Notes:
This is a weapon that lasted as long as it did in service because it was
never actually used in wartime. The
straight-pull design, though obsolete by 1889 when the Schmidt-Rubin was
designed, was used because Switzerland invented it.
Schmidt used an extremely long-pull design on top of that, making the
entire weapon unwieldy and long.
The sleeve and bolt system is similar to that of the Ross rifle, but even more
complicated. Fortunately, Swiss
soldiers never had to go to war with these weapons, and that probably saved
countless lives.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Schmidt-Rubin M-1889 |
7.5mm Schmidt-Rubin |
4.44 kg |
12 |
$1571 |
Schmidt-Rubin M-1889 |
7.5mm Swiss |
4.59 kg |
12 |
$1615 |
Schmidt-Rubin M-1911 |
7.5mm Swiss |
4.59 kg |
6 |
$1615 |
Schmidt-Rubin M-1911 Carbine |
7.5mm Swiss |
3.93 kg |
6 |
$1539 |
Schmidt-Rubin M-1931 Carbine |
7.5mm Swiss |
4.01 kg |
6 |
$1565 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
M-1889 (7.5mm Schmidt-Rubin) |
BA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
4 |
Nil |
120 |
M-1889 (7.5mm Swiss) |
BA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
4 |
Nil |
121 |
M-1911 |
BA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
4 |
Nil |
121 |
M-1911 Carbine |
BA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
4 |
Nil |
85 |
M-1931 Carbine |
BA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
4 |
Nil |
99 |
SiG SG-542
Notes: This is
the battle rifle version of the SG-540 rifle family (other parts include the
SG-540 assault rifle and SG-543 carbine).
The weapon is equipped with a bipod and is optimized for cold weather.
Any NATO-type sighting device may be fitted.
The SG-542 may be built with an integral bipod, but it is not standard.
The SG-542 was not produced in quantity, but is used by Chile in good
numbers, as well as by Bolivia and Nicaragua.
It is also used by several African nations, by Indonesia and Lebanon, and
by France in small numbers. By
2002, the only place to buy a new SG-542 is from FAMAE in Chile.
Twilight 2000
Notes: Switzerland started production of the SG-542, in small numbers, in 1998.
Indonesia, however, began manufacturing the SG-542 in large numbers in
1996, far outstripping manufacture in Chile.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SG-542 (Fixed Butt) |
7.62mm NATO |
3.55 kg |
20, 30 |
$1410 |
SG-542 (Fixed Butt with Bipod) |
7.62mm NATO |
3.83 kg |
20, 30 |
$1485 |
SG-542 (Folding Butt) |
7.62mm NATO |
3.55 kg |
20, 30 |
$1430 |
SG-542 (Folding Butt with Bipod) |
7.62mm NATO |
3.83 kg |
20, 30 |
$1505 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SG-542 (Fixed Butt) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
6 |
4 |
6/10 |
54 |
SG-542 (Fixed Butt/Bipod) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
6 |
4 |
6/9 |
54 |
SG-542 (Fixed Butt/Bipod, w/Bipod) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
6 |
2 |
3/5 |
71 |
SG-542 (Folding Butt) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/6 |
4 |
6/10 |
54 |
SG-542 (Folding Butt/Bipod) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/6 |
4 |
6/9 |
54 |
SG-542 (Folding Butt/Bipod, with Bipod) |
3/5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/6 |
2 |
3/5 |
71 |
SK-46
Notes:
The Selbstladekarabiner Modell 46
was developed during World War 2, but not marketed until afterward.
It is a basic semiautomatic rifle in most respects, using gas operation,
but the semiautomatic feature could be disconnected with a switch and the rifle
operated as a bolt-action weapon.
(This was feature was primarily for training purposes.)
The SK-46 also had a 2.2x magnification sight fitted as standard.
Unfortunately, the SK-46 is a very heavy rifle, and there were a lot of
war-surplus weapons flooding the market at the time, so the SK-46 barely sold at
all.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SK-46 |
8mm Mauser |
4.54 kg |
5, 10 |
$1436 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SK-46 |
SA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
4 |
Nil |
80 |
SiG Stgw-57
Notes: After
World War 2, Switzerland quickly realized that it would need a modern weapon to
replace its World
War 1 and 2-vintage weapons. Though
they first tried to address this problem with the abortive Sk-46 and AK-53,
these designs did not satisfy the Swiss military, and they were also entire
satisfied (at the time) with their own 7.5mm Swiss cartridge.
Therefore, the AM-55 was developed by Rudolf Amsler, which became the
Stgw-57. The Stgw-57 was adopted in
1957 as Switzerland’s standard service rifle in 1957, and produced until 1983.
Just as some of
Mauser’s technicians went to Spain after World War 2, some went to Switzerland.
Some of those technicians went to work for SiG, and they took the plans
they had for the StG-45 and made radical changes to it.
Being derived from the StG-45, the Stgw-57 based the operation on the
pioneering delayed-blowback roller-locking design.
Firing was from a closed bolt, and the Swiss did have some problems with
cookoffs during prolonged automatic fire.
However, the Swiss designers replaced the standard rollers with
roller-shaped pivoting flaps; this better–suited the ammunition to be used.
The receiver is of stamped steel, finished by machining.
The trigger unit housing, pistol grip, and trigger guard are one unit.
The barrel has a perforated steel jacket with two mounting points for the
folding bipod issued with the rifle – one near the muzzle, and another just in
front of the receiver at the point of balance of the rifle.
The 22.95-inch barrel has no flash suppressor or brake, but is shaped to
allow the firing of rifle grenades.
(It is not of the right dimensions to use standard NATO-pattern rifle grenades.)
The stock has a straight-line profile and is wood, mounted on a wooden
extension. The stock also contains
an effective recoil buffer which is quite good at reducing felt recoil, ans well
as a thick rubber recoil pad. The
trigger guard has a winter trigger of sorts; it swings downwards to allow the
use of even fingerless mittens. The
exceptional rear sight is micrometer-adjustable, and the rifle also has a mount
for a special Kern 4x compact telescopic sight designed especially for the
Stgw-57. There is no large
handguard under the barrel, but there is a short fore-end of plastic.
(This could lead to burned hands when carelessly gripped during prolonged
firing.) Standard magazines have a
slight curve to them and contain 24 rounds, but a special 6-round magazine was
also issued to contain ballistite rounds for grenade launching.
Though the Swiss
were quite satisfied with the Stgw-57, and used it until it was replaced by the
SG-550 series in the early 1980s.
However, they also realized the possible export potential of such an excellent
rifle, and therefore SiG designed the SG-510.
The SG-510 was quite similar to the Stgw-57; in fact, the first version
of the SG-510, the SG-510-1, was little more than an Stgw-57 rechambered for
7.62mm NATO. This was quickly refined
into the SG-510-2, using lighter wood for the stock and a slimmer barrel jacket.
Neither of these two versions sold well.
The SG-510-3,
which was chambered for the 7.62mm Kalashnikov round for possible export to the
East and other countries using that round, also did not sell very well.
This version used a 17.89-inch barrel, reshaped woodwork (without the
straight-line stock configuration), a reshaped fore-end, a slightly higher
cyclic rate (600 rpm versus the 500 rpm of earlier versions of the SG-510,
though this has no effect for game purposes), and a reshaped muzzle to allow for
use of Eastern-Bloc rifle grenades.
The magazines looked similar to those of the AK series, but were smooth-sided
and proprietary. This version saw
almost no sales.
The definitive
version of the SG-510, the SG-510-4, had decent sales to South America
(particularly Bolivia and Chile, who still use them).
The barrel was 19.93 inches long, and was tipped with flash suppressor
that could accept standard NATO-pattern rifle grenades as well as older rifle
grenades and modern BTU rifle grenades.
The foregrip was slightly lengthened and changed to wood, and the
complicated (and fragile) micrometer sights were replaced with sturdy sights
similar to those used by its contemporaries.
The mounting point for the bipod ahead of the receiver was eliminated,
with the folding bipod fixed under the gas block.
The Swiss considered changing to the SG-510 as its standard service
rifle, and even acquired several of them, but decided to stick with the Stgw-57.
A further
version of the SG-510-4 is the AMT (not to be confused with the American AMT
firearms company), sold in the US as the PE-57.
In addition, a version of the SG-510-3 was also sold to civilians in very
small numbers. AMT was generally
sold with 5 and 10-round magazines, but standard SG-510 magazines of the
appropriate type were also useable.
The fire mechanism was locked on semiautomatic.
Unfortunately, the AMT also did not sell well (primarily due to the high
real-world price, as well as the “ultra-military” appearance).
After adoption
of the SG-550 series (known to the Swiss as the StG-90), the Stgw-57 was
relegated to Home Guard and Reserve status.
Most of them have been kept is perfect working order, and can still be
found in the homes of many a retired Swiss soldier or Home Guard member.
Twilight 2000
Notes: As these rifles were often kept, in perfect working order, by retired
soldiers all over Switzerland, they were a common sight to those invading
Switzerland. They made many
invaders’ lives miserable.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Stgw-57 |
7.5mm Swiss |
5.55 kg |
24, 30 |
$1754 |
SG-510-1 |
7.62mm NATO |
4.9 kg |
20 |
$1629 |
SG-510-2 |
7.62mm NATO |
4.41 kg |
20 |
$1629 |
SG-510-3 |
7.62mm Kalashnikov |
4.1 kg |
30 |
$1308 |
SG-510-4 |
7.62mm NATO |
4.25 kg |
20 |
$1548 |
AMT |
7.62mm NATO |
4.25 kg |
5, 10, 20 |
$1543 |
AMT |
7.62mm Kalashnikov |
4.2 kg |
5, 10, 30 |
$1297 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Stgw-57 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
3 |
6 |
75 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
3 |
98 |
SG-510-1/-2 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
3 |
7 |
76 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
3 |
99 |
SG-510-3 |
5 |
4 |
2-Nil |
6 |
3 |
7 |
53 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-Nil |
6 |
1 |
3 |
68 |
SG-510-4 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
3 |
7 |
62 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
3 |
80 |
AMT
(7.62mm NATO) |
SA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
3 |
7 |
62 |
(With Bipod) |
SA |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
3 |
80 |
AMT
(7.62mm Kalashnikov) |
SA |
4 |
2-Nil |
6 |
3 |
7 |
53 |
(With Bipod) |
SA |
4 |
2-Nil |
6 |
1 |
3 |
68 |