Military Weapons Trial, only the Kalashnikov AK 103 finishes the torture tests.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

What dethroned the AK was weight... and optics mounts... and magazines... and safeties... and sights ...

The heaviest AK I own is 8lbs, with an M4 stock adapter and stock, Ulitmak, Aimpoint, and a Surefire 6P in a Thorntail SBR. Mounting an optic on an AK is not difficult in the least. Magazines have always been plentiful and cheap. Plenty of options for safeties if the stock one doesn't work for someone. I don't have an issue with AK sights in their role as backup iron sights. I run optics on everything.

The architecture of the AR is unchanged. Handguards and stocks have evolved... optics mounting... because it could. It had a way to change that made improvement. Not just improvements in functionality, but weight...and it has, in more ways than anyone could imagine.

Yeah, you can make an AK do most of the things an AR will do...at 1/3rd more weight, with slower reloads. The question is, why would you want to?

I run Magpul MOE handguards on my AR and my AK. I run Magpul CTR stocks on my AR's and AK's. You're acting like the only options available for the AK are the same as it was in 1973.

My AK's don't weigh 1/3 more than my AR's. The reloads are slower but with training and practice the gap is reduced. If you've ran nothing but AR's and pick up an AK yeah your AK reloads are probably gonna look like a soup sandwich.

[JoshNC]

I like my AKs to be Swiss (and Belgian).

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[SteyrAUG]

I agree with all of that, but the AR owns it when it comes to modularity. With a properly setup lower, you can go from sbr, to carbine, to spr with 2 pins. I think that is appealing to both militaries and civilians.

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Would you like to see me put my 551 upper on my 550 lower by changing just two pins? As for modularity it takes a railed handguard just like an AR.

I don't think you have enough familiarity with the 550 series to understand what it can actually do. It's like me declaring the 550 is superior because it has a folding trigger guard and the AR does not.

In side by side, what can they do and what can't they do, it's really about even at the end of the day.

[jesuvuah]

Would you like to see me put my 551 upper on my 550 lower by changing just two pins? As for modularity it takes a railed handguard just like an AR.

I don't think you have enough familiarity with the 550 series to understand what it can actually do. It's like me declaring the 550 is superior because it has a folding trigger guard and the AR does not.

In side by side, what can they do and what can't they do, it's really about even at the end of the day.

I am familiar with it. But I guess I am just showing my civilian bias because while you could swap uppers, if i remember correctly, the upper is what is considered the rifle here, which kills the modularity for someone like me. I understand that if companies wanted to produce more options it could be competitive with the AR, with what is available now, the AR has a lot more to choose from. Everything from 22 to 50 bmg, even beltfed uppers.

I do think the 550 is a great gun. I really wish Sig would have done a better job with the 556, but that is a different story.

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[SteyrAUG]

I am familiar with it. But I guess I am just showing my civilian bias because while you could swap uppers, if i remember correctly, the upper is what is considered the rifle here, which kills the modularity for someone like me. I understand that if companies wanted to produce more options it could be competitive with the AR, with what is available now, the AR has a lot more to choose from. Everything from 22 to 50 bmg, even beltfed uppers.

I do think the 550 is a great gun. I really wish Sig would have done a better job with the 556, but that is a different story.

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Pretty sure somebody somewhere made a .22 drop in kit for the SIG. As far as belt fed uppers and .50s, that's right up there with bumpstock compatibility.

What I'm trying to say is this. If you compare a piston system to a DI system the SIG 550 and the AR-15 are as close to nearly identical performers as any other two rifles in the history of modern small arms.

I can think of 12 real advantages the SIG has over the AR and I can think of 12 real advantages the AR has over the SIG. But the really, really important part is each one can do the others job really, really well. And the 550 series is maybe one of 5 weapon systems that even has any business trying to go one for one with the AR/M4 platform at all.

[1168]

And the 550 series is maybe one of 5 weapon systems that even has any business trying to go one for one with the AR/M4 platform at all.

What are the other four?

[JoshNC]

The SIG 551 and 553 are very capable. A railed upper receiver with railed handguard gives one all the modularity needed. The detractors to the 55x are it’s weight and right sided cocking handle. Mag changes are slightly slower than an AR due to the rock-in nature, but only marginally so. It’s really the weight that hurts the 55x. Even the 553 is a bit piggy when you add the B&T railed handguard.

[SteyrAUG]

What are the other four?

The HK 416, the military ACR, perhaps the AUG and maybe the SCAR. Could maybe come up with 2 or 3 more if I really thought about it.

[RetroRevolver77]

The SIG 551 and 553 are very capable. A railed upper receiver with railed handguard gives one all the modularity needed. The detractors to the 55x are it’s weight and right sided cocking handle. Mag changes are slightly slower than an AR due to the rock-in nature, but only marginally so. It’s really the weight that hurts the 55x. Even the 553 is a bit piggy when you add the B&T railed handguard.

Bottom line is the SIG 55X weapons will run in extreme adverse conditions where many of the more Western design influenced weapons may not. That's really what these tests have shown, is that there is a weakness in the AR15/AR18 derivatives that are somehow unable to pass the extreme environmental type testing. That should be the wake up call as I stated earlier that perhaps manufacturers need to design better rifles. We've simply been lucky we haven't been forced to fight in say negative 30 to 40 degree weather since the Korean War. However our greatest enemies globally are located geographically in such areas and the last thing we'd want is to not have superior firearms capability especially on their turf.


7n6

[1168]

The HK 416, the military ACR, perhaps the AUG and maybe the SCAR. Could maybe come up with 2 or 3 more if I really thought about it.

Interesting. Thanks.

That should be the wake up call as I stated earlier that perhaps manufacturers need to design better rifles. We've simply been lucky we haven't been forced to fight in say negative 30 to 40 degree weather since the Korean War.


7n6

I don’t know about -40F, but I wonder if the Soldiers at Ft Wainwright have figured out how to run a M4/M16 in the cold?