SIG Sauer SIGM400
SIG describes
the SIGM400 as “the first SIG to earn the M4 name.”
The SIGM400 was designed by SGM Kyle Lamb, noted firearms expert and war
hero. Though the barrel is of legal
length for most civilian rifles of the world (especially in the US, where most
of them are expected to be sold).
The SIGM400 is also known as the M400.
Operation is by Stoner-type direct gas impingement.
There aren’t
really any base rifles of the SIGM400; each is highly evolved, diverging greatly
from the M4 base. The SIGM400 Elite is sort of a middle of the road products,
price-wise, though the RL price is now small.
It features a SIG-designed telescoping stock similar to the Magpul CTR in
design. The pistol grip is also
SIG-designed, and has a slight flare to increase grip.
The upper receiver is an A3-type, with a monolithic upper MIL-STD-1913
rail. The entire rifle has
match-quality components throughout the rifle, from the match barrel to the
2-stage match trigger, to the free-float eight-sided SIG-designed M-LOK
handguard, with M-LOK holes on four sides and wide cooling slots on the other
four. The handguard is aluminum,
and under the end of the handguard is SIG’s Micro-Light Gas Block.
The 16-inch barrel is nitrided and is a high-precision-type barrel, as
noted above. (Originally, the
SGM400 series came in 18-inch-barrel versions, but these are no longer found on
SIG’s site. I have included below as a point of interest.) The controls are
ambidextrous. The SIGM400 Elite comes with a SIG ROMEO5 red dot sight.
The SIGM400
Elite Ti is essentially the same as the SIGM400 Elite, but the receivers,
handguards, and MIL-STD-1913 rails are finished in a titanium coating.
(They are not made of titanium themselves.) This makes the coated areas
tougher, and more weatherproof than anodizing, and in general gives SIGM Elite
Ti a good look. For game purposes,
the two Elites are identical. Like
the SIGM400 Elite, the polymer parts and other metal parts are either molded in
black or metalwork finished black anodized.
The VTAC
received the most input from Kyle Lamb; it is his conception of what he would
like an AR-15/M4 rifle should be.
The handguard, and may of the components, are of a standard that SIG calls
“VTAC.” The handguards, for
example, are VTAC handguards; they are eight-sided and the sides and underside
of the handguard have M-LOK rails, while the top of the handguard has a
MIL-STD-1913 rail, which connects to the monolithic rail on top of the
A3-derived upper receiver. They are
also a free-float tube. BUIS are not provided, in favor of a ROMEO5 red dot
sight. The VTAC uses a carbine-length gas system, and the low-profile gas block
is well under the end of the handguard.
The 16” stainless steel DLC barrel is of military profile and is tipped
with a Taper-Lok flash suppressor; this has threads behind the flash suppressor
for a suppressor, and the flash suppressor is itself removable to allow the
attachment of other muzzle devices.
The pistol grip is a BCM Gunfighter grip, and the stock, while smaller than
usual, is telescoping and works better when wearing heavy body armor.
The controls are ambidextrous, and the rifle comes with an VTAC Alpha
Rail-13 sling and sling swivels.
I have not been
able to determine whether the Predator is something coming up or no longer
carried by SIG; it does not appear on SIG’s web site, but there is plenty of
recent information and reviews on the Predator.
It was apparently introduced at the 2013 SHOT Show, then reintroduced at
the 2016 SHOT Show, but as I said, does not appear on their site. Physically, it
looks a lot like the Elite, and has many of the same components, but has an
18-inch stainless steel heavy-profile barrel.
The barrel is not tipped with any sort of muzzle device, but it does have
a target crown, and has a muzzle cap that has threads under it for a muzzle
device. The SIG-designed handguards have been swapped out for ALG Defense’s
Ergonomic Modular Rail handguards.
They are quite slim and have gripping surfaces on them. The stock looks a lot
like the telescoping Magpul MOE stock, but is in fact fixed.
The sides and undersides of the handguard have M-LOK slots, and the top
has a medium-length MIL-STD-1913 rail attached to M-LOK slots.
The new handguard is a free-float tube.
The trigger pack is two-stage and match-quality.
The pistol grip is a Hogue grip overmolded in rubber and has a pebble
texture. The upper receiver is an
A3-type, with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.
It does not have the ROMEO5 sight, allowing the user to choose his own sight; it
does have a set of BUISs.
The Hunter is
designed to shoot medium to small game, up to the size of a coyote.
The barrel is a long 20 inches tipped by a target crown/thread protector,
and with a heavy profile and match-quality.
It is 20 phosphated. The Hunter uses a low-profile gas block, with an
upper receiver and handguard having a MIL-STD-1913 rail. (There are also short
rails at the ends on the other three sides.)
The handguard is a Magpul MOE design, with a free-float tube and the gas
block under the end of the handguard.
The handguard is mostly aluminum, but over-coated with polymer.
Though the controls are not ambidextrous, they can be reversed.
Standard finish and molding is in various camo designs, but it can also
be had in black. The stock, like
the Predator, is fixed. The Hunter
is not sold with a ROMEO5 sight, as most hunters prefer to mount their own
optics. It does come with a set of
BUIS.
SIG has always
hoped for military and police sales for its SIGM400 Elite, and its first target
customers were in fact military units and police SWAT/SRT teams.
Though it has been tested by the US military amongst other countries, and
is still being tested by some countries, most sales have been made to law
enforcement and bodyguard concerns.
The SIGM400 Patrol is made for military and police, and not sold to civilians.
The Patrol is very similar to the Elite, but comes in longer and shorter
barrels, may have suppressors, muzzle brakes, and flash suppressors of different
types mounted by the shooter. (A
flash suppressor-equipped version is listed below.)
Instead of gas impingement, the Patrol uses a short-stroke gas piston
operation. The gas block has a
four-position gas regulator, allowing for continued use in dirty environments as
well as use with rifle grenades.
The Patrol has MIL-STD-1913 rails on four sides of the handguards as well as
above the receiver. The barrels
come in several lengths and are stainless steel, nitrided, match-quality, and of
military profile. Military/LE
versions are sold with a ROMEO5 red dot sight, and BUIS are provided.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SIGM400 Elite (16” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.31 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$752 |
SIGM400 Elite (18” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.43 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$774 |
SIGM400 VTAC |
5.56mm NATO |
3.31 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$748 |
SIGM400 Predator |
5.56mm NATO |
3.45 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$602 |
SIGM400 Hunter |
5.56mm NATO |
3.54 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$626 |
SIGM400 Hunter |
.300 Blackout |
3.54 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$807 |
SIGM400 Patrol (9.5” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
2.97 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$678 |
SIGM400 Patrol (9.5” Barrel) |
.300 Blackout |
2.97 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$859 |
SIGM400 Patrol (11.5” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.1 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$701 |
SIGM400 Patrol (11.5” Barrel) |
.300 Blackout |
3.1 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$881 |
SIGM400 Patrol (14.5” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.27 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$733 |
SIGM400 Patrol (14.5” Barrel) |
.300 Blackout |
3.27 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$914 |
SIGM400 Patrol (16” Barrel) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.36 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$750 |
SIGM400 Patrol (16” Barrel) |
.300 Blackout |
3.36 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$1021 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SIGM400 Elite (16” Barrel) |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
2 |
Nil |
43 |
SIGM400 Elite (18” Barrel) |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
5/6 |
2 |
Nil |
53 |
SIGM400 VTAC |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
2 |
Nil |
42 |
SIGM400 Predator |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
2 |
Nil |
51 |
SIGM400 Hunter (5.56mm) |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
2 |
Nil |
57 |
SIGM400 Hunter (.300) |
SA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
6 |
4 |
Nil |
61 |
SIGM400 Patrol (9.5”, 5.56mm) |
5 |
2 |
1-Nil |
3/4 |
2 |
6 |
18 |
SIGM400 Patrol (9.5”, .300) |
5 |
3 |
2-Nil |
3/4 |
3 |
7 |
21 |
SIGM400 Patrol (11.5”, 5.56mm) |
5 |
2 |
1-Nil |
3/5 |
2 |
6 |
25 |
SIGM400 Patrol (11.5”, .300) |
5 |
3 |
2-Nil |
3/5 |
3 |
7 |
29 |
SIGM400 Patrol (14.5”, 5.56mm) |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/5 |
2 |
6 |
36 |
SIGM400 Patrol (14.5”, .300) |
5 |
3 |
2-Nil |
4/5 |
4 |
9 |
40 |
SIGM400 Patrol (16”, 5.56mm) |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
2 |
6 |
42 |
SIGM400 Patrol (16”, .300) |
5 |
3 |
2-Nil |
4/6 |
4 |
9 |
47 |
SiG-Sauer SG540/543
Notes: This is a
family of rifles including the SG540 assault rifle and the SG543 carbine. (The
other rifle is the SG-542 battle rifle, not produced in quantity except in
Chile.) The weapons come in fixed
and folding-butt versions. The SG540 has an integral bipod. The SG543 cannot use
a bayonet or rifle grenades. This weapon was not adopted by the Swiss military,
but has found employment with a number of African nations.
In 1988, the license for the SG540 series was sold to INDEP of Portugal,
who sold it to FAMAE of Chile shortly later.
Chile is now the only country that produces the SG540 series.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SG540 (Fixed Stock) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.26 kg |
20, 30 |
$1138 |
SG540 (Folding Stock) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.31 kg |
20, 30 |
$1158 |
SG543 (Fixed Stock) |
5.56mm NATO |
2.95 kg |
20, 30 |
$704 |
SG543 (Folding Stock) |
5.56mm NATO |
3 kg |
20, 30 |
$724 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SG540 (Fixed Stock) |
3/5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
2 |
4/6 |
48 |
SG540 (Fixed Stock, Bipod) |
3/5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
1 |
2/3 |
62 |
SG540 (Folding Stock) |
3/5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
5/6 |
2 |
4/6 |
48 |
SG540 (Folding Stock, Bipod) |
3/5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
5/6 |
1 |
2/3 |
62 |
SG543 (Fixed Stock) |
3/5 |
2 |
1-Nil |
5 |
2 |
4/6 |
25 |
SG543 (Folding Stock) |
3/5 |
2 |
1-Nil |
4/5 |
2 |
4/6 |
25 |
SiG-Sauer SG550 Series
Notes: This
weapon was developed in response to a Swiss need for a new service rifle to
replace the STGW-57; in Swiss service, this assault rifle is called the StG-90.
It was adopted in 1984. The
weapon was designed for light weight, balance, and accuracy, using plastics for
the buttstock, handguard, and pistol grip, as well as the magazines.
The stock is folding and skeletonized to reduce weight.
The magazines are clear so ammunition levels can be checked, and are
equipped with studs and lugs so that up to three of them can be clipped together
for rapid changing. The sights
consist of day and illuminated night rear sights (one flips the sights to change
between the two), and a hooded post-type front sight (also with a tritium
inlay). The sights are adjusted for
elevation and windage from the rear sight only, and when either the day or night
sight is adjusted, the other sight is simultaneously adjusted.
There is a STANAG-compatible sight mount for optics of the NATO sort, and
this mount can also accept a MIL-STD-1913 rail.
The SG550 is notable for its long 20.8-inch barrel; in addition, a bipod
is standard equipment. Various
Western-type 40mm underbarrel grenade launchers may be mounted.
The SG551 is a carbine version
of the SG550, with a shorter 14.6-inch barrel, no bipod, and a rudimentary
cheekpiece on the stock, but otherwise identical to the SG550.
A variant of the SG551, the SG551 SWAT, is identical except for a
redesigned stock and the addition of a permanently-mounted MIL-STD-1913 rail to
allow a greater range of sights to be mounted.
The SG551A1 is a civilianized version produced in SiG-Sauer’s US
facilities; it is identical to the SG551, except being semiautomatic only and
having no bayonet lug.
The SG552 is a
short-barreled carbine for use by special operations personnel; it also has a
permanently-mounted MIL-STD-1913 rail, and can still mount an underbarrel
grenade launcher or fire rifle grenades, despite the 10.7-inch barrel.
A three-round burst mechanism has been added to the normal selector
modes. The barrel is equipped with
a muzzle brake instead of a simple flash suppressor.
It also has a folding stock, and is known as the Commando.
This version was not introduced until 1998.
In addition to
these variants, semiautomatic versions of the SG550 and SG551 also exist for
civilian sales. They are called the SG550SP and SG551SP; the SG551SP version is
rarely found outside of Switzerland, however, due to the short length of its
barrel and the plethora of government regulations in various countries.
The SG550SP is often found outside Switzerland minus its flash suppressor
and sold with 10-round magazines (particularly in the US prior to the sunset of
the Assault Weapon Bans).
Finally, the
SG556 is a version of the SG550 designed for sales in the US, and built in
SiGArms’ facilities in the US.
Internally, the SG556 is virtually identical to the civilian versions of the
SG550; however, they have some changes both to suit US firearms regulations and
to suit the tastes of American shooters.
The cold-forged barrel is 16 inches long, and it is tipped with a flash
suppressor which is similar (but not exactly the same) as that of an M-16A2.
The fore-end is coated with ribbed, non-slip rubber.
The receiver is topped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail, and three more are on
the front of the weapon. Both the
front and rear iron sights are military-type and flip down if other optics are
mounted. (They can also be removed
entirely.) The SG556 is designed to
use standard AR-15/M-16 magazines (the standard SG550 series uses proprietary
magazines). Law enforcement
versions have a removable rubber handgrip/fore-end, which can be replaced with a
fourth MIL-STD-1913 rail. The SG556
was introduced at the 2006 SHOT show and began sales the following fall.
Six versions are built: the Classic, the DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle),
the Classic SWAT, the SCM (Sport Configuration Model), the Patrol Rifle, and the
SWAT Patrol Rifle.
All SG556s use
an almost identical action to the SG550 series, but are modified to make a
conversion to automatic fire virtually impossible.
The Classic is a basic-configuration that is, ironically, one of the
newest versions of the SG556. The stock of the Classic may be a fixed,
skeletonized stock adjustable for length of pull, a similar skeletonized stock
that folds to the right, or a Vltor
5-position stock, similar in design to that used on the M-4 but more adjustable
and with a compartment in the rear large enough to house a standard cleaning
kit. The Classic is equipped with a
small red-dot-type sight with a 1.5x magnification and a folding rear diopter
sight. The front sight is fixed.
The cold-forged barrel is 16 inches long, and it is tipped with a flash
suppressor which is similar (but not exactly the same) as that of an M-16A2.
The fore-end and pistol grip are coated with ribbed, non-slip rubber.
The receiver is topped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.
The Classic SWAT is very similar, but has a handguard with four
MIL-STD-1913 rails as well as one above the receiver.
The DMR uses a
match-grade, cold hammer-forged 21-inch heavy barrel, tipped by a target crown
instead of a flash suppressor. The
handguards and fore-end are designed to be as non-slipped as possible; they have
a flared area at the bottom that is ribbed to ensure a positive grip.
The stock does not fold, but is adjustable for length of pull and has an
adjustable cheekpiece. At the front
end of the handguards are three short lengths of MIL-STD-1913 rail; the bottom
rail is normally occupied with the equipped light bipod that is adjustable for
height and cant. There is also a MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver; the DMR
does not normally come with iron sights, though it comes with a telescopic
sight. The SCM is constructed in
much the same way, but with no bipod, a telescopic sight is not included, and
the barrel is 16 inches; the stock is also fixed.
The Patrol Rifle is essentially a Classic with an option for
quad-MIL-STD-1913-rail fore-end and a stock that both slides and side-fold; the
SWAT Patrol Rifle is a patrol rifle with a skeletonized side-folding and sliding
stock, more finely-adjustable sights, and a quad MIL-STD-1913 rail for the
fore-end as standard.
In mid-2009,
SiG-Sauer introduced the P556 – one of those “pistol” versions of a rifle.
The P556 is for the most part an SG556 Classic with a short, 10-inch
barrel and no stock, nor any attachments for a stock.
The P556 has a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the receiver, and is tipped with a
flash suppressor similar to that of the M-16A2/M-4 (a model often called the
“A2” flash suppressor).
Though the P556 does not have any stock attachments, shooters have quickly
discovered that it is possible to add stock attachments and convert into a
short-barreled rifle (it’s legal in many places, including most of the US, if
you pays the money and does the paperwork), and several kits are available to do
this. Some generic figures for stocked P556s are presented below.
The P556 could, of course, be tricked out even further.
Early in 2009,
SiG-Sauer also introduced a version of the SG550 series in .22 Long Rifle,
called the SIG552. The SIG552 comes
in two rifle versions, the SIG552 Classic and the SIG552 SWAT, as well as a
pistol version, the P522. The
SIG552 Classic largely follows the lines of the SG550 series, and many parts of
the SIG552 are interchangeable with those of the SG550 series, particularly the
furniture and receiver halves. The
folding stock is the same as that used on the SG556 Classic, as are the pistol
grip, handguards, and trigger group.
The furniture is almost totally of polymer, though the stock is light
alloy encased in polymer with a non-slip buttplate. The upper receiver is topped
with an integral MIL-STD-1913 rail, and short lengths of MIL-STD-1913 rail are
attached to either side of the handguards near the front and above the gas
block; backup iron sights which attach to the receiver’s rail as well as the gas
block’s rail are available. The
16.6-inch barrel is tipped by a flash suppressor which is similar in design to a
standard SG550-series rifle. Magazines are designed to look like standard 20 or
30-round 5.56mm magazines, but have inserts to fit the smaller rounds.
The SIG552 SWAT is for the most part the same, but has a four-point
MIL-STD-1913 rails on the handguards; the top rail forms a continuous rail with
the MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver. The pistol counterparts, the P522
Classic and P522 SWAT, essentially follow the lines of their rifle counterparts
as well as the P556 pistol. Barrel
length for the P522 versions is 10.6 inches, and as with the P556, kits exist to
attach a stock to the P522 to turn it into a short-barreled rifle.
Appearing in
2014, the SG556R -- ahh, well, is it an SG556? The
exterior looks pretty much looks any SG556, but internally -- the SG556R is an
AK. And externally, there are also
some changes to suit it to the AK internals, such magazine well. The controls
are mostly AR, but it uses standard AK magazines. The charging handle is also
AR. The flash suppressor can be
removed, and replaced with any flash suppressor or muzzle brake that fits on a
7,62mm Kalashnikov or 7.62mm NATO rifle. It has a 16-inch barrel.
Twilight 2000
Notes: There are virtually no SG552s in existence in the Twilight 2000 timeline
which were manufactured as such; however, Swiss gunsmiths often made
ad hoc “SG552s” from existing SG550s
and SG552s for CQB. The SG556 does
not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline in any form, nor does the SIG552 or
P522.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SG550 |
5.56mm NATO |
4.08 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$1119 |
SG551 |
5.56mm NATO |
3.4 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$570 |
SG552 |
5.56mm NATO |
3.2 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$758 |
SG556 Classic |
5.56mm NATO |
3.72 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$745 |
SG556 DMR |
5.56mm NATO |
5.44 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$1345 |
SG556 Classic SWAT |
5.56mm NATO |
3.76 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$745 |
SG556 SCM |
5.56mm NATO |
3.63 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$574 |
P556 |
5.56mm NATO |
2.86 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$499 |
P556 (Folding-Stock SBR) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.36 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$525 |
P556 (Fixed-Stock SBR) |
5.56mm NATO |
3.36 kg |
5, 10, 20, 30 |
$504 |
SIG552 Classic |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.9 kg |
10, 25 |
$247 |
SIG552 SWAT |
.22 Long Rifle |
3 kg |
10, 25 |
$250 |
P522 Classic |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.38 kg |
10, 25 |
$136 |
P522 SWAT |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.44 kg |
10, 25 |
$138 |
P522 Classic (Folding-Stock SBR) |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.88 kg |
10, 25 |
$186 |
P522 Classic (Fixed-Stock SBR) |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.88 kg |
10, 25 |
$166 |
P522 SWAT (Folding-Stock SBR) |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.94 kg |
10, 25 |
$188 |
P522 SWAT (Fixed-Stock SBR) |
.22 Long Rifle |
2.94 kg |
10, 25 |
$168 |
SG556R |
7.62mm Kalashnikov |
3.18 kg |
10, 20, 30, 40, 75D |
$1444 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SG550 |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
5/6 |
2 |
6 |
59 |
With Bipod |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
5/6 |
1 |
3 |
76 |
SG551 |
5 |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/5 |
2 |
6 |
35 |
SG552 |
3/5 |
2 |
1-Nil |
3/5 |
2 |
3/5 |
21 |
SG556 Classic |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
3 |
Nil |
41 |
SG556 DMR |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
2 |
Nil |
64 |
With Bipod |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
6 |
1 |
Nil |
83 |
SG556 Classic SWAT |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
4/6 |
2 |
Nil |
41 |
SG556 SCM |
SA |
3 |
1-Nil |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
43 |
P556 |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
3 |
2 |
Nil |
16 |
P556 (Folding) |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
3/4 |
2 |
Nil |
19 |
P556 (Fixed) |
SA |
2 |
1-Nil |
4 |
2 |
Nil |
19 |
SIG552 Classic/SWAT |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
4/6 |
1 |
Nil |
34 |
P522 Classic/SWAT |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
Nil |
17 |
P522 Classic/SWAT (Folding) |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
3/4 |
1 |
Nil |
20 |
P522 Classic/SWAT (Fixed) |
SA |
1 |
Nil |
4 |
1 |
Nil |
20 |
SG556R |
SA |
4 |
2-Nil |
5/6 |
4 |
Nil |
44 |