My purpose for the AR pistol format is a mid-range capable, centerfire-rifle power level, lawful for carry in a vehicle with a carry permit, defensive weapon. A handy aspect is that handling for the piece is cross-compatible with the conventional semi-auto pistol – as Dave Spaulding noted in a piece for our companion service, Shooting Wire in 2016. It’s the same as handling for an AR/M16 format long gun, so it’s close enough to running the pistol that little has to be learned.

The latest AR pistol to arrive for examination is the simple, value priced Ruger AR-556 Pistol. Chambered for 5.56 NATO, the 1:8” twist cold hammer-forged chrome-moly steel barrel is 10 ½” long. M4 feed ramps are present. The piece weighs in at just over six pounds with the SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Stabilizing Brace. Like all of these things, it ships with a 30 round PMAG. The handguard is a nine-inch free-floating affair, slender, with Magpul M-LOK attachment slots. A carbine-length gas system, chrome-lined bolt carrier and gas key (with properly staked bolts) and a Ruger proprietary flash-suppressor is also present. The muzzle features the ½”-28 thread pattern for standard muzzle devices.

The AR-556’s overall length at its shortest is just under 25 ½” and the gun has a suggested retail of $899 – though I’ve seen them listed for less.

That’s a lot of premium for a value-price.

I fitted TROY flip-up Battle Sights to the piece and mounted the Crimson Trace CTS-1300 red dot sight. This open reflex sight, meant for rifles and shotguns, is made from aircraft grade aluminum, uses a CR2032 battery and has an 3.5 MOA dot visible over seven settings. I mounted the optic with the Crimson Trace 66-00350 “absolute co-witness” mount. With the AR-556 so configured, I found that the gun fits into the Elite Survival Systems7725-B Stealth Covert Operations Backpack without being disassembled – as long as I pack it carefully and ensure that the brace is collapsed. I like to have such a pistol configured with the Hornady Rapid Rack in the chamber over a loaded magazine.

I checked the piece for velocity and accuracy as reflected in the following tables.

Ruger AR-556 Ammo Test

Velocity: 10 feet from chronograph, 65?F, 80% rel. humidity

Getting lined up before ammo testing, Hornady Ready Rack in place. The pistol brace was off-shoulder when sighting through the Crimson Trace optic and the irons.

Ruger AR-556 Ammo Test

Accuracy: 50 yards from bench

I found the velocity readings consistent with similar AR pistol designs shooting the same ammo. I was a bit surprised at the accuracy results. All were “accurate enough,” but there were interesting aspects. Using the Hornady SBR load during the velocity testing – a different day than the accuracy test – there were no stoppages. I’d used a 20-round PMAG when velocity testing. The GI-style magazine could have been the issue, but – if so – it was only with that load. Other loads were tried the same aluminum magazine yielded no stoppages.

Why 20-round magazines? I actually prefer them for carbines as they’re handier than the 30-round magazines. For pistols, it’s the same reason.

Shooting an AR pistol with a 3.5 MOA aiming dot at fifty yards, the ca-2” groups are just fine . . . shooting “within the dot” at 100 yards, the Ft. Scott Munitions load produced a 1.5” group. That’s “fluke” territory, particularly with the gritty, stagey – and easily changed out – trigger. The 2 ¾” 100 yard group with the nicely accurate Black Hills 75 gr. Match HP was fine, but that included an outlying flier. Without the flyer, the group was indeed “match” quality for a rifle with a more precise aiming device – four rounds into 3/8”!

This is an interesting cannon. I, for one, wouldn’t change out the trigger on this sample. If it were mine, I’d just shoot it and let it sort itself out. If I had my druthers, I’d add one of those “blast forward” muzzle devices. I think it’d be nicer for other shooters in the area but, I confess, the Ruger muzzle device seemed to roar the same on the 10.5” barrel as it does on longer barrels -- at an outdoor range with the shooter using Walker RAZOR digital ear-pro.

I’d add a hand-stop at six-o’clock on the handguard, sights as I’ve attached them and perhaps a small light to call it good.

- - Rich Grassi