Sig 556 to 551A1 heads up

Just got an email from Sig saying that they will sell you a sig 551 lower, swiss stock and mag for under $400. If I still had my 556, I would be all over this.

They are selling 556a1 mags for $38 ea as part of the deal too.

I don't see why anyone wouldn't snap one of these conversions up if they have an older 556.

Pretty cool offering IMO.

4073

Looks cool.

what is the advantage of the 551 lower over the 556? other than the mags are different

You get more pricey, slower to change, rock-in mags. Ain't that enough?

lol I was wondering if i was the only one who likes using the same mags for my 556 and AR

A lot of people were complaining they didn't get an authentic 55X rifle, but instead got a bastardized, lower quality American version. This satisfies some peoples desire to have a "real" Sig rifle, like what they saw in action movies in the 80s. Same reason some people prefer retro rifles over newer ARs, nostalgia, aesthetics, etc...

Slower to change my ass! I find it faster. And if its dark with no light it a lot faster. You don't have to fumble around to push the mag release button. Just push forward and pull the mag. Then rock in another. I like the Ar mags in my 556 but the 551 mags lock solid with no play and teh mag lever is much faster to me. I'll bet with everyone bringing 551 mag sin now they will get even cheaper. Like the see through mags myself just like my AUG

This price is about $125 lower than the guys on GB for a standard 556 lower, old swiss style folder and no mag.

I don't really have much interest in spending the money on the 551 A1 lower, but I need one of those stocks...

Better hurry, some dickhead from Texas just ordered a bunch of them.....

kinda sucks that they wont offer the thing in black like everyone's existing 556 uppers are

Both of my 556's have an excellent black finish on the uppers. The lower however, appears to be a poor example of black anodizing. Scuffs easily, and does not match.


And the detents for the selector look liks shit. 551 markings, "S, 1, 3, 20" would be nice.

I wish they would just import the 551 lower from the Swiss. I can live with the american parts but it would be so cool to have the real Swiss lower. People who have them want a crap load of money and you cna see by the Swiss stocks that Sig is bringing in and mags that they could probably bring in teh reals 551 lower for less than the 556 lower they are making. What would be really cool is the steel 551 lower that uses AR mags.

Word to the muther fucking streets yo!!!

Finally!

YO YO!!

I just called and ordered two black stocks and the CS Rep said order as many as you want. So I guess they got plenty.

There is no way that would be possible. The Swiss parts are expensive. Period.

People complain about 'jacked up prices' from certain online retailers, when in fact, those prices are right in line with what the items cost in Switzerland (and that is AFTER import/export tariffs).

Sig got a 'deal' on the Swiss stocks when they initially built the 551-A1. They are currently looking for another vendor (probably Chinese) to pick up the production of the 'Swiss' stocks.

Anyone gona get one of these? I didnt see anything on their website regarding this, kinda strange!

It says on the "Add" slick in the above post that it is Phone orders for right now. I bought two this afternoon.

Sig certainly has been one of the few gun companies to respond to the economic downturn by adjusting prices accordingly. Three weeks ago, that stock alone had a market value close to $300. Now you get the stock, a lower, internals and a fancy euro mag for the same amount. Nutty.

Use Lancers.

I have come to despise Sigarms USA.

They rarely listen to their customers.

IF....they would have brought out the 550 series instead of the canted rail version 556....they would have knocked it out of the park. A lot of 556 owners paid a lot of money upgrading furniture, etc to make their 556's more like a 550....Hell I know of more than a few that paid $1500 for a Swiss lower......ouch

I got out of Sigs (except for my two W German made pistols), and went to FN for long arms and H&K for pistols.

Sigarms still does NOT get it...but they are getting closer.

BWood

BS

Everyone who has purchased a 556 in the past year has had nothing but good things to say about it and the quality oof Sig. If you sold your Sig's then why are you posting here? I bought four this years alone and all have been great! I have many friends and customers that have purchased the Sig 556 this yesr and they are all happy. Yes, Sig does get it and their sales prove it. They seem to be doing what ever they can to please the market and have made big strides in making the 556 as close to the real 550 as they can abd still be compliant.I have access to a real Swiss made 550 and my newest Sig 551 A1 is as close as I can get to it in a semi auto american made gun.

Stoner

It is not BS....suggest you head on over to SigForum and search for the history of canted rails as well as sloppy upper to lower fit, and poor accuracy issues.

As my post mentioned....I said if Sig came out with the 550 series at first...they would have hit it out of the park. Instead they came out with a fishgill handguard model that in many instances had canted rails.

The issue was Sig does NOT listen to their customers. Israeli plastic furniture..Chinese red dots, no Sig 550 sights, etc, etc, etc.

Sounds like you are new to the 556 game....

Just saw a NIB 551A1 upper go for $1000 on gunbroker. Yeah - I did bid on it, hoping that I'd get it for cheap and then buy a lower and have a sub 1K 551A1

Ordered one complete lower plus two additional mags for my P556 SBR, it currently has the old style lower and Magpul UBR stock. Im also going with the cut-down 550 handguards fitted with the DDLES handguard ring. My only concern is the black finish on the upper. Should I paint the upper grey to match the lower? It should closely resemble a 552.

Did Sig email any info on your orders? I ordered a lower and a stock today. I thought they were gonna email my order info since they took my email address but never did. At least they havent so far.

so order the lower on monday, they said they are going to email me confirmation, and tracking number, i haven't heard a fart from them.

I ordered on Monday and got an invoice in PDF format late Monday/early Tuesday morning. I don't have and don't expect a shipping number just yet since the lowers are apparently being built as they are ordered. I was quoted a 2-3 week wait before shipment.

I did get a copy of my order through email in pdf form today. Also the bill for the stock only hit my account. I wonder if there gonna ship the stock seperate as the CS rep said it would be 2-3 weeks on the lower. Also no charge for shipping.

I cant wait to get the lower. just wondering if i should paint the lower to match my 556 upper? Guess ill make that decision when i get it.

I ordered one the instant I got the email, I was so jazzed. I have however not received any order notification of any kind, but the guy did say to expect a couple of weeks.

I picked one up yesterday afternoon. Now the only question is where I can get my upper refinished to the Sig grey.

yes it took a day or two to get the email

Duracoat makes a Sig Grey color, I'm debating doing it myself. Also, Colorado Gun Sales apparently will do it for you for a few hundred bucks I think.

amazing how many people are buying into downgrading the looks of their rifles to a "classic" format at no discernible performance gain (negative if any!)

+1. This thread contains the first example I've ever seen of someone advocating rock-in as the faster mag design. Wow.

I'n Viet Nam I used both the M14 and M16 When I rocked in the mag on the M14 it always atayed there and worked everytime. The M16, I slamed in mags quickly during combat and sometimes they dropped out after the first round. Never had it happen with a rock N Lock system. At night it was definatly faster to rock on mags in the M14 than feel around for mag well and slap the mag twice top make sure it was locked. Drop one in the dark and your SOL. The Germand G3 guys feel the same. If the Ar type mag change was much better I'm sure SAN Swiss would have redesigned the 550 series to accept STANG mags.

People are not down grading just becasue they like the way the real 551 looks.

I don't consider it a down grade. On the AR I can reach the mag release with my right index finger with out changing my grip on the rifle. On the 556 lower I can not. I also do not drop my magazines on mag changes, I retain them.

I like the 556 system, had two, I'd get another if the price was right.

Having said that, the AR mag is one of the few things Sig got right from the start.

The notion that making the rifle LOOK LIKE the quality european sigs somehow affects the interior build quality is infantile.

......like all of sig usa's efforts these days.

would'nt want to scuff them.

To each their own. Personally I like the fact that the SIG 556 takes cheap and plentiful AR mags. Yes, the mag button is hard to reach and now that the Scorpion Grip is done I am working on that improved mag release button. What you have to realize is that 90% of your average shooters looking fora rifle are not going to buy something with its own exceedingly expensive proprietary mags. Using AR mags was a smart move for the introduction of the SIG 556 to the U.S. as at the very least it helped establish the rifle in the market.

SIG, for all their QC issues and trying to cut corners on molding costs does do one thing right- they keep evolving their designs to meet what the users are asking for. Don't like the fishgill handguards? SIG 551 style guards are now available. Don't want the M4 stock? Boom! Classic collapsible sidefolder. Don't want a rattle trap collapsible sidefolder? They now import SAN swiss sidefolders. Want the ability to use 551 mags? You can now buy the lower to change to that.

The great thing is SIG is now getting to the point where you can build the rifle to what you want it to be with quite a few options, and it seems their QC is finally starting to improve. They may not have hit a home run out of the gate, but they keep listening to what the market wants and making that available. For a big corporation, that often involves moving mountains to overcome corporate inertia.

I don't care which mags you like, but if you are happy with how your rifle is set up and it works for you we all win as we all get what we want!

Tag I want that stock.

now THAT makes sense.

a quality swiss part that works well and can be swapped in and actually works exactly as the swiss model does.

instead of just looking like it.

This. I agree completely. Today the later adopters have great cost effective options thanks to Sig USA. I spent a bundle in comparison upgrading my 556. No hard feelings though. Kudos to Sig.

So in a couple years I'll be able to buy a 550, made just the way the Swiss guns are? Awesome.

I'd say QC has improved a lot. Have not seen many if any legimitate complaints abt the 556's made in teh last year. I have four and all are GTG. Like Dog said I use both AR mags in the 556 and the Swiss mags in the 551. I even saw that Bravo Company has Lancers mags for around $12 wich fot the AR and look somewhat like the Swiss mags. Every time I go to the range someone ask to shoot my 556.and they like it. My son who is an Ar junkie fired my 551 a week or so back and now he wants one. Like em both. Also liiek the Armalite AR10. Go big orgo home.

..or retain them in a SHTF scenario where you may not be add more to your inventory..

I purchased their complete Sig-551A1 lower today, along with 9 extra 30rds magazines and a fixed sight set... A Christmas gift to myself. As for the extra mags, $37.80 isn't a bad deal when they go for $49.00 to $79.00 at other venders. Plus, next year is election year and if O/B is re-elected, I think semi-auto, military style weapons will be on his "hit list."

Anyway, I have 2 Sig 556 rifles and the older one with the AR/M4 type stock, I will keep it to accept AR magazines, which is a nice feature, but my Sig "Classic" rifle will get the new lower... The original lower has way too much play in it for my liking and I hope that this new lower, the 551A1, will correct this one serious Q/C issue that I have with my Sig Classic rifle, which I picked up around December 2008... Yes, I should have waited for the panic buying to cool down, but like many, I simply got caught up in the rush... And paid for it since many firearm makers where rushing products out as fast as possible and not caring for the Q/C at all to meet demand and to make a quick buck in the process.

My early Sig 556 with the AR/M4 stock, which I picked up around August 2007 has a nice and tight fit between the upper and lower.

To be honest, I was pissed with Sig USA for a few years due to their poor Q/C issues, but if they are now getting their act together and supporting their weapon system all the way, I will give them one last chance since I do like the Sig-551 concept... With luck, maybe their next "upgrades" to their 556 series will be both a "TRUE" semi-auto Sig 551 lower receiver, made to the original specs and offer their original Sig 551 fixed sights as well.

...Sig, please do the right thing and move away from the cheap ChiCom optics and poor quality plastic parts just to save a few $$... Your band name means quality and that's something worth protecting. I don't mind spending a few more $$$ for quality and like many, I know when I'm getting ripped off, so please move away from doing that. Do the right thing and you will get my hard earned $$$$.

BTW, I do think Sig USA are now listening to their customers, which is a good thing!!

Got mine today, feels solid but light than the Swiss lower I had, mags and stock are Swiss.

Glad I picked one up.

I just want them to sell the Swiss hinged lower that takes AR mags. I like the compatibility with my ARs, and I even like my fishgill handguards. I'd pay...a significant amount for that lower and stock. I'll figure out how to switch everything over myself.

Unfortunately, the only people who do that are Colorado Gun Sales, and it'd be around $1000 to get the lower and stock. That's a little too significant.

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