sig551.com
Can someone tell me about these rifles. What I think it is a Swiss 551 lower with an American made upper. I would like one of these but at 3800 I would like to know more about them. Your time and expert opinion is always appreciated. Sorry I wasn’t able to make the link hot.
It’s a Sig 550 parts gun. Just like the AK parts guns. US made receiver and enough US parts to be legal.
In a nutshell, a 551 lower with a 556 upper. Upper is S/N’d to match the lower, painted gray in an effort to color match the lower, and imprinted with 551 as the model number. While they where at it, they forgot to paint the gasblock gray. Forgot the diopter too. Q/C looks better than the 556’s. Factory “Authenticity” certificate for braggin’ rights.
Here’s what you want, and no certificate required:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=110661193
The West Coast Armory rifles are reasonably priced. They are less costly than it would be for you to purchase a Swiss lower and add it to your existing 556 upper.
I would recommend buying one. Then pick up a front sight and rear sight components from The Shooting Edge in Canada. Next, send it all to Frank Hatten at Antique and Modern Arms and have him weld on a Swiss rear sight housing and a steel picatinney rail in front of the rear sight housing. Then add the proper front sight.
I am working with a refinishing shop to truly duplicate the Swiss Arms gray finish. The current Duracoat gray looks good, but it is anything but durable.
The difficult part in the process is the rear diopter housing, but these can be found in Europe. I have one on the way and am going to have a local CNC machine shop give me an estimate on fab’ing the rear housings.
Thanks guys . I knew I could count on this forum for some expert advice.
Kisara 17k is more than I am willing to pay for a semi automatic pre ban rifle but that one is sweet.
I had a full auto version, but found it a bit too heavy for constant carry, compared to the AR platform. I sold it recently.
They are an ultra reliable piston design rifle, that needs virtually no cleaning.
I think they are the best piston rifle out there as of now, until something else can show the long term reliability.
If they had gone through the trouble of sourcing the real sig sights and welding them to the receiver behind the rail (would have to cut that as well) then I might consider buying one to have something like a real Sig 551. I think you could just about build up a 556 for less on your own.
You can have this done to your 556 by a good gunsmith. I have a blank diopter housing on the way to me from Europe and am going to have a local CNC R&D shop give me a quote on fab’ing up a bunch of the rear diopter housings. The diopter components (that are installed into the housing) as well as Swiss front sights (with Tritium) are available from The Shooting Edge in Canada.
All told it will probably add $500 in parts, 'smithing, and refinishing in order to have the diopters.
This is possible, but unlikely. There are two Swiss lowers that I know of on the market that are being offered at $2,000. While absurd and I wouldn’t pay that much for just a lower, that is not an unrealistic price at all and I bet both lowers will end up going for around $1800 each.
Then you have to add a Swiss forearm for around $150 and a base 556 for around $1300.
You can import your own Swiss lower from Europe. You can probably drop your cost on a fullauto Swiss lower (which then must be converted to semiauto-only…very easy to do, by the way) to around $1000 - $1200. BUT you’ll have to find someone in Europe willing to sell you the lower and who is familiar with the importation process. You will have to fill out an ATF form-6 and await approval before importing the lower.
I didnt realize the lower took the Sig mags, the one thing I really like about the 556’s is that they take AR mags instead. They sure do want a pretty penny for those lowers, dont they?
Colorado sells a nice lower package with a 551 handguard, bayonet lug/roll pin, and I think a flash hider too for around $2500. They also have the semi internals you’ll need for that lower, another $495. So when you add it all up, you’re already above what the West Coast gun costs, and now add shipping to/from a refinisher plus the cost of refinishing…
IIRC Gemtech made some lowers that took AR mags and stocks and were a pound lighter…
Interesting. I had not heard of Gemtech’s involvement in this. Knights Armament was rumored to have spent some time modifying the 55x lower to use M16 mags and an M4 stock, but I’ve never seen any pictures.
I have one of Gemtech’s M4 buttstock adapters for the Swiss 55x lower. It is nicely executed.