Hey guys I have a lead on a swiss parts kit. Swiss lower, green stock and hand guards, gas system, rear sights, and BCG. I was planning on putting these parts on my 551a1.as long as I stay 922r.  Sale my lower. Cut my barrel down to 14.5 with a weld/pined SF three prong FH suppressor mount, weld on sights, have the upper and lower painted to match by the guy who has the Swiss paint. I bet I will be $1500 to 2k into the 1k rifle when done. So around 2.5-3k with finished rifle in hand.

I am not looking at this as I am make this a investment rifle and think I could get every penny back if needed to sale. I know it would only be worth about 2k. But I also don't want to blow money I could spend somewhere else.

I love Swiss rifles. I really want a 100% Swiss 551 but can't spend the 6-7k I always see them for sale at. I could swing 3.5-4k at most! But am having a hard time finding any at that price.  

If I do clone, it would be a shooter. A rifle I could truly enjoy and have fun with. While if I got a true 100% Swiss 551, I most likely would only shoot it every now and then. It would be more of a safe queen.

What do you all say?

Personally, I don't think it's worth it if your 551A1 is running right.  Ultimately, it's still a US made copy and putting in some genuine Swiss 551 parts isn't going to make it a Swiss 551.  People who want a 551 want a real one, not some mash-up.  I kind of doubt you'd get your money back if you sold the complete gun.

well, I did something similar to what you want to do, had an original 556, SBR'd back to 12.5 for the 551 commando look, got a set of black Swiss handguards to go with a Swiss lower I picked up. messed around with it for a year or so and while it felt great, and was a really cool weapon, the Swiss lower really didn't do anything better than the US 556 or 551A1 lower. just looked a little nicer. figured I could use a leupold mk6 on my mws more than essentially a nice spare lower for the sig. sold the parts, picked up the scope, have no regrets.


not sure how much you could get for a clone, but I just cant see too many people dropping more than 2k for a clone. honestly, I wouldn't spend over 2k for an original, at that  your getting into weapon systems that is totally outclassed by other weapons at that price point. think about it, SOPMOD, block II m4 with Elcan and can, or a nice ass Swiss AK

I know this is more than you want to spend, but on gunbroker there is a LEO 100% Swiss 551 for 5k.  That is actually way less than the pre-ban's go for, there's one of those on gunbroker for $12,200!  I'm going the Sig 553 route, it's also pricey but you can get the new pistol for under 3k.  If you want to attach a stock and pay the $200 tax, there are plenty of threads on here regarding 922 compliance, or not.  I will install the 7 U.S. parts to be on the safe side, but there are good cases to be made that 922 doesn't apply to a pistol.

considering people have been building FALs, AK's and all kind of shit for the past 3 decades and there has yet to be a case of 922(r) being applied to an individual, i think its safe to assume that it applies to neither

Thanks, I know the rifle your talking about on gun broker. It's actual at 6k is where the reserve is set at. I talked to that owner on the phone.

Godfryness, if that's what you want than go for it...  I converted my early Sig-556 rifle into a close copy of a Sig-551 with an original 17" Sig barrel w/ grenade ring, stamped steel lower receiver and fixed sights.  After everything, I'm very happy with it.  The only thing I have left to do is to find somebody to "fill and reshape" the front-end of the Sig-556 upper receiver to mimic a true Swiss made Sig-551 receiver and re-engrave it with "SIG 551."   At this point, I'm at the $3,800/$4,000 mark.  In my situation, its easier on my wallet to buy a few parts here and there since every time I get a few thousand dollars saved, Murphy's law kicks in and those funds are rerouted to the trouble spot. So, buying a real Sig-551-2 wouldn't work in my situation since I'm an average Joe on the verge of retiring from my average paying job... Would I like to have a real Sig-551-2... Hell YES!!

Yes, my Sig-556 conversion isn't a true Sig-551 rifle, but neither are all those MKE, SW, POF, etc... "MP5" clones are not real "MP5" or "HK-94" carbines, just "MP5" clones... That includes those HK SL8 converted into a G-36 clone.  As for the re-sale value issue, this rifle falls into the same category as my real HK-91, HK-93 and HK-94... I will never sell it

With that said "I" don't see anything wrong with converting something into what you really want.  BTW, I saw a SBRed POF-5 "MP5" clone last week and it looked pretty freaking cool!!... I was going to SBR my HK-94, but now, I think I'll go with a new POF-5 pistol and SBR it into a "MP5" clone.

Thanks for the input, like you I am a very average joe that works way to much for way to little. I think I will save up here and their with parts and do it. If I grab the kit now, I can either use it or sale it for close to what I paid down the road if needed.

Thanks

If I had the cash I would do it.

If not, I would just settle for a 551A1.

I had one. Basically, bought one of the first SIG556 rifles, and had allot of German connections for the SIG parts. I was actually able to trade my SIG556 lower for an unmarked, semi SIG lower.

The biggest cost/PITA was finding someone that could weld the rear site. I never got around to finding a replacement "gasket" for the ejection/charging handle port.


Honestly, a waste of money.. It was still not a SIG, and while I was able to build it for under $2K, not really worth it.....

Thanks for the imput