Sig 556XI retaining clips, nobody from Sig to reply?
Any 556 XI owners that had trouble with the retaining clips that hold the rubber membrane by the charging handle? Just would like to know what others are doing when the clips are coming off the studs? Thanks. Just adding, we had contacted Sig previously, with not much help on this issue. We love the rifle, just think this retaining clip thing was not as well thought out.This message has been edited. Last edited by: m1009,
December 25, 2021, 07:47 PM
Greymann
This?
December 26, 2021, 03:35 PM
KSGM
If the system doesn't work, I'd just get the covers riveted on, like a proper 55X.
December 26, 2021, 08:27 PM
m1009
Greymann, YES. They have a tendency to come loose. We’ve thought about riveting, but weren’t sure if that had been done previously by anybody. Sig didn’t seem to have any spares around, we had called and asked. No luck. Don’t know if this was the only model with this feature, either. The rifle itself is great, feeds everything no issues, functions flawlessly, we love it. Just that darn clip thing is a pain to keep an eye on.
December 27, 2021, 08:48 AM
PGT
They're standard e-clips..any hardware store should have them. if they're coming off or loose, apply a little english to tighten them up then reinstall
December 27, 2021, 08:57 AM
KSGM
What PGT said is likely your easiest option. The rubber covers are a wear item on these guns, and all 55X guns, but their lifespan is pretty long, and even a torn cover still does it's job in most cases. That being said, I get that someone thought it was a good idea to make a wear item easier to replace, but the replacement interval is long enough that having the rivets removed and reinstalled with new covers isn't out of line, as far as service goes. But, you never know till you try, and now it has become evident that an engineer's effort to simplify maintenance created a maintenance item that needs servicing at more regular intervals than the item whose servicing it was created to simplify! That hurts my brain.
December 27, 2021, 04:48 PM
m1009
quote:
Originally posted by PGT: They're standard e-clips..any hardware store should have them. if they're coming off or loose, apply a little english to tighten them up then reinstall
We figured the e clips are about 2.5 mm, but still they tend to pop off when the brass case hits the clip. Maybe we can put some RTV on them? Not sure what you mean by applying a little english?
We had to order some last time, our local hardware store didn’t stock that small of a size.
December 27, 2021, 04:55 PM
PGT
tighten them up laterally...squeeze together or twist a bit radially so that they have some tension against the pins
December 27, 2021, 05:31 PM
m1009
quote:
Originally posted by PGT: tighten them up laterally...squeeze together or twist a bit radially so that they have some tension against the pins
Ok, thought that might have been what you meant. have done that, but it’s not a permanent fix. They still work loose, especially if a case is hitting them for example. When the cases are ejecting, one of the pins takes a beating from that, as it hits right there, so it’s the first one that usually pops out. We were just hoping somebody else had other options or ideas that worked when this happened. Thank you.
December 27, 2021, 05:33 PM
m1009
quote:
Originally posted by KSGM: What PGT said is likely your easiest option. The rubber covers are a wear item on these guns, and all 55X guns, but their lifespan is pretty long, and even a torn cover still does it's job in most cases. That being said, I get that someone thought it was a good idea to make a wear item easier to replace, but the replacement interval is long enough that having the rivets removed and reinstalled with new covers isn't out of line, as far as service goes. But, you never know till you try, and now it has become evident that an engineer's effort to simplify maintenance created a maintenance item that needs servicing at more regular intervals than the item whose servicing it was created to simplify! That hurts my brain.
Ha, isn’t that the truth! Fixing one problem only to make it more of a pain in real life situations.
December 27, 2021, 08:30 PM
Greymann
Another option is to replace your e-clips with "bow clips".
Bow e-clips are bowed like a wave washer and can replace standard e-clips. Bow clips are designed to withstand vibration and not get loose.
