Why no love for the Sig 516?

[PatrioticDisorder]

Just curious, why all the hate on the Sig 516? I held a 516 & 716 this past weekend and almost pulled the trigger on both... Took a lot to hold me back. Everything I've read about these rifles has been positive except for the 1 goofy guy on YouTube who claims to be the unluckiest person on the planet with every sig rifle he buys being a lemon, yet continues to buy... Besides that, Sig doesn't like to sell spare parts (caveat being unless you take the armorer's course which they offer to the public from time to time), and customer service is said to be good.

So what is it about the Sig that makes it not desired by those who have discriminating taste for "the best?"

[larry starling]

I'm guessing it's for the same reason there is no love for Ruger's SR556.

[PatrioticDisorder]

I'm guessing it's for the same reason there is no love for Ruger's SR556.

Probably, but the question is, why?

[mkmckinley]

My impression is that it's a mediocre rifle with no track record designed by a marketing department and sold at a premium price.

[larry starling]

Probably, but the question is, why?

Use the search button above and I doubt you'll find much love for the SR-556 on here M4C. That was the response I got when I enquired about the Ruger.

[VIP3R 237]

My impression is that it's a mediocre rifle with no track record designed by a marketing department and sold at a premium price.

Combine this with Sig's spotty QC record, its not a gun most would recommend.

[PatrioticDisorder]

My impression is that it's a mediocre rifle with no track record designed by a marketing department and sold at a premium price.

No track record... Ehhh, but anything SPECIFIC about the rifle that would make or "mediocre"? And for a Piston AR, doesn't seem like it has a "premium" price, that is one of the good things about the rifle. Felt high quality in my hands.

[PatrioticDisorder]

Use the search button above and I doubt you'll find much love for the SR-556 on here M4C. That was the response I got when I enquired about the Ruger.

I have done a little searching and found that to be true, Ruger seems quality as well, I'm jus wonder what specifically would make the 516 or the Ruger 556 "mediocre"?

[Magic_Salad0892]

The Ruger has a strangely configured non-ff monolithic upper reciever, with a 1/9 twist, .223 chamber, using non mil-spec materials for the bolt, carrier, and barrel. The receiver extension is also commercial spec. Let's remember that their other rifles suck a lot (Mini-14/30), and they have absolutely no experience making an AR before the SR556.

The SIG 516, is designed by a company who has had a bad QC record as of late (though their legacy P series pistols seem to be intact in 9x19mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W.) In a configuration nobody asked for, in a saturated market, at an undesirable price, that weighed a lot, and that company has no track record at all in regards to building an AR.

Now when you factor that into a market that has established names like KAC, Colt, Noveske, LMT, BCM, DD, HK, and Centurion Arms, you're not going to have a desirable end result, especially when your rifle isn't made to an established specification, at a higher price than known good options, and with absolutely no track record.

Also, the short-stroke gas piston AR configuration is inherantly flawed, in most designs. So far, only one company has made one that functions to the proper amount of reliability, and has established a militarily vouchable track record: HK. And we can't get a mil-spec 416 commercially. So stick to an internal piston/DI gun from a good company, at a better price, with a better track record.

[PatrioticDisorder]

The Ruger has a strangely configured non-ff monolithic upper reciever, with a 1/9 twist, .223 chamber, using non mil-spec materials for the bolt, carrier, and barrel. The receiver extension is also commercial spec. Let's remember that their other rifles suck a lot (Mini-14/30), and they have absolutely no experience making an AR before the SR556.

The SIG 516, is designed by a company who has had a bad QC record as of late (though their legacy P series pistols seem to be intact in 9x19mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W.) In a configuration nobody asked for, in a saturated market, at an undesirable price, that weighed a lot, and that company has no track record at all in regards to building an AR.

Now when you factor that into a market that has established names like KAC, Colt, Noveske, LMT, BCM, DD, HK, and Centurion Arms, you're not going to have a desirable end result, especially when your rifle isn't made to an established specification, at a higher price than known good options, and with absolutely no track record.

Also, the short-stroke gas piston AR configuration is inherantly flawed, in most designs. So far, only one company has made one that functions to the proper amount of reliability, and has established a militarily vouchable track record: HK. And we can't get a mil-spec 416 commercially. So stick to an internal piston/DI gun from a good company, at a better price, with a better track record.

The 1/9 twist with the Ruger I get, as I prefer heavier grain. With the Sig all I ever hear is the mythical "QC" issues, I don't care about that non-sense, the Internet can and does give all companies "bad reps" for the occasional/inevitable lemon, Sig seems to stand by their product, the matters a lot.

You mentioned weight, HK MR556 weighs 1.3lbs more than the Sig 516, 7.3lbs is pretty decent for a piston system with a quad rail. Regarding configuration, I bought my Colt 6920 with a Troy quad rail on it. I love my Colt, but at $1,250 for a DI AR (Colt) vs. $1,350 for a piston AR (Sig) that is approximately the same weight and feels even higher quality than my Colt, I'm having a hard time wondering why all the negativity towards the 516.

LWRC has a good rep, roughly the same weight for an M6-IC as a Sig but I can't find one anywhere and if I could it would be at least $600 more than the Sig. HK MR556 even more expensive for their "watered" down Frankenstein gun that weighs as much or more than some .308s, just sayin.