Sig 556 worth the $$$$???

[JohnnyK]

I'm looking for a rifle for my new born son and am seriously considering a Sig 556 in 5.56 with quad rails.... I know new Evil Black Rifles aren't cheap and all but I found one for $1019 with free shipping... is it worth the cash? I have tradition of buying a rifle made in the year my children are born... so, I NEED something made in 2011 that he'll enjoy shooting while growing up and when he's grown up... any thoughts?
thanks

 

[lebowski]

IMO, no.

 

[Dane17]

I own 2- both early versions before the classic. One is a 556p I sbr'ed.

The core swiss design is superb and carries over to a certain extent to the American version. Think AK reliable with near AR accuracy and ergos.

Where I got annoyed is the money I spent upgrading all the cheap furniture, sights...sig put on it. Hard to get some parts for it.

Im happy with mine but realistically I think you'd get more bang for the buck out of a decent piston AR.

 

[JustinJ]

I bought one of the first 556 Swats and had to send it back as the bolt was not picking up rounds on the return. They polished the feed ramp and i think adjusted the mag catch as that was the actual problem. Mags sat too low.

The rails on mine are loose and useless for a laser, optic or front sight but the newer ones i've handled feel secure. I did buy a bayonet lug that i was able to pin in nice and tight to secure the bottom rail. My biggest gripe though is how front heavy the thing, ecspecially with rails so i bought polymer handguards which helped.

If i were to get another though it would be the patrol version with shortened piston and rails as it feels much more balanced.

At the current price i think they are all right but not for what i paid. For the money though i'd say a Colt 6920 or 6720 is a better buy unless you already have a good AR.

Im happy with mine but realistically I think you'd get more bang for the buck out of a decent piston AR.

He'd have to pay significantly more for a good piston AR.

 

[Auto426]

For the money though i'd say a Colt 6920 or 6720 is a better buy unless you already have a good AR.

That's pretty much my feelings on the Sig 556's. They are interesting rifles, but they don't really do anything a decent AR won't do, apart from have a piston (and there's a few AR's out there with those too). They cost just as much as a top quality AR, but they have no where near the after market support the AR has.

 

[Psa1m144]

I would look at Rugers sr556E, it may be the lowest priced piston driven AR out there. I have never shot one so you would need to check out the reviews, but it's worth looking into IMO.
http://www.ruger.com/products/sr556E/models.html

 

[InkEd]

The prices have come down recently. I prefer it to the AR platform. Plus, there's a cool factor you just don't get with an AR or other common rifle.

 

[Girodin]

No. Here is why I say that.

Reliability, I have seen nothing to indicate that it is anymore reliable than a quality AR (Noveske et al.).

Accuracy, I have seen a number of range reports and targets that indicate it is less accurate than a Novekse or the like.

Build Quality, you can google them but there are a lot more complaints online than you will see for a good AR. From what I have seen of the 556 it is just not made as well as good ARs.

Balance: it is a front heavy gun. If you plan to add much to it, say a light, grip, etc it exacerbates the issue.

I love the sig on paper just not the execution of it in the real world. That is doubly true for the 556r. I thought that rifle might be one they had worked the problems out of. It seemed like it could possibly be the ultimate AK. After getting a chance to see how they turned out, I'd gladly keep my modified AK.

Although the sig seems like a much more reasonable buy at aprox $900. AR prices have also come down. For roughly the same price one can get a Colt. Or one could get Noveske basic upper and put together a lower.

As others have said the Sig wont really do anything a proper AR wont and I think it has some disadvantages compared to those rifles.

For just a fun gun there are other things out there that personally I like more, like the MSAR 556. If I already had a solid rifle and just wanted one because I would probably buy one still.

 

[skwab]

I have a 556 Patrol SWAT - got it about a year ago as prices on them dropped. For what I paid for it I love it - love the trigger, I like the balance of the patrol swat - haven't had any probs with it so far. At the price they were originally charging: 1500 - 1800 I don't know, but for around 1k or less it's great, plus I have a ton of AR mags so it was nice buying a rifle that was different but that I didn't have to eventually stock up on mags.

 

[ATLDave]

I have a 556 Swat Patrol (rails, shortened and with shorter gas piston). It is not my favorite gun, but I like it. When I first got it, I had an issue with one part. After a couple of trips back to Sig, it runs like a top. It's a lot faster to clean, too, than a DI AR, since the only hard carbon fouling is on the piston head and regulator, and they're designed to run OK when dirty. The bolt group will get stuff on it, to be sure, but it's soft soot that wipes off easily, not the hardened gunk that ends up on DI guns and has to be scraped off. Some people have had rail issues, but mine are straight and lock up pretty tightly.

The other posters are correct that the number of aftermarket parts is very low. Troy has a rail system, though I think it only works on the long-gas-system versions (not "patrols"). Manticore Arms has a new grip in the works. There is a company in Colorado that imports the Swiss furniture found on the rest of the 55x series, but it costs a pretty penny. PMAGs, etc., work great. The folding stock is cool, if you like that sort of thing.

Sig has had some QC problems with the line. Once/if you get an in-spec rifle (either OOB, or with a warranty return, which they handle well and quickly), however, it's an incredibly robust gun that feeds and ejects reliably.

 

[boricua9mm]

The 556 has been plagued with a long laundry list of potential problems. It really baffles the mind considering that SIG here in the USA should have access to the all the technical data and drawings of the SAN 55x series.

Some of the problems have been:

1. Canted rails
2. Cheap knock-off diopter sights
3. Front sight height variations
4. Cheaply made, rattling handguards
5. Cheaply made buttstocks that lack durability
6. Bolt hold-open problems
7. Bolt carriers peening the barrel trunion

I paid $1,600 for a Classic back in '10 only to find out the bolt catch didn't work and the cheap plastic "Classic" stock would rip the locking mechanism out of the stock. I thought SIG had enough time to get the gun right, but they did not. AT around this same time was when people had enough rounds downrange to find out about the peening of the trunions. I swapped the gun out for an MSAR 556, which was a better rifle at the same price point, but also turned out to be gun execution where sound quality testing was abandoned for higher production numbers and maximized profit.

The SIG 556, in my opinion, should be regarded as a range toy and not be relied upon as an Emergency/Fighting carbine. Even for $1k, I wouldn't consider it. The Colt 6920 is just a much, much more capable carbine for that role, and it enjoys the benefits of a huge market for parts and support. The Colt AR15 isn't going anywhere anytime soon. SIG, on the other hand, is trying anything they can to sell rifles; changing configurations endlessly to try and stimulate sales, and even "throwing in" Chinese garbage accessories.

Sad to say, but the best guns coming out of SIG in New Hampshire these days are their 1911s.

 

[JohnnyK]

thanks for the feedback... I already have a good Olympic AR.... but wanted a good rifle for my son... the Sig in question already has the quad rail which is around $300 non factory add on... I like how it has a bolt similar to the AK... I love AKs and wanted to get him an AK like rifle...

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Having followed the 556 since it's release when I saw the classic patrol for a touch over 1K I jumped on it.

Over 200 rounds later and no problems the rifle runs like a top. After a friend of mine shot it he went out and bought a Classic SWAT the same day.

It's the best of both the AR and AK in one rifle. Sig did seem to have issues with the early ones, issues which they made right and at least in my case have solved.

One negative is it beats the ever loving crud out of brass but has eaten everything put in it thus far.

Great rifle, at the current prices you would be crazy not to pick one up.

 

[AmEngRifles]

If you wanted an rifle actually BUILT in 2011, this won't fit the bill, but the Daewoo 100 or Max II (pre-ban style) is an excellent rifle, with AK gas system and AR bolt and magazine design.

If I was doing the same thing (buying for my boy), I would go Ruger SR unless you just can't swing the price. Then I would just get him a good ole' AR (from a decent maker) or a nice Bulgarian AK-74 build if you are thinking AK.

I bet no matter what you get him, he will love it!