SIG 510 (Stgw 57)
SIG (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft) · Battle Rifle · Out Of Production · 1957
Also known as: Stgw 57, Sturmgewehr 57, SIG 510, Fass 57, Fusil d'assaut 57
Overview
The SIG 510, adopted by the Swiss Army as the Sturmgewehr 57 (Stgw 57), is a Cold War-era select-fire battle rifle developed by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft at Neuhausen am Rheinfall. Introduced in 1957 to replace the aging Karabiner 31 straight-pull bolt-action rifle, the Stgw 57 served as the primary service rifle of the Swiss Armed Forces for over three decades until its gradual replacement by the 5.56mm SIG SG 550 beginning in 1990. The rifle operates on a roller-delayed blowback mechanism derived from the wartime German StG 45(M), placing it in the same mechanical family as the Spanish CETME and German Heckler & Koch G3. Unlike the G3 and CETME, however, the Stgw 57 was engineered to extremely tight Swiss tolerances, with a heavy milled-steel receiver, a straight-line stock layout to tame recoil, an integral folding bipod, a rubber recoil pad, a winter trigger for gloved operation, and a flip-up carrying handle. The standard Swiss variant is chambered in the domestic 7.5x55mm GP11 cartridge and fed from a 24-round detachable box magazine; export variants (SIG 510-4) were rechambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and supplied to Chile and Bolivia. Fired from the shoulder, the Stgw 57 is noted for exceptional accuracy well beyond typical battle-rifle standards, benefiting from its long 583 mm barrel, 600 mm sight radius, and adjustable diopter sights graduated to 650 meters. Its principal drawback is weight: at roughly 5.7 kg empty, it is among the heaviest battle rifles ever issued as standard infantry equipment, a consequence of the decision to build it almost entirely from machined steel rather than stampings.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5700 g (201.1 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 6250 g (220.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 583 mm (22.95") |
| Sight Radius | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Roller Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 24 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 750 m/s (2461 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3178 J (2344 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 270 mm (10.63") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.5x55mm Swiss · primary — also known as 7.5 Swiss, GP11, 7.5x55mm Schmidt-Rubin, Gewehrpatrone 1911
- 7.62x51mm NATO · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO, .308 Win
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip Loadable
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Winter Trigger
- Features: Roller Delayed Blowback, Integral Folding Bipod, Flash Hider, Rifle Grenade Capable, Rubber Recoil Pad, Folding Carrying Handle, Adjustable Diopter Sights, Winter Trigger, Straight Line Stock, Select Fire, Muzzle Brake Compensator, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- SIG 510-1 — Export Commercial 7 62 Nato
- SIG 510-2 — Lightweight Carbine
- SIG 510-3 — Intermediate Caliber 7 62x39
- SIG 510-4 — Export 7 62 Nato
- SIG AMT (Amerikanische Match Target) — Civilian Semi Automatic
- SIG PE 57 — Civilian Semi Automatic
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Armed Forces · adopted 1957 · as Sturmgewehr 57 (Stgw 57)
- Chilean Army · adopted 1960 · as SIG 510-4
- Bolivian Armed Forces · as SIG 510-4
Conflicts
- 1973 Chilean coup d'etat (1973)
- Bolivian counter-narcotics operations (1980s-2000s)
Production
Estimated total produced: 600,000 · Production years: 1957-1983
Approximately 585,000-600,000 Stgw 57 rifles produced for the Swiss Army at SIG Neuhausen. Export SIG 510-4 production was substantially smaller, in the low thousands, primarily for Chile and Bolivia. Never adopted by any NATO member due to cost - SIG reportedly quoted nearly twice the unit price of the FN FAL.
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: SIG Neuhausen engineering team
Discontinued: 1983
Notes
Empty weight is variously reported between 5.55 kg and 5.8 kg; 5.7 kg is the most commonly cited figure and corresponds to the standard Stgw 57 with integral bipod. Barrel length is given as 583 mm (the commonly cited figure from Military Factory and weaponsystems.net); some sources list 505 mm for the bore itself versus 583 mm including the flash hider assembly. The 7.5x55 GP11 muzzle velocity from the Stgw 57 barrel is typically cited at 750 m/s, lower than the 787 m/s achieved from the longer K31 barrel. Cyclic rate of fire is commonly quoted as 600 rpm, though some sources report 450-500 rpm due to the heavy bolt carrier group. Total Stgw 57 production is estimated at 585,000 to 600,000 units manufactured at SIG Neuhausen between 1957 and 1983. Export 510-4 production was substantially smaller, with several thousand rifles delivered to Chile and Bolivia. The SIG AMT (semi-auto civilian) and PE 57 were sold commercially in the United States and Switzerland respectively.
Background
For decades, Swiss neutrality was guaranteed not by a standing army but by its reserve: every militiaman took his Stgw 57 home along with a sealed tin of ammunition, ready to mobilize within hours from a bedroom closet. Until the practice was curtailed in 2007, Switzerland effectively had more combat rifles in private residences than any other nation on earth. At 5.7 kg loaded and over a meter long, the Stgw 57 was also one of the heaviest battle rifles ever issued - conscripts nicknamed it 'the pipe' for its long straight profile, and its integral folding bipod made it as much a light support weapon as a shoulder arm.