I'm getting a Swiss Arms CQB soon and would like to hear from people who have owned one for a while. How many rounds have you put through yours and have you experienced any parts breakage or reliability issues? Just wondering if it would be worth getting the 553 conversion. (I read that some full auto 552's have had some issues which is why the 553 was created).
Swiss Arms CQB (552) reliability
- Thread starter ganymede
- Start date
Great gun just severely overpriced. For semi-shooting only you will have no issues...
stevesummit
CGN Regular
- Location
- spruce grove
Not over priced if you consider an xcr price point and the problems that have been brought up with that platform . I have well over 3000 rounds through my Swiss with out any hiccups
The SG553 bolt carrier is the same as the 551/550 and is stronger than the SG552.
That said, I've seen several thousand rounds through SG552 bolt carriers and they have been fine.
If you have the money the SG553 is a bit better and more solid. Shooting semi-auto with 5 or 10 round mags it will not matter.
True reliability, you will not find a more reliable weapons system. Very smooth operation, fires wet, dry, dirty, cold and hot. They are not used by more forces because they are more expensive than other alternatives.
Rich
That said, I've seen several thousand rounds through SG552 bolt carriers and they have been fine.
If you have the money the SG553 is a bit better and more solid. Shooting semi-auto with 5 or 10 round mags it will not matter.
True reliability, you will not find a more reliable weapons system. Very smooth operation, fires wet, dry, dirty, cold and hot. They are not used by more forces because they are more expensive than other alternatives.
Rich
The only part that didn't seem overbuilt and I thought might be problematic was the cocking handle on a 552. Even just toying with it at the store, it seemed to have more play in it than my over-engineered Classic Green. But that's an extremely minor point.
The only reason the XCR sells up here is mainly because it is in the NON-restricted class, it is very over priced for what it is as well. The Swiss arms rifle is old technology and sells for around $1500 US, keep in mind that is the US version and they can't get the Swiss made version I think into there country. The Euro helps bump that price up here in Canada but the true worth of that rifle is less than half of what it should be.
Are dollar is worth more than the US meaning prices should be going down quite a bit as well.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
Get the 553-conversion. Did it with mine and don't regret it.
The 552's definately one of the few not so good designs from Swissarms.
The 552's definately one of the few not so good designs from Swissarms.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
2940? Which one? The 553 costs over 3k in Sfr right now.
But SAN-stuff costs too much in Canada, that's true. Thanks to the hight Swiss Franc and the extremly weak €.
But SAN-stuff costs too much in Canada, that's true. Thanks to the hight Swiss Franc and the extremly weak €.
Not to start a pissing match. But a Swiss 550 rifle in the US sells for 10k not $1500. The US 556 is a completely different animal than the Swiss made rifle.
The similarities end at looks. The quality of workmanship and materials are worlds apart. US rifles are worth around $900. The Swiss rifles are worth $2500 all day long.
More details, more explanation according to what?
Have put about 10,000 rounds through various 552 CQBs. Never had a single malfunction. Have one with the 553 gas system. For the first 800 rounds the bolt did not hold open after last shot when shooting .223; wasn't an issue though shooting 5.56. Works flawlessly with both now.
The angled cocking handle on the 553 gets in the way of mounting certain optics if you have a flat top model.
Lots of 552s on the EE right now. I'd not be the least bit afraid of buying one. Buy a minty one, see if you like it, then decide if buying a 553 conversion is worth it. I think you'll find it's just not necessary.
The angled cocking handle on the 553 gets in the way of mounting certain optics if you have a flat top model.
Lots of 552s on the EE right now. I'd not be the least bit afraid of buying one. Buy a minty one, see if you like it, then decide if buying a 553 conversion is worth it. I think you'll find it's just not necessary.
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Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
Sigarms USA has a completly different understanding of quality.
While the design is similar, the work was done quite different.
It's a bit like comparing a pre-war P38 with a P38 that was made in 1944, looks the same, but the quality is just not as good.
I have both and while I drink the Knight's coolaid, the Sig is ultimately the better rifle.I wouldn't say the design is outdated. In fact it was developed in the late 80's and adopted around 1990. The latest designs offer adjustable collapsing stocks that fully fold. There are now lower receivers that take the M16FOW mags (which have come a long way but are not as good as the Swiss Arms mags). There are now charging handles that are straight and do not interfere with optics on the flat-top models.
Swiss Arms still enjoys sales to smaller specialized units in many Countries and they are very popular with Tactical Teams in Europe. They do not advertise their sales and you would be surprised at which forces, and how many, are using them.
The system offers a level of quality, workmanship and reliability that is without equal. Sig Sauer USA ramped up their clone of the original and I think it's not that bad of a gun but now where near the quality of the original Swiss made ones. I tested one with a 16" barrel and our SG552's with 9" barrels grouped better at 100 meters, I couldn't believe it!
They are so reliable, run wet, dry, dirty, clean, hot...really hot and just never quit. They feed any ammo including some of the obscure frangible stuff that doesn't even look like real bullets. The little guys, SG552 / SG553 need their extractors changed between 5 and 7 thousand rounds. This is on select fire guns with much higher firing schedules than the recreational shooter with 5 or 10 rounds and semi-auto guns. (Take a look at some of the parts failures with other short barrel 5.56mm guns, often there is a lot more going on with them.) Short gun, high pressure. The bigger guns, 551 and 550's don't loose their extractors and just go and go. The bolt lugs are massive and will easily out last other designs with multiple little lugs.
All this said, they are expensive. There are many other guns that work very very well and are cheaper. As one of the HK Engineers in Germany told me, "Of course the best gun is the Sig 550, but the price killed it, it's just too expensive for most uses.", we will leave him un-named at this time as he still works for HK. I too am a steady drinker of HK coolaid and Knights coolaid but the Swiss Arms I believe is better.
Rich
Swiss Arms still enjoys sales to smaller specialized units in many Countries and they are very popular with Tactical Teams in Europe. They do not advertise their sales and you would be surprised at which forces, and how many, are using them.
The system offers a level of quality, workmanship and reliability that is without equal. Sig Sauer USA ramped up their clone of the original and I think it's not that bad of a gun but now where near the quality of the original Swiss made ones. I tested one with a 16" barrel and our SG552's with 9" barrels grouped better at 100 meters, I couldn't believe it!
They are so reliable, run wet, dry, dirty, clean, hot...really hot and just never quit. They feed any ammo including some of the obscure frangible stuff that doesn't even look like real bullets. The little guys, SG552 / SG553 need their extractors changed between 5 and 7 thousand rounds. This is on select fire guns with much higher firing schedules than the recreational shooter with 5 or 10 rounds and semi-auto guns. (Take a look at some of the parts failures with other short barrel 5.56mm guns, often there is a lot more going on with them.) Short gun, high pressure. The bigger guns, 551 and 550's don't loose their extractors and just go and go. The bolt lugs are massive and will easily out last other designs with multiple little lugs.
All this said, they are expensive. There are many other guns that work very very well and are cheaper. As one of the HK Engineers in Germany told me, "Of course the best gun is the Sig 550, but the price killed it, it's just too expensive for most uses.", we will leave him un-named at this time as he still works for HK. I too am a steady drinker of HK coolaid and Knights coolaid but the Swiss Arms I believe is better.
Rich
