Make sure to check out the new video on 9 Hole Reviews, with the SIG 550 on their 500yd course of fire, plus discussion with a Swiss infantry officer:
Bolt Action Rifles
Transitional Swiss Sniper K31 Rifles (Video)
During World War II, the Swiss military experimented with two models of K31 carbine with integral optics (the K31/42 and K31/43). These were found to be not sufficient for military service, and after more experimentation […]
Prototype
Swiss SK-46 Prototype Semiauto Rifle (Video)
The SK-46 was one of several post-WWII experimental self-loading rifle designs developed for testing by the Swiss military, or for commercial export. It was manufactured by SIG at Neuhausen in both 7.5mm Swiss and 8mm […]
Prototype
SIG 44/16: The Best Service Pistol, But The Road Not Traveled
When SIG was developing the pistol that would ultimately be adopted as the m/49 by the Danish Army and the P49 by the Swiss Army (P210 commercially), they initially experimented with both single stack and […]
Question to ask: why Swiss military did not adopt presumably the “best rifle in the world”, the AR15. The HK did so. Any ideas?
Following though might be: will this be the end of standard issue military rifle in Switzerland (barring he BT developments)?
“(…)“best rifle in the world”, the AR15(…)”
Said weapon does not support folding stock
In 1990 Switzerland had:
– mountain troops for which shorter package is desirable
– mechanized troops for which shorter package is desirable
– fortress troops for which shorter package is desirable
for visual presentation see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IX0Gr7olLY
Correct. Thanks for video.
To add to the list: the Swiss also love their “flying carrots” and the AR-15 is really not built for a steady diet of these. And they certainly wrote this into the requirements Although currently no rifle grenades for the Stgw. 90 are in service at the moment, but the prominent grenade ring is still there on the barrel.
Every single one of the Swiss “idiosyncratic” designs have to be looked at and evaluated as being specifically constructed to meet unique Swiss requirements and needs.
I don’t think there’s a country in the world, other than the Swiss, who issue a militia recruit a weapon and then expect that recruit to keep their weapon at home for the duration of their service in the militia’s active components. Everyone else keeps the arms in depots…
This is why the Swiss rifles are built the way they are. They are meant to be someone’s personal weapon for a long duration, something they take pride in and (hopefully…) take care of, on their own. As such, it’s not so much a fungible item the way an M16-series rifle is, in American military usage, a generic item to be turned in and abandoned by the soldier with no real personal connection. An Stgw 90 is a lifetime weapon, and it is important that it feels and behaves as though it were something that will last a lifetime for the Swiss militia man.
I don’t think this is the last Swiss rifle, because the next time they need a new rifle, they’re going to have to either change the cultural basis that went into its design features, or they’re going to have to procure another typically “Swiss” rifle.
Point that people keep forgetting is that there’s as much in the way of psychological factors going into these things as there are purely mechanical or ballistic. It’s a rare rifle indeed that isn’t influenced by these things, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the nations adopting it.
I don’t think the Swiss necessarily consider the M16 series “the best rifle in the world”, and it assuredly is not, for Swiss usages. If you look at a lot of the design features of the Stgw 90, and compare them to any of the various flavors of the M16, the generic Colt or Colt Canada products are basically Kleenex set next to a linen handkerchief: They will both do the same job, but that handkerchief ain’t going into the trash once it has been used; it’s going to get washed and used again, over and over.
Despite its reputation, I rather like the M16 series of weapons, but the reason I like them has very little to do with their mechanical virtues (which admittedly contribute to the things I do like…), but rather more with their ergonomics and overall handling characteristics. The M16 series are not perfect, by any means, but they come closer than most of their ilk, when it comes to those things. I could do with a different gas and spring system, but those things can be lived with.
If I were to be consulted on “individual weapon design”, I’d probably wind up going for something that would look a lot like a melded AR-15/AR-18 design, with a squared-off receiver built out of aluminum. Brownell’s BRN-180 is very much what I’d want to start with…
Well written; I respect the effort.
By the way, the Swiss Army neither uses an M193 nor an M855 equivalent. Its “5,6 mm Gewehrpatrone 90” (GP 90) has a unique 4.1 g lead core bullet, fired at 905 m/s muzzle velocity. The twist rate of the Stgw 90 barrel is 250 mm (9.8in).
I have seen a story about Swiss unique 5,56mm round. It is heavier with lesser twist rate to limit internal body damage due to tumbling. Compare it with standard M855/ SS109 variety https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO
4.1grams x 15.43236 grains/gram = 63.3 grains
Good timing considering what Henry just did with one of these.
Certaily had a good lucky day over on 9 hole reviews clearing the course with iron sights no less. And he did not even use the proper swiss Gewehrpatrone 90 loading, but the his rifle had a 1:7 twist barrel and not the swiss spec 1:9 (or there about is the twistrate). Impressive nonetheless.
Watched first half of video. It is a mix of luck and skill IMO. Henry Ch. admitted the rifle shoots 2-2.5 MOA which is not unusual within service rifles realm.
From experience I know that to hit decent size target at 300y with irons is not easy and this is where the achievement is. Good sights indeed, they help a great deal.
Also the fact the rear sight is part of solid receiver/ barrel group is of great help. This is where the AK12 is falling short. But as I gather they work on that.
Henry is mistaken. The Swiss Army requires the StGw90 to shoot 1.25 MOA or less with service ammo. The rifle meets this criteria easily. In fact, my PE90 came with a test target that showed my rifle hit a 1MOA level of accuracy at 300m. You’ll also find some shooters online archiving 0.75MOA or lower with high quality ammo.
Henry said in the comments that he got his information from Bloke on the Range, who has a real vendetta against the 550-Series for some reason. He was caught multiple times spreading misinformation about the rifles performance.
Love this platform. Did a bunch of shooting with my (previously Canadian legal rifle) in Swiss style competitions and the only two changes I made were to put an adjustable iris in the 300/400 rear aperture position, and replace the bipod with an adjustable one.
Makes for an interesting contrast to the FN FNC, the other 5.56mm Western “Kalashnikov”.
I think I prefer the design of the FNC. The Sig may be slicker, but the FNC seems more practical, better engineered.
I am inclined to agree. Not that the SIG550 is “not as well engineered” (if fact it is) but it goes a little over than it needs to for a standard issue rifle. It is also relatively heavy. But that all fits to description of being “swiss”.
IMO the FNC feels more rugged, better suited to rough and tumble. It is probably also cheaper to make. I am surprised that other armies (part of Belgium, Sweden and Indonesia) did not adopt it. Same applies about Beretta SC70/90. The last mentioned rifles probably saw lot more action than the SIG ever did.
The Sig has higher quality iron sights, and a bolt hold open, but other than that I’d say the FNC design is superior in every way that matters.
The provision of a practical optical sight mount and the manipulation of the gas system are some of the advantages of the FNC.