Ruger AR-556 MPR (.350 Legend)

The Ruger AR-556 MPR in .350 Legend is the upgraded AR option for straight-wall deer states. Where Ruger's base AR-556 is a budget carbine, the Multi-Purpose Rifle adds the parts that matter for a precise hunting rifle: a Ruger Elite 452 two-stage trigger, a 15 inch M-LOK free-float handguard, and a cold-hammer-forged barrel. .350 Legend was designed by Winchester in 2019 to be legal in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and parts of Pennsylvania where rifle cartridges are banned for deer, and the MPR delivers it on the familiar AR-15 platform.

The 16.38 inch cold-hammer-forged barrel runs a 1:16 twist for the heavy hunting bullets the cartridge favors, fed by a pistol-length gas system tuned for the round. The muzzle is threaded 1/2x28, which is the correct .350 Legend AR thread pitch, so a radial-port brake ships installed and a suppressor mounts directly. With the federal making and transfer tax on suppressors now zeroed under the OBBBA, running a can on this rifle costs only the price of the can. A Magpul MOE stock and grip round out the build at about 6.6 lb.

The rifle requires .350 Legend-specific magazines and ships with a 5-round box; standard 5.56 magazines are not a reliable substitute. At about $1,060 street the MPR sits below the CMMG Resolute while delivering a two-stage trigger and a cold-hammer-forged barrel, making it the value-to-quality sweet spot among complete .350 Legend ARs.