Opinions on SIG 516, 10"

[overton]

Would be thankful for reviews or any input on SIG's piston system. Does gen1 vs. Gen2 really make a difference?

Thanks!

[LtDave]

Would be thankful for reviews or any input on SIG's piston system. Does gen1 vs. Gen2 really make a difference?

Thanks!

I have a P516 pistol built in 2013. It has functioned 100% and seems to be quite accurate. I am very happy with it.

[Duces Tecum]

SNIP An original SIG516 produced in 2010 was compared with the latest SIG516 Patrol. Probably the most notable improvement over the original is in the gas piston system. Where the original piston system presented some challenges in disassembly, the later version is far easier to take apart.

The original piston system worked well, but disassembly required that a spring-loaded plunger be pushed in with the help of a bullet tip or other tool while the gas valve was unscrewed from the gas block. It took quite a few turns to remove. The revised system though requires no tools and can be disassembled by pushing a plunger with finger pressure while rotating the gas valve 180 degrees.


Where the original had a chrome-lined barrel finished with a frosty nitride on the outside, the current semi-auto barrel is finished inside and out with a salt bath nitride treatment. The nitride finish makes the surface extremely hard and corrosion resistant, but is not like chrome plating that is sometimes unevenly applied. The nitride finish usually encourages more accuracy than can be expected from chrome lined barrels, and the newer test gun delivered.


When new, the older SIG516 printed three-shot groups at 100 yards averaging from just over 1 inch to almost 3 inches, depending on the ammunition used. However, the refined model delivered five-shot groups averaging less than 1 inch to just under 2 inches with a best group of .34 inch. That is especially surprising considering the SIG516 is a piston gun, which is generally considered to be less accurate than a DGI gun.


The revised SIG516 has an ambidextrous safety, where some of the early originals did not. But perhaps more important is a redesign of the bolt catch. The original had a standard AR-15 bolt catch with a narrow knob at the bottom. That caused some difficulty when engaging the catch by hand because the gun has an ambidextrous magazine release with a button on both sides of the receiver. The distance between the button on the left side below the bolt catch and the bosses where the bolt catch is attached is small, requiring careful use of just the tip of a finger instead of the finger pad to engage it. SNIP


Source: https://www.shootingsportsretailer.com/2017/11/09/3461/