Shot my Kac556 today for the first time and have a couple questions

[Battering ram NIB]

Gun shot great and i was amazed how much control it had...for a mid level FA its a enjoyable gun.....but i did come away with 2 questions

1. inserting/pulling out the mag.....it did not go into the gun easily and you REALLY had to yank at it to get it out..i realize it has kind of a AK latch on the front you need to get in and pull the mag back and up....i found it odd it just didnt push up and pull out like a AR would....i was able to get it in with a bit of effort, but removing it was very difficult....im shooting brand new Ruger mags (i brought 2 and both acted the same)....just something im not getting or need to learn?

2. over heating the barrel....i shot 120 rounds in about 15 minutes.....i let the dealer shoot a mag and he did a 30 round dump....i took my time loading the mag after each shoot, so it had a few minutes to cool...most of my shooting was 3-4 round bursts....at the end the barrel was smoking...ive read it does not have a heavy barrel and is not meant for heavy,continuous use in full auto.......where is the limit? should i let it cool for 5 mins between 30 round mags? is a 30 round dump safe? does the SS make the barrel weaker or stronger than the normal blued model?

thanks for any advice

 

[NavyEngineer]

Inserting mags into an AC-556 is similar to an AK - you have to "rock" them in and out of position. It's awkward at first, but doesn't take long to get used to.

You may want to review the link below if you haven't already seen it. The author states that 3 consecutive 30-round mag dumps could permanently damage an AC-556 barrel. I haven't seen an official "sustained" fire rate ever published by Ruger, but the rated sustained fire rate for an M4 carbine is 12-15 rounds per minute. I often fired 20-round mags through my AC-556, and allowed it to cool for a few minutes afterward, because of how quickly the thin barrel heated up (I had a 13-inch blued barrel). I frequently did multiple mag dumps with the .22 conversion, which worked well with my AC-556. I liked my AC-556, but eventually sold it and bought an M16.

http://www.atomiclabrat.com/images/2007-3-25%20AC556%20takedown.pdf

 

[ScottinTexas]

You may want to review the link below if you haven't already seen it. The author states that 3 consecutive 30-round mag dumps could permanently damage an AC-556 barrel. I haven't seen an official "sustained" fire rate ever published by Ruger, but the rated sustained fire rate for an M4 carbine is 12-15 rounds per minute. I often fired 20-round mags through my AC-556, and allowed it to cool for a few minutes afterward, because of how quickly the thin barrel heated up (I had a 13-inch blued barrel). I frequently did multiple mag dumps with the .22 conversion, which worked well with my AC-556. I liked my AC-556, but eventually sold it and bought an M16.

http://www.atomiclabrat.com/images/2007-3-25%20AC556%20takedown.pdf

This is why, after giving it some thought, my first FA rifle purchase was an M16A1. Swap uppers with virtually make, swap the FA bolt group and no worries about ruining a very expensive barrel. If you do, buy another one and install it yourself. Not so much with the Ruger. Good luck finding another mint 13" stainless barrel.

My KAC556 will most likely be a Ciener conversion shooter.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

i have a spare barrel from a full size SS Kac556...so it just needs cutting down and threading and ive got a replacement......i may look for a 2nd spare barrel though....curious why no one has made an after market heavy barrel for the gun?....id swap it out and save the original

i will most likely give it 5-10 mins between mags next time...spread out the 120 rounds out to 30 minutes instead of the 15 mins i gave it.....

someone told me the way to know if the gun has been overheated is by looking for a discoloration of the black barrel cover plate

i wanted a low price .223 and it was a toss up between the FNC and the Kac556......i like the quirky/oddness of the Ruger....how the stock folds, the odd selector...even the little button on top to close the bolt...its all just a bit unusual......i did not know the magazines loaded ak style and find it a bit odd for a 1970's modern design......but i guess odd goes with this gun

I would have been ok with the FNC too, but it also has the same barrel issues(maybe not as bad)........

the ROF was so nice that you can choose exactly how many rounds you shoot...no need for the 3 round burst option...i can do 3's all day long with it already......

its not a gun id choose to go to war with, but as a fun couple times a year shooter i think its perfect.......i wondered how a steel butt plate would feel on my shoulder w/ a .223...gun had such little kick you feel nothing....shooting the gun was much better than i expected except for the mag. thing...which im sure i will get used to once i have the gun in my possession

 

[Z06]

NavyEngineer & ScottinTexas are 100% on their answers about the quirks of the AC556. Just like ScottinTexas my first MG was a Colt M16A1, but I just always wanted a shorty AC folder…I guess I spent too much time watching A-Team (plus I met and had lunch with George Peppard in HI in ‘92).
Initially, to be “A-Team correct”, I was going to buy a SS model until I kept reading interwebs tales of possible galling problems with Ruger’s investment cast stainless steel in a full auto carbine. So, to be safe I went with a 13” blue model. Then I changed out the (rare & EX$PENSIVE-TO-REPLACE) factory AC556 folding stock with a gunsmith-altered Butler Creek folding stock. I even sawed off the ugly BC pistol grip and installed an OEM Ruger AC pistol grip:

This stock was 100% better to shoot with than the original OEM.
My little AC was hands down THE BEST .22 MG conversion that I have ever had, the other 3 sucked. Ruger’s 3-round burst with 30 round Ciener .22 magazines made the AC556 the go to MG for all my relatives and friends when they fired a MG for their first time!
My falling out of love with the little Ruger started with the over heating in centerfire mode. I always worried about the ruination of a near non replaceable 13” factory MG barrel, plus Ruger Minis and ACs are not great suppressor hosts.
Then there is the fact that I was shooting .22 out of the same barrel as 5.56 (not ideal .22 twist rate). Also you are advised not to shoot too much .22 (barrel leading) with out removing the .22 kit, shooting a few rounds of 5.56, then re-install the .22 kit to keep shooting rimfire. It became too much hassle for me.
Another huge reason I bought the AC in the first place: Ruger Facory Backing! It was said they would even give you a NEW receiver (new serial# OK’d by ATF!) for a damaged one (stainless galling??). During the time I had the MG the Ruger backing went away as they ran out of AC NOS replacement parts. Advantage over.
So after 3 years I sold the Ruger and put the $$ into a Mini UZI.

Funny thing about ACs and magazines; I had 12 assorted NON Ruger 20, 30, and 40 magazines…and they ALL WORKED 100% in my gun! And yes, I was told to use NOTHING but OEM factory Ruger mags in this MG. Now I bought these magazines from a local AZ Title II dealer that I had NFA purchases through. He said he would give me all my money back for any magazine I bought from him if it didn’t work 100%. Never had to bring one back. I don’t know if I had a freak AC that worked with off brand mags, but they worked. Go figure.