boricua9mm
Member
After patiently waiting for years for SIG to debug the 556 and finally get it into the proper configuration, I decided to purchase a 556 Classic. The mechanical components of this specimen appeared to be very high quality and fit and finish were impeccable, except for one important area, the retractable & folding stock. I have seen references to the problem which I am about to describe, but never any photos or proof. It is my hopes that this thread can shed some light of truth on this matter.
On my rifle, after the stock was folded , it took a lot of effort to get it to lock in place. When opening up the stock, the little tab on the forend would not let go of the clasp in the stock, ripping this clasp clean through the stock! As someone who would not own a bastardized AR15-SIG hybrid, this is a big issue. I was completely let down by SIG's lack of quality in this area, so I made a phone call to customer service.
When I explained the problem, the customer service rep responded with "Hmm. I'll send you an RMA and a shipping label for repairs." I then brought up the issue of Swiss stocks versus the "SIG Sauer" marked stock that came on my rifle. I was told that the first Classics went out with Swiss stocks, but then supplies ran out and there was a holdup on the stocks coming from Switzerland, so they swicthed to "another vendor" which a lot of folks suspect is iTac. I asked if there was any possibility of me getting a real Swiss stock and I was told that there was no way to be sure. So the next day I went back to the dealer to get this thing boxed up and shipped off to Exeter.
My dealer had some curious customers in the shop, so I decided to show them the issue I was having. While doing so, I checked the weapon to make sure it was clear, and the bolt slammed home, even though I had positively engaged the bolt release. I made a strange face and repeated the procedure. The bolt dropped home once again and this time one of the guys noticed it. "Yeah, I saw it too! It dropped the bolt twice in a row!" In my book, I consider this an unsafe condition, and immediately both my opinion and desire of the 556 Classic quickly waned.
I was upset that SIG would finally make the right choice on how to offer the rifle, but completely screw up the execution. I can live with a little ratlle in the handguards and even a little play in the stock, but a $1600 rifle that rips the locking mechanism right out of the stock and also drops the bolt on its own accord is completely unacceptable. To be fair, SIG offered to fix this rifle, but I had made up my mind that I was never going to be content with the poor design of the stock's locking mechanism. SIG dropped the ball two years ago when this rifle came out, and here they are dropping the ball yet again. It is obvious that the new stock found on the current SIG Classics is not of Swiss manufacture, nor is it the level of quality you'd expect from a rifle at this price point. Luckily, my dealer had another rifle in stock that had drawn my attention, a 4th Gen. MSAR STG556 in black. One month later, I am very happy with the MSAR, and extremely let down with SIG Sauer. I have been craving a 550 style rifle for the longest time. I waited patiently while they debugged and released various configurations. When it looked like they finally got it right, it turned out that one of the all important features was a piece of garbage.
I wrote off SIG pistols back in 2004 when QC and customer service were in the dumpster. I have since purchased older, pre '04 SIGs and had great success. On the other hand, this latest move by SIG to go cheap on the stock of a $1600 rifle is the straw that breaks this camel's back.
Here are the videos showing the problem with the 556 Classic Stock. Pick and choose your format and please be patient for the download:
Windows Media Player 19MB
Quicktime MPEG4 23MB
Let down once again,
B9
On my rifle, after the stock was folded , it took a lot of effort to get it to lock in place. When opening up the stock, the little tab on the forend would not let go of the clasp in the stock, ripping this clasp clean through the stock! As someone who would not own a bastardized AR15-SIG hybrid, this is a big issue. I was completely let down by SIG's lack of quality in this area, so I made a phone call to customer service.
When I explained the problem, the customer service rep responded with "Hmm. I'll send you an RMA and a shipping label for repairs." I then brought up the issue of Swiss stocks versus the "SIG Sauer" marked stock that came on my rifle. I was told that the first Classics went out with Swiss stocks, but then supplies ran out and there was a holdup on the stocks coming from Switzerland, so they swicthed to "another vendor" which a lot of folks suspect is iTac. I asked if there was any possibility of me getting a real Swiss stock and I was told that there was no way to be sure. So the next day I went back to the dealer to get this thing boxed up and shipped off to Exeter.
My dealer had some curious customers in the shop, so I decided to show them the issue I was having. While doing so, I checked the weapon to make sure it was clear, and the bolt slammed home, even though I had positively engaged the bolt release. I made a strange face and repeated the procedure. The bolt dropped home once again and this time one of the guys noticed it. "Yeah, I saw it too! It dropped the bolt twice in a row!" In my book, I consider this an unsafe condition, and immediately both my opinion and desire of the 556 Classic quickly waned.
I was upset that SIG would finally make the right choice on how to offer the rifle, but completely screw up the execution. I can live with a little ratlle in the handguards and even a little play in the stock, but a $1600 rifle that rips the locking mechanism right out of the stock and also drops the bolt on its own accord is completely unacceptable. To be fair, SIG offered to fix this rifle, but I had made up my mind that I was never going to be content with the poor design of the stock's locking mechanism. SIG dropped the ball two years ago when this rifle came out, and here they are dropping the ball yet again. It is obvious that the new stock found on the current SIG Classics is not of Swiss manufacture, nor is it the level of quality you'd expect from a rifle at this price point. Luckily, my dealer had another rifle in stock that had drawn my attention, a 4th Gen. MSAR STG556 in black. One month later, I am very happy with the MSAR, and extremely let down with SIG Sauer. I have been craving a 550 style rifle for the longest time. I waited patiently while they debugged and released various configurations. When it looked like they finally got it right, it turned out that one of the all important features was a piece of garbage.
I wrote off SIG pistols back in 2004 when QC and customer service were in the dumpster. I have since purchased older, pre '04 SIGs and had great success. On the other hand, this latest move by SIG to go cheap on the stock of a $1600 rifle is the straw that breaks this camel's back.
Here are the videos showing the problem with the 556 Classic Stock. Pick and choose your format and please be patient for the download:
Windows Media Player 19MB
Quicktime MPEG4 23MB
Let down once again,
B9
Last edited:
