FAMAE SG 540
Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército (FAMAE) · Assault Rifle · In Production · 1981
Also known as: FAMAE SG-540, SG 540 Chile, FAMAE SG 540-1
Overview
The FAMAE SG 540 is a Chilean-built, gas-operated, selective-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, produced under license from SIG by Chile's state arms manufacturer FAMAE. It retains the original Swiss design: a long-stroke gas piston driving a rotating two-lug bolt, an adjustable three-position gas regulator, a side-folding tubular stock, an integral folding bipod, and a drum-type rear sight. License production let the Chilean Armed Forces standardize on a domestically manufactured 5.56mm service rifle, and FAMAE continued building the type after SIG ended its own production.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3260 g (115.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 950 mm (37.40") |
| Folded Length | 733 mm (28.86") |
| Barrel Length | 460 mm (18.11") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 980 m/s (3215 fps) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 750 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as 5.56 NATO, 5.56x45mm, .223 Remington (chamber compatible)
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Burst 3, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Gas Piston Operation, Rotating Bolt, Adjustable Gas Regulator, Side Folding Stock, Integral Folding Bipod, Drum Rear Sight, Rifle Grenade Compatible, Nato Muzzle Device
Variants
- FAMAE SG 540-1 - Fixed Stock
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Chilean Army · adopted 1981 · as SG 540
- Carabineros de Chile
Production
Production years: 1981-present
Built under SIG license by FAMAE in Chile, principally for the Chilean Armed Forces; production continued after SIG ceased its own SG 540 manufacture.
Origin
Country of origin: Chile
Designer: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG)
Notes
FAMAE manufactured the SG 540 under SIG license for the Chilean Army, later offering the improved SG 540-1 with a fixed stock. Experience producing the SG 540 fed directly into FAMAE's own SAF submachine gun and later FD-200/FAMAE rifle developments.
Background
When Chile sought a modern domestic service rifle, FAMAE licensed SIG's export-oriented SG 540 rather than developing one from scratch. The rifle armed the Chilean Army for decades and became the technical foundation for FAMAE's later indigenous small arms, including the SAF submachine gun derived from the same SG 540 mechanism.