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Ruger SFAR small frame 308, 6.8 pounds

I really hope they release receivers (at least upper) and barrel extensions...but I'm sure they won't :(
 
I really hope they release receivers (at least upper) and barrel extensions...but I'm sure they won't :(
Rumor has it the upper is standard Ar15. It is the lower that contains the juice.
 
Rumor has it the upper is standard Ar15. It is the lower that contains the juice.
it can't be, ejection port wouldn't be enough and it wouldn't fit with the stretched magwell.

from the breakdowns in thread we know the proprietary parts list: Bolt Carrier, Bolt, Upper Receiver, Lower Receiver, Barrel Extension. everything else seems to be standard AR15 pattern stuff
 
it can't be, ejection port wouldn't be enough and it wouldn't fit with the stretched magwell.

from the breakdowns in thread we know the proprietary parts list: Bolt Carrier, Bolt, Upper Receiver, Lower Receiver, Barrel Extension. everything else seems to be standard AR15 pattern stuff
You are correct that the AR-15 upper it is not drop-in compatible, but MDWS modified one or two to fit. It wasn't very difficult.
 
Well there goes me hoping the bolt and Barrel extension would be a standard size with POF.

SFAR bolt. View attachment 7963644

Pof rev bolt below.
View attachment 7963646

I wonder if the extra .020” is on the bolt face or the side of the bolt lug that engages the extension lug.

Anyone know if sfar and rouge/rev upper and lowers will line up? They look close in the pic.
so with the lack of standardization of bolt, barrel extension, there goes any hope of commonly-available off-the-shelf aftermarket barrels for the small-frame 308, 6.5CM AR, I'm surmising.

At least, the DPMS LR-308 set a de-facto standard for the large-frame AR, which is commonly adhered to nowadays. maybe it's still "early-days" for a small frame 308 AR. still in the VHS vs BetaMax stage.
 
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so with the lack of standardization of bolt, barrel extension, there goes any hope of commonly-available off-the-shelf aftermarket barrels for the small-frame 308, 6.5CM AR, I'm surmising.
Seems they are different measurements, extractor is different.
Still curious if the uppers and lowers(sfar/rouge rev) line up. Could I use a full ambi revolution lower with an sfar upper?
 
so with the lack of standardization of bolt, barrel extension, there goes any hope of commonly-available off-the-shelf aftermarket barrels for the small-frame 308, 6.5CM AR, I'm surmising.

At least, the DPMS LR-308 set a de-facto standard for the large-frame AR, which is commonly adhered to nowadays. maybe it's still "early-days" for a small frame 308 AR. still in the VHS vs BetaMax stage.
still early days. I imagine the SFAR will end up as the standard given price.
You are correct that the AR-15 upper it is not drop-in compatible, but MDWS modified one or two to fit. It wasn't very difficult.
got a link to that? I must have missed it if it was earlier in the thread.
 
snip...

got a link to that? I must have missed it if it was earlier in the thread.
I'm not saying that I would do it, they're not called Mad Dog for nothing! I would address the venting ports extending through the upper to match the barrel extension ports. I would also use a heavy wall true slick side.
MDWS SFAR Blog
 
Interesting. Now that I look at it again, I see how ruger managed to do it by moving the rear pin forward vs the POF etc. makes me wonder if they might be setting it up so that you can just put in a magwell sleeve and use any AR or SFAR cal in one lower.
 
Thought this was interesting since this is the can I plan to run on my future SFAR.



Got the PA 3x micro-prism in for the rifle last week, now I'm just waiting for a sub-$1k deal from a decent dealer to pop back up.
 
So if you turn off the gas port (setting 0) it essentially hovers right on the edge of hearing safe with a suppressor for limited shots out in the open.
 
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So if you turn off the gas port (setting 0) it essentially hovers right on the edge of hearing safe with a suppressor for limited shots out in the open.

They metered it at 132 at the ear with the gas off on setting 0, and 140, cycling on setting 1. That's in line with what I'd expect for a decently tuned AR, it didn't look terribly gassy on setting 1 either.

Caveats of course being that it was a 2209, not something like a Pulse, and a discrete "hearing safe" number doesn't really mean a whole lot.
 
Once you let the action start cycling your suppressor numbers aren't quite as important because as TBAC showed, the action of the AR slapping back and forth is essentially louder than the suppressed shot (which that video above also seems to bear out, the more gas you give the system the faster the bolt moves so the more noise it makes slapping back and forth).

So this rifle gives you a bit of an advantage if you want to be quiet, in that you can turn the port to 0 for maximum quiet for the shot and then slowly manually cycle a new round if quiet is commanding a premium over followup shots.
 
You think this gas block will be available for purchase for other rifles? Provided it fits.

Unless there is some similar or better already on the AR market?
If you're asking about a selectable type gas block with an "off" setting, there are a couple of others out there, Noveske Swithblock and Strike CAGB to name two. They do have handguard design/length limitations to access the controls. I'm not positive, but the Riflespeed might have an "off" position.
 
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If you're asking about a selectable type gas block with an "off" setting, there are a couple of others out there, Noveske Swithblock and Strike CAGB to name two. They do have handguard design/length limitations to access the controls. I'm not positive, but the Riflespeed might have an "off" position.
for all the shit I've heard people give strike, I've never actually had any problem with any of their products. sure some of it is firmly in the "race/meme gun" aesthetic, but some of it is quite functional and useful. the CAGB is a great example of that
 
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16 inch, Hornady 168 AMAX ammo. Out of the box, still in break-in period, I bore sighted it. Optic was a Vortex-Strike-Eagle-4-24x50-with-EBR-4-MOA-Riflescope on 8 power. Has tube on 3
Prone, bipod and sand sock
100yards.

Groups are numbered in order fired.
 

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16 inch, Hornady 168 AMAX ammo. Out of the box, still in break-in period, I bore sighted it. Optic was a Vortex-Strike-Eagle-4-24x50-with-EBR-4-MOA-Riflescope on 8 power. Has tube on 3
Prone, bipod and sand sock
100yards.

Groups are numbered in order fired.
All 5 shot groups?
What did they measure ?
Thanks
 
I got my hands on one for a bit. Didn't get to do any shooting but I loved the way it feels. I will wait to see a used one and swap out the stupid brake and drive on.
 
@TonyTheTiger
Did you ever get one? I may snag a 20” when I see one under $1000 and just have it cut to 18”
I’m wanting to replace my 6.5 Grendel. Love the Grendel but prefer the extra energy of the bigger round
 
Finally got to handle a 16" SFAR at the local Cabela's yesterday, it feels just like a trim AR-15, fit and finish seemed decent. I probably would have taken it home if I weren't about to take a trip, as it is I'll definitely get one when I get back. Prices seem to have gone up a bit over the last month, I don't see any 16" at or under $1k, although you can still find 20" for around there sometimes.

I have a little trepidation about a mid-gas that will be suppressed all the time, but most of the reviews I've seen seem to indicate that the mitigation features on the SFAR make the 16" a pretty good host. I was thinking about getting a 20" chopped to like 17", but I wonder if any of the 3 discrete gas settings would be optimal with the shorter pulse, could be better off with the 16" and Ruger's tuned gas settings.

I picked up a my first PA SLX 3x micro-prism for my future SFAR, pretty neat little optic, probably won't be my last.
 
@TonyTheTiger
Did you ever get one? I may snag a 20” when I see one under $1000 and just have it cut to 18”
I’m wanting to replace my 6.5 Grendel. Love the Grendel but prefer the extra energy of the bigger round
No, I haven't seen one in person yet, and even after that I take a couple years to convince myself to buy something I know I don't need.
 
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Just talked to my local dealer and I could get into one of these for just over 1k out the door. Very tempting.

The video of the 16" suppressed makes me want to try it even more. For me personally I think I would buy the 20" and cut it down. But I have the capacity to do that on my own so it wouldn't cost me anything but my time.
 
Just talked to my local dealer and I could get into one of these for just over 1k out the door. Very tempting.

The video of the 16" suppressed makes me want to try it even more. For me personally I think I would buy the 20" and cut it down. But I have the capacity to do that on my own so it wouldn't cost me anything but my time.
The videos I’ve seen of the 16 suppressed don’t look bad. I watched one today with a guy that put a H2 buffer in his and you could see the difference in recoil with it unsuppresed.
 
Finally got to handle a 16" SFAR at the local Cabela's yesterday, it feels just like a trim AR-15, fit and finish seemed decent. I probably would have taken it home if I weren't about to take a trip, as it is I'll definitely get one when I get back. Prices seem to have gone up a bit over the last month, I don't see any 16" at or under $1k, although you can still find 20" for around there sometimes.

I have a little trepidation about a mid-gas that will be suppressed all the time, but most of the reviews I've seen seem to indicate that the mitigation features on the SFAR make the 16" a pretty good host. I was thinking about getting a 20" chopped to like 17", but I wonder if any of the 3 discrete gas settings would be optimal with the shorter pulse, could be better off with the 16" and Ruger's tuned gas settings.

I picked up a my first PA SLX 3x micro-prism for my future SFAR, pretty neat little optic, probably won't be my last.

Personally I went with the 20" because I wanted the long barrel, but for you considering the cost, perhaps you just get the 16" factory one and call it good instead of trying to get the 20 and paying to get it chopped down and re-threaded and such?
I'd bet at the lowest setting you'd be fine with your suppressor as far as the bolt coming back goes.
 
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The videos I’ve seen of the 16 suppressed don’t look bad. I watched one today with a guy that put a H2 buffer in his and you could see the difference in recoil with it unsuppresed.
I wonder what buffer is in them from the factory?
 
Oh, that is not ok. Need to chance that out to a H1 or H2. It will run much better.
Just watched a video on one where a guy did just that. Swapped to an h2. He said ejection came around to 4 O'clock. No video of him shooting he was just talking about. Don't think it was suppressed.

I'm very tempted. Local guy just text me and said one of his distributors offered him one.
 
Happened upon a 16" on GB for under my $1k target, so it's on the way. I plan to pop a couple tungsten weights into the buffer, mount a Xeno Xero for my Nomad and work up a few hunting loads with the fixed 12x before swapping the SLX 3x micro-prism on there as a woods gun. I have good variety of.30 cal bullets laying around, but am tempted to try a lighter mono like the 120gr Tac-tx or 130gr TTSX for woods work. Anyone have experience with those bullets out of short .308s?
 
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I have played with 130 and 135 grain bullets before. Looks like I’m gonna have to break out the cash and buy some more bullets from Barnes to play with. If I come up with some kind of winning load using the powders I have on hand., I’ll try to share my results with you. My rifle is a Daniel Defense DD5V1.
 
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I ordered the 20” model today.
Like everyone else on the planet - I hope it comes in soon.
 
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The rifles shoot great but they do fuck the brass up way worse than a M1A ever could so if you reload think about that.
 
Happened upon a 16" on GB for under my $1k target, so it's on the way. I plan to pop a couple tungsten weights into the buffer, mount a Xeno Xero for my Nomad and work up a few hunting loads with the fixed 12x before swapping the SLX 3x micro-prism on there as a woods gun. I have good variety of.30 cal bullets laying around, but am tempted to try a lighter mono like the 120gr Tac-tx or 130gr TTSX for woods work. Anyone have experience with those bullets out of short .308s?
I have a slightly different 130 that shoots 3050 in my 16" bolt gun.
 
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The bolt and barrel extension are both a high nickel content alloy, possibly Inconel?
Edit;
bolt and barrel extension are “high nickel content, super alloy steel. Commonly used in aerospace applications.” Quote from the promotion video on ruger website.
Since everyone else is speculating I'll add mine. https://www.carpentertechnology.com/blog/cartech-custom-465
If you scroll to the bottom where it talks about firearms application it mentioned Ruger using Carpenter custom 465 on revolver cylinders and there is a chance that is what they are using. It isn't too easy to machine (better than inconel but what isn't?) but the heat treat is simple. Would they make the receiver extension out of the same material? Maybe not.
 
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Good find ! Certainly a candidate since it's high nickel, high tensile strength and had already been used by Ruger designers to pull off something that wasn't supposed to be able to be done in that size (6 shot 454 Casul in a standard size cylinder).
 
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Makes me think of the advance in metallurgy - Colt's "Silver Steel" that allowed him to make that highly sought after improvement : a six shot .44 on a belt pistol sized frame (and arguably one of the most beautiful revolvers ever made)..the 1860 army.
 
thought for the thread, if the handguard is an easy retrofit, feels like a great candidate for a blk lbl bipod, keeps things slim and out of the way when you don’t need it, but gives the ability to use the full range of the cartridge.

couple with a holo and a 5x magnifier and I could see making hits out to some great distances despite being super light for a .308 AR
 
For a SHTF rifle would I be better off just buying the 16" or getting the 20" and cutting it down?

I figure the rifle length gas system would be easier on the bolt but would it reliably cycle whatever I might have to use for ammo?
 
Just got mine home, the quality seems very good for the price, everything feels really tight, I'm going to have to use a punch to get the takedown pin out the first time.
 
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For a SHTF rifle would I be better off just buying the 16" or getting the 20" and cutting it down?

I figure the rifle length gas system would be easier on the bolt but would it reliably cycle whatever I might have to use for ammo?
if you're going to qualify it as such, "reliably cycle whatever I might have to use for ammo", then you've sort of answered your own question, right?