The build and finish quality was on par with their ar15. Standard forged receivers. Decent fit between upper and lower but still some play. Castle nut wasn’t staked. The bolt and carrier bother me for some reason. I feel like this bolt is going to shear lugs. The bolt material was strange looking. It looked almost like stainless steel, nothing like Aremet. Cartridge base wasn’t fully supported. It felt extremely light for a 308 bolt. It was priced at $1049.
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Ruger SFAR small frame 308, 6.8 pounds
- Thread starter Ape_Factory
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Is the rail actually flexing or the barrel. You would have to lay the rail on the counter and push down on the receiver to know for sure. Maybe he did this. If you just grab the rail and barrel and squeeze then its probably the barrel.
The rail was flexing. When I mentioned that it felt flimsy, the manager did just what you said except it was on low shelf behind the counter instead of the glass. Side load, not pushing from the top or bottom. He said he felt it touching the gas block when the left side was facing up. Like I’d stated earlier, the barrel nut didn’t look to be much over an inch long. Looked shorter than a BCM barrel nut through the gap where the rail is tightened to the nut. He let me step behind the counter to do the same.
Yes there was barrel flex. The contour was fairly light. Any pressure on the barrel to the left caused it to contact. You had to push harder to the right to get it to touch.
Most shops dont let you go over a rifle like this. I’ve been buying guns, ammo, and parts from them since they’ve been in business. The owner and I have mutual friendsThey sell everything from Hi-Point to KAC when they’re available to them. The manager and owner aren’t typical gun shop tards.
I’m really not trying to shit on the gun. This is just what I saw and my honest thoughts on it.
There were things I liked about it. I’m a fan of melonited barrels. I don’t like melonited barrel extensions. The extension was raw. The bolt wasn’t melonited either. It came with a 2 stage trigger. It wasn’t a Geissele, Larue, or Schmid but actually wasn’t bad. We tried 3 Pmags. All inserted easily and dropped free. While I think it was too light, the rifle felt balanced. It wasn’t a rattle trap. They didn’t just put out another cookie cutter LR308. I’m sure they’ll sell a ton of them. Time will tell if they hold up and the aftermarket supports the platform.
I’m glad you are giving a detailed first impression. Appreciate it.
Where are folks getting Inconel from? The bolt and extension are not Inconel. Inconel grades are expensive and in general their main benefit is relatively high strength and low creep at high temperatures, that a bolt and extension will never see. At more or less room temperature + a few hundred degrees, there are many steels with better properties for bolts like this.
Ruger's cut sheet says: "Bolt and barrel extensions are CNC-machined from high-strength super alloy steel that outperforms traditional C158 bolts."
Inconel is not a steel, they are most likely referring to an ultra-high strength steel, something more along the lines of Aermet or maraging grades (which coincidentally have high nickel content, something that I believe was mentioned in one of the intro videos).
Also, the Ruger cut sheet says the firing pin is titanium, someone above mentioned that it was light weight, that's why.
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I don't want to derail the thread, but no, they aren't. Inconel is a brand name for a series of nickel based alloys, none of which are steels. Steels are ferrous based with carbon and other alloying elements added. In the UNS alloy destination system, steels will have a D, G, H, J, K, S or T series designator depending on type (maraging 300 and Aermet are both K series for example).
The Inconels are all nickle based alloys with other elements added (including iron) but they aren't steels, and they have N (for nickle based), or R series designators in the UNS system. Some of the more common grades ones you hear about like 625 and 718 have only 2.5% and 19.5% Fe respectively.
Special Metals does make an Inconoly line of alloys along side the Inconel line, while most of the Inconoly line are nickle based alloys, two are S (stainless) series steels.
Could it be a 450 Bushmaster bolt in a 308/AR10 carrier? They have the same rim diameter, correct?
The AR15 bolt on the far right(800 series) is .800" diameter made from 9310. We have been using those since 2009 with several 308 sized wildcats. The 6mmBRX, 6.5BRX, 270AR, 270 MSR can all handle 65000psi and no one has ever broken a bolt. The rim around it does look thicker than the Ruger bolt shown in the photo. The one second from the right (750xd)is .750 diameter 9310 and used with the same cartridges, the rim looks closer to the Ruger, no one has ever broken one of them either. If the Ruger lugs are longer than a standard AR15 (.277") it will more than likely be okay. Time will tell if the Ruger bolt can handle it.
Here's another one.
He tries several types of ammo and has good things to say about how effective the gas blowback ports are, especially with a can.
He tries several types of ammo and has good things to say about how effective the gas blowback ports are, especially with a can.
I liked his review, and it's really interesting how the vents seem to work when suppressed to vent blowback to the sides instead of to the shooters face. I might go with the 16" instead of cutting down a 20" if the gas to the shooter is effectively mitigated. My thoughts for the SFAR is that my nomad TI up front and one of those PA 3x prisms on top would make a great woods rifle.
I have the POF Revolution 16 inch barrel and POF Gen4 .308 Pistol. Both extremely good guns.
I liked the idea of the Colt when I was looking.
Being in the market for a .308 AR is what brought me here back 2011 or so.
I ended up going LMT a pig of a pigs rifle but a beast all the same.
IS it me or is that mount backwards (cantilevering over the REAR of the receiver).
Is it me or is that scope mount backwards (cantilevering over the rear of the receiver)! I don't think any of my guns have the ocular portion of the scope behind the charging handle, but I get pretty far forward on the gun (typically NTCH) .... no way I could shoot it like that.
Is it me or is that scope mount backwards (cantilevering over the rear of the receiver)! I don't think any of my guns have the ocular portion of the scope behind the charging handle, but I get pretty far forward on the gun (typically NTCH) .... no way I could shoot it like that.
It’s definitely backwards. Can’t trust his opinion on anything now.
It does appear backwards, but so long as it is a zero moa mount, does it matter? There is one very ‘verbose’ YouTuber that mounts them backwards because he has a long LOP and it helps him get the ocular back far enough for good eye relief.
There are some more detailed pictures and measurements here, looks like the lugs are 0.015" longer than a regular AR-15 for those who were wondering (not that that tells you anything terribly useful if you don't know what kind of mithril they're using for the bolt).
mdws.forumchitchat.com
Ruger SFAR 308 ?
https://ruger.com/products/sfar/models.html Any one know what bolt and extension this uses? An AR15 with a long mag is what I am seeing. Any more info?
mdws.forumchitchat.com
FYI, NateIU10 posted this link with quite a few good pics and good info
Thank You to BIGGDAWG
https://mdws.forumchitchat.com/post/ruger-sfar-308-12445120
Thank You to BIGGDAWG
https://mdws.forumchitchat.com/post/ruger-sfar-308-12445120
That was my thought...20" RLGS cut down to 16". But the 16" looks to run just fine.
Any idea on the charging handle? Is it an extended latch or will a standard AR15 CH work? Same with the handguard.
This is what POF says a out their small frame .308 rifles. May be similar to these.
- Nov 3, 2010
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I'm definitely getting more interested in a small frame AR308. This one looks promising. The POF looks really slick on paper. Every review seems to be not so great, though. May have to give this one a try.
Curious about the handguard. I wonder if a regular AR15 one will work.
Curious about the handguard. I wonder if a regular AR15 one will work.
A few posts up is a link to one user's comprehensive teardown and AR15 comparison. He says the SFAR upper uses standard AR15 barrel nut threads and the SFAR barrel fits into a standard AR15 upper. Sounds to me like you could definitely use AR15 handguards, provided it's OK to cover up the hole in the Ruger barrel extension.
Good info. Drill new holes in a different handguard, problem solved. It looks moderately suppressor friendly. Hoprefully it's durable.
The POF Revolution DI is several steps above the Ruger. Rifle length gas, fluted barrel, full ambidextrous controls, billet upper/lower, really good build quality, nitrided/DLC (or something) coated BCG, roller camp pin, easily adjustable gas block, etc...it's my favorite rifle by a good margin, shoots everything and is sub-MOA capable. It's the one I have no worries about. I know it'll just work. It's also twice the price of the Ruger so there's that.
I’ve watched far too many videos and read far too many posts of people with problematic POF rifles for me to take the plunge. It seems like a lot for such a small company. Many of them complain about a lack of support from POF. The only way I would consider one is if a well known member here was letting one go and vouched for it.
Besides less weight, what problems does this rifle solve?
Are those problems significant enough to put other design aspects of the rifle at risk?
-Stan
Are those problems significant enough to put other design aspects of the rifle at risk?
-Stan
Well, AR10's are huge and unwieldy just based on the receiver size. Significantly smaller and lighter reciprocating parts could potentially equal less recoil. As discussed above, more parts may be AR15 compatible, opening up lots of options.
Well there goes me hoping the bolt and Barrel extension would be a standard size with POF.
SFAR bolt.
Pof rev bolt below.
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.
SFAR bolt.
Pof rev bolt below.
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.
I put my hands on one of these yesterday. If it were at $1k or less (that some people have found these at,) it would have come home with me. At the retail price of $1249, it went back on the shelf.
Certainly nothing impressive to write home about… other than the fact that it felt like an AR15 instead of an AR10. Even at 6’2, 225lb an ar10 is far less enjoyable for me to lug around than an AR15… so it would be worth that difference alone, assuming I didn’t already have a large frame 308 & 6.5.
Certainly nothing impressive to write home about… other than the fact that it felt like an AR15 instead of an AR10. Even at 6’2, 225lb an ar10 is far less enjoyable for me to lug around than an AR15… so it would be worth that difference alone, assuming I didn’t already have a large frame 308 & 6.5.
The guys over at Mad Dog are really tearing into one. They've already made a barrel chambered in a wildcat and modified an AR-15 upper to fit the SFAR lower.
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