The FAMAE SG542: Initial thoughts and observations (Range Report on post 40)

P of PDent said:
A little back ground history may help understand the wide variance of pricing. I am in Las Vegas at present so I do not have my invoicing in front of me but I will try to do this from my fading memory. A few years ago these were first offered by CSC(Calgary Shooting Center) I believe through ERE which was the original importer so that is why CSC got them first and probably got a better wholesale price for being first in. I believe to make the whole thing viable North Sylva took on the distribution to get the cost per unit down and our cost was after ERE and N Sylva took their profit. In time these arrived for dealers other than CSC and we took a fair number of these including 5.56 and 7.62. Due to the initial high cost there was (is) a limited number of consumers who can rationalize the cost and getting delivery after CSC and made us quite late to the party. Our first retail price was a little over $3000 which was allowing for approx. 25% mark up. We sold most at this price but as the newness faded and common availability took over our sales slowed. A few dealers started selling these in the $2800 range which is where the couple we have left are listed. The current $2289 retail price listed elsewhere is well below what our initial wholesale cost was. A few dealers obviously had less into these guns than we had and so that is reflected in the much lower retail price offering. Some distributors may have been offering them for less but we didn't buy anymore(obviously).

We did not ever see a strong market for these guns so obviously we did not re-order as we had not even sold through our initial order. So you can see this a little more complicated than I think a few people thought. We were one of the largest retailers of the original Swiss Arms and have sold well over 300 at the $3000 price and in fact bought the last 100 guns from FN Sports and sold them for $3000 when everyone else had them for $3600 (approx.). This was a one time buy and we offered them way less than our regular mark up would suggest and these flew out the door in short order. In the end I might just keep the last couple of Famae's personally and add them to my collection. CSC or any other dealer, if I have any of my facts wrong please feel free to correct me.Phil.
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While I understand what a dealer may have INVESTED in them, if the distributor has started offering them very cheap to other dealers and they can be bought readily for $2300, the dealers still listing at $2800 are dreaming in technicolor if they think people will just walking and impulse buy a niche market rifle being sold online for $500 cheaper. Might be worth contacting your Distributor to ask "what gives?"

I feel for the dealers the distributor sold to "high" in the first place, but not enough to donate $500 to a CGN retailer. Similarly, the re-sellers on the EE listing at $2700 are just DREAMING.

Others may disagree?

Someone somewhere made a pile of dough on these. With our tanking dollar, they should have gone up in price, not down. Makes me wonder what unit price ERE and TW are getting.

EDIT: I've now located another couple online dealers in Canada selling at $2300, so it's not an isolated incident. Most also included free shipping.
 
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Claven2 said:
While I understand what a dealer may have INVESTED in them, if the distributor has started offering them very cheap to other dealers and they can be bought readily for $2300, the dealers still listing at $2800 are dreaming in technicolor if they think people will just walking and impulse buy a niche market rifle being sold online for $500 cheaper. Might be worth contacting your Distributor to ask "what gives?"

I feel for the dealers the distributor sold to "high" in the first place, but not enough to donate $500 to a CGN retailer. Similarly, the re-sellers on the EE listing at $2700 are just DREAMING.

Others may disagree?

Someone somewhere made a pile of dough on these. With our tanking dollar, they should have gone up in price, not down. Makes me wonder what unit price ERE and TW are getting.

EDIT: I've now located another couple online dealers in Canada selling at $2300, so it's not an isolated incident. Most also included free shipping.
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Like I said this is what happened to bring some dealers to the prices we now are facing...we are not gouging or ripping customers off...that's just what happened.. We can list them for whatever price we choose and they will sell at some point when either the Can$ or new manufacturing cost rise to that point. Distributors may have sold these at a loss at some point and they are not going to help us out. I don't expect anyone to help us out...that's just business. Your right that someone made a pile of dough on these but it wasn't us. Also I lost track of what they last were being sold at wholesale as we were not interested but I think due to the slow sales recently some dealers have been dumping them at or below cost just to get some cash flow going during slow times. As noted these will likely end up in my collection in the near future. Phil.
 
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Mine has just a hint of play between the upper and lower...I'll keep an eye on it to see if it develops more over time.

Comments...
+ iron sights are 'combat' suitable...my old and tired eyes won't be punching x rings with them. The aperture holes are small...can be opened up. They various holes do work, sort of...I've only shot at 50/100/200 and with the big wide front blade and glare 200 yrd shoots were not precision affairs
- more than a couple of times the glare from oncoming sunlight renders the sights unusable. Might be my eyes, time of day, etc.... Totally fine if the sun is behind you, etc...but the glare through the diopter rear is very harsh compared to my other rifles with iron sights shot at the same time. Maybe it's the ramped part of the rear sight, or the finish, etc...
+ iron sights sight line is bang on for a good cheek weld. With rings and scope to clear the rear iron sight you end up with a softer lower cheek weld
+ all the mags I've used have functioned fine. They're still in like-new condition and I haven't been rough with them...just regular range use
- the price of mags sucks big balls...
+ scope mount is solid...holding up well. I did blue loctite it. Indexes and sits square/flat enough for my purposes....this is not a 1000yrd precision rifle for me
+ one piece Warne AR scope mount works really well for Bushnell AR 4.5-18x40mm. Bottom of rear of scope clears top of rear sight with a couple of millimeters to spare. Massive amounts of eye relief on that scope BTW
+/- cases eject and clear with authority...so much so that it's possible to hit someone a couple of benches down the line. I wouldn't expect to find/reload brass from this one...also does a number on the finish just behind the ejection port as the cases get slung out
+/- accuracy depends much on ammo...I've mostly shot el cheapo Norc surplus. One failure to fire that was definitely a bum primer...otherwise no failures. Better ammo shoots better groups
+ cleanup is super easy. easy take down, bolt removal, access to chamber/bore. Easy to 'remove' the front gas block for cleaning, easy to strip op rod and tube for cleaning. I've only field stripped it...not removed or fiddled with trigger group. easy to inspect/clean in place
+ I like the grip and stock. Great for offhand...a little too angled for bench work, but all in all snugs up my hand nicely and feels like a thumbhole stock
+ Mag release is fine. Works for me to use either string hand index finger push...or weak hand thumb actuation
+ forend is slim and the taper is very comfy in the hand
- forend slips forward and back a bit...might be just mine
+ bolt release works well..good position/size/etc... Sticks out but not a big hook to catch on things
- receiver/gas block finish is pretty lousy...looks like a thick spray paint job. Barrel/flash hider finish is fine.
+ trigger is ok. Lightish takeup, stacks and a soft break...long positive reset. Break is a little heavy for fine work. Predictable and decent for shooting groups.

Mine didn't come with a bipod...will get one next time I buy mags.

Price? Well sure I wish it was less...but that kind of goes for pretty much anything firearms related. It's either worth it to you or it isn't.

Non restricted. Semi auto. Big metal box mag fed. 30 cal. Very versatile round...surplus still available, lots of factory options, handloading component choices/availability. (IMO) nice looking rifle...not some goofy looking hybrid thing. Take it to the range to shoots groups, just bang off rounds, hunting, shoot anywhere you're allowed and a good manageable bang/thump when you touch it off.
 
wildphil24 said:
Bolt carrier seems to have a steel defect:

Dealer says: The line you are seeing is just a casting seam, normal on all of them. This cosmetic only and will not hinder the function or reliability of the firearm.

Do you agree? Is your BC looking like that?
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Mine does not have that line. Here's a picture I just took:

12.49.40-PM_zpsottoo3ys.jpg
 
wildphil, does it continue along the back of the carrier? ie continuously through the bolt carrier? Or is is just a defect on one side? If it is just a defect on one side, I would think it should be fine as far as structural strength goes.
 
I runs completely all the side. But looking at the back, front or recess for the handle mechanism there is no mark. So visually it seems to be only on the exterior. But still I'm worried this "vein" could indicate a deeper weakness.
 
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This is a target I shot with my SG 542. The target is about 190 Metres out and is 12" X 12". I am using a UTG 3X12X44 scope.

target_zpsixl2hxlu.jpg
 
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Nice shot, thanks.
The cluster of 17 rounds is well definite and the 5 fliers are far enough to assume they were thrown off by the shooter.
Is the paper 15"x15" with squares measuring 1"? That's a nice 17 rnd in 2 MOA.
What ammo were you using?
 
wildphil24 said:
Nice shot, thanks.
The cluster of 17 rounds is well definite and the 5 fliers are far enough to assume they were thrown off by the shooter.
Is the paper 15"x15" with squares measuring 1"? That's a nice 17 rnd in 2 MOA.
What ammo were you using?
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Yes, the ones off the group were my errors, mostly breathing while firing or too much trigger reflex. I will check the ammo when I get home, I don't remember off hand. They were metal casings and only $12 a box from North Sylva, so not match ammo that's for sure. And yes, the squares measure 1"
 
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