Or more correctly I “think” I have completed my SIG collection.
In what was truly a “Ralphie moment” my SIG 552-2 Commando arrived today. Very interesting variation. I had mostly expected a scaled down 550/551 with no real changes. The most obvious change (especially when it launched out of my gun when I opened it) was the “true to the AK roots” recoil spring behind the bolt. Thankfully nobody was injured and a manual would have been nice. This is also a lesson in complacency because you “believe” you know all about a given system.
Another interesting feature was the sling points on the stock collar, why they couldn’t have implemented this on the SIG 556 is beyond me.
And it’s BLACK. Had a deja vue moment to when I saw my first black HK in the mid 80s having been accustomed to the green park of the G3 and the blue gray finish of the 90 series. I am so used to SIG green that the black was almost exotic.
There were a few other surprises such as the fact that the 6 o’clock handguard rail for use with a VFG was simply screwed into a plastic handguard with no retaining nuts or plate on the other side. Did Cohen intern at Switzerland at any point? A very minor matter as I removed it anyhow, but I don’t think it could handle the stress of a VFG mount. At least the 551 SWAT 6 o’clock rail is setup with retaining nuts on the backside. I suppose one could probably add retaining nuts if they wanted to.
The whole bottom handguard rail issue also convinced me that I probably don’t want to add a top rail as originally planned. I think this is gonna be my lightweight simple PDW and my Colt 6520 SBR project just took a back burner.
Another interesting change is the charging handle. It’s a thin little post rather than the beefy AK style handle I have become used to. While I wouldn’t call it “better” and I don’t think it is an appreciable weight saver, I don’t see how it is necessarily any worse.
It is amazing how “handy” the little SIG is, even compared to the 551 SWAT. Pretty similar to toting an MP5 except for the difference in loaded magazines.
But more than anything else a reminder of what the 556 might have been and I am extremely thankful that I have the option to obtain original SIG rifles even at a slight premium. And the fact that it “doesn’t take AR mags” bothers me not at all.
It was never listed on their website. Best to call and ask if they have any in stock. You need the complete 553 conversion kit which consists of conversion piston (slightly different than standard 553 piston), conversion gas tube (again, different/modified from standard 552/553 tube), standard 550/551 carrier and charging handle.
Haven’t had a chance to shoot mine since installing 553 conversion kit, but shot it in 552 format a few weeks ago and was very impressed.
Technically they are pre 86 dealer sample SBRs. Never mind the fact that they were both actually imported after 89, it’s a ATF thing.
But the classification allows them to be treated like pre86 dealer sample machine guns which means a SOT such as myself can buy them without a LE demo letter and can keep them after retiring my license.
It also means they cost around $3-4,000 rather than $10-12,000.00 for a pre 89. And it also means you can get -2 variants a lot easier to say nothing of 552 models.
