Did you recognize the Swiss Sturmgewehr 57 in the top image? Amazing, isn’t it? This conversion done by a Swiss company called Hubertec looks like a very well thought out design that turns an ugly duckling like the Stgw 57 into such a beauty. Not only the converted rifles look cool but they also pack features that we normally want to see in modern rifles. Let’s take a closer look.

This is how the original Stgw 57 looks like. Photo credit: www.wikipedia.org

Sturmgewehr 57 (a.k. a. Stgw 57, SIG SG 510, F. ass. 57) was adopted by the Swiss army in 1957 and stayed in service until it was replaced with the SIG SG550 in 1990. It is a magazine-fed select-fire rifle that utilizes roller delayed blowback mechanism of operation. This rifle is chambered in 7.5x55mm Swiss (GP11) but there is also a version (SG 510-4) chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO which was adopted by Bolivia and Chile. Semi-auto only versions of this firearm, AMT (7.62x51mm) and PE 57 (7.5x55mm), have been imported to the USA in small numbers.

Hubertec Stgw 57 Commando. This version has a shorter 12″ (260mm) barrel. Photo credit: www.hubertec.ch

The Hubertec conversion kit consists of a stock adapter, receiver rail and handguard. The stock adapter provides an AR-15 buffer tube attachment threads which, of course, will allow using one of the million AR stocks available on the market. Next, a Picatinny rail section is fitted to the top of the receiver. Apparently, although this receiver rail covers the original loaded chamber indicator (which is located on top of the Stgw 57 receiver), it retains that feature thanks to the built-in knobs that are linked to the loaded chamber indicator plunger and protrude from either side of the rail whenever there is a round in the chamber. The third component of the Hubertec upgrade kit is the aluminum handguard which has top and bottom Picatinny rails. Hubertec has also designed a new pistol grip for these rifles.

Black colored Hubertec conversion kit. Photo credit: www.hubertec.ch

The price for the black kit (both for basic and commando versions) is CHF 1,050 which is equal to about $1,100. The FDE Cerakoted versions cost CHF 1,250 ($1,300). The pistol grip is not included in these kits.

It looks like these are all drop-in parts not requiring any permanent changes to the rifle which is a great feature when it comes to modernizing old/rare/historical firearms allowing to return them to their original state.

Hat tip to Tadevos M