quote:

Originally posted by Bob RI:

I've never spent so little on one item (551 handguards) for a carbine and had it make such a big improvement.

+1. Then add a CTR stock and a KNS push button takedown pin. Now it is how Sig should have built it. It is a fair comment that you should not have to spend this additional money on top of a not-cheap gun to make it right, but it is what it is. My rail is straight, and I have a Leupold Mark 4 1.5-5x20 mounted on it and I absolutely love it. My Colt AR has been moved to the back of the safe.

Funny thing is, I'm neither an AR basher nor a Sig Kool-Aid drinker. I like ARs and this was my first Sig. I just really, really like this rifle, once appropriately modified.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
For a military style 5.56 rifle, give me an AR any day.

+1

I'm quite happy with my rock river and just don't see anything the 556 can do that my AR can't for my purposes...

Which is primarily shooting for pleasure/plinking.

quote:

Originally posted by ShneaSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
For a military style 5.56 rifle, give me an AR any day.

+1

I'm quite happy with my rock river and just don't see anything the 556 can do that my AR can't for my purposes...

Which is primarily shooting for pleasure/plinking.

I agree, but i will say that i enjoyed the way the rifle felt in my hands, though i don't think it looks as nice as an AR.

If money were no object, i would own one.

Until then, there are MANY other things on the list in front of a 556.


Kevin

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
For a military style 5.56 rifle, give me an AR any day.

I've been pretty darn happy with all of the ones I've owned. I don't think I've ever had a single style of firearm that has treated me better than my standard AR's. They work. I can't comment on the 556 as I've never owned one.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig685:
...this weekend at the club. It's a very nice rifle and it shot decently. It looked like a well-made AK-47 wthat shoots 5.56 and accepts AR-15 magazines. I was bored with it after shooting a few rounds.

I found it portly, very thick compared to my AR-15s and while I realise many people here swear by them, I give it a oh-hum rating.

Perhaps if it was less busy with all the rails and stuff it might have more appeal, but to me it just looked like a toy. A very expensive toy.

I am a man of simple tastes. To me a pure AR-15 has appeal, a Sig P22x has appeal. The Sig 556 just doesn't appeal to me.

Please save your invectives and acrimony for other threads, these were my impressions.

What he said. I have 551 hand guards on mine and an Ace left folding stock. Ihave had the factiry stoick and a quadrail and the 551 hand guards do make a differance in the feel and balance of the rifle. I like the rifle but I am not enamored with it. I still think the AR is a much better platform.

Love mine. Doesn't do anything a good quality AR wouldn't but I must say I like my 556 very much. I have a very early build with no rail issues, no finish issues, no issues at all.

It is a bit heavy and it isn't a 55x copy but the weight really keeps follow up shots on target and once I got over it not being a true 55x copy I realized it is a pretty nice rifle in its own right.

Chris

I like my 556 a lot better after changing out the handguards to the 551 handguards. It took some weight off the gun and helped the balance.

Comparing the Sig to an AR is apples to oranges. Caliber aside, these are completely different platforms. The major plus to the Sig IMO is the gas piston. It is so much cleaner of a platform than the AR. I've got an AR and the 556. The AR gets a lot dirtier than the Sig after a hundred rounds or so. I clean my weapons after every trip to the range, but if I had to depend on a weapon for hundreds of rounds in foul weather without cleaning, it would stand to reason that the cleaner operating system would caise less problems.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Im a big AK47 fan and not much of an AR fan. I like my AK'S but I wanted a more accurate rifle so I picked up a 556. I would say that the 556 is a far more robust rifle than a AR type rifle. My cousin who is currently an armor for the marine corps and my father in law who was a armor in the marines both say they would take the sig into combat over the current M4. I still own AR15's but they arnt my favorite.

I handled and shot a 556. It was OK. But not worth the price tag in my ever so humble opinion. I like my M4gery and ar15A2 much better. The easier cleaning factor doesn't matter to me. My A2 goes 1000 rounds between cleanings. The AR platform is easy enough to clean, much easier than my absolute favourite rifle, which is the M1 Garand (a better rifle than either of those two, by the way). If I hit the Powerball I might buy one, but otherwise I'll stick with the AR.

There is nothing wrong with the AR gas system.

quote:

Originally posted by armalite:
There is nothing wrong with the AR gas system.

Good One!

That's what I like about the SIGForum... People have a sense of humor.

It may be expensive, heavy and have canted rails, but at least it comes with sights. Wait, never mind, no rear sight included.

Does anyone have a picture of their 556 with the 551 handguards?

quote:

Originally posted by huskytaio:
It may be expensive, heavy and have canted rails, but at least it comes with sights. Wait, never mind, no rear sight included.

Does anyone have a picture of their 556 with the 551 handguards?

I've since added a CTR to this though. Just wish I could find a 3/4" riser for the CTR.

I love mine. She shoots true when I do. The rail isn't canted. In a perfect world I'd love to see the barrel cut down to just beyond the end of the valve. I don't want an SBR, but more like going from a National Match M1A to a Scout Squad.

My only gripe with the AR is cleaning them. It takes about a quarter the time to clean my 556(or XCR for that matter) than my ARs. Never had any issues with either the 556 or ARs. Granted I've put thousands more rounds thru ARs due to they've been around a lot longer. I think they are both great systems. I'll concur with the guys saying that the 551 handguards were the best thing I changed on the 556. That and a CTR stock. But I've changed out all that stuff on my ARs too. Really too bad the 556 haters can't get over that the 556 is not a part for part copy of the Swiss rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by huskytaio:
It may be expensive, heavy and have canted rails, but at least it comes with sights. Wait, never mind, no rear sight included.

Does anyone have a picture of their 556 with the 551 handguards?

Uh, last i checked, mine has a rear sight and came that way from the factory like all recent, standard BUIS models.

Oat

You mean like this?

I checked one out in a gun shop and decided against it. Too heavy, too many rails, looked like somebody's idea for a "show-off gun' more than a practical one. I don't want one.

I have both AR's and a 556 ... the 556 is just more sexy than the AR Guess I just like women with curves !!

It takes longer to clean an AR. How do you figure. I can have my AR clean in about 20 minutes or so.It takes me much longer to clean the 556.

quote:

Originally posted by armalite:
It takes longer to clean an AR. How do you figure. I can have my AR clean in about 20 minutes or so.It takes me much longer to clean the 556.

Good for you!I must not know what I'm doing.....