Ruger SR-762 Rifle Review
 Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary
March 11, 2014

Ruger SR-762 Review

After my review of the Ruger SR-556C Carbine Autoloading Rifle back in 2011, I knew it was just a matter of time before Ruger would come to the table with a 7.62 NATO / 308 Win version of this rifle platform.  In October of 2013, Ruger did exactly that with the introduction of their new Ruger SR-762 Autoloading Rifle, and I expect this big bore piston driven AR-10 styled rifle to be another one of Ruger's success stories.  If you're familiar with the Ruger SR-556 rifles, then the SR-762 will seem like a SR-556 on steroids.  Ruger chose to kick off their SR-762 series of rifles by offering features such as piston driven, 16.12" chrome lined cold hammer forged barrel, chrome plated bolt and carrier, front and rear folding backup sights, three 20-round magazines, adaptable handguard system and a soft-sided case.  All you need to do is add ammunition and you will have a formidable "battle rifle" which is easily ready for targets within the ~200 yard range.  The SR-762's upper receiver and handguard include a full upper rail that allows you the opportunity to mount nearly any sighting system on the market.  Installing the right optical sight then makes the reach of this rifle to be limited only by that of the 7.62 NATO / 308 Win caliber (600 to 1000 yards depending on who's arguing the point).

As with any other quality piston driven AR style rifle, they don't give them away.  The MSRP on the SR-762 is $2195.  After doing a quick search on the web, at the time of this review, it seems like the street price will range from about $1600 to MSRP depending on availability.  All rifles listed at the lower price were "out of stock," so most likely you will be paying between $1800 an $2000 in today's market.

 

During my reviews I like to compare my results to the manufacturer's claims where possible so the following text in colored italics was taken directly from the Ruger website on 12/24/13 and gives an Overview, Key Features, and Specifications for the Ruger SR-762 Autoloading Rifle.  The , and are my way to keep up with details that I have covered in this review with either photos, commentary or both.

Overview

  • The Ruger® SR-762™ brings the downrange authority of the .308 cartridge to the popular SR-556® family of rifles.
  • The Ruger® SR-762™ is a lightweight, quick-handling carbine that is an ideal rifle for those who appreciate the familiar and ergonomic AR-style platform.
  • The .308 Win./7.62 NATO cartridge is perfect for hunting medium and most large-sized game and enhances the capability of the AR-style platform in defensive or tactical roles.
  • The SR-762™ retains the features of the original SR-556® that make it a solid performer among modern sporting rifles.

Key Features

  • Chrome-Plated, Two-Stage Piston: Ruger® patented chrome-plated, two-stage piston with multi-stage regulator provides a cleaner, cooler running, reliable firearm with superior operating endurance. The two-stage piston provides a smooth power delivery stroke to the bolt carrier.
  • Ergonomic Handguard: Round, smooth-sided Ruger® Lightweight Adaptable handguard with flattop receiver features a Mil-Spec 1913 Picatinny rail at 12:00 position that extends the full length of the handguard. Drilled and tapped for additional rails at the 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 positions (two additional rail sections included), providing ample space for mounting sights, lights, lasers or other accessories.
  • Sights: Folding backup iron sights include a windage adjustable rear sight and an elevation adjustable front sight. These sights provide a solid, reliable aiming system that can be folded out of the way to make room for optics, but can be instantly redeployed if needed.
  • Telescoping Buttstock: Six-position telescoping M4-style buttstock is mounted on a Mil-Spec diameter tube.
  • Hammer-Forged Barrel: Precision-rifled, chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged Mil-Spec 41V45 chrome-moly-vanadium steel barrel ensures accuracy and longevity.
  • Fluted barrel (for reduced weight and improved barrel cooling) features an SR-556®/Mini-14®-style flash suppressor mounted with a 5/8"-24 thread.
  • Pistol Grip: Hogue® Monogrip® pistol grip adds comfort when carrying or shooting.
  • Bolt Carrier: Chrome-plated bolt and chrome-plated one-piece bolt carrier with oversized and radiused rear bearing surface.
  • Also Includes: Three 20-round magazines; soft-sided case; three finger-grooved rail covers.

Specifications

  • Catalog Number: SR-762
  • Model Number: 5601
  • Caliber: 308 Win / 7.62 NATO
  • Stock: Black Synthetic, Collapsible
  • Finish: Manganese Phosphate/Hardcoat Anodized
  • Sights: Folding Iron Sights
  • Height: 8.00" 
  • Barrel Length: 16.12"
  • Overall Length: 34.75" - 38.00" review rifle measured 34.95" - 38.38"
  • Width: 2.50"
  • Weight: 8.60 lbs. review rifle weighed 8.46 lbs. without any accessories or sights
  • Twist: 1:10" RH
  • Grooves: 6
  • Length of Pull: 11.50" - 14.75"
  • Capacity: 20
  • Suggested Retail: $2195.00

This review is broken down into multiple parts with this page providing links to each part along with an overall summary of the specifications, pros and cons, and my final "bottom line" comments.  Make sure you take time to checkout the other parts of the review because they contain many photos and lots of commentary.  Also, there is an extreme amount of detail in those parts which is not covered on this page.

As you read these Pros and Cons below, keep in mind that it is hard to keep my particular preferences from creeping in the equation.  Therefore, it is important that you take the time to look at the other parts of this review so you can decide yourself on items which may be more of a personal preference.

Pros:

  • I have been hoping and waiting on Ruger to start production of the SR-762 rifle for a couple of years and I was extremely excited to finally get my hands on the rifle.  To put it clearly, Ruger didn't let me down.  The SR-762 looked and felt impressive.
  • Ruger did an excellent job cleaning up the receiver forgings to create very smooth and blended surface.
  • After doing a detailed study of the external and operational features of the Ruger SR-762, I can honestly say the rifle exhibits quality craftsmanship.
  • The SR-762 has a flared magazine well to allow for quick magazine changes.
  • The chrome plated bolt and bolt carrier looked to be well crafted components and the combination of chrome plating along with the piston system should make cleaning these components in the future extremely quick and simple.
  • One thing I immediately noticed was how soft the SR-762 seemed to shoot.  The semi-auto action does a good job of taking the edge off the recoil.
  • For my accuracy testing, I had an overall 5-shot group average of 1.74" at 100 yards for the Ruger SR-762.  These results compare with the December 2013 issue of "Guns & Ammo" magazine where the author had a total group average of 1.82" for six different types of ammunition and he was using a 3.5x power scope.  My guess is that the "Guns & Ammo" results would have been better if the author used a 16x scope for his tests.  In my honest opinion, I feel that a lighter trigger pull could improve on the accuracy.  An 8.65 pound trigger pull is in no way what I would consider to be ideal for bench shooting, but even at this pull weight, the SR-762 showed it has true accuracy potential.
  • The gas regulator systems gives you the flexibility to adjust the gas port based on your type of ammunition and the "0" port setting lets the rifle function as a single shot for use with a suppressor to achieve maximum sound reduction.

Pro/Con/Comment (you decide)?:

  • When I first opened the box, I was a little surprised to see that the rifle shipped with three DPMS metal magazines instead of the Magpul polymer magazines as shown at the Ruger website.  One of the magazines had a card attached and the card explained that Ruger found these metal magazines were the most reliable in this rifle.
  • The trigger pull measured 8.65 pounds based on the average of 10 pulls using a Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge.  This pull weight falls on the high end of the standard 5.5 to 9.5 pounds for an M4 rifle (ref. TM 9-1005-319-23&P). The trigger pull starts out with immediate resistance and has some creep until it breaks fairly crisp.  After it breaks, there is a slight amount of overtravel.  If I were planning to use this rifle primarily to engage longer range targets, I would probably be in search of an aftermarket trigger to get the pull weight down to about 5 pounds.  If my plan for this rifle would be primarily shorter range targets where I'm on the move, the pull weight would be livable.
  • Ruger seems to have standardized on a simple M4 style buttstock and I wish they would consider some of the other buttstocks on the market.  My view is the SR-762 is a premium rifle and deserves a premium buttstock.  On the other hand, keeping it simple helps to cut costs and with such a variety of buttstocks on the market, which one would make everyone happy?

Cons:

  • I wish Ruger had included a forward sling swivel stud on the handguard similar to what they did on their SR-556VT rifle.  I prefer this method for attaching a bipod.

 

Bottom Line:

After studying the rifle for nearly three months, I'm convinced that the Ruger SR-762 will be another success story.  Three months may seem like a long time to finish a review, but I like to make sure my thoughts have "staying power."  From day one, I had a very positive feeling about the Ruger SR-762 and this feeling has only grown over time.  The autoloading aspects of the rifle make it soft shooting and it proved to be an accurate and reliable battle rifle.  Out of the box, the SR-762 is ready to go to the range.  If you are planning to invest in a quality scope, doing so will give this rifle some mid to long range lethality.   In short, the Ruger SR-762 needs to be considered if you are in the market for an AR-10 style rifle.

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