School me on the 556 SWAT rifle

I read an article in a shooting mag and have had this thing in the back of my mind ever since.

I'm pretty new to rifles, so you'll have to excuse the following dumb questions.

This rifle isn't technically an AR , correct? Would you consider this to be a better rifle than say a Colt 6920/40 or a S&W in the similar price range?

Any info would be appreciated

My buddies Swat 556 cost him 1700 new. Has CTR style stock that folds to the side and forearm with lots of rail space.Piston design. It is very accurate. Safety doesn't go on and off as easy as AR it seems to me. 556 feels signifciantly heavier than M4 to me and that's without anything added on the rails. Stock folds to side but isn't as thin as say a TTR. Hard to find a proper sling plate that fits between frame and stock. I prefer the way an M4 or SCAR feels and balances. YMMV

I would LOVE a SCAR...but $$$$!

You can pick up a a new Sig556 SWAT for around $1100-$1200. The rifle's gas piston design makes it a little heavier but also far more reliable especially once the round count starts climbing. The SWAT rail adds additional weight as well but can be changed out for a 556 or 551 handguard which saves just over a half a pound. If it's weight you're worried about, I would suggest looking into a Patrol model. The gas piston is shorter and therefore saves on weight. I once put over 800 rounds through the rifle before cleaning and it was still running flawlessly. If the shit ever hits the fan, it's the rifle I'll be grabbing, not my AR. My Sig eats anything I throw at it and it goes bang without fail EVERY TIME. While it may not be quite as accurate as my AR, when my life depends on it, I would rather have reliablity than a tighter group. Here's what I'm running.

Backpacker,

Tell me the difference between the "gas piston" and whatever system runs the AR(DI?). Why is one more reliable than the other?

Also, are there accessories (Magpul for example) readily available for the SIG?

Side folding CTR version of one above will probably run higher than 1100. Piston doesn't get the action as dirty and it doesn't melt down under extended full auto. One test between POF piston gun and standard M4 the M4 locked up under 400 rounds but it was full auto using 100 round magazines. Piston gun went to 1000 without failure. Heat is up in barrel, gas piston, area and doesn't heat up the action like a DGI gun. Action stays cleaner. Most people don't have full auto guns so it may be a moot point. Magpul forearms aren't going to work. You may need Emags instead of Pmags.
Price on the Piston Sig 516 was only 1300 with red dot sight and vertical foregrip at my local gun dealer.

I wS interested in magpul buttstocks and grips primarily...I like to splash a little OD green on there if possible

I've seen the 556 SWAT with the Non Adjustable folding Swiss stock at my local Sportsmans Warehouse for $1099.99. It may have been on sale but definately check it out. As mentioned before, the gas piston system is cleaner because it keeps the hot dirty gases out of the firing chamber and vents them through the gas tube. There are AR15's like the Sig516 that use the same principle but most of the AR15 platforms still out there still use the Gas Impingement system. This system uses the hot pressurized gas from the bullet being fired, and redirects it via a gas block near the end of the barrel through a gas tube, and back directly into the bolt to assist in the rifle's cycling, and it dumps the hot gases and carbon right back into the firing chamber which heats and dirties it up quite quickly. I have pulled the bolt out of my 556 after several hundred rounds and there was almost no carbon build up. BTW, cleaning the Sig556 rifle takes far less time than the AR also. I hope this helps. Last, there are accessories for the Sig rifle although not as many as for the AR15. Check out the Sig picture threads for ideas. I have been through several configurations and finally landed on the pictured above.

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