I sighted my optic in at 100 yards. First group after sighting in was 2.5 inches (4 rounds), second group was fantastic at 1inch (3 rounds) I was cautiously optimistic so I brought it out to three hundred yards today. Let’s say it wasn’t great at that distance, the spread was roughly 6 inches, that’s with a 1-8 strike eagle SFP. I can guarantee someone with more capable shooting skills then I could get better results. Regardless I absolutely love the rifle and I didn’t buy it for precision shooting, I have other rifles for that.
The all new Famae flat top.
- Thread starter Colin L
- Start date
How did it go at the range?
So, my range session went more or less as expected, with one very notable exception. After my first half-dozen 3" to 4" groups or so, things went really sideways with groups suddenly exceeding 6". Naturally I did a methodical check of the firearm and optic and almost immediately found that the Picatinny Rail was loose with side-to-side play.
Both screws that attach the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver were loose and as a result, the scope was yawing from Left to Right. Not cool. I must admit that I had concerns about the Picatinny Rail right from my first inspection of the rifle. Just eyeballing the Rail, its method of attachment to the rifle seemed sketchy with just 2 screws retaining the entire Rail - 1 at the Front and 1 at the Rear, with nothing fastening the long centre section of the Rail whatsoever. Everything was tight during my pre-fire check of all the components, but those 2 screws loosened quite quickly once the shooting started. I managed to find the correct Screwdriver Head and was able to re-tighten the screws, but lacked Loctite at the Range. As a result, when I checked again after a few more groupings the screws were already coming loose again. Clearly the method of attaching the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver is inadequate, and as a minimum requires the use of permanent Loctite on the 2 x small Mounting Screws. I'd recommend welding the Rail to the top of the Upper Receiver, but I believe that the rail is aluminum whereas the Receiver is steel.
Shenanigans with the Optics Rail notwithstanding, the accuracy results were pretty much unsurprising, but nonetheless still disappointing. With South African Battle-pack 150gr 7.62x51mm FMJ Ball ammo and the Canadian IVI equivalent, groups averaged 3.75 MOA. With Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr .308 ammo, the groups hovered around 3 MOA. Some groups showed ~2MOA promise with 4 of 5 rounds, however one of the five would invariably open up the group as a flyer. The accuracy exhibited by my rifle today was basically consistent with my earlier results owning two SG 542s from different Tac Imports batches over the years.
Reliability throughout my session of approximately 200 rounds of mixed .308 and 7.62x51mm NATO ammo was flawless using 5 different magazines. With the Gas Regulator set on 1, ejection was very positive with empty casings thrown approximately 30m at 2 o'clock.
In my initial impressions post I mentioned how the external finish of the rifle has improved since the days when FAMAE used a thick enamel paint over top of Parkerizing, rendering any lettering or serial number on the Receiver illegible. I initially thought that FAMAE had entered the 21st Century by adopting a thin, high-tech, hard-wearing, bake-on finish such as Cerakote. Upon further examination it would seem that the finish is simply fine parkerizing, without the anti-corrosion benefits of an additional painted finish. The parkerized finish is deep and even with an excellent appearance, but will wear rapidly and requires oil to be effective in damp or wet environments. To summarize, the parkerized finish looks better than the previous painted surface, but is in reality less effective at providing protection to the underlying steel.
Both screws that attach the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver were loose and as a result, the scope was yawing from Left to Right. Not cool. I must admit that I had concerns about the Picatinny Rail right from my first inspection of the rifle. Just eyeballing the Rail, its method of attachment to the rifle seemed sketchy with just 2 screws retaining the entire Rail - 1 at the Front and 1 at the Rear, with nothing fastening the long centre section of the Rail whatsoever. Everything was tight during my pre-fire check of all the components, but those 2 screws loosened quite quickly once the shooting started. I managed to find the correct Screwdriver Head and was able to re-tighten the screws, but lacked Loctite at the Range. As a result, when I checked again after a few more groupings the screws were already coming loose again. Clearly the method of attaching the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver is inadequate, and as a minimum requires the use of permanent Loctite on the 2 x small Mounting Screws. I'd recommend welding the Rail to the top of the Upper Receiver, but I believe that the rail is aluminum whereas the Receiver is steel.
Shenanigans with the Optics Rail notwithstanding, the accuracy results were pretty much unsurprising, but nonetheless still disappointing. With South African Battle-pack 150gr 7.62x51mm FMJ Ball ammo and the Canadian IVI equivalent, groups averaged 3.75 MOA. With Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr .308 ammo, the groups hovered around 3 MOA. Some groups showed ~2MOA promise with 4 of 5 rounds, however one of the five would invariably open up the group as a flyer. The accuracy exhibited by my rifle today was basically consistent with my earlier results owning two SG 542s from different Tac Imports batches over the years.
Reliability throughout my session of approximately 200 rounds of mixed .308 and 7.62x51mm NATO ammo was flawless using 5 different magazines. With the Gas Regulator set on 1, ejection was very positive with empty casings thrown approximately 30m at 2 o'clock.
In my initial impressions post I mentioned how the external finish of the rifle has improved since the days when FAMAE used a thick enamel paint over top of Parkerizing, rendering any lettering or serial number on the Receiver illegible. I initially thought that FAMAE had entered the 21st Century by adopting a thin, high-tech, hard-wearing, bake-on finish such as Cerakote. Upon further examination it would seem that the finish is simply fine parkerizing, without the anti-corrosion benefits of an additional painted finish. The parkerized finish is deep and even with an excellent appearance, but will wear rapidly and requires oil to be effective in damp or wet environments. To summarize, the parkerized finish looks better than the previous painted surface, but is in reality less effective at providing protection to the underlying steel.
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Don't try to apply logic to Canadian firearms laws - you will go insane! The HK is prohibited as a named "variant" of the AR15 design. The SG 542 is not based on the AR15, and is therefore OK as a Non-Restricted import.
- Location
- Frozen north
Ordered my 542 today
So, my range session went more or less as expected, with one very notable exception. After my first half-dozen 3" to 4" groups or so, things went really sideways with groups suddenly exceeding 6". Naturally I did a methodical check of the firearm and optic and almost immediately found that the Picatinny Rail was loose with side-to-side play.
Both screws that attach the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver were loose and as a result, the scope was yawing from Left to Right. Not cool. I must admit that I had concerns about the Picatinny Rail right from my first inspection of the rifle. Just eyeballing the Rail, its method of attachment to the rifle seemed sketchy with just 2 screws retaining the entire Rail - 1 at the Front and 1 at the Rear, with nothing fastening the long centre section of the Rail whatsoever. Everything was tight during my pre-fire check of all the components, but those 2 screws loosened quite quickly once the shooting started. I managed to find the correct Screwdriver Head and was able to re-tighten the screws, but lacked Loctite at the Range. As a result, when I checked again after a few more groupings the screws were already coming loose again. Clearly the method of attaching the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver is inadequate, and as a minimum requires the use of permanent Loctite on the 2 x small Mounting Screws. I'd recommend welding the Rail to the top of the Upper Receiver, but I believe that the rail is aluminum whereas the Receiver is steel.
Shenanigans with the Optics Rail notwithstanding, the accuracy results were pretty much unsurprising, but nonetheless still disappointing. With South African Battle-pack 150gr 7.62x51mm FMJ Ball ammo and the Canadian IVI equivalent, groups averaged 3.75 MOA. With Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr .308 ammo, the groups hovered around 3 MOA. Some groups showed ~2MOA promise with 4 of 5 rounds, however one of the five would invariably open up the group as a flyer. The accuracy exhibited by my rifle today was basically consistent with my earlier results owning two SG 542s from different Tac Imports batches over the years.
Reliability throughout my session of approximately 200 rounds of mixed .308 and 7.62x51mm NATO ammo was flawless using 5 different magazines. With the Gas Regulator set on 1, ejection was very positive with empty casings thrown approximately 30m at 2 o'clock.
In my initial impressions post I mentioned how the external finish of the rifle has improved since the days when FAMAE used a thick enamel paint over top of Parkerizing, rendering any lettering or serial number on the Receiver illegible. I initially thought that FAMAE had entered the 21st Century by adopting a thin, high-tech, hard-wearing, bake-on finish such as Cerakote. Upon further examination it would seem that the finish is simply fine parkerizing, without the anti-corrosion benefits of an additional painted finish. The parkerized finish is deep and even with an excellent appearance, but will wear rapidly and requires oil to be effective in damp or wet environments. To summarize, the parkerized finish looks better than the previous painted surface, but is in reality less effective at providing protection to the underlying steel.
Thanks for the write up, it seems like Famae took a step forward then 2 steps back.
vickers vanguard
CGN Regular
- Location
- Laval, Quebec
Bartok5, Thanks a lot for that review, it’s always a pleasure to read your reviews, they’re unapologetic, objective and gets to the fine points.
Thanks for the review. Do you think the rail would stay put with permanent loktite on the screws? That’s really unfortunate for almost a $4k rifle. Same with the finish. Sounds like you’d need to spend another $300-$400 on a full cerakote job. Those two things alone make me 2nd guess whether I’ll get one
Thanks for the kind words!
FidelCastro
Member
- Location
- Ottawa, ON
Hey Mark,
I have a 542 in the mail.
I have a few quick questions for you if you're up for it (since you seem to know what you're talking about):
1. If you could pour concrete around the rifle and have it absolutely secure and 100% impossible to move, what would the MOA be at 100 meters?
2. What causes the SG-542 to be a 3-4 MOA rifle as opposed to a 2 MOA rifle like a C7 for example?
3. Is there a way to upgrade the rifle to improve the MOA?
Thanks man,
Pat
I have a 542 in the mail.
I have a few quick questions for you if you're up for it (since you seem to know what you're talking about):
1. If you could pour concrete around the rifle and have it absolutely secure and 100% impossible to move, what would the MOA be at 100 meters?
2. What causes the SG-542 to be a 3-4 MOA rifle as opposed to a 2 MOA rifle like a C7 for example?
3. Is there a way to upgrade the rifle to improve the MOA?
Thanks man,
Pat
Not Mark, but it has to do with the long stroke gas piston system vs direct impingement. Long stroke system is used in the AK-47 and one of the reasons for it's legendary reliability. But this sacrifices accuracy. I would say try different ammo and locktite the rail to improve MOA.
So, my range session went more or less as expected, with one very notable exception. After my first half-dozen 3" to 4" groups or so, things went really sideways with groups suddenly exceeding 6". Naturally I did a methodical check of the firearm and optic and almost immediately found that the Picatinny Rail was loose with side-to-side play.
Both screws that attach the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver were loose and as a result, the scope was yawing from Left to Right. Not cool. I must admit that I had concerns about the Picatinny Rail right from my first inspection of the rifle. Just eyeballing the Rail, its method of attachment to the rifle seemed sketchy with just 2 screws retaining the entire Rail - 1 at the Front and 1 at the Rear, with nothing fastening the long centre section of the Rail whatsoever. Everything was tight during my pre-fire check of all the components, but those 2 screws loosened quite quickly once the shooting started. I managed to find the correct Screwdriver Head and was able to re-tighten the screws, but lacked Loctite at the Range. As a result, when I checked again after a few more groupings the screws were already coming loose again. Clearly the method of attaching the Picatinny Rail to the Upper Receiver is inadequate, and as a minimum requires the use of permanent Loctite on the 2 x small Mounting Screws. I'd recommend welding the Rail to the top of the Upper Receiver, but I believe that the rail is aluminum whereas the Receiver is steel.
Shenanigans with the Optics Rail notwithstanding, the accuracy results were pretty much unsurprising, but nonetheless still disappointing. With South African Battle-pack 150gr 7.62x51mm FMJ Ball ammo and the Canadian IVI equivalent, groups averaged 3.75 MOA. With Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr .308 ammo, the groups hovered around 3 MOA. Some groups showed ~2MOA promise with 4 of 5 rounds, however one of the five would invariably open up the group as a flyer. The accuracy exhibited by my rifle today was basically consistent with my earlier results owning two SG 542s from different Tac Imports batches over the years.
Reliability throughout my session of approximately 200 rounds of mixed .308 and 7.62x51mm NATO ammo was flawless using 5 different magazines. With the Gas Regulator set on 1, ejection was very positive with empty casings thrown approximately 30m at 2 o'clock.
In my initial impressions post I mentioned how the external finish of the rifle has improved since the days when FAMAE used a thick enamel paint over top of Parkerizing, rendering any lettering or serial number on the Receiver illegible. I initially thought that FAMAE had entered the 21st Century by adopting a thin, high-tech, hard-wearing, bake-on finish such as Cerakote. Upon further examination it would seem that the finish is simply fine parkerizing, without the anti-corrosion benefits of an additional painted finish. The parkerized finish is deep and even with an excellent appearance, but will wear rapidly and requires oil to be effective in damp or wet environments. To summarize, the parkerized finish looks better than the previous painted surface, but is in reality less effective at providing protection to the underlying steel.
Great review. Appreciate it. You saved me money/time with this review.
To try and pay it forward.. Looking at your photo a 1.5” mount on that Tavor will completely change your enjoyment with the Tavor. Same deal if you own a Desert Tech SRS. Hope you try it out. With a low mount on that rifle it doesn’t look very uncomfortable to shoot. Hope this helps.
Looking forward to further reviews and any updates. Thanks again.
I'm about to find out. I just mounted a new Arken EP8 1-8x LPVO on my 542 and will zero it tomorrow. I will report on the durability of the mount with Red Loctite on the 2 Retaining Screws.
As far as the finish is concerned, it will be as durable as most military service rifles, the majority of which are either parkerized (old school) or anodized (M16/AR15 era). The parkerizing on the 542 appears to be well done, so there ought to be no sudden worries about the finish wearing off or any such nonsense. The parkerized finish is a tried and true military small arms protective finish and will render good durability and long service on the 542. It would simply be MORE durable had the Parkerized finish been sprayed with an oven-cured, epoxy-based firearms finish such as CeraKote or KG Gun Kote. That said, it is hardly the end of the world that this did not occur, and the rifle is not about to suddenly flash-rust just because you looked at it wrong....
1. I believe that if the FAMAE SG 542 were immobilized in a rest so as to eliminate any human error or movement from the firing sequence you would see some accuracy improvement but not to the degree that some might expect. I cannot guess where the SG 542's accuracy would land with any confidence, but I don't think it is wildly excessive to suggest a halving of the FAMAE's reported group sizes. So, say 2 MOA with bulk FMJ surplus 7.62mm NATO ammo and 1.5 MOA for commercial Match .308 loads.
2. Reasons for the FAMAE SG 542''s mediocre accuracy have been discussed in the past without general consensus. I have my own theory which some others disagree with, but here goes anyways (since you asked). In the simplest terms, I believe that the SG 542 is made from too light a gauge of sheet steel and with too light of a Pencil-Barrel profile to handle the recoil of the 7.62mm NATO cartridge. As a result, when the rifle is fired, excessive Barrel-Whip occurs, which in turn causes Receiver flex. Some have rightfully argued that by the time recoil and Receiver flex occur, the bullet has long since exited the Barrel. While this may be true, inconsistent Barrel harmonics could account for most of the poor accuracy results, with human error exacerbating the issue. The mechanical accuracy limitations of the SG 542 are undoubtedly exacerbated by the excessive recoil in a non-braked platform, which directly leads to shot anticipation (eg. flinching), lack of confidence in the weapon, and inconsistent Trigger manipulation. In other words, too much recoil leads to human error which compounds the mechanical inaccuracy of the system and contributes to the overall mediocre accuracy results. It is worth noting here that the Trigger of the SG 542 can be adjusted via the Nut on the threaded Trigger Plunger (underneath the Pistol Grip), such that the Trigger breaks (eg. the Hammer is released) just as the Trigger engages the flat Spring-loaded Trigger Plunger immediately to its rear. A correctly timed Trigger will give a consistent and predictable Break that the firer can properly anticipate.
3. Yes, to a limited degree. The principal way to improve accuracy is to properly adjust the Trigger Nut so that the Trigger breaks just as it touches the spring-loaded Plunger to its rear (see Point 2). Next, if using an adjustable stock, ensure that the Length of Pull and eye relief from sights are correct for the shooter. Finally, there is the question of ammo quality. In the simplest terms possible, the better the quality of your ammunition, the better your accuracy will be. There is however, a point of diminishing returns, and the most expensive ammo will not necessarily be the best performing load in your particular rifle. Remember that every rifle is unique and so are its ammo preferences.
The best looking and most durable protective firearms finish currently available is CeraKote over parkerizing. Full stop. If money is no object, then I heartily recommend having your rifle and its plastic furniture CertaKoted in the colour or colours (favourite Camo Pattern?) of your choice. Plastic parts can be Cerakoted with either Air-Dry CeraKote, or under a lower temperature seting for a longer baking time, so that there is no melting or deformation.
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Hey Tactical Imports,
You might want to have a word with your Shipping Department. An extra layer of Cardboard at the Muzzle end might do the trick. This is what greeted me at the Post Office this evening. EVERYONE PRETY MUCH KNEW WHAT MY PACKAGE CONTAINED......
Frankly, I'm surprised that the contents didn't disappear somewhere enroute!
That's just the extra handle to carry the package.
