SIG SAUER SIG516 Short-Stroke Gas Piston/Op-Rod Tactical AR (AR-15) Weapons Series

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By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

September 21, 2009
Updated May 31, 2010

Back in June, DefenseReview published an article on the Ruger SR-556 piston AR. Well, it’s now official: Everyone AND their mother is now making short-stroke gas piston/op-rod AR (AR-15) carbines and SBRs (Short Barreled Rifles). SIG SAUER has just entered the game with their SIG516 series weapons, which include the:

– Colt M4/M4A1-type SIG516 Baseline Carbine 14.5″
– Colt M4 MK16 CQBR (Close Quarters Battle Receiver)-type SIG516 CQB 10″
– SIG516 PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) 7″ SBR,
– SPR (Special Purpose Rifle)-type SIG516 Precision Marksman 16″ carbine
– SPR-type SIG516 Precision Marksman 20″ rifle.

It’s being reported that the SIG516 will feature an adjustable gas regulator a la the Ruger SR-556 piston-driven carbine. It’s also being reported that SIG516 complete uppers (upper receivers) will be offered.

The Firearm Blog has been right out front on this story with photos, info, and specs. They obained the pics and info from a contact of theirs named “Lusaka” at the DSEi ’09 (Defense Systems & Equipment International 2009)

DefenseReview assumes that both select-fire/full-auto and civilian-legal semi-auto-only versions of the SIG516 weapons will be offered, but we’re not sure, yet.

Our opinion, while we haven’t joined the “gas piston/op-rod ARs are superior to direct-gas-impingement (DGI) ARs” cult, it’s certainly nice having some more piston-driven tactical AR options out there. It’s Defense Review’s opinion that the more tactical AR options there are, the better it is for the consumer, if not for the manufacturers. Choice is a great thing.

SIG516 Weapons Series Specifications (also from The Firearm Blog):

Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)
Fire modes: Single shot, 3 round burst and fully automatic (except marksmen models which are semi only)
Controls: Ambidextrous
Gas system: Piston system with 3 or 4 position gas regulator
Upper Receiver: Flat top with picatinny rail
Lower Receiver: Forged 7075-T6 aluminum
Trigger: MILSPEC for all models except the Marksmen which have 2-stage match trigger
Capacity: Takes standard AR-15 magazines
Finish: Black hard coat finish
Barrel: Chrome lined, cold hammer forged, nitrate finish
Barrel Twist: 1:7″ right hand
Stock: Collapsible SOPMOD buttstock
Weight: 6 lbs. (PDW) – 7.28 lbs (Patrol) – 8 lbs (Precision Marksman)
Rails: Free floating aluminum alloy M1913 picatinny quad rails
Sights: Flip-up BUIS (backup iron sights)
Magazine: Ships with 30 round AR-15 magazine. Marksmen models ship with 10 or 20 round magazine.
Other Features: 0.5x28TPI threaded muzzle
MSRP (Price): Not known

Company Contact Info:

SIG SAUER, Inc.
18 Industrial Drive
Exeter, NH 03833
Phone: 603-772-2302
Fax: 603-772-9082
Website: http://www.sigsauer.com

Commercial Sales
Phone: 603-772-2302

Law Enforcement Sales
Phone: 603-418-8190
Email: publicsafetysales@sigsauer.com

Mil/Fed Govt. Sales/Exports
Phone: 603-772-2302
Email: federal-militarysales@sigsauer.com

Training Facility for Law Enforcement, Military, and Civilian personnel

SIG SAUER Academy
233 Exeter Road
Epping, NH 03042
Phone: 603-679-2003
Fax: 603-679-1639
http://www.sigsaueracademy.com

Related Articles:

Ruger SR-556 Gas Piston/Op-Rod AR Carbine User Feedback: Case Extraction Problem and Solution.

Ruger SR-556 Gas Piston/Op-Rod AR-15 Carbine/Rifle: Ruger Enters the Piston-Driven AR Fray

Are the FN SCAR Weapons (MK16 and MK17) Necessary? And do we really need to replace the Colt M4/M4A1 Carbine?

SIG SAUER SIG516 Short-Stroke Gas Piston/Op-Rod Tactical AR (AR-15) Weapons Series by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

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