Sig516 Patrol CA Model - Should I?

[Rottentofu]

Before I start, I would like to confess that I know NOTHING about semi-auto rifles...but I LOVE them!

I have a $2000 budget and I'm looking at this one:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/sig516-patrol-ca-model.aspx

Would you guys recommend this model to a total semi-auto rifle noob?

Also, I know I can only get 10 round mags for the CA version. However, if I decide to move to another state that allows high capacity mags, would I be able to replace the 10 round mags with a higher capacity mags and use the higher capacity mags on the same rifle?

Thanks for the help everyone!

[jarhead714]

For 2 grand you can get a 20 inch rifle AND a 16 inch carbine , the latter of which is what all the cool kids have.

[iluvmycolt]

Being that you're a noob to semi auto rifles go with something simple like the m&p sport, but that's just me...

[Islander888]

I got 1 in FDE. Put about 600 rounds thru it so far and not 1 failure. Shoots smooth n accurate. Only downside is the price. I think riflegear has the in stock for under $1400 + tax and fees.

[ktmguy]

Hi rottentofu,
That is an alright first semi but it comes with couple things that make it different from todays norm. First off ar style rifles normally use a direct gas system where that sig uses a "pushrod." basically instead of having an empty tube that the gas flows thru to the bolt it has a pushrod that pushes the bolt back and keeps hot gases away from the bolt. This style system has positives and negatives. the positives are that "dirty" and hot gases do not flow thru a tube and end up in the rifle which makes it run cooler and it is easier to clean. But the negitive is that the pushrod system is heavier than a typical direct gas impingement system and it has its own cleaning process. That is what makes it run different inside the gun but outside it also comes with a "dated" quad rail system. Quad rails were good for mounting lots of accessories every where but sacrificed weight and ergonomics. But this day and age functionality and simplicity are key. The sig is an ok gun but for the money you have you can buy much higher quality and will never regret it.

In your price range I would highly recommend looking at Daniel Defense or noveske. And as far as accessories go keep it light weight and simple to start out then get familiar with it and only add what you need. Have fun with it ask questions and enjoy.

Yes any size mag will fit in that sig without issue

[Rottentofu]

Thanks all for the responses so far! Thanks ktmguy for your detailed response! I will definitely look into your recommendations.

[Rottentofu]

Hi rottentofu,
That is an alright first semi but it comes with couple things that make it different from todays norm. First off ar style rifles normally use a direct gas system where that sig uses a "pushrod." basically instead of having an empty tube that the gas flows thru to the bolt it has a pushrod that pushes the bolt back and keeps hot gases away from the bolt. This style system has positives and negatives. the positives are that "dirty" and hot gases do not flow thru a tube and end up in the rifle which makes it run cooler and it is easier to clean. But the negitive is that the pushrod system is heavier than a typical direct gas impingement system and it has its own cleaning process. That is what makes it run different inside the gun but outside it also comes with a "dated" quad rail system. Quad rails were good for mounting lots of accessories every where but sacrificed weight and ergonomics. But this day and age functionality and simplicity are key. The sig is an ok gun but for the money you have you can buy much higher quality and will never regret it.

In your price range I would highly recommend looking at Daniel Defense or noveske. And as far as accessories go keep it light weight and simple to start out then get familiar with it and only add what you need. Have fun with it ask questions and enjoy.

Yes any size mag will fit in that sig without issue

I did a quick peek at both Daniel Defense and noveske, and found one small issue. Unlike the Sig website, neither of these two websites has a CA approved category for their semi-auto rifles. How do I know the ones I'm interested in are CA approved?

[spunkysandoval]

For 2K, I would look at the POF Skirmish Light. You should be right around the 2k mark for one of those

[ktmguy]

That is a very good point, good question. Most if not all of these rifles are sold in local gun stores and larger online stores in California and are configured to be legal. If you go to riflegear.com for example which is a website for a store based in the LA area you will see most if not all of these rifles are available to us here in California. Swing by there site, under firearms at the top of the page click on rifles then you can sort them by caliber. Most likely that would be looking in the 223/ 5.56 which is on the column on the left side of the page. Personally if I had to suggest a single model the noveske pro hunter would be a great choice and a very solid high quality rifle. But don't limit your self to my recommendations only there are a lot of other very nice guns available for less than 2000. I assume more people on here will chime in.

[stangallmotor]

Colt 6920 and spend the rest of the cash on ammo and dressing up the AR.

[bigbearbear]

How do you normally use your rifle? Do you mainly shooting at the range, stalk and hunt, or do you compete in certain competitions like 3 guns?

I recommend looking into how you plan to use a semi-auto rifle first, before you start shopping for one.

[Spaceghost]

I have a better suggestion.

How about you post your location, and offer to provide quality (brass cased) ammo for shooting out of a member's rifle? I for one would be willing to let you shoot a few of my rifles so you can get your feet wet, if you are local.

What's your ammo budget to go with your rifle? A two thousand dollar rifle with 40 rounds of ammo is not ideal. I would plan on at least 1 case of brass cased ammo with your purchase to start. Save the brass for your future reloading hobby.

[CK_32]

I vote 516 with Sig Brace

[calspyderman]

Hey Rottentofu - welcome to Calguns. So, I was exactly where you are now 6 months ago. Started looking at a Sig 516 (I took a class and my friend owned one). $2K is a VERY generous budget for a first-time AR-15. KTMGUY's posts are spot-on and you've got a lot of choices. First, before picking a brand or gun model, decide if you want a "piston" or a "DI (direct impingement)" gas gun. As KTMGUY said, there are pros and cons. Piston guns are a relatively newer design than the "traditional" DI guns. Many companies (like LMT) make both. Pros for the DI guns, uber reliable, about 0.5 lbs lighter (and its lighter at the barrel, so you do feel the diff), and the components for the gas parts are Milspec and easy and cheap to find. The downside is they require a bit more lube and cleaning. The piston guns require less cleaning and lube, but they are heavier, more expensive than their DI counterparts (about $150 more, apples to apples), and the piston parts are proprietary to the manufacturer. Having said this, go to a gun store and HANDLE the weapon. See how a DI vs a piston feels in your hands, how easily you can aim it. Even better, as was suggested, go fire the 2 and compare. You will find the difference from brand to brand and model of gun is not as big a diff as the diff between piston vs DI. For $2K, you've got a lot of options. All the brands quoted by others are good. Daniel Defense is really good value and high quality. LMT's CQB16 comes in both DI and Piston. Nearly all the AR-15s made by these brands will be CA legal as long as (1) it is not actually on the California banned assault weapons list; (2) ships with a bullet-button mag release button; and (3) ships with a 10-round mag. (2) and (3) are generally what make an AR-15 CA compliant. Then go to the range and have FUN!

[WaltKowalski]

Before I start, I would like to confess that I know NOTHING about semi-auto rifles...but I LOVE them!

I have a $2000 budget and I'm looking at this one:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/sig516-patrol-ca-model.aspx

Would you guys recommend this model to a total semi-auto rifle noob?

Also, I know I can only get 10 round mags for the CA version. However, if I decide to move to another state that allows high capacity mags, would I be able to replace the 10 round mags with a higher capacity mags and use the higher capacity mags on the same rifle?

Thanks for the help everyone!

My Sig 516 was my first rifle, and I am glad that it was my first. After plenty of hours of research, (AK vs AR, DI vs Piston, 5.56 vs .223) I chose the Sig 516, mainly because Sig has a reputation for reliability, and i watched a few videos of people torture testing the 516, and it taking anything they threw at it. Furthermore, Sig has an adjustable short piston setup (yes, they sort of ripped off LWRC on piston/bcg design) and it reduces recoil for a piston setup yielding nice accuracy. The gun really shoots great out of the box and comes with a sling, and rail grips.

The caveat to having a Sig is there are pretty much no replacement BCGs, so in the off chance your bcg is lost or broken, you may have to buy a complete upper. Oh, and it is heavier than other rifles i've tested, but if you aren't a sissy, it'll do just fine. wouldn't you rather have weight, reliability, and accuracy and simplicity all right out of the box?

That being said, I think you would be happy with a 516, and still have more money to spend on accessories, such as optics, cleaning kit, battery assist lever, vert/angled foregrip, and magazines, and yes, the lower is milspec and will take any capacity 5.56 magazine from magpul, lancer, hexmag, etc. The barrel is 5.56x45, so you can shoot either 5.56x45 or .223 and it shoots just fine. (fact: you can shoot .223 through a 5.56x45 barrel, but you cannot shoot a 5.56x45 through a .223 barrel.)

Riflegear in Fountain Valley has a great deal because it comes with a free sig sauer rifle bag. (i think the free bag offer is still going on).