My Ruger SFAR is on its way back to Ruger - Adjustable Gas Block Issues

[Pat Riot]

I am kind of upset / disappointed. My SFAR let me down. Today is the first day of deer season here and my SFAR, the gun that was going to be my deer rifle is lounging at FedEx awaiting shipment to NC.

After a 200 round break in and a really good cleaning I took some ammo to the range last week for some final accuracy testing and I had installed a riser on my rail to raise my scope a bit more so re-sighting in was needed.

I fired some Norma .308 150gr FMJ to get the scope dialed in on the paper at 100 yards. The gas setting was on 2. I fired a dozen rounds getting it centered on a bullseye with no problems.

I then loaded up 3 rounds of PMC Bronze 150gr PSP (power soft point) hit a near bullseye but the gun didn’t feed the 2nd round so I reset everything and fired. Another near bullseye but the gun didn’t cycle properly so I adjusted the gas to 3. I fired and hit the bullseye. When I picked up the 3rd case the rim was bent. Too much gas.

I decided to go ahead and test my hand loads using Federal brass, IMR-4895 powder and Hornady 150gr SST Bullets. At this point I was shooting for groups. Once I got the tightest group I would dial it in on the bullseye at 100 yards.

I set the gas setting back to 2. I fired. A little low, but the gun cycled. The gun did not cycle the 2nd shot or the third. I decided to go to the other end of my ammo box for the test loads with the most powder to see if the #2 gas setting would work with them. I calculated these loads to be at around 2800fps. I do not have a chronograph.
Anyway, I got misfeeds so I set the gun on 3 and proceeded to shoot running a bore snake every few rounds. I fired 20 in total and was getting great patterns
I was collecting my brass when something sliced my knuckle open. Time for a bandaid. I looked at my brass and it had the weirdest galling on the head of the brass. My ejectors were tearing gouges in the brass.
I quit shooting and went home and verified that my loads were within safety margins - I never run max loads. They were within the safe range of the manuals.

I went online and started researching this and I found numerous discussions on forums regarding this very thing.
What’s the cure? Send it back to Ruger…and that’s where it’s going.

There were a few people that enlarged the gas aperture on the #2 setting of the gas adjustment plug to get things working the way they wanted, but I figure “Why should I have to improve a new gun?” So I called Ruger.

Here are some photos with notes.
Oh, remember I said the gun was patterning, not grouping? The damn riser I bought off Amazon loosened itself up after I installed it per instructions. 25 in/lbs of torque on the 3 screws. That thing’s going in the junk box. I am buying new scope rings at the proper height.








special note - if you have an SFAR clean that adjustable gas system every 100 rounds or so. 200 rounds is too long. It was a pain to get it apart to clean it.

 

[troy fairweather]

Looks like there pretty warm loads, each gun will show pressure different some will be a few grains under book max and still be a max load. Autos can be hard on brass, I don't think ruger can do much.

 

[Pat Riot]

Looks like there pretty warm loads, each gun will show pressure different some will be a few grains under book max and still be a max load. Autos can be hard on brass, I don't think ruger can do much.

It’s because the gas setting of 2 doesn’t allow enough gas to cycle the action but a gas setting of 3 is too much.
This is a known problem that Ruger is addressing. They can install a new gas adjustment plug with a larger orifice on setting 2. They can also look over the rest of the gun to make sure other parts are okay.

 

[dranrab]

Welcome to typical Ruger QC.

 

[Pat Riot]

Welcome to typical Ruger QC.

I have a few Ruger’s and I have sold a few more. Up to this point things have been pretty good.
What’s funny is this rifle ran just fine during break in.
I’m sure they’ll make it right.




I hope.

 

[TTv2]

Seems like a fix that could be done by having more gas adjustment options. IDK how easy that is to make, but all it is is varying degrees of obstruction, so they probably just drill different diameter holes.

 

[Pat Riot]

Seems like a fix that could be done by having more gas adjustment options. IDK how easy that is to make, but all it is is varying degrees of obstruction, so they probably just drill different diameter holes.

The current setup has 4 “settings”
0 - no gas. Good for single shot practice or developing ammo.
1 - minimal gas. Setting for using a compensator.
2 - Not email setting for .308 ammo per Ruger.
3 - Fully open. For break-in and lower powered ammo.

Your post made me think that perhaps there is an aftermarket opportunity here. Tuned gas ports for the SFAR.
———————————————

I just received an email that Ruger received my rifle. The email said return would be 2-4 weeks. The way my luck has been running regarding deer season this year it will be 4 weeks.
I also got a sinus infection that’s affecting my right eye. Vision is cloudy.
A while back I decided to redo the sights on my two 30-30s. I changed the aperture sizes on the rear sights, which means they are no longer sighted in. I got lazy and didn’t bother. I refuse to be that idiot that sights his gun in the first week of deer season. Target practice is allowed outdoors during deer season here. Some states don’t allow it. Maybe I will sight them in next week.

This is what I get for putting my faith in one gun. The thing is, I know better. I guess you’re never too old to make mistakes.
The good news is they stocked some trout in Elk River last week. Maybe I will just go fishing.

 

[Pat Riot]

UPDATE:

On Monday Nov. 20, 2023 I shipped my SFAR to Ruger

On Monday Nov. 27, 2023 I received notice that my gun is coming back repaired.

It shipped back to me on the 28th.

I received it on the 30th, Thursday.

Documents and a phone call confirmed that Ruger changed / upgraded the gas regulator. They also honed the chamber.

After repairs it was function fired 20 rounds with no malfunction.

I thought by today I would have had a chance to take it out and shoot it to see how it’s functioning, but alas, family issues, weather and other things have caused me to put it off.

The Bright Side: Ruger did send me a complimentary Gun Cleaning Cloth…

I am just happy it’s back in my safe. I will have to make time to get out there and shoot it to see how she does.

 

[TonyAngel]

I've been considering an SFAR myself, but the problem you're having seems to be pretty common. I did see a guy that I follow on YouTube remedy the problem by going with a Riflespeed gas block.

 

[Buzznrose]

Good write up. Ive not put a lot of rounds through mine yet…but I will this winter. I guess I’ll see how it runs. Thanks!

 

[someguy2800]

This is a pretty traditional powder burn rate and gas port position mismatch with AR's. It is trying to extract the case while there is still too much pressure in the chamber sticking the brass to the chamber walls. Look into seeing if you can get a heavier buffer or use a faster burn rate powder so the chamber pressure will drop faster before the carrier starts to cam the bolt.

 

[Frulk]

Pat…glad it appears resolved.

Us Ruger apologist’s harp on their customer service for good reason. No one expects a new product to be defective, break, blemished etc. How the company handles the initial customer service recovery step does a lot to underscore brand loyalty.

My father once bought a new Chevy Vega. Old timers will remember them. I’ve not driven a GM product in over 4 decades because of how the dealer handled the problem with the motor.

Closer to home on round 79 my brand new .308 Springfield Scout broke and ejected the extractor. 3 weeks later it was back in the safe, fixed and had head space reconfirmed and a couple of other minor things tuned all at no cost to me.

I’d buy another Springfield product in a heart beat due to that one customer service interaction.

As much as I like and want a new Chevy Tahoe I just can’t get past the experience in my formative years with GM. Silly, I know.

 

[Pat Riot]

Pat…glad it appears resolved.

Us Ruger apologist’s harp on their customer service for good reason. No one expects a new product to be defective, break, blemished etc. How the company handles the initial customer service recovery step does a lot to underscore brand loyalty.

My father once bought a new Chevy Vega. Old timers will remember them. I’ve not driven a GM product in over 4 decades because of how the dealer handled the problem with the motor.

Closer to home on round 79 my brand new .308 Springfield Scout broke and ejected the extractor. 3 weeks later it was back in the safe, fixed and had head space reconfirmed and a couple of other minor things tuned all at no cost to me.

I’d buy another Springfield product in a heart beat due to that one customer service interaction.

As much as I like and want a new Chevy Tahoe I just can’t get past the experience in my formative years with GM. Silly, I know.

Mechanical things break or malfunction. Pretty sure it’s a law.

I agree, customer service is the key to a lasting business relationship. I have owned a some or more Ruger guns and my experience with them and their customer service support has been excellent.
I sure can’t say that about some of the other big dogs in the arena.

————————————————-

There are numerous web sites that state that all that is needed to “fix” the SFAR’s gas problem is a slight enlargement of the #2 gas orifice.
I look at it this way, if I modify the gas regulator and something else does not work right and I have to send the gun into Ruger there is a very good chance my warranty is shot.
A shot warranty means that if down the road Ruger cannot work out all the bugs and there is a recall I am left holding a problem rifle that I have to remedy, part out or scrap.
Ruger will make it right one way or another.

 

[irishlad]

Look into seeing if you can get a heavier buffer or use a faster burn rate powder so the chamber pressure will drop faster before the carrier starts to cam the bolt.

My grandson put a H2 buffer on his SFAR and it ran flawlessly after that.

 

[someguy2800]

My grandson put a H2 buffer on his SFAR and it ran flawlessly after that.

Yeah you can kinda bandaid the problem by changing the gas port size but the real solution is more mass in the bolt/buffer, or moving the gas block farther out.

 

[Pat Riot]

Yeah you can kinda bandaid the problem by changing the gas port size but the real solution is more mass in the bolt/buffer, or moving the gas block farther out.

In regards to my SFAR I’ll leave it up to the engineers at Ruger. I am pretty sure they know what they’re doing.
I don’t buy guns with the intention of making the product better or to beta test it for the manufacturer.

 

[TonyAngel]

My grandson put a H2 buffer on his SFAR and it ran flawlessly after that.

I used to do this. Use the weight of the buffer to "tune" the rifle. After a time, I had a mess buffers of laying around and H+ buffers arent exactly cheap. Then I started pulling them apart to replace weights to get to an appropriate weight. I did this because, for a long time, I refused to use an adjustable gas block. I just saw them as introducing a point of failure.

Now, some 20+ years later, I've come to see heavier buffers as more of a bandage than a fix. If you change your load or add a suppressor, you might need a different buffer. I still run H buffers in all of my ARs, just to add a bit of mass to help over come things like a dirty action, but I've also started using adjustable gas blocks. The way they're made these days, the settings are easily repeatable and maintenance only takes a minute. My favorite is the riflespeed. I can run anything from low powered handloads and steel cased to full blown 5.56 with 100% reliability. I can't remember the last time I had a stoppage that wasn't induced.

Yeah, I know. I just jinxed myself.

 

[someguy2800]

In regards to my SFAR I’ll leave it up to the engineers at Ruger. I am pretty sure they know what they’re doing.

And yet here we are…

 

[Pat Riot]

And yet here we are…

You have an SFAR too?

 

[someguy2800]

You have an SFAR too?

No I’m planning to order one in the next couple weeks but I’m going to take it apart to rebarrel it in a different caliber. I have about 15 AR’s that I’ve built from stripped receivers in different calibers and gas lengths along with helping friends build theirs so I’ve had to deal with these issues several times. This exact issue you were having was one of the factors that caused the early M16’s in Vietnam to rip rims off cases. The army approved a spec change in powder without bothering to test it or consult the weapons designers and it resulted in a completely different port pressure than the design spec. Ruger didn’t do anything wrong, there are just some ammo combinations that will be outside of what they expected the port pressure to be. They are in the unenviable position of tying to make it work with all the random ammo out there.

 

[irishlad]

My grandson put a H2 buffer on his SFAR and it ran flawlessly after that.

I used to do this. Use the weight of the buffer to "tune" the rifle. After a time, I had a mess buffers of laying around and H+ buffers arent exactly cheap. Then I started pulling them apart to replace weights to get to an appropriate weight. I did this because, for a long time, I refused to use an adjustable gas block. I just saw them as introducing a point of failure.

Now, some 20+ years later, I've come to see heavier buffers as more of a bandage than a fix. If you change your load or add a suppressor, you might need a different buffer. I still run H buffers in all of my ARs, just to add a bit of mass to help over come things like a dirty action, but I've also started using adjustable gas blocks. The way they're made these days, the settings are easily repeatable and maintenance only takes a minute. My favorite is the riflespeed. I can run anything from low powered handloads and steel cased to full blown 5.56 with 100% reliability. I can't remember the last time I had a stoppage that wasn't induced.

Yeah, I know. I just jinxed myself.

I should have been more specific, his buffer is an adjustable buffer, set for H2 weight. With the SFAR adjustable block his runs flawlessly suppressed and unsuppressed with a variety of factory loads and our handloads.

 

[Pat Riot]

No I’m planning to order one in the next couple weeks but I’m going to take it apart to rebarrel it in a different caliber. I have about 15 AR’s that I’ve built from stripped receivers in different calibers and gas lengths along with helping friends build theirs so I’ve had to deal with these issues several times. This exact issue you were having was one of the factors that caused the early M16’s in Vietnam to rip rims off cases. The army approved a spec change in powder without bothering to test it or consult the weapons designers and it resulted in a completely different port pressure than the design spec. Ruger didn’t do anything wrong, there are just some ammo combinations that will be outside of what they expected the port pressure to be. They are in the unenviable position of tying to make it work with all the random ammo out there.

Okay. I see. I must admit that my experience with AR type rifles and carbines is limited, unlike yourself, obviously. I am cautious about fooling with things that I do not fully understand.
I have assembled several AR-15s, but I assembled guns with parts and components that had already been vetted by others so there really wasn’t much in the way of troubleshooting.
I appreciate your experience and recommendations, but I want Ruger to make it right or they can exchange it for something that I can trust.

 

[someguy2800]

Okay. I see. I must admit that my experience with AR type rifles and carbines is limited, unlike yourself, obviously. I am cautious about fooling with things that I do not fully understand.
I have assembled several AR-15s, but I assembled guns with parts and components that had already been vetted by others so there really wasn’t much in the way of troubleshooting.
I appreciate your experience and recommendations, but I want Ruger to make it right or they can exchange it for something that I can trust.

If its working now then all is good. Changing the weight or changing the gas port are two ways to accomplish the goal of getting the carrier to extract at the right time.

Just to explain what we mean by increasing the buffer weight,

An AR buffer has several sliding weights inside of it which are meant to act like a deadblow hammer to keep the bolt carrier from bouncing when it hits the barrel extension. This is really only a problem when shooting full auto, but the extra weight helps function and makes the cycling feel smoother so semi auto guns use them too.



The original M16 buffer had a longer buffer tube, 5 steel weights and an aluminum spacer inside it. The shorter carbine buffer tubes mostly used now typically have 3 steel weights. You can increase the weight of the buffer by taking it apart and swapping 1, 2, or all 3 of the weights with tungsten weights. The gas block and the buffer weights are both knobs to turn to adjust how an AR cycles. Many people prefer to just run an H1 (one tungsten weight) or H2 (two tungsten weights) in all of their builds.

An early extraction problem like you were having can be fixed either way. I would opt for the heavier buffer route because it slows down the initial travel of the buffer without reducing the amount of total force applied to the bolt, but both ways work and if its working fine now then all is good.

The other thing that can affect this is the distance of the gas block from the chamber. The typical lengths are pistol, carbine, midlength, rifle length, and rifle +2". Some of my guns with longer gas lengths function perfectly fine with no weights in the buffer at all. At the end of the day their are many ways to skin the cat that are perfectly acceptable.

 

[mavracer]

At the end of the day their are many ways to skin the cat that are perfectly acceptable.

Yep to stay with the apparent analogies. Tuning an AR is much like tuning an old Holley carb and some are happy with just getting it to run some want to chase tenths.

I appreciate your experience and recommendations, but I want Ruger to make it right or they can exchange it for something that I can trust.

And they definitely should

 

[d2wing]

A heavier buffer solved the problem with an AR I had but I would send it back to Ruger.