Ruger AR-556 .300 Blackout
Model: 8530
Ruger AR-556 .300 Blackout
Model: 8530
Full Specifications
Threaded 5/8"-24 barrel: compare .30 caliber suppressor prices.
About This Firearm
The Ruger AR-556 is a heavy-barrel semi-automatic AR-15 in .300 Blackout built for suppressed close-range shooting. Ruger no longer makes it, so it is a used buy. Its muzzle is bare and threaded 5/8-24 with no flash hider or brake fitted, so a suppressor screws on with nothing to take off first.
No sights are fitted. The upper is a flat-top with a Picatinny rail, a forward assist, a dust cover and a brass deflector, and the free-float aluminum handguard carries M-LOK slots at the three, six and nine o'clock positions with more on the angled faces near the muzzle. One 30-round metal magazine came with the rifle. The stock is a six-position M4 type on a mil-spec buffer tube.
If you're cross-shopping, the Palmetto State Armory PA-15 has an MSRP of $599.99, is in production, weighs 6.75 lbs and ships with a PMAG and an MBUS sight set, so it can be aimed the day it arrives. The CMMG Dissent Mk4 has an MSRP of $2,149.95 at 6.40 lbs with a folding stock, two magazines and a gas block that adjusts, which the Ruger's does not. The Ruger has its cold hammer-forged barrel and free-float handguard already fitted.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The handguard free-floats the barrel, so a light, a sling or a bipod puts no pressure on it.
- Both receivers are 7075-T6 aluminum under a Type III hard-coat anodized finish, so the wear on a used rifle is in the coating and not the metal.
- The six-position stock runs out to a 13.5 inch length of pull, so the rifle sets up for armour or for a t-shirt.
- There are no sights of any kind, so an optic has to be bought before the rifle can be aimed.
- Ruger has ended the model, so the barrel and the handguard are no longer catalogue parts if either gets damaged.
- The trigger is a mil-spec single stage, so a lighter pull means a drop-in replacement.
Compatible Ammunition
Find the best prices on compatible .300 Blackout ammunition.
Shop .300 Blackout Ammo →Ballistics Calculator
Calculate trajectory, drop, and energy for .300 Blackout ammunition.
.300 Blackout Ballistics →Frequently Asked Questions
How does it differ from the 5.56 AR-556?
Ruger's 5.56 version uses a 1:8 twist and a 1/2-28 thread and shipped with a folding rear sight and an A2-style front post. This .300 Blackout model came with no sights and the larger thread.
What do M4 feed ramps do?
They extend the feed ramps up into the barrel extension, which gives a cartridge a longer, smoother run into the chamber.
Why is the barrel 16.1 inches and not 16?
Ruger lists it a tenth of an inch over the 16-inch minimum a rifle barrel has to meet, which leaves margin after a crown is recut.
