The FAMAE SG542: Initial thoughts and observations (Range Report on post 40)
- Thread starter Master-G
- Start date
I actually have mine out now getting ready for shooting tomorrow if the rain holds off. I've got maybe a millimetre or so of wiggle between upper and lower...enough to notice but not enough to really bug. What does yours have?
awaitinguser
New member
- Location
- Calgary, AB
The magazines are awful, it's got a plastic follower. They're parkerized, not blued, and my rifle jams every couple of magazines. I believe the name for the specific jam is called a "stovepipe," or something? That's what it does, basically.
I had mine out to the range today along with a few other guns. It's not often you can get above freezing temperatures this time of year so I was taking advantage of it. I picked up some old DAQ surplus--it ended up being quite dirty and sticky, almost, when I unpacked it. After cleaning the brass, though, it worked fine. I prefer the Hirtenberger.
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Afterwards, while cleaning the rifle I noticed that if I reversed the takedown pins the movement between the upper and lower was cut in half...or even more maybe. I have the part that you depress on the right side now.
[youtube]RbQQUlKQQlQ[/youtube]
Afterwards, while cleaning the rifle I noticed that if I reversed the takedown pins the movement between the upper and lower was cut in half...or even more maybe. I have the part that you depress on the right side now.
I tried reversing them with no difference but I'm not to worried, I'll just keep shooting it and see what happens.
Don't worry, I know a guy who'll give you the money for the gun, he's a bit weird, wears long robes and calls himself Nick - oh yeah and you'll have to sign this parchment thingy he has, in your own blood - but beyond that you're good to go.
Hey guys. What magazines will fit the sg542? Was wondering if the Accuracy International mag that hold 10 rounds of .308 legally will fit into this gun. Thanks.
http://www.marstar.ca/dynamic/product.jsp?productid=82269
http://www.marstar.ca/dynamic/product.jsp?productid=82269
Ya. Interesting. a quick google shows one non-CGN dealer is selling them new for $2289, and that's NOT on sale. Makes me wonder about all the CGN dealers selling for $2699...?
Oddly enough, that's exactly what I paid for mine during the 2015 Cyber-Monday sale from a CGN Sponsor. They do go on sale for ~$2300 CAD from site sponsors, or as you have pointed out a Google search will get you the same rifle for the same price from a non-site sponsor as their regular price. All this says to me is that $3K is/was gouging, $2699 is steeper than necessary, and $2300 is the appropriate selling point for this rifle where the dealer can still evidently turn a reasonable (eg. 10%-15%) profit. Am I missing something with that analysis of the current state of SG 542 pricing?
There's not a lot available in the non-restricted .308 black rifle market in Canada...there's just the M14, the XCR-M, and the Modern Hunter, I think. At $2300-2500ish the price compares fairly well with those; the XCR-M is still going for $3k and the MH even more. I do agree with your comment on mag prices. Overall, though, I'd call this a maybe a niche gun rather than a failure.
With the RFB and FNAR, there's a few choices. Much more than 10 years ago!
, although the FNAR seems to me more like a re-purposed hunting rifle than a black rifle.
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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