Ruger's 7.62 NATO / 308 Winchester Small Frame Autoloading Rifle

September 19, 2022 – Last night I was sitting in Rudy’s Real Texas Bar-B-Q in Round Rock, sharing brisket, ribs and sausage with family. Two sons and two grandchildren present, a visit and conversation that are unfortunately all too rare.

I envy these younger generations. Lots of enthusiasm for challenges. Lots of exploration in the life that lies ahead of them. Respectively: career challenges, entrepreneurial challenges, starting a career, and excelling in high school to assure entry into a good college.

In the absence of fictional privilege and secret handshakes, government and institutions holding doors open for them and taxpayers picking up their debts, they all work hard and deservedly take pride in accomplishments. I am so proud of them. Unlike news headline depiction, this is life for most Americans. Glad to be home, looking for another get together soon.

Ruger should take a bow. Obviously part of an industry that is under attack from a misguided White House, supported by a highly politicized Department of Justice, Ruger keeps boldly introducing and manufacturing a broad spectrum of quality firearms for people who live under the U.S. Constitution. They also maintain the commitment to American labor and resources and a responsibility to customers.

Capturing the spirit of the modern sporting rifle

AR15s are generally chambered for anemic cartridges or shorter range, straight wall cartridge heavier hitters. Moving up to a 308 Winchester capacity cartridge with the AR10 platform for use on larger game, or increased effective range, often results in significant size and weight penalties.

Ruger scaling a 308 Winchester chambered firearm down to near AR15 size and weight, giving it an adjustable gas system to accommodate a full range of ammunition and setting a price point nearly half that of competitors is quite an aggregate accomplishment.

Below – Putting the 16.1″ barrel Ruger SFAR under a 16.1″ barrel conventional AR, it is tough to spot the dimensional differences that permit the SFAR to be chambered for the 308 Winchester.

 

Removing brakes is a varied and, sometimes, challenging process. In fact, just to accommodate such tasks I installed wall to wall carpeting in the shop work bench area so I would be comfortable sitting on an AR handguard while breaking a… brake loose. Fortunately, as an old man with little anatomical padding, the jam nut is a welcome approach.

So a BAS with the correct shaft contour is placed through a brake port to prevent it from turning, while a 7/8 wrench is turned first clockwise (front view) to break the jam nut loose, then both brake and jam nut are turned counterclockwise for removal.

Handguards, gas and barrels

The 15″ floating Lite aluminum handguard has M-Lok attachment slots along its length at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. Picatinny rails are present at the front and rear of the handguard. Sockets for QD attachment are located at the front.

The gas system is mid length and adjustable. A 3/16″ ball end hex wrench, required to make adjustments, is stowed in the grip at the factory.

Upper and lower receivers are 7075-T6 forgings, hard coat anodized. The upper receiver includes brass deflector, dust cover, forward assist, and full length Picatinny rail. The ejection port is enlarged, height more so than length. The lower receiver’s magazine well is flared to ease magazine insertion. Magazines are AR10 standard.

I finally have a name to identify the presence of a radiused groove that runs down the center of a Picatinny rail, “docked”. It’s purpose is to reduce weight and… improve grip access. It looks good as a touch of finesse. I will no longer refer to it as an MSR philtrum.

Ruger’s center of 308 Winchester gravity…

The SFAR carrier/bolt assembly is very similar to a 223 Remington MSR bolt on the broad strokes; overall length, carrier diameter, bolt, etc. There are, of course, differences to accommodate the 223 Remington Vs 308 Winchester rounds.

The bolt face is approximately 0.374″ for the 223 Rem and 0.468″ for the 308 Win SFAR. The relief cuts behind the titanium firing pin are different and the 308 Win bolt carrier gas key is shorter and secured with 1 fastener, rather than 2. The 308 Win bolt carrier front width measures 0.990″ compared to the 223 Rem, which measure 0.931; beefier.

The Ruger SFAR utilizes a Magpul MOE SL® stock and MOE® grip and 20 round PMAG AR10 compatible magazine. The slim line buttstock has mounting points for QD attachment and 3.5″ of length of pull adjustment in 5 increments. With the exception of the magazine, all are AR15 compatible.

Home, home on the range…

Jeez, I thought I would never stop talking! It is hard for me to fathom that I spent forty or so of my years denying the existence of the 308 Winchester and/or treating it disrespectfully.

Only referring to the round as the 30-06 Short, I would not own or hunt with one, preferring the 243 Winchester at one end of the cartridge spectrum and any number of .308 magnums on the other. Yes, dumb, but then I like Fords and Android phones, so there is a bit of a pattern.

The 308 Winchester is the most popular centerfire rifle ammunition in use, with 168 factory loads available through retail outlets. It is trailed by the 223 Remington with 136 loads and the 30-06 Springfield with 116.

For the handloader, there are 248 component bullets types/weights available, ranging in weight from 110 grains to 245 grains in 41 increments. There are 8 companies producing brass.

Ammunition manufactures label their assembled 308 Winchester product by type for use on everything from varmints to big and dangerous game. It is also one of the most popular cartridge for competitive shooting.

Bang, Bang, Bang – Bang, Bang, Bang

A scope and SilencerCo Hybrid 46 silencer were mounted for 100 yard group data collection. Straight forward, nothing special required. Accuracy was essentially the same with or without the silencer. Please don’t send an email to tell me it is a suppressor and not a silencer. Silencer is what it is, suppress is what is does… At least since 1908.

It is common to adjust gas systems, change buffer weight or buffer springs when moving between suppressed not suppressed ammunition. In this case, the Ruger was left as received with the gas block adjustment set on “2”. No failure to feed, failure to fire or failure to cycle and eject were experienced throughout live fire sessions… or when the rifle was put in the safe for the night. Consistency.

There was not much shift in point of impact. All held center, but both 150 grain and 165 grain point of impact was 1″ higher than the 175 grain ammo.

Before shooting, pure conjecture, I thought the all copper 150 grain load would be the least accurate because of the overly long, low SD, low BC bullet. Of course it was the most accurate. The most annoying bullet was the Nosler Accubond. The white poly tip is almost impossible to photograph against a white background. Functionally it is a very good bullet.

Velocity means many things.. Really.

I came into my interest in firearms at a time when velocity was a metaphor for trajectory, “If it is fast, it be flat shooting”. Bullets were as streamlined as a barn door and rifles had 24″ barrels as a minimum to boost velocity.

It seemed everyone on the east coast carried a 30-30 Winchester or 35 Remington lever action and everyone on the west coast owned a 270 Winchester bolt action. It was a simple time and we were sometimes simple people… in more ways than one.

Today, we have VLD bullets, with extraordinary ballistic coefficients, that seem to dodge most air molecules and go on and on forever. Hence… I like that word, and therefore, lower muzzle velocities can work at longer distances for those who like lightweight, compact firearms.

As an example, below – the 175 grain Edge TLR with an 0.536 BC –