SIG 552

[ProbeJax]

So I've been wanting to pick one of these up as my next AEG. I've probably read a good thirty reviews by now. There are a couple of facts that seem to be different from person to person, so I'm just gonna see if you guys can clear any of this up.

1. Does the handguard really crack easily?
2. Is the stock really as solid as people say?
3. Can you field strip at all?

[Naglfar]

I, too am looking for one. I had the opportunity to hold one for the first time yesterday, I found the stock to be very solid (the entire gun was stock) and the grip seemed to be of a high quality. Mind you, I didn't bash it against anything or try to 'test' it out.

The selector switch was surprisingly very solid and the gun as a whole seemed well built, no wobble or loose parts.

Can't answer #3 though, never tried to field strip it or do anything past hold and fold the stock.

Hope this helps a little.

[manchovie]

the sig is a very solid little gun but the tabs on the foregrip can crack if you do something stupid like fall on it. luckily there's that sweet little ras you can buy if you fuck up your foregrip. the sig is an awesome little aeg.

[ProbeJax]

Ok, so the gun is pretty much as solid as people say.
More feedback on the cracking and the field stripping?

[Fly 9]

I dropped my 552 during a game and broke off another piece of the gun (asthetics only) but the handguard survived. It's a solid gun, I can't see the guard breaking easily unless you bash it off a rock or if it gets really cold and brittle.

[ThunderCactus]

it's solid, just dont try taking it apart as its very complex. It's made of typical TM plastic so as long as you dont abuse it it'll last forever, and you shouldn't need to open it because TM stock parts are very good

[ProbeJax]

So no field stripping, huh?

[dockronixion]

no there is no field stripping ,but the gun feels solid when u tork it there is no give just a little creeking

[ProbeJax]

Looks like a good one.

[shifty51]

yeah i was lucky enough to use one at the recent wasga game (sept 30th) and i want one bad now.

[Regan.S]

Yeah I've read alot of reviews on it too. Seems pretty decent. Is the one your getting have a metal body?

[ThunderCactus]

unless its used and the previous owner installed one, you have to buy the metal body seperate. And I believe in order to have a rail on it you need the metal body.

[shadow_matter]

The SIG 552 was my first, and 3 guns later, it's still the only one I field. I am the third owner and it still shoots true with its original hop-up. Being a guy who likes to shoot... alot (20,000 rounds or so since August), I've stripped and rebuilt the internals from the ground up to make it one of the most reliable outdoor/cqb guns out there that still kicks like a mule. Right now, here is where the scores lie for the various criterion that has been laid out:

Solidness/Feel: 8 out of 10

The foregrip, body, rearstock, and handgrip are all plastic on the TM SIG552. Metal parts include: entire front sighting assembly, rear sights, and alot of structural bracketry that holds body panels together. Due to the construction of the "infrastructure" of the gun, it still remains very solid and has minimal creaking. TM designed the body so that pretty much every plastic body part is either connected to, or sandwiched between pieces of metal. There is a full metal skeleton of the body in which you more or less, plate in plastic as you reassemble the gun. I have splurged for some metal accessories but unless your hellbent on dropping some serious coin the metal body, although really sweet, just doesn't justify its cost.

Reliability/Durability: 8.5 out of 10

This gun utilizes the TM Version 3 gearbox which is more reliable than Version 2's, especially in colder temperatres. I have also heard that they accent internals upgrades better than Version 2's. The hop-up mechanism doesn't use any rubber hop-up bucking; when you roll the mag in, the BB's line up and seat flush into the bottom of the hop-up housing. I have mentioned before that this gun has never had its hop-up changed, and still shoots true with regular maintenance. I don't know if the lack of hop-up a rubber bucking was a specific design point, but it does save you from replacing another part regulary.

Flexibility: 9 out of 10

Here is where the design of the SIG really shines. Apart from having the side folding stock (which is solid as hell by the way), the SIG also features, a completely ambidextrous fire selector; and coolest but not least, a trigger guard that flips and locks to either side so that you can use it while wearing winter gloves without getting the material caught between the trigger and trigger guard. (Real steel design) Add to that the bottom RIS rail that comes standard for a vert grip, and the option of getting additional side rails for the handguard, you can put together one fine accessory mule of a gun if you were so inclined to.

Upgradability: 7 out of 10

Alot of people are saying that the SIG (552 model especially) is a battery whore, meaning that it is nearly impossible to fit higher voltage batteries needed for an upgraded AEG. Through research and DIY work I have found this to be false. The SIG handguard is a cramped space designed to fit a 600mah 8.4v battery, this just won't do. By dremmeling out some of the baffeling from the inside of the handguard I was able to fit a 8.4v, 1300mah battery in; which is fine for a stock platform.

I personally am running a 9.6v 2300mah nunchuck pack, I keep one half of the pack inside the foregrip, then wired the second half to the outside of the hand guard and hockey taped everything in place. This allows me the 9.6v needed for the M100 spring, and enough mah so I don't have to worry about mid-day battery issues. Of course you could always use a battery bag, or AN/PEQ box, but my nunchuck battery ran me less than $25 with shipping to my door, and cost me 50 cents worth of hockey tape to black out the pack and attach it as needed.

One of the down sides of the design is the shorter barrel length of 247mm, so it's more difficult to get the FPS up to where you'd like it for an outdoors gun. With the addition of a standard length 155mm silencer, you can easily fit an M4 length 363mm innerbarrel, which falls about 3-3.5 cms short from the end of the silencer to ensure that dirt doesn't sneak its way up there.

Overall: If you like the unique look of the SIG 552, do not allow minor details to ruin the plan. The body and feel is solid, (through my experience) it is extremely durable, the gearbox can easily accept upgrades, and the design is meant to be flexible. That being said, one cannot ignore the issues with the battery space, and barrel length for higher FPS applications; but the battery capacity can be dealt with easily, and with the addition of a barrel entension, the FPS challange can be easily solved.

Obviously I hold a positively bias view of the product, but then again, I have good reason to. Excuse me, I'm going to go shoot some shit.

- Ryan

[ProbeJax]

Yeah, I've heard that a lot of people used the 552 as a first gun, and a lot of them go on sale in the classifieds. Though if I buy it at full price, I'm giving Ken two extra dollars. Why? Because then, the 552 will cost me 552.

[kalnaren]

I've heard more than once:

"I used to have a SiG 552, then I sold it and I never should have."