If he puts in all his gauging measurements and his tips and tricks I'll buy it I think theirs a real lack of info on tdp standards of what he gauges in the ar15 community as a whole
@@Chris-vy5kr i totally support the book idea. But there is a real lack of tooling that actually fits the specs. His bench is a setup worth $5000+ and sourced from obscure companies. I think there would be real value in teaming with brownells or another large shop and sourcing the correct dimension gauges and tools in a set that costs $1000 if manufactured at scale. The final answer to every tool. A 100% promise of trust in the specs and having everything. The 1 stop shop for gun stores, police armorers,... And then the book on how to use it, every specification and how to measure it.
Yay, long format videos are back. Short ones are ok if that's all you have time for, but the long ones with deep dives are the ones where i can actually learn something new. Good job.
just incredible man. sometimes i feel guilty watching these cause i can’t believe im getting this education for FREE. thanks so much for sharing this knowledge. can’t tell you how much i (and a lot of other people) appreciate it. thanks again man.
I cannot thank you enough for this channel. I’m not a gunsmith but enjoy knowing about things I hold dear in my life, such as firearms. You are literally The Best.
My Ruger AR-556 has to the MOST out of spec rifle I've ever seen. Mis-drilled buffer detent hole (causing the buffer face to be gouged), shallow buffer tube threads (causing damage by the endplate post upon removal and reinstall), shallow front detent hole depth, out of spec magwell, notched hammer and AR-15 semi-auto carrier, etc. I do not care if their customer service is "good" if they can't get it right on the production line the first time. Don't settle for less!
I had one in 300 blackout that I gave up on. Couldn’t get it to shoot reliably. Finally swapped out to a PSA upper and shooting fine. Would be curious how the PSA 300 blackout did during a SOTAR review.
I absolutely loved this one. You found atleast 4 issues I had to correct on my nephews rifle. Here we are 2 years later and Ruger still does these things. Carrier clearance, buffer spring , trig-N-ham springs, clocking issues all of it still going on. All easy fixes but when you pay upwards of a 1K or more for a rifle it’s a bit disheartening to have to still have to correct things. It’s not just Ruger and I understand things happen with all manufacturers. I’m glad so glad that you can show proof and call them all out on these issues. Or atleast show them potential problems.
I’ve always messed around with guns taking them apart and putting them back together to get a better understanding of how they work. Let me tell you. My first gun was a high point .40. That thing taught me about 80% of what i know about gunsmithing. This channel gave me the other 20% and a level of confidence working on ar that i wouldn’t have otherwise…
Thank you for this! Yes, I'm interested in trigger gauging and everything! :) Edited this: I found similar problems with my Ruger 556 MPR 18". I would like to do this myself, but no tools so I will take mine to a gunsmith to address these problems with the tube and buffer retainer. When I first got my rifle, the castle nut was loose. I just didn't know any better. Appreciate this channel.
As someone who has been a gunsmith and in the industry since 2013 this is gold standard stuff against a industry with no standers ! F em up! I love this content and it sure helps sell what i have been saying for year you need good gunsmiths and armorers because guns suck from the factory!
Amazing attention to details sir. Love watching a craftsman at work. Was not surprised about loose nuts and no staking encountered this before 😮. And once more Sir thank you for a detailed tutorial 😊looking forward to the complete series.
Why I love getting older. I've been gunsmithing (Licensed) for 35 years. When I first started teaching AR assembly to people there was no YT so all classes were hands on. The look I got from people when using the proper tools to check spaces was shocking. So many "Garage Gunsmiths" told me those are not needed cuz "everything is made the same now". I took several of their builds and showed them items out of spec. Their response 90% of the time. "Hey, it shoots perfectly / fine" Now we have full on classes online in 4k UHD on how Professional Gun makers skimp on proofing their firearms.
Wow, that was an intensely detailed video. I'm glad he posted it. I had no clue that so many issues could arise. So much for army training of "clean it up then suck it up if the machine doesn't work right." Wonder how many military armorers have the time, skills, and tools to do any of this.
Agree! I think several of his gauges are actually old military gauges. Not sure if they are used now though. Some of them are hard to find now which I guess can indicate that they are not used any longer :/
Unless you can’t help but to constantly tinker and don’t plan to use it for defense/duty, then sure it doesn’t have to be.. but even then, I would just to be safe.
It's a great way to tell a decent company. Staking the castle nut is BASIC for assembling an AR correctly, but most companies don't do it because if it's done incorrectly it'll mar the finish or look bad, which will decrease the value of the rifle, or if needed take more time to replace.
WOW, I can’t believe all of the little out of spec things going on with these lower receivers coming from Ruger, I’ve always heard some disheartening things about the Ruger AR 556’s as well as I’ve heard some good things, but the bad things I’ve heard has always made me want to stay away from them, and after seeing this I don’t think I could ever recommend a Ruger AR to anyone just too many little mishaps for a factory rifle, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for and this certainly proves it in my book, anyways I’m glad that you do what you do, keep up the good work👍👍
What size gauge are you using to check the carrier key gap? Chad, you never cease to amaze me with the best AR content on any media platform. This video series is awesome and informative. PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEACHING OF THIS MAN ... PRICELESS INFORMATION!!! Thanks for sharing, Brother 😉👊🇺🇸
Since watching a few of your videos, I’ve removed the donut from my extractor. I have a 5 coil sprinco. And I checked my spring height. I just recently replaced the receiver extension. it’s a PSA, and after 2,500 rounds, the anodizing failed and was really rough inside the tube. The action was noticeable smoother with a new receiver extension.
I bought a Ruger stripped lower a few years ago from a big sporting goods store, and I was having some of the same issues. I paid slightly more for it than other brands like Aero or PSA because it was the only one in stock for months. Whats funny to me is that out of all the lowers I've bought over the years, the cheap ones like the Anderson and PSA have been trouble free. Sample size of 1 though.
When I hear someone say that AR’s are grown-up legos, I hand them my Centurion upper that works with every lower except my Sharps lower. Which my BCM upper sits perfectly on. Tolerance stacking is real & can affect your experience greatly.
I think a huge takeaway here, is for the most part even lower end manufacturers can slap a gun together enough that whoever buying it, if they spend a little money on tools that they will need in the future regardless, can get the guns straightened out and ready to roll. At the end of the day, should the consumer have to? No, it should be caught in QC, but even big Gucci AR makers miss things, people who throw them together at home miss things. This type of format really shows the importance of having adequate tools, to check an maintain you firearms. Yet somehow Black Rain Ordinance can't manage to put a gun together better than some dude in a mudbrick hut in Khyber Pass that builds entire guns out of scrap.
Man... where were these videos when I first started building ARs... every time I watch another of your videos, I have to go back and check something (or in this case, a number of things) on over a dozen rifles to see if I did it right. 😢 Thank you.
Shuffling work stuff and watched part 3 , 2 and 1 in that order 😅 but got it done. Can’t wait to watch again this weekend while I tear down and my AR step by step. 👍🏻🤘🏻🇺🇸
For a msrp of $1019.00 , would have expected better QC from Ruger. Great video. Very informative. I dont feel bad about my throw together psa ar15 now.
I was glad to see the bolt catch test near the end. I have a 10 year old DPMS that wouldn't reliably lock back with gen 2 PMags and would still occasionally fail with g.i and gen 3 PMags. The catch would end up behind the follower.
Great video very informative! I had three Ruger Ar-556 rifles before giving up. The first one came out of the box gouged up with hammer marks and a three inch scratch across the mag well. I called and they sent another which was refused to cycle properly. Then finally called customer support again and they “upgraded” me to an MSR version which had a loose barrel and a penny sized gap between the upper and lower. I called back and they agreed to take the firearm back and sent me a check for what I paid. Never again. That said I love my Ruger 10/22. I just would never consider any AR style rifles from Ruger again.
Very interresting and informative 👍 But did you forget about the sticking take down and pivot pins in the sum up? What was the cause for that? Rough detents?
I had a Ruger AR556 MPR that was a very smooth shooting rifle but the chamber was rough and steel case ammo would almost always get stuck in the chamber. Brass case was totally fine though. Great video
Ar556 are always a nightmare. I ordered one when they first released it and the gas block taper pins weren't even installed. Of course Ruger refused to me any so harbor freight roll pins it is.
i was thinking... "that magwell vice block must have some kind of built in dry fire block"... lol that was a close one, ive broken the hold open doing that once.
Love that he keeps the ENTIRE industry in check.....
@m4rvinmartian dude...😂 wow, I hope whoever hurt you apologizes
I hope Ruger QA gets to view this priceless education. Thanks SOTAR
I miss these long ones. This should last me about two days watching bits and pieces in my free time. Thank you for all of this excellent information.
Care to tell us why "ted is a bum" ?
@@wizkaqueefa9003.
I had a friend in high school named Ted when I created this email about 20 years ago. It was just for shits and giggles.
@@wizkaqueefa9003 I made this email and username about 20 years ago when I was still in high school. Ted was a buddy a the time.
@@wizkaqueefa9003when did he call him a bum?
@@mapled3135 His username is @tedisabum
I've watched your channel from the beginning you need to write a book on ARs
If he puts in all his gauging measurements and his tips and tricks I'll buy it I think theirs a real lack of info on tdp standards of what he gauges in the ar15 community as a whole
Ive got a notebook with all the dimensions and sizes hes given on these videos bc idk where else to find it @@Chris-vy5kr
Absolutely, it would be a huge benefit to the AR World!
@@Chris-vy5kr i totally support the book idea. But there is a real lack of tooling that actually fits the specs. His bench is a setup worth $5000+ and sourced from obscure companies. I think there would be real value in teaming with brownells or another large shop and sourcing the correct dimension gauges and tools in a set that costs $1000 if manufactured at scale. The final answer to every tool. A 100% promise of trust in the specs and having everything. The 1 stop shop for gun stores, police armorers,... And then the book on how to use it, every specification and how to measure it.
@@Chris-vy5kr Bud you can literally download all the CAD data. It's all out there.
Yay, long format videos are back. Short ones are ok if that's all you have time for, but the long ones with deep dives are the ones where i can actually learn something new. Good job.
It's honestly wild that he posts long format stuff for free.
@@MK3TJ He still profits a lot off RUclips revenue/views/ads, are you slow?
@@wizkaqueefa9003 yes tell me more
I learn something new with every long form.
@@wizkaqueefa9003no I don't.
just incredible man. sometimes i feel guilty watching these cause i can’t believe im getting this education for FREE. thanks so much for sharing this knowledge. can’t tell you how much i (and a lot of other people) appreciate it. thanks again man.
I figure the least I can do is like, comment and share these videos. They are so valuable hope he gets decent returns on YT monetization/adds.
Every responsible AR owner should be subscribed to this channel.
I cannot thank you enough for this channel. I’m not a gunsmith but enjoy knowing about things I hold dear in my life, such as firearms. You are literally The Best.
My Ruger AR-556 has to the MOST out of spec rifle I've ever seen.
Mis-drilled buffer detent hole (causing the buffer face to be gouged), shallow buffer tube threads (causing damage by the endplate post upon removal and reinstall), shallow front detent hole depth, out of spec magwell, notched hammer and AR-15 semi-auto carrier, etc.
I do not care if their customer service is "good" if they can't get it right on the production line the first time. Don't settle for less!
I had one in 300 blackout that I gave up on. Couldn’t get it to shoot reliably. Finally swapped out to a PSA upper and shooting fine. Would be curious how the PSA 300 blackout did during a SOTAR review.
@@rickkeller105 funny enough. I was gonna say my psa isn't that bad 😅
Thank you Chad. Seriously, thank you. The information and educational content you give us for free is second to none.
I've never seen a video of detail as much intricacies on the AR-15 as this
@@dennishines9996dude is a wizard.
I absolutely loved this one. You found atleast 4 issues I had to correct on my nephews rifle. Here we are 2 years later and Ruger still does these things. Carrier clearance, buffer spring , trig-N-ham springs, clocking issues all of it still going on. All easy fixes but when you pay upwards of a 1K or more for a rifle it’s a bit disheartening to have to still have to correct things. It’s not just Ruger and I understand things happen with all manufacturers. I’m glad so glad that you can show proof and call them all out on these issues. Or atleast show them potential problems.
Being a bit of an AR nerd I love this sort of video, this is the only channel on RUclips that feeds the nerd in me! SOTAR, keep up the good work! 👌
I’ve always messed around with guns taking them apart and putting them back together to get a better understanding of how they work. Let me tell you. My first gun was a high point .40. That thing taught me about 80% of what i know about gunsmithing. This channel gave me the other 20% and a level of confidence working on ar that i wouldn’t have otherwise…
@0:40 -ISH YAAAAAAYYYY!! A long-form SOTAR video! LOVE the detail and thoroughness.
I never thought I would see anyone doing a mass sample size of anything. This is awesome 👍
THANK YOU Chad for sharing your knowledge. The value of what you give is immeasurable.
Chad, we live for long SOTAR videos! Id watch a 10 hr video! Thanks
Thank you for this! Yes, I'm interested in trigger gauging and everything! :) Edited this: I found similar problems with my Ruger 556 MPR 18". I would like to do this myself, but no tools so I will take mine to a gunsmith to address these problems with the tube and buffer retainer. When I first got my rifle, the castle nut was loose. I just didn't know any better. Appreciate this channel.
Chad is the AR15 guru we need, not the one we deserve.
Love this series. Could watch these videos for hours
As someone who has been a gunsmith and in the industry since 2013 this is gold standard stuff against a industry with no standers ! F em up! I love this content and it sure helps sell what i have been saying for year you need good gunsmiths and armorers because guns suck from the factory!
Amazing attention to details sir. Love watching a craftsman at work. Was not surprised about loose nuts and no staking encountered this before 😮. And once more Sir thank you for a detailed tutorial 😊looking forward to the complete series.
Why I love getting older. I've been gunsmithing (Licensed) for 35 years. When I first started teaching AR assembly to people there was no YT so all classes were hands on. The look I got from people when using the proper tools to check spaces was shocking. So many "Garage Gunsmiths" told me those are not needed cuz "everything is made the same now". I took several of their builds and showed them items out of spec. Their response 90% of the time. "Hey, it shoots perfectly / fine"
Now we have full on classes online in 4k UHD on how Professional Gun makers skimp on proofing their firearms.
It is an exceptional time to self teach if you're willing.
Thoroughly enjoy all your videos, and the long ones are absolute gems. Thank you!
Seeing everyone of them passing the magwell test was pretty nice. Thats something a regular customer probably cant fix.
So glad I watch these videos - I don't look at my ARs the same way anymore.
Can't wait for these series of videos I'm glad it's finally here
Wow, that was an intensely detailed video. I'm glad he posted it. I had no clue that so many issues could arise. So much for army training of "clean it up then suck it up if the machine doesn't work right." Wonder how many military armorers have the time, skills, and tools to do any of this.
Agree! I think several of his gauges are actually old military gauges. Not sure if they are used now though. Some of them are hard to find now which I guess can indicate that they are not used any longer :/
I hope that Ruger watches this and takes steps to improve their product.
Netflix could learn a thing or two from this guy ‼️
Learn something new every day. Didn't know the castle nuts should be staked.
Unless you can’t help but to constantly tinker and don’t plan to use it for defense/duty, then sure it doesn’t have to be.. but even then, I would just to be safe.
It's a great way to tell a decent company. Staking the castle nut is BASIC for assembling an AR correctly, but most companies don't do it because if it's done incorrectly it'll mar the finish or look bad, which will decrease the value of the rifle, or if needed take more time to replace.
Seriously?... Hmmm maybe a long time ago it used to be something that was stressed, pointed out and talked about a lot more than today?
WOW, I can’t believe all of the little out of spec things going on with these lower receivers coming from Ruger, I’ve always heard some disheartening things about the Ruger AR 556’s as well as I’ve heard some good things, but the bad things I’ve heard has always made me want to stay away from them, and after seeing this I don’t think I could ever recommend a Ruger AR to anyone just too many little mishaps for a factory rifle, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for and this certainly proves it in my book, anyways I’m glad that you do what you do, keep up the good work👍👍
What size gauge are you using to check the carrier key gap? Chad, you never cease to amaze me with the best AR content on any media platform. This video series is awesome and informative. PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEACHING OF THIS MAN ... PRICELESS INFORMATION!!! Thanks for sharing, Brother 😉👊🇺🇸
Don't you know, that's super secret Chad-only info you're asking for. Shame on you for asking. /s
I'm sick so i took the day off. My day is now fulfilled. Thanks Chad aka ar15 wizard.
Hope you feel better soon. This video won't make you feel better though.
Since watching a few of your videos, I’ve removed the donut from my extractor. I have a 5 coil sprinco. And I checked my spring height. I just recently replaced the receiver extension. it’s a PSA, and after 2,500 rounds, the anodizing failed and was really rough inside the tube. The action was noticeable smoother with a new receiver extension.
Awesome video! The amount of knowledge packed in to this video is impressive. Love the videos and keep up the great work!
So excited for this series and for the return of long/in depth videos.
so much information in this video. I've never seen such detail when inspecting an AR-15.
Awesome!! I've been eagerly awaiting this series to start. Thanks SOTAR!!
As always, I learn something from all your videos. Thank you for your efforts.
I bought a Ruger stripped lower a few years ago from a big sporting goods store, and I was having some of the same issues. I paid slightly more for it than other brands like Aero or PSA because it was the only one in stock for months.
Whats funny to me is that out of all the lowers I've bought over the years, the cheap ones like the Anderson and PSA have been trouble free. Sample size of 1 though.
I never knew about many of these checks. I'm definitely saving this series of videos.
Thanks 🤝🇺🇸
2 1/2 hours of SOTAR? happy day!
😮 That's going to be a horrible staff meeting, at Ruger👀
@@Pompomgrenade
Great news, they are talking about us on RUclips ! But those are not nice words 😪
They obviously do not care
It is great to see the beginning of this adventure.
I want to say, I watch your videos and I learn so much! Thank you
Love seeing this, I always learn something from your videos. Thank you
When I hear someone say that AR’s are grown-up legos, I hand them my Centurion upper that works with every lower except my Sharps lower. Which my BCM upper sits perfectly on. Tolerance stacking is real & can affect your experience greatly.
Agree with others that it's nice to see another long-format video!
Love your knowledge on the AR platform!
OH OH! This is an awesome idea for a series.
Do Smith and Wesson next!
I think a huge takeaway here, is for the most part even lower end manufacturers can slap a gun together enough that whoever buying it, if they spend a little money on tools that they will need in the future regardless, can get the guns straightened out and ready to roll. At the end of the day, should the consumer have to? No, it should be caught in QC, but even big Gucci AR makers miss things, people who throw them together at home miss things. This type of format really shows the importance of having adequate tools, to check an maintain you firearms. Yet somehow Black Rain Ordinance can't manage to put a gun together better than some dude in a mudbrick hut in Khyber Pass that builds entire guns out of scrap.
Man... where were these videos when I first started building ARs... every time I watch another of your videos, I have to go back and check something (or in this case, a number of things) on over a dozen rifles to see if I did it right. 😢
Thank you.
PSA needs to hire this guy to do their QC
That's making the assumption they'd ever give up the marketing budget
After fighting 3 hours to remove a barrel nut last night, I concur.
Haha nothing would ever make it out the door.
They couldn't afford him...
They couldn’t afford him
Its finally here!! 🎉🎉
Shuffling work stuff and watched part 3 , 2 and 1 in that order 😅 but got it done. Can’t wait to watch again this weekend while I tear down and my AR step by step. 👍🏻🤘🏻🇺🇸
For a msrp of $1019.00 , would have expected better QC from Ruger. Great video. Very informative. I dont feel bad about my throw together psa ar15 now.
What an awesome video filled with fantastic information!!! Thanks for everything you do for us!!!
I've been awaiting these "secret shopper" videos!
Very excited for a longer video!
I was glad to see the bolt catch test near the end. I have a 10 year old DPMS that wouldn't reliably lock back with gen 2 PMags and would still occasionally fail with g.i and gen 3 PMags. The catch would end up behind the follower.
Excellent video. Looks like I'm gonna go thru my AR556 since you brought up the buffer tube tolerances
Always look forward to your content drops. 🇺🇸👍🏽
You make installing those hammers look easy.
No way! Finally!!!! I knownit took a lot to do this, thank you sir!
Great video very informative! I had three Ruger Ar-556 rifles before giving up. The first one came out of the box gouged up with hammer marks and a three inch scratch across the mag well. I called and they sent another which was refused to cycle properly. Then finally called customer support again and they “upgraded” me to an MSR version which had a loose barrel and a penny sized gap between the upper and lower. I called back and they agreed to take the firearm back and sent me a check for what I paid. Never again. That said I love my Ruger 10/22. I just would never consider any AR style rifles from Ruger again.
Incredibly insightful, as always. 👍
A ton of info, thank you Chad.
I got my popcorn before I even opened the vid. LOL Bought one of the alignment buffer-tube jigs on cosmetic blem ... great guys! Works great!
Been looking forward to this video! Thank you!
Thank you very much. Very interesting. I look forward to parts 2&3.
Thank you for doing and posting this!
Nice video, always learning.
Learned a couple of new things with this video. Good to know.! 👍🏼
Chad: this is going to be a long one, grab a snack.
Me: sits down on couch with full meal on tray and streams to TV.
Donna did a good job.
Long videos are great.......I don't have to go find something productive to do.....this fits the bill!
I seen most your videos. I have built a few nice ar 15s because u your expertise.
Very interresting and informative 👍
But did you forget about the sticking take down and pivot pins in the sum up?
What was the cause for that?
Rough detents?
Looks like some rifle companies need some consulting on their QC process.
Thank you for sharing all this. 🇺🇸🤙🏻
I Love you Man! gawd Bless The American Rifle Man! and his School ....you are doin Gods werk!
I’ve been looking forward to this one
Thank you for your time.
I had a Ruger AR556 MPR that was a very smooth shooting rifle but the chamber was rough and steel case ammo would almost always get stuck in the chamber. Brass case was totally fine though. Great video
Wow! Mesmerizing
Great knowledge dump as usual. TY
Finally! An actual good use for those Magpul covers😂
Man seeing how these factory produced rifles turn out make me feel better about my thrown together hack job ARs xD
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Yeah! been waiting on this one!!
Oh man, i was wondering what class threads the buffer tube and castle nut had. I feel unsatisfied.
Great info, thanks for doing this project.
Awesome as always.
Great Stuff as usual!!
Thank you for this!
My super duty had a front take down pin. That took a few times in and out to loosen it up. Works good now.
YEESSSS!!! LONG FORM CONTENT!
😃😃😃 Ruger should rethink their choice of people building the ar rifles
Ar556 are always a nightmare. I ordered one when they first released it and the gas block taper pins weren't even installed. Of course Ruger refused to me any so harbor freight roll pins it is.
i was thinking... "that magwell vice block must have some kind of built in dry fire block"... lol that was a close one, ive broken the hold open doing that once.