Sig 556 rifle review
Stevedcross @ The Gun Blogs has just posted a review on his new Sig 556 rifle
I brought home a new baby. A brand new Sig 556 rifle. Forward grip, stream light tactical light, HALO sight. What a wonderful piece of engineering! I have as of yet not done any formal accuracy testing, but during the basic sight in session, the rifle was easy to shoot, minimal recoil, very steady, and shot well.
More here.
More info on the Sig 556 can be found at the Sig Sauer website
The SIG 556 features the same high-performance two position adjustable gas piston operating rod system engineered by SIG’s sister company Swiss Arms and marries it to a trigger housing that not only cuts the rifle’s weight by a pound but is designed to accept standard AR magazines. The SIG 556 features a 16″ military grade cold hammer forged barrel, chambered in 5.56mm NATO, with a twist rate of 1 in 7″. The flash suppressor uses a standard .5 x 28 TPI thread pattern, ensuring compatibility with after-market accessories. The forearm housing the gas operating system is a vented non-slip polymer featuring the SIG TriRail design with three integrated Picatinny rails for mounting accessories. The optional flip up front combat sight is adjustable for windage and elevation.
More here.
I’ve been trying to sight in my 556 with no luck. I started with weaver mounts and a Leupold, then switched to a LaRue Tactical mount and a Zeiss Conquest scope. This thing fires the first round nice, and after that they start walking all over the place. If I fire ten rounds thirty seconds apart off snad bags at 100 yards you can’t cover the group with a dinner plate. It’s nuts. Anyone have any ideas about this thing, or is it just a dog? I even tried another shooter and three types of ammo.
Thanks, Tom R.
I picked up the Sig 556 with Eotech holo plus 3x optics about 8 months ago. I brought the optics to about 3 MOA at 25/100 yds. After 21 years of daily use of the M-16 I can’t help but compare these two weapons. If I had to stay tactical and on the move for more than a week the M-16 is best for its lighter weight and part interchange. I’ve yet to try changing out parts on the Sig. I prefer the Sig’s feel and balance and the extra weight was easily overlooked in my tactical agression drills where adrenaline more than compensates. In fact, the weight helped me return to my target much easier. Like others, I also experienced several instances where the bolt failed to catch open after the last round. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has tried a magazine other than the issued Sig plastic version. There appears to be a little play in the magazine when it’s seated. A remedy is desireble so I don’t have to wait out the possible hang fire issue on an empty chamber! What can I say? I don’t count rounds with an assault rifle. I also noticed some metal filing shards in the receiver and some bothersome wear on the bolt catch after my second outing when over 300 rounds were fired in about 10 minutes. Anyone else experieced that one? Extra lube ended that problem next time out. One very pleasing thing I found was how clean the lower receiver remains after firing. It is completely isolated from firing residue during cycling. I like that a lot. As a search and clear weapon through congested areas, my drills proved it reliable and easy to see through with the EoTech optics with both eyes open. Target acquisition was quick. I would recommend some shoulder workouts to reduce fatique during those potential long search and clear ops. The front end can get heavy after 30 minutes of continuous raised weapon tactics.
yeah my 556 is a little weird also (its actually back at the factory right now) it was shooting nice groups at 100 yards but the were however WAY WAY low. so low infact i ran out of adjustment on every scope i have, trying to get it zeroed. hopefully sig will tell me what the heck was wrong with it when it gets back!! ill keep you posted. ive also heard of a few probelems like this from guys at three gun matches they said it has something to do with the rifling or something!!!
I find it very strange your having such problems zeroing your 556. At 100 yards with a basic Bushnell Trophy red dot I shot 1 inch groups with 55gr Winchester Q3131. When I switched to Privi Partizan 75gr Match ammo I shot even tighter groups like 3 shots that a quarter could cover. The 1 in 7″ twist barrel shoots the heavier bullets best. I tested all the ammo off a bipod and bench setup with a fwd vertical grip attachment as well. I did however have to adjust zero quite a few inches down from the 55gr zero for the 75gr to be on target.
I’m very disappointed with Sig Sauer. I was told rifle was in stock, paid with plastic and it took 3 months for my order to arrive. Funny thing is about 5 of us ordered at the same time and they got theirs 2 months before me. And yes this was before the elections. Finally, it (rifle) was sent to them to get it fix. One of the issues like everyone else is zeroing!!! It’s been 1 month and haven’t received any word on the status.
Well, thanks for the input on from the owners. I was really interested in these but I think Al the negatives I’m hearing now that I’m actually doing the research will point me in another direction. Disappointed but I will get over it.