my optic. Normally I’d blame myself for not getting higher mounts (I got the Bobro), but the Samson peep aperture won’t fold flat. The body of the folded BUIS fits under my Weaver Tactical FFP 3x15x50 just fine, but the stupid dual peep aperture doesn’t fold down. Grumble grumble… If anyone wants to trade rear BUISs, let me know. Its a shame because I really like the Samson sights. BTW, the Bobro quick release mount has put my scope back to absolute zero about 5 times now.
Problem 4: Ruger will not sell spare parts for it. I asked and was told no on any “factory fitted” part, which is most of them.
Problem 5: it eats ammo WAY too fast. I blame the gun 🙂
Enough gripes, here’s what I like:
Its lighter than the other semi-auto 308’s I played with. Are there lighter SA 308’s out there? Probably, but not that readily come to mind or that I held.
I get submoa 5 shot groups with handloads. The first shot is a flier even when I slingshot it into the action, but the following 19 make tight little groups when I do my part.
The action stays very clean. I ran some Herter’s steel cased ammo and didn’t find any of those little yellow specs or much carbon fouling in the chamber. The gas piston gets dirty, but its easy to remove and easy to clean because its chrome plated. The Ruger’s barrel cleans faster than my Remington 700 308 AAC-SD because the former is chromed.
I like the ability to control the gas (yeah yeah, insert your favorite fart joke here). This gives me the option to run it reliably with a can, run it reliably without cleaning for extended periods of time, or turn the gas off and run it like a single-shot if I don’t want to chase my brass at the range or buy a brass catcher.
The AR platform makes it comfortable to shoot, easy to put on optics, and very customizable; ie I could drop in the trigger I really wanted.
I don’t have to baby it when handling or shooting. The flash hider protects the crown so I can ride with it “muzzle on floor” in the pickup. Its first outing was in a hellacious snow storm in the top of the Utah mountains. The gun got sopping wet and heavily snowed on yet ran fine; I should have taken a video. Sub 0 temps didn’t seem to affect it on another outing; when the good mag was in. The dust cover should keep most mud, dirt, and river water out of the action when I strap it on the ATV this summer and fall. Don’t get me wrong, the rifle gets cleaned and dried, and lightly lubed, but its going to have to earn its keep in a mountainous and desert area. It is not a safe queen.
It doesn’t have much recoil; I’d guess it has about 11 ft-lbs (just a guess).
$1,640 otd is a lot of money for me, however, the Ruger cost less than the Sig 716 and is (in my book) equally good and weighs less.
It feels good to buy an American designed and produced fighting rifle when the product fits my application, is well made (thanks Matrix Aero), and the value is there.
Touche on point 5. We didn’t try out other two mags, but now WILL. Thanks.
I just bought on of these Ruger SR -556 Combat rifles. I didn’t think that Ruger could improve on a weapon that has been on the front lines and been tested in about every way possible….BUT! Ruger has fine tuned this weapon to tack driving accuracy and the cycling of the weapon is so smooth you can barely feel any recoil. The have fine tuned and honed this weapon to the point that failure is almost impossible. I used the standard front and back iron battle sights in my tests and found that the accuracy did not diminish. Now granted I have not thrown the rifle in a mudhole for of hours and then fired it but I was in very dusty conditions that will eventually foul a weapon, and I proud to say that the fifle never hiccupped once, It went through 500 rounds of soft poin, hollow point, and Full Metal jacket. I’m prowd to say there was not one failure. Colt may have made the weapon but Ruger refined it. With the full length gas tube controlling the inside actions of the rifle and being adjustable this beast could be induced to devour about any type of ammunition. I’ve sung it’s praises enough buy one and try one, you won’t ride pony’s anymore. Ron Newberry
I don’t get the hostility about this article and/or the other articles on this site. The name of the article was not Ruger vs. Sig. It was Ruger SR 762. It pointed out a lot of good points about Manufacturers of 762 models in general, but I did not read anywhere in the article that it was directly comparing the Ruger to any singled out gun. It referred to Ruger’s new gun. Not that the technology was ground breaking being the only piston 308. The person wrote an article on one gun, not a biography on all things 308 and every 308 that ever was or wasn’t and how it compares. OMG people !!!!
One very important thing that it did mention is that some/most of the lower parts interchange with AR-15 parts. I own a DPMS LR 308 and nothing interchanges correctly (NOTICE I SAID CORRECTLY – argue all you want, but I said correctly meaning factory approved replacement parts) and everything is specific to DPMS. So you are at there mercy of DPMS and/or the companies who chose to make a product for it and that is not very many and expensive. Twenty years from now are those parts going to be available or will it all be custom replacement parts at astronomical prices.
The author also told you the most Important thing of all, DO YOUR OWN RESURCH !!! Seriously if you run right out and buy anything on one author’s article or information, or company advertising, you have more money than you needed anyway… and no brains to back it up… I agree with the other people who say, why do you read the article and be so picky about it ??? Like the news media, other authors and everyone else, it was his opinion and his first impression of the gun. I never saw any where that he mentioned a SIG and if you what to know, all I saw was others personal opinion, I did not see one of them mention any “facts” about a SIG. No one jumped out there and said a SIG weighted less, a big deal to me, if you carry a 12 to 15 pound DPMS very far or for days, after you add a scope and what not. Barrel choice? Sig offer anything but 16 inch, not that Ruger will not after they get into the market for awhile? My personal opinion is why would you have a 308 with a 16″ barrel? Mine start at 24 inches and go up from there… Also, always with the trigger pull… “Nine pounds is unacceptable.” You haven’t shot the gun. First of all, it may make the gun to some people, like me… Grow up and get some muscle. A two pound trigger pull can not even be felt in the middle of winter with good gloves on, and your hands are freezing cause you actually been hunting all day, not shooting game in a pen hand delivered to you by a guide and then all you hear from these mighty hunters (especially when they miss) is the gun went off to quick, didn’t have time, accidently or other crap, and of course it is always the gun’s fault, never theirs… And second, you would not like it if it had a 2lb,3,4,5,or what not pound trigger on it either… That is my opinion, and as the author stated – that the article was his opinion, if you read it and as if you could not tell that. You think he is thin skinned, I think he and other writers on here do a great job of keeping there cool, as it seems to me that a lot of these people are just out to jump all over the writers on here for anything they say… And personally I read the article because it said Ruger SR 762, if it had said SIG this or that, I probably would not have even looked at it… If I wanted SIG articles, I would have looked them up on Bing… Because I choose not to use Google – because they “admittedly” help the government spy on you and collect your information for what ever purpose they see fit without your permission!!!!
Thanks for the great write up. I was in the marked for a 308 in AR and had my mind set on a M&P. After a little research I came across the SR762. I have never been a Ruger fan until a resent 10/22 purchase. I always thought of them to be on the cheap said. I am however a Sig fanatic owning many. After much research and physically com pairing the SR762 to like AR’s I know have one on layaway. Its an awesome gun. Its already been tried and tested with the 556 format too. It does not have a floating barrel and is piston which some say is less accurate but Ruger says the bullet is well out of the barrel before the pistons engaged or harmonics come into play. See MOE results. I’m a hardheaded guy and stick with what I know but I realized it would be my ignorance if I past this on up. All the vomplantsvare easy mods too. The first thing I’ll do it lighten the trigger (about an hours work) and probably add a non adjustable stock. Thanks again for the great review on a great gun.
I have had a Mini 30 since the 80’s a good rifle but always wanted the AR-Platform almost bought a DPMS LR-308 but this rifle just changed my mind, I hope the man that is guessing the price is around $1800.00 “Hope so maybe a little cheaper, But no matter what I’m getting one…!
Thanks for the write up, there will always be those who critique any few point of others, but offer nothing more than an argument. I appreciate your opinion and detailed information, rarely has there ever be a massed produced weapon that appeals to everyone, so using the base AR lower opens the door to some of those people above that seem unaware there is a market available to those who wish to have something better suited for their personal taste.
Anyone with half a brain always considers any single point information as a viewpoint, supported though various tests, information that can be supported, then can be viewed as factual, some more detailed than others… I have always found it beneficial to look at all the facts from various sources before coming to a conclusion on what works for me. Nice write up and thanks again
Sure sounds like yall are talking about the .307
I’ve read any number of reviews about Ruger’s rifle offerings, and it seemed to me at least that their accuracy was not as good as their competitors’. That said, a few questions for this august crew:
1. Why is there a forward assist? As I understand it, the assist was added to the M16 because of jamming caused by fouled chambers (caused of course by the DI system). If this is the case, why is there an assist on a piston based system? If my understanding is correct, it seems awfully unnecessary. Further, I thought they’d worked out the issue with the M16 such that the assist is anachronistic for the M4/AR15 systems as well.
2. Is the 7.62 compatible with .308 ammo? I may be confused, but I was just reading an article about the 7.62x51R as not being compatible with the .308 because the former has a rim and the .308 doesn’t. Is there a “non-R” 7.62 cartridge?
I think you are right. The forward assist is a total anachronism in a piston based rifle. I think that it has become an icon of an AR. “To be a real AR you have to have one” sort of thing. But, who knows, it might be helpful some day under some conditions when you probably shouldn’t shoot it but have to, like full of mud or something.
The only rimmed 308 I recall is a version of the cartridge developed for Marlin. I was looking at buying one of their lever action rifles chambered for it until I found out is was totally incompatible with the 7.62×51/308 Win cartridge. I think Hornady made them as part of their “leverevolution” product line. I think it was intended as a “super 30-30” but I don’t think it caught on. I never saw that referred to as a “7.62x51R” though so maybe that is something different. If you get 7.62 Nato (7.62×51) or 308 Winchester you will get a non-rimmed cartridge.
Should have looked before I leaped on the 7.62x51R. I see from our dear friend Google that it is an older cartridge, one of many rimmed variations on the 7.62.
Just look for the “7.62 Nato” or “308 Winchester” designation and everything will turn out all right.
Seems the 30-30 is also technically referred to as a “7.62x51R”. How strange. And confusing.
Where did you read that? The 30-30 is WCF, for Winchester Center Fire, and that is the only SAAMI name for the cartridge, or any other name for the cartridge. No foreign government has ever adopted the 30-30, which is the only reason it would a millimeter name regradless.
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There are plenty of rimmed cartridges with a .308 diameter bullet. If that caliber existed it would be a wildcat, necked down from something else.
Unlike on an M1/M14 or AK, there is no protruding charging handle that will help send the bolt home if necessary on AR style rifles. The forward assist was originally added because fouling in the chamber disrupted smooth operation, and it may seem superfluous in a cleaner shooting piston rifle, but I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. In a combat environment, especially in the desert, all manner of dust and other gunk can foul your chamber.
I currently own a SR556-68 (in 6.8 SPC). It was the cheapest piston driven AR I could find when I purchased it. I have had nothing but good times with it. I run 110-115g 6.8x43mm ammo, both store bought and home made reloads with no issue. Before I placed an ACOG on top of it, it had a M68 CCO. It shoots fine with either. The flip up/down sights are very useful and I use them as much as the optic(s). I have not had to adjust the gas regulator even with the reloads. The bolt carrier group runs smooth and clean. The heavier than average trigger is not a big deal to me honestly. I shoot close (under 50m) and for distance (over 500m) with it. The ultimate endstate would be a suppressor, so the piston system was a requirement and an adjustable system at that. The rubber Hogue grip is a nice touch also, so no complaints there. I did wish that the rail covers were either longer or my SR came with more rail covers.
For reference, I own/shoot a few other piston systems: M1A, M1 Garand, L1A1 SLR, AK-47 and the oddest of all piston systems….a .50 AE Desert Eagle.
Overall I liked the article. The author was pretty upfront about his love for Ruger…so thinking you’d get a 100% unbiased article would be like turning into Fox News or MSNBC and expecting them to be spot on and unbiased. While I did like article, I would like it much more if the author would send me this SR762 to compare side by side with my SR. That would make me a happy boy.
I love my SR-556 and ABSOLUTELY will be buying one of these. I hope Ruger’s production will be able to keep up with demand. I have a number of their firearms and think their quality is second to none. Thanks for a nice write up.
One correction to your article. I called Ruger to check on the price of an upper. The service rep stated that the SR-762 upper is proprietary and only works with the Ruger lower. Too bad, I would have like to mount this on my self built lower…
I actually have both the SR-556 and (as of yesterday) the SR-762. I have a Ruger accessory butt stock from the 556 that fit and I have already ordered a small pin Giessele SSA trigger and a Magpul MAID grip to match what I have on the 556. I don’t plan to go with an ambidextrous safety but I am sure it would fit as well. I don’t know about the magazine release or the bolt hold open parts. I haven’t compared the small parts of the bolt carrier but I doubt they are interchangeable.
When you compare them side by side the differences are quite obvious. The upper is wider and longer to accommodate the larger 7.62 bolt and carrier and has almost an octagonal shape rather than the cylindrical shape of the 556. The outer shape of the upper obviously helps to keep the overall width slimmer. The lower has an enlarged magazine well (of course) and the trigger guard is part of the casting. The recoil buffer and stock tube are longer but configured like the AR parts. Obviously the action length and the recoil of the 7.62 required a longer and more substantial recoil buffer. As a result the overall length of the rifle is longer as well with the stock collapsed or extended.
It is quite obvious that a “standard” AR, or even a SR-556, upper or lower would not be compatible in any way. It does look like they tried to make it as compatible as possible and use “standard” AR components where practical.
Despite the differences they are amazingly similar. You can feel the extra weight of the 762 but the balance is less front heavy than the 556 IMHO. I haven’t had a chance to shoot it yet but I look forward to it.
I like it.
I’ve been following the SR5.56 from Ruger since it was first made to the public. I liked the rifle but thought it was too expensive. Then began reading the stories of folks getting the second or third round of the weapon. Then last fall I finally got the chance to test it myself, hey it’s a barn burner. The gun runs flawlessly any and all I ran through it, it fired. No stopping, no stove piping, it runs and runs very accurately even with a suppressor. I am well pleased with my SR5.56. Those that like the LWRCI, and say for a few more dollars just get the LWRCI I think that it money thrown away. The Ruger SR5.56 is awesome I’ve owned several and I’ll probably buy the SR7.62 also. Now I have the POF 308 and I like it a lot, it’s the quietest gun I’ve ever seen or used with a suppressor. But it doesn’t run as sweetly as the SR does. All in all I don’t think anyone would have any trouble with the RUGER SR5.56. I just need to learn now how to load my own and start reloading as I have almost ran through my stash. Good luck folks.-John from Cleveland,Ga.
I am relatively new to the comment section of this website. I like to read about new products and hearing what others may feel about them. I was surprised to see, early in the column, name calling (Ruger fanboy) showed it’s ugly face. Are you kidding me? Name calling? In a forum that is supposed to be inhabited by adults? I own firearms from a variety of manufacturers; Sig, H&K, S&W, Walther, to name a few, and Ruger. Allow me to relate an experience I have had with Ruger. Years ago I purchased a Number 1, single shot rifle, in 7MM Mag. My basic hunting philosophy is “if you can’t get him with the first shot? Get the hell out of the woods”!
Anyway, I take care of my equipment, it is never abused or neglected. Imagine my disappointment, when one day while handling this rifle, I notice a deep pit in the side of the receiver. Being a mechanical sort of guy all my life, I figure all we have to do is weld it, machine the surface, and then blue it. When I asked a reputable gunsmith about it, he was quick to advise me, “no welding, that would compromise the strength of the steel” ask Ruger what to do. So I call Ruger, and they tell me send the rifle back to N.H. for assessment. To which I responded, O.K. but i would like to keep the wood for refinishing, and they agreed. So, I send the steel. A week or so later I receive a note from Ruger stating, The pitting is most likely due to the salts used during improper curing of the walnut. Ruger will affect the repair to the receiver, and install a new stock and forearm, making the gun like new, at a cost to me of nothing! Zero Dollars! That was twenty years ago, and that rifle looks today the same as it did the day it left the factory. Am I a fan of Ruger? You bet your ass I am! In spades! And, if it makes you feel good to call me a Ruger fanboy? Knock yourself out.
I like the Ruger products also and have for many years. The first ruger product I ever owned was a P85. It was one of the best handguns I ever purchased.. I have owned SW’s that had to be sent back to the factory after five minutes on the range. I have Beretta that did not even make it to the range before it was sent back..I have been a collector for 27 years and Ruger makes a great product.. As for the political stance on the 10 round issue. Yes it is nice to have more than 10 and it is a shame that certain peoples actions brought the heat down on the ammunition capacity. When the first ban was in it did not affect my life. If you can not hit it with that many rounds then I would suggest you give it up.. Don’s experience with the Ruger company tells you many things.. They stand behind their products and they are american made.. As for the new offering it looks interesting and it most likely is a very nice weapon to own..
My family is all firearms enthusiasts and my folks used to operate a reloading business. In the early 80’s a friend of the family bought a 6″ Security Six new and was using it in PPC and other events they shot in. Partially because they were loading paper-punchers (wadcutters – flat-nosed lead bullets) with really low powder charges, the Six would, after a number of rounds, start to develop lead fouling around the forcing cone and at the front of the cylinder. This would, if left unchecked, eventually lead to a situation where the cylinder would lock up. My dad bought the pistol, sent it back to Ruger, and after about 2 weeks got it back. It had been completely rebuilt, with new cylinder, crane, indexer, etc. and also received a custom shop accurizing and trigger job – all at NO CHARGE! I have used that pistol to hunt deer numerous times, and it is easily capable of 1.5″ groups at 50 yards.
Ruger stands behind their products. That, you can take to the bank.
Sounds like a decent rifle, but I’d like to know how it compares to the HK MR762 (civilian HK417) and FN SCAR17. It’s certainly cheaper than both of those guns. And yeah, piston is infinitely superior to direct gas impingement. I’ve shot my piston Stag model 8 right next to my friend’s gas impingement Colt, and the difference in heat and gunk in the bolt was like night and day. Direct gas impingement blows carbon and heat back into the moving parts of the rifle, and heat plus carbon equals friction. There is no acceptable reason for deliberately creating friction on the bolt of your rifle, especially in a combat situation. I had an M16 in Iraq, and I cleaned that thing at least 3 times a day whether I fired it or not, and that shouldn’t be necessary for a combat rifle.
Any data on how the ruger stacks up against the offerings from LWRCI (REPR AR-10 platform) or the GAP-10?
It was very good or you folks to fix yesterdays BLUE screen problem. I was frustrated when I went to read the rest of the article and even rebooted my laptop. So a big thank you.
Also being a huge Ruger fan and a Mini 14, Mini 30, and so on being they are Garand style bolt action rifles which are my favorite do to less jamming then any AR I have ever seen or shot.
I have always had AR’S jam on me. Especially the 7.62 I will not say who the manufacture was as this time but it was a very very expensive rifle. This was going back to 2005 in Florida. The rifle would fire one round then the next after firing the shell would get stuck in the barrel. So out with the shell using a rod then looking at the first round the shell had a crimp in the middle of it from hitting something during ejection. This happened a few times and the rifle went back to the dealer for exchange.
I have not yet to experience the new SR-556 yet and hope to see both soon.
Interesting article and on the whole a divergence of comments.
For me, as I consider adding a rifle to my self=protection needs, the SR762 seems to fit the bill. My list of needs include…Lighter weight, short enough for close-in-fight, heavier round and range, US made, common ammo. Likely will go with the military style open sight to keep it simple.
As for the good / bad comments about piston vs gas…my own experiences with the M-16 /M-4 elicit a lot of bad memories in miserable conditions and not being able to reach out and touch someone who needed it. I’ll go with piston.
I have been cautioned about using 5.56 Nato ammo. in my .223 Remington SPS !
Are these cals. compatible or not ?
Tony, As far as I’ve been told the main difference of the two are the shell thickness. yet if you watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghxrqt3cy4M He is saying the shell is the same. I think he is wrong because he tells you right off that the 5.56 is a higher pressure round compared to a civilian 223. Also Like he states the 5.56 can come in larger or heavier rounds like a 55 grain and the 223 is 49? it is still confusing but I have always used the FEDERAL 556×55 round in my mini 14 and have never had any trouble.
Basically what most company’s are saying is that your standard AR 223 is just that and you should not use Nato 5.56 rounds in them because of the higher pressure ratings. But if you look you will find hundreds of web sites and videos that will explain this common question and the different answers you get. Good luck but be careful and shoot safe.
Diego,
Thanks for your reply and views ! I will stick with the .223 ammo. even though
it is more expensive than the 5.56 Nato rounds.
I am not going to harm my rifle by using the wrong ammo.! I have too much invested
in my guns to abuse them.
The shoulders of the cartridge are also different, and a 5.56 will not seat properly in a .223 chamber. A .223 fits in a 5.56 but not vice versa.
Diego is right, the 5.56 is loaded to higher pressures than a .223 Rem. This is why in reloading handbooks certain powders are only used in one or the other, due to their burn rate and therefore the chamber pressures they create. Mark is also correct, there is also a difference in the case geometry. It’s very much similar to the difference between a .38 Special and a .357 Magnum – you can shoot .38’s out of your .357, but not vice versa.
For anyone who doesn’t see the benefit in a COMBAT RIFLE of keeping the weapon’s moving parts as clean as possible, I point you to The Defence of Rorke’s Drift, specifically problems with the Martini-Henry rifle (really any black powder cartridge weapon), specifically it’s tendency to have extraction problems as the weapon becomes dirtier and hotter during prolonged firing of extended combat. THIS is the reason SOCOM went to the HK-416/417 and later the FN SCAR17. A weapon that “craps where it eats” is more likely to experience feeding-related malfunctions than a similar design that separates the two functions, something that worked fine in the Garand (M1/M14), Kalashnikov, Simonov (SKS), Browning, and Saive-Vervier (FAL) systems. Gene Stoner’s design works pretty damn well until you throw on a suppressor, play with dirtier propellants or get into extended battle (esp. if using a large amount of burst/FA fire), which is why it’s such a great DM/sniper system, but ask an M110 sniper how dirty his rifle gets with GI ammo, because they almost invariably use a suppressor, which just keeps so much crap in the action, and part of that “crap” is HEAT. If you don’t know what HEAT does to accuracy, you need to go back to BRM or PMI or whatever the Army is calling it next week. In the artillery community, we deal with heat in two places: rate of fire and propellant temperature. 155mm howitzers have a gauge that tells you when to slow down your rate of fire. All howitzer firing tables have a propellant temp compensation factor.
Keep your powder dry and out of direct sunlight.
MAJ Tony, your 2009 Shot Show GI from Indy
Ron made a great point and Admin dogs them for it. A 9 lb trigger pull is unexceptable on a two grand rifle…
Ron made a great point on why Ruger would find that exceptable … I own a 10-22, LC9 and had a 3006 77 bolt rifle I sold.
First, Ruger makes many well made firearms. When their piston AR in 5.56/.223 first came out I considered buying one. However, after much research I settled on the LWRCI M6 AR-15 for several reasons. First off, in my opinion the LWRCI is a much better built rifle. They have been making piston driven ARs much longer than River. Also they have been through many government trials. The DEA as well as several other three letter government agencies adopted the rifle as well as several foreign military armies and special units. They have their own patented propriortary short stroke gas system very similar to the HK 416, another AR system currently in use in some US special operations units. Another reason for my decision was price. The LWRCI 5.56/.223 is a little more expensive but not much. Also, LWRCI has been making a 7.62/.308 piston rifle for almost as long if not as long as they have the 5.56 as well as a completely new designed from the ground up piston driven AR in the increasingly popular 6.8 SPC. Both the 5.56 and 6.8 rifles are available to military and law enforcement in select fire models, as well as short barreled versions that are available to private citizens in some states given BATF tax stamp is purchased and and paperwork is completed and approved by that agency and your appropriate local law enforcement approval. My point is their gas piston system works on short barreled select fire models as well as full length semi auto versions which says a lot about the reliability of LWRCI’s manufacturing quality. To get back to the 7.65/.308, the author makes it sound like River has something new. The LWRCI REAPR in 7.62/.308 is a much more accurate rifle with 1 MOA or less being the norm and it has an excellent trigger. In my experience River has had problems with triggers on several models of firearms. Some of these issues have been rectified but the trigger weight on the new SR 762 is totally unacceptable in my opinion. Also River’s SR series of striker fired pistols in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, leave a lot to be desired in my opinion. I’m not trying to bash River by any means they make some excellent firearms at very reasonable prices. One of the next guns on my list is a Ruger Vaquero. If your not looking for long range accuracy or are willing to put a new trigger system in then maybe the SR 762 is what you want, but with that price tag why not spend a little more money and get a piston driven LWRCI REAPR in 7.62/.308 and have 1 MOA or better gun right out of the box. That’s just my opinion.
Amen to SUn TZu,
As Rodney King said so well can’t we all just get along! Everyone has their own opinion so take it for what it’s worth The administrator was only giving his review of this particular rifle and not a compare all to everything that is or has ever been produced. It’s great to hear about new weapons that are being introduced to market. It’s our responsibility to do our own homework when we want to decide which one to buy, I wish I could have one of each It’s a good wish just most likely won’t happen. If you want to compare another rifle to Rugers by all means do the testing and either write a blog or get your article published.”good luck if you decide to Ill read it” Or maybe write a book on who’s the best and why, for the gun enthusiast. Anyway I would love to own one of each in the 223 and the 308 its great to have a choice and ability to own either. Thank you for the schooling I have learned something from all!!
It is funny that you say this. Did you not “read” the article? The author DOES comparisons in this article however they are not directed toward the best of comparison products. So if this was a purely informative article then it would be judged as so, BUT if you are going to compare…why not compare to the closest items on the market to each other? This instead of comparing “inferior” items from the start. Comparing this rifle to DI is not really comparing as these have been done many times before (piston v. DI), so when you compare do a comparison that is also “more” informational. It also if you want to get picky about, sounds like the author implies this is in the first of piston 308’s, when in fact many piston rifles are on the market (most of which I own). I just think if you are going to compare, compare “apples to apples not apples to oranges”. As I said the information on the specs and performance were nice, but the comparative portions should have been directed toward “similar” products not things that aren’t. Now that being said if it were the first on the market comparing in that manner would be appropriate, but that simply is not the case. Furthermore don’t act like the product is the best thing ever, if you are not comparing it to the most similar products on the market. According to the admin response to my previous message they have never even shot the 716 (the gun I feel most competes with this sr762 on mainstream market), so how can it be written like it is the best and “unique” product on the market when multiple piston AR platform rifles have been on the market. The author specifically states “what makes this gun so unique is the FAL-like rod and gas block system”, when in fact it is not unique. This rifle is not the first piston or even first AR platform piston 308 on the market so that is not “unique”, in fact it may just be a “clone” of the ones on the market. I’m not sure That’s why if you are going to compare and make comments about “uniqueness” make sure those are appropriate.
Again I thought the specs and performance portions were great, just the information (including comparison)/background history portions were very misleading and uneducated. I am not saying that I could have done better, just saying they both could surely have been directed more appropriate.
Bottom line this seems to be a good product to compete with the other piston system rifles on the market, just don’t write as though it is an industry innovator when it is just following other companies footsteps, not “the less beaten path” when all companies if not already producing piston platforms are in the works. This rifle is simply not that different (if any) than the Sig716, may even be a copy of it. Again I know there are plenty of other piston rifles out there but mainstream market (most gun shops that carry tactical/sporting rifles on their shelves) I feel this and the Sig will compete head to head there. The only real difference I see is soft case and 3 mags versus no case and 1 mag (unless Sig has changed some I purchased my 716 well over a year ago). I mean there is also the furniture aspect of it but that is nothing to do with this portion of the argument.
Just saying needed to be a little more accurate in the direction of the wording and information is all. I mean someone reading this may not know that there have been rifles in this class (AR piston 308 platform) on the market for quite some time and after reading this article think it is the most innovative and best thing on the market. This is simply taking it from the context of this article and applying it that population. The information could have been better on the history part and the comparison could have been better direct to closer competition is all I’m saying to make this articles validity stronger.
Just wanted to correct the writers error he made early on in his article. You stated that the design is familiar to a rifle that “used” to be called, “The Right Arm of the Free World”. The FN-FAL is STILL called “The Right Arm of the Free World”. Also it is still being used in many countries today as well. This new Ruger looks like it would be a nice rifle to have and I might have to check it out when I see it. Biggest problem I saw in your article is that heavy trigger pull. For that kind of investment that is something that needs to be addressed by Ruger for sure. Too many rails for me also, not into all the extra baggage like scopes and lights and this and that, just give me iron sights and let me have fun. Thanks for the somewhat informative article but some comparisons would have been a good thing too. All in all, good looking rig.
I bought the piston driven Ruger SR-556 when it came out. The piston system is night & day cleaner, cooler than DGI. Go out with someone that has the piston, and someone with DGI. Both shoot 100 plus rounds, then get the bolts out and look at them. Really unbelievable to see first hand the difference in how clean the piston driven AR’s bolt is compared to the DGI’s bolt. Super heated gases with powder residue never made real sense to me (Yes, yes, I know, it has worked for decades, thanks Mr. Stoner). Why not cool & clean? The pistons AR’s sure are that. The chromed bolt & carrier group sure is a nice bonus as well
I have PR-91’s, Springfield Scout M1A, Ruger Gunsite 308, FNAR 308, DPMS LR308’s and would look forward to having the new SR-762 as the primary .308 gun.
The all gas system is alright IF the gas is blown into a cup like it is on the AG42 or the semi auto French rifle (MAS49?) as the gas goes into the cup and is not bottled up in the receiver (those are open top receivers). Those rifles and many that use the long or short stroke piston gas systems can be fired with no lubrication (at the cost of accelerated wear) in desert (dusty, sandy) environments.
The problems with the gas system on the AR platform are that the gas is channeled through the bolt carrier interior to the tail of the bolt and the gas is contained inside the receiver body. These problems cause powder residue build up on internal parts that have to move in order for the rifle to function. The solution is lubrication and lots of it, but now you attract dust and dirt.
The benefits to the AR standard gas system are lighter weight and fewer moving parts. The benefit to piston systems or open top receiver gas systems are easier cleaning and less lubricant at the cost of more moving parts or easier dirt ingress.
For the purpose of target shooting (informal or not) or hunting reliability isn’t an issue provided things are kept clean. It gets down to how many parts are you likely to wear out vs. how long does it take to clean. Just hosing out an AR doesn’t get it done. The bolt needs to be stripped and cleaned, the bolt carrier needs to have its ports and gas recesses cleaned and there hasn’t been anything made that will remove hard carbon deposits other than elbow grease and the proper tools. Piston guns (M1 Garand comes to mind) don’t need more than a barrel brush, patches and solvent.
C’mon guys, we all have diff reasons to like diff stuff, that is the nice thing about a (somewhat) free soc…
Peace and love y’all, or if you prefer, war and hate,
Lessdrop
Even a MENTAL MIDGET can talk about guns………………..lol
Thanks for a well written and informative article. Ruger may have a great product in this weapon.
We sure have some grumpy curmudgeons on this forum. So what the author is a “fan” of Ruger. Since when did that become a crime in the firearms community? (Please don’t show your immaturity to us and whine about the magazine issue, AGAIN!) They (Sturm Ruger) are firearms pioneers in their own right and have given the shooting public some very awesome products since their inception and at very affordable prices, I may add 😉
I am not a fan of everything Ruger makes, but I wish I could afford to own a large section of their great product line. Especially this new rifle which sounds very promising. (I rather have an SCAR, but as I said, no dinero 😉 )
The author does not come across as a “fan boy” of Sturm Ruger, but as someone trying to write a positive story about a new product that has great potential. Why would anyone want to read an article that is “nit picky” and full of snide remarks and disparaging comparisons to other similar rifle platforms? That serves no purpose other than to vent the writers own frustrations and internal angst! (If you want that kind of commentary and reportage, go hangout on SOF and other like places of doom and gloom, madre dios me ;-( )
There are many fine weapons platforms on the market today, more than there has ever been since Winchester, Colt, and Smith & Wesson started mass producing weapons of quality, precision, and reliability at affordable prices and that process has only gotten better through the years since. Ruger maybe the “johnny come lately” (1949) to this industry but they sure have made an lasting and indelible impression on the firearms scene and new rifle is just another proud feather in their bonnet 😉
Disclaimer: The ONLY Sturm Ruger product I have ever owned and still own, is an older MK II Target pistol that I only acquired by chance, but I will not trade for anything, PERIOD 😉
I only own piston driven platforms, this will be another that I will add to my collection. It’s very simple if you dislike the rifles trigger change it! Change the stock, the muzzle break, flash-hider, purchase a sling some ammo and enjoy life. To much bickering over what could have been, what should have been, we live in the now, and you still have your freedoms. Buy the rifle it may surprise you!!
DSArms Sa58, P.W.S. MK-216, Springfield Armory M1a / Socom 16, Robinson Arms M, Arsenal Sam SF, Vepr AK …
The “less beaten path”??
Are you joking, I’ve lost count of how many companies are making piston-operating ARs. The advantage of direct gas impingement is that you haven’t got an operating rod whacking back and forth so that helps with accuracy.
The best solution I’ve ever seen is the Z-M weapons system patent which uses an extended carrier key, thereby keeping the gas out of the receiver but it still works via direct gas impingement (Para-Ordnance use it in their rifles). The mass of the bolt carrier with the key is about the same.
H&K make the best gas rod type system imo.
I see where the Sig 716 patrol is comparably priced MSRP. Even though I’m partial to Ruger, it sounds like we need an in-depth comparison.
No you copied the AK-47 design which uses the gases to drive a rod>> same thing —why not use Gatling round magazine holding 100 rounds that spins in relation to pulling the trigger with say 4 or 5 lithium batteries like a drill uses? and then you could have it timed for 5 to 10 round bursts..that would be unique and amazing? You copied the AK -47 or AK- 74 type PISTON over the barrel design?
Nice review however I see no mention of the comparison of the ruger to its closest competitor (just my opinion on that) the Sig 716. The Sig is about the same price, piston driven, based off AR10 platforms, and all around about the same rifle, except Sig runs magpul furniture where it seems ruger went with their own “cheap” furniture. I was wondering why it was not mentioned in comparison in this article? Was it just an simple overlook on authors part or is it superior to the ruger and the “fanboy” wanted to make the ruger look better. I just feel that the best comparison would have been this new ruger to the sig, as they assembled to be extremely similar rifles. Then there is the FNH Scar 17 that could be mentioned in this comparison, seeing the price range mentioned is $2,000-3,000, yeah the Scar is MSRP at about $3,400 but you can find them about anywhere for sub $3,000. There are others out there as well but these are the 2 main market leaders in this class of weapon and no comparison was mentioned. I would like to know how it stacks up against these rifles. I just don’t see how comparing it to these DI AR-10’s are a true comparison, as most would agree any piston is better than DI. This is just a few of the questions or comments I have about the article. This was an informative article but just think the “comparison” aspects could have been directed toward more comparable choices.
The Sig 716 is just a different rifle. They haven’t sent us one. If they do we’ll review it.
This will probably be one of the most affordable piston 7.62/308 guns yet in the AR type configuration. With the MSRP at around 2200 then the street market will have it at around 1800 or lower. I cant wait to get my hands on one 🙂 This might replace my thoughts of a getting the 716 from sig 🙂
Funny how a Ruger who supported the “high capacity magazine ban” has turned around to make some great firearms that I will buy again.
From what I have read it was due to Bill Ruger that the company supported the magazine ban among other efforts by the gun control bunch. After his death the company took a new direction. Whether this new direction is rooted in support of our 2nd Amendment rights or simply good business I can’t say. Either way we still benefit.
Interesting arguements about whether or not you would rapid fire a 7.62… Some enthusiasts enjoy shooting large amounts of ammo in rapid fire tactical practice scenarios. Some do not. I have shot over 500 rounds of 7.62 in 1 day in practice and for real and never felt the worse for wear. I also believe with the right bullet a 5.56 is perfectly adequate for deer,elk, bear and men… HOWEVER… The 7.62 IS ALWAYS adequate with ANY bullet!
Hence why owning a 7.62 and putting 300-500 rounds rapid fire through it 3-5 times and developing and maintaining muscle memory with it might be a GREAT idea!
Finally, another .308 platform. I have an Anderson AM10. Great rifle. Will want the ruger as soon as it gets to my area in California. I like any .308 platform. Have ruger gunsite scout, as well as 2 HK G3/91, 2 AK 47s, 2 mosin nagants, and so on. Ruger is a good company and I stand by there products. As for Calif compliant, from the photos I saw in this article, it is compliant as far as the mag release. The magazines is a different story. They will need to be 10 round. AH, politics. Got to love it. That is why all of us should beong to the NRA and you local gun support group.
Interesting, but why would I choose the Ruger SR762 over the Sig 716 which seems to have exactly the same specs, except the trigger pull.
American Made?
I thought the Sig was manufactured in NH
Hi Adrian, Ive owned the SR556 since they hit the market and absolutely love it. I tried to contact Ruger several times asking if they had any plans to build the new 762 and had no reply so I got the Sig 716 2 years ago based on what you said, same system…. and both made in the USA!! Dont hesitate to get either. I dropped a Geiselle trigger into each (2 stage natl match), set the to a crisp 3lb break and cant get enough…. I wish I could afford another, Id grab the new Ruger too but Id have no reason to loose the Sig.
good luck
Also made in NH
Is Ruger going to have a California compliant SR-762?
Man I can’t stand the term “California compliant”! I got to get out of this bullet button…I mean bullet butthead state.
I hear ya brother…CA is a joke!
I have owned several Ruger guns over the years. I have never owned one I didn’t like. I have had some that I did trigger jobs on, which was no problem, as I used to be a gunsmith part time. I’m sure that if I could afford to buy one of the 762s I could probably fix the trigger to suit me. Ruger is a great company !
AN AR GOLD DROP IN TRIGGER, $250.00, 3 POUND BREAK DID THE TRICK
I own three Ruger products, so from personal experience I don’t think there will be a problem with the rifle. I also own two FALs, an FN 49 and a Roumanian AK 47. All of them are smooth shooters. I have personal experience of the L1A1 so I have known FALs for a while. This Ruger SR 762 sounds like a smooth shooter too, and as soon as I can save the money, I’ll get one.
The gas/piston system has been around for a while, ZB 26(Brno), Bren Gun(Brno), MP 44, AK 47, FN 49, MAG 58, FAL, and recently SG516 and HK416, so it is good to see Ruger, use this system. There are probably more guns than I mentioned, but those are the only ones I can think of right now. All of them are/were fantastic weapons of great reliability.
Your links, other than the SR762, don’t work
Thanks fixed it.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
I meant that for the previous post.
Why do they give you a crappy 20 round mag instead of a 30? I mean 30 rounders can be had for 13.00
I’ve actually not seen 30 round magazines for a .308 AR. 20 round is pretty standard with 10 Rd for restricted states and lower counts for hunting use. I’m always happy to be corrected but just my $.02.
Thanks for the article. Couple of simple points of feedback. I am also a Ruger fan, however, I remember when Ruger jumped on the maximum 10 round bandwagon when others did not. I have never forgotten that and it tarnished my opinion of Bill Ruger’s politics. Second the .308 is really at max an 800 yard gun. Can it be shot to 1000 yards, sure, but that is pushing the ballistics of the cartridge. Lastly, a 9 lb trigger is entirely too heavy and may be an indicator of Ruger’s concern for litigation. I would never buy a gun with that heavy of a trigger, crisp or not. I have a Hk-91 with a lousy trigger and it doesn’t get shot a lot despite being an outstanding gun in every other aspect. They need to fix that. Again thanks for the article.
Feedback about company politics from 20 years ago isn’t feedback. It is self aggrandizing foolishness, as are the self evident rest of your comments.
No, your reviews are what’s utter foolishness. The only reason you would ever need a piston driven gun is if you’re firing full auto or tearing through cases of ammo at a time by way of rapid fire. This is just another marketing ploy to sell you a feature that the average shooter doesn’t need. Who’s going to sit there and rapid fire a .308 to the point the action fouls up completely that they even need this design? This gun, just like the FAL, isn’t something anyone would want to rapid fire. The reviewer even put a scope on the gun, telling us all that he’s not using the gun for it was designed for. Will it stay cleaner? Sure, but it’s not going to stay cleaner to the point where you’re not going to clean it anyway once you’re done. And we all know that it only takes a little Gun Scrubber to clean up an AR’s bolt. If you’re not shooting a complete piece of junk AR with garbage brand ammo, the action will never jam so long as the gun is properly lubricated. And for the record, calling a Meopta “one of the best scope on the market” really says a lot about the author’s standards (as if being a Ruger fanboy wasn’t enough).
Your opinions about what a shooter needed or does not need are just that, your opinions. Useless, when they’re emotional responses. You do not know nor decide what I like, prefer and spend my money on.
I prefer a clean action. Period! And no, I never rapid fire anything beyond one mag; and that’s just for the adrenaline rush.
Cleaning the bolt is only a part of the parts needing a scrubbing in a gas blowback system. Cleaning them with my shirt, sweater coat during a shooting session is not what I like. Spreading soot and partially burnt powder to everything I wear and touch is not pleasant.
I agree 105% . Best of all with a piston system is they keep going during a fierce battles, which we hope our citizenry does encounter. Just ask any AK 47 warriors. Yes this is a far more refined milled rifle, so probably shouldn’t be thrown into the sand and mud. but I ‘d bet my life on this weapon over a typical AR 15 Gas Impingement system any day. Not saying Regular 15 DI styles are no good, in fact they are fabulous defense weapons and have come along ways since their inception. Another point of fact is (fringe) body hits are day and night when you compare 223 to 308. Someone hit with 308 cannot function anymore. This can’t always be said for 223 hits. I’m talking fringed hit guys. Head neck and heart shots even an arrow take you down.
Not necessarily a Rugerboy though I do know Ruger weapons but i firmly believe in 308 superiority.
Just my opinion.
I have a piston-driven AR 10 (a POF P308). Being well acquainted with the direct impingement system of the AR (due to my service time), I can say it’s not just a marketing ploy. Piston systems work, they work well, and they’re extremely, even amazingly, clean. There’s a reason why the AR had such a bad reputation at the same time the AK was establishing its reputation for reliability. Most of the DI system’s problems have been worked out, but fouling is not one of them. After a couple of hundred rounds, the bolt and bolt carrier of my POF are not even dirty. The lube in the area is contaminated and black, but that wipes right off (a broken-in POF will run with minimum or no lube, in part because of the coatings on the bolt carrier group, in part because there’s no crap being blown into the area by a direct-impingement system). It’s saves a huge amount of time when cleaning the gun, which it doesn’t need unless you run a pile of ammo through it. In a true SHTF situation, this may be critical; you may not have access to cleaning supplies.
I, too, have avoided Ruger products for years because of Bill Ruger’s stand way back in the day. Although that’s now water under the bridge (Bill is long departed and Ruger acquitted itself rather well during the last press for anti-freedom legislation), how a firearms company behaves with respect to our fundamental rights should be a consideration of every gun-buying freedom lover. Don’t buy from a maker who refuses to make stand of some kind. That maker is in it for the bucks and doesn’t care about your long-term welfare nor that of the nation. Consideration of a company’s political position is not “self-aggrandizing foolishness.” It is a serious consideration of people who are concerned about the direction of the country. The left uses economic leverage to promote its agenda, there’s no reason we can’t learn from them.
And if you’re not happy with the trigger on an AR, buy the gun you like and replace the trigger with a drop-in unit. Or buy a gun that’s a compromise but has a nice trigger. Which is do you think is the smarter thing to do?
Dave. Am torn between the Ruger SR7.62 and the POF P308. Only a few hundred $ difference between (the POF is higher). Have you shot both? Which do you prefer if you have? I trust Ruger’s staying power, so parts should not be an issue, but the CA Game and Fish dept just flogged several and decided on the POF. Trying to decide here….
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
This is where I meant to say “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
I agreed and as a Native American what happened to us is going to happen to the whole country unless folks wake up.
You’re coming accross as rather thin skinned there, as usual, admin.
You place a great deal of trust in the idea that Ruger’s policies of 20 years ago are not capable of repeating themselves, but there is no justification for this blind faith (aside from being a self-proclaimed fan boy). Ruger is a business, and will do what its owners and mangers see as best for the company. Just as DPMS, Colt, and the rest of them do. To wit, the trigger.
Oh please pull your head out of your butt. We just got hit with the worst onslaught in history and Ruger not only stood firm, they fought back. Ruger was second only to us in setting up an automation system for people to contact their representatives. “Freedom” Group bent over. Most of the rest of the industry was silent, including the NRA for weeks after Sandy Hook. The NRA tried to sell me life insurance three times via email before they mentioned anything about contacting congressmen, and I’m an endowment member. Ruger started working on their fight back website as soon as the attack started. Get a clue.
I think Ruger along with Smith learned an important lesson after their stint with the Clintonistas. The same leason that Freedom Group will learn with the Obommunists. And that is that we are watching them, we vote, and we support companies that support the constitution. FG is about to find that their betrayal us will result a great loss of market share. The biggest issue now it the loss of domestic lead smelting, with Doe Run shuttering the last lead smelting plant in the US. That it going to hit ammo production hard.
Will Ruger manufacture 20 rd magazines in quantity so that owners can buy them at less than $30.? I buy M14 magazines from CMI, Brownells and many other retailers at $28. each.
Will owners be left with having to purchase 5 & 10 rd mags because there are not many 20 shot mags being manufactured?
The M14/M1a has everything a true Rifleman needs. The best sights, a reciprocating bolt handle, No bolt carrier (so it’s reliable like an AK), and piston driven OP Rod. It has been proven in all environments. When this Ruger is proven and if magazines become available and at a fair price, I’ll look into recommending it to students. I’ll not be a test subject, I’m not wealthy, so I stay with proven rifles. The ones that have seen the Elephant. This is my opinion.
Johnny,
I am glad to see somebody else appreciates a reciprocating charging handle. I know some people believe that a reciprocating handle is somehow frightening or distracting to a shooter but I myself am comforted by the fact that I can completely cycle my M1A and my AKs by hand if necessary!
@Johnny October 30, 2013 at 9:55 am
Will Ruger manufacture 20 rd magazines in quantity so that owners can buy them at less than $30.? (clipped the rest for brevity, since it was pointless as my info will show)
If you pay attention and read the entire article you will notice that Ruger does not need to make any magazines for this rifle as another company already does. The well tested and proven 20 round 20LR Magpul Pmags are available for $20 all day long, as well as the lower capacity versions. I currently use them in my XCR-M, so being able to pick up another rifle that uses them is interesting. Oh, and the FAL piston driven op rod gas system is a pretty proven design too, BTW.
Perhaps you don’t remember that Colt, S&W, Remington, and pretty near everyone else has capitulated to pressure at some time. What do you think the Freedom Arms group is doing now? That is not “caving,” and the people who insist it is are the same ones who vote for candidates who’d rather break the government than make the best of a bad situation. Ruger was an astounding businessman, in addition to his gun-design chops, and he knew that he stood a very real chance of being run out of business if he did not comply. Who do you think bought boatloads of Mini 14s and Mini 30s? For a long time they were LEO staples. Out west, I saw them more than shotguns.
In addition, he knew (and even publicly argued) that banning guns by name was stupid, reactionary politics, and whether he agreed with it or not, the legally just alternative was to categorically apply laws with a single amendment that could be easily changed or repealed. That is not “selling out.” That is compromise, and it’s the nature of American life and the foundation of our union, which forces compromise in every aspect of its existence, from checks and balances to federalism vs states rights to the plight of business vs. the consumer.
I’ll buy arguments like this more the day someone gets on here and tells me what brands exactly they bought and how much the privilege of their integrity costs. Until then, you’re just more lock-step sheeple parroting what someone somewhere may have said in a talking points email.
No, sorry, but no.
A firearms company “compromising” with gun-grabbers is like an oil company “compromising” with greenies. Trying to bribe or make concessions to them is simply “feeding the crocodile” as Mr. Churchill put it. They’re happy to take your money and favors in the short term but their objective is to put you out of business. It’s much better to fight them now, rather than alienate your customers and find you’ve only succeeded in buying the contempt of both your friends AND your enemies. Politics ain’t rocket science. You sure as hell don’t need a masters’ from the Kennedy School of Government. Politics runs on the brutally simple logic of the playground and the prison yard. You either fight your sworn enemies with everything you have or you roll over and let them fillet you piece by piece. I imagine part of this problem is that too many companies are blindly paying for the advice of people who were indoctrinated by the same law schools as the people who are out to flense them.
WOW, what a BS reply to a nice comment by Roy. Sounds to me like the only opinion you like is that of your own. Which by the way makes your opinion seem useless.
BOOM! Got ’em.
“Administrator” First – Sounds like a sweet firearm. I’d love to own one, but with a few personal mods, as with most products. Second – your response to personal preference and constructive criticism is deeply troubling and rather arrogant. How do you manage to keep your job? My 16 year old has more tact then you.
Correct and well said.
Try a Bill Springfield trigger job on your HK-91. No creep, less than 4 lb pull. Huge improvement. Makes it fun to shoot the HK again.
Yes sir! That is an awesome trigger. Thanks for posting that.
Try a Bill Springfield trigger job on your HK-91. No creep, less than 4 lb pull. Huge improvement. Makes it fun to shoot the HK again.
If you are pushing the ballistics at 1000 yds try some lake city federal M118LR or 175 gr federal match if you can afford them.
Roy,
Just an FYI, I agree Ruger politics suffered during the Clinton administration. However, Bill Ruger stepped down in 2000 and died in 2002 which pretty much ended his involvement and that tie to his admittedly crappy buy-in to the governments position. His Son took over From 2000 until 2006 and since then the company has been under totally different management. I am sure this rifle would never have been built if Bill was still running the shop.
Dang! They got me wanting a Ruger for the 1st time since I was a kid!!