Ruger AC-556F
Sturm, Ruger & Company · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1980
Also known as: AC-556 Folding Stock, AC556F
Overview
The Ruger AC-556F is the stainless-steel, folding-stock version of the select-fire AC-556, Sturm Ruger's military and police variant of the Mini-14. It retains the AC-556's 18.5-inch barrel and rear-receiver fire selector offering semi-automatic, three-round burst, and full-automatic fire, but mounts a side-folding aluminum stock with full pistol grip in place of the fixed wooden stock. Chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and feeding from 20- or 30-round magazines, it served as a compact, corrosion-resistant carbine for security, prison, and law-enforcement users.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2890 g (101.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 984 mm (38.74") |
| Barrel Length | 470 mm (18.50") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1036 m/s (3399 fps) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 750 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Aluminum |
| Finish | Stainless Steel |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as 5.56 NATO, .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Burst 3, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Selector Lever Safety
- Features: Folding Stock, Pistol Grip, Flash Suppressor, Bayonet Lug, Fire Mode Selector
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States law enforcement agencies
Production
Production years: 1980-1999
Restricted to military, law-enforcement, and government sales; select-fire AC-556 production ended in the late 1990s
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: L. James Sullivan
Discontinued: 1999
Notes
The 'F' suffix denotes the folding-stock stainless configuration with the full-length 18.5-inch barrel; the AC-556K is a separate short-barrel (about 13-inch) folding-stock model. Sources occasionally conflate the two. Caliber dimensional data is for the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge.
Background
Because pre-1986 select-fire AC-556 rifles remain transferable on the civilian machine-gun registry, surviving examples command prices many times their original cost among collectors.