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There’s a debate raging in the AR15 community. The point of contention: operating systems. Traditionalists favor direct impingement. Designed by Eugene Stoner, DI harnesses the power of the gasses trapped in the barrel to cycle the rifle’s action. It’s a remarkably simple system with one critical flaw: the gasses blow directly into the rifle’s upper receiver and bolt carrier. Over time, this leads to a dirty rifle. In a gas piston system the propellant gases push a solid rod that pushes the carrier to the rear. That makes for a cleaner running gun. While the controversy continues, SIG SAUER has covered its bets with their piston-driven 516 and, now, the 716 . . .

The SIG SAUER 516 (top) is chambered in the most popular AR flavor: .223. The 716 (below) steps-up to the plate firing the bigger, badder, more lethal .308 Winchester cartridge. Although the two rifles share many similarities, the 716 isn’t simply a scaled-up version of the 516.

Obviously, the 716’s gas parts and push rod are heavier; beefed-up for use with the heavier .308 cartridge. While the 516 uses Magpul MOE furniture, the 716 ships with the Magpul MIAD pistol grip and ACS buttstock. Both rifles ship with a Magpul magazine in their respective calibers and both rifles ship with a nylon sling and folding backup-type iron sights.

The SIG 716 features a hammer forged barrel with a one-in-ten twist. This relatively fast twist rate works well with most everything available in factory .308, including heavyweight match bullets. To add corrosion resistance and durability, SIG’s chrome-lined the 716’s chamber and bore. The rifle barrel’s threaded in the 5/8-24 pattern; it will accept most aftermarket flash hiders and muzzle brakes.

A free-floating railed handguard—running from the 716’s front sight/gas block to the upper receiver—surrounds the barrel. The handguard is firmly bolted in place. At the same time, it’s easily removable for inspection and cleaning of the barrel’s exterior surfaces.The handguard’s top rail sits flush with the flat upper receiver, creating miles of uninterrupted mounting surface.

The SIG 716 has four gas settings: an off position, a suppressed position, a normal operating position and an overgassed setting. The latter is handy for underpowered ammo or heavily fouling. You can access the gas system’s parts through the front of the gas block. Unlike some competing piston designs, you don’t have to remove the 716’s rail to clean the gas parts.

The 716’s lower receiver is milled from aluminum with QD sling swivel sockets machined into the left and right sides. The mag release is ambidextrous, but the selector is on the right side only. The buffer tube is behind the carbine length, MILSPEC diameter lower.

The tube’s castle nut is properly staked; it won’t come loose. The rifle’s controls operate smoothly. The selector clicks from SAFE to FIRE as crisply as a well-laundered shirt, with extra starch. While the trigger’s a little on the heavy side (7.6 lbs.), the standard military-type go-pedal breaks cleanly with little over-travel or creep.

The 716’s bolt and carrier are massive chunks of machined steel with the carrier tapering down to standard .223 diameter behind the firing pin retaining pin. This reduced diameter “floats” the carrier in the buffer tube—obviating the need for anti-tilt recoil buffers (to keep the carrier from hitting the bottom of the buffer tube due to carrier tilt).

The .308 Win is an efficient cartridge rightly credited with outstanding accuracy regardless of bullet weight. I fired a number of five-shot groups from 100 yards that hovered in the 1.5″ range. While these groups aren’t acceptable for precision match rifle competiton, they’re more than close enough for a defensive rifle.

In the 716’s defense, I didn’t try a huge selection of match ammo. The rifle might shoot more accurately with some experimentation and a load it really likes. In addition to match ammo from Federal and Remington, I also shot several hundred rounds of steel cased Russian ammo from WOLF and Brown Bear. Steel cased ammo can be problematic in some guns. The SAUER 716 Patrol Rifle gobbled it up with no issues.

I tried the rifle using steel magazines from C Products. The mags fed like pigs at a trough but they didn’t lock into the rifle easily when loaded to their twenty round capacity. Of the four steel magazines tested, one would only accept nineteen rounds.

The SIG SAUER 716 will likely make its way into the three-gun competition syndicate as a “Heavy Metal” rifle. This additional power comes with trade-offs. Magazine capacity is generally limited to twenty rounds, and there are only a few companies making compatible mags. At $20 – $25, .308 they’re generally more expensive than their .223 counterparts.

The rifle is also something of a beast. The big SIG tips the scales at nearly 9.5 pounds; two pounds heavier than the SIG 516. While most .308 military-style modern sporting rifles are around nine pounds SIG could have put the 716 on a diet. A thinner, re-profiled barrel and different furniture would have shaved off a fair amount of weight.

SIG should also have reconsidered the handguard’s length. Thanks to the 716’s carbine length fore-end, the handguard stops just behind the gas block. If it was long enough to cover the gas block the handguard would add a bit more rail surface for accessories and allow the shooter to assume a more “straight arm” shooting position. It would also cover the gas block, adding a welcome measure of protection against accidental burns.

In short, the SIG 716 is a great gun firing a round that’s ideal for hunting or one-stop stopping. But why bother? Why not buy a cheaper DI .308 AR?

Fooled ya. I’m not going to get caught up in the reliability debate. Let’s just say this: SIG’s piston drive doesn’t make the 716 any less reliable. Yes, it adds a few additional moving parts. But those beefy bits aren’t easily damaged. Any abuse severe enough to render the piston parts inoperable would probably break other more vital parts of the gun, too. And smash a Stoner gas tube, too.

Speaking of broken bits, spare parts for the various piston designs aren’t interchangeable between the various makers. Luckily, major wear parts like extractors aren’t unique to the 716; they can be purchased from any decent parts supplier.


At a not inconsiderable $2,132 (seen on the street for $1700), the SIG SAUER 716 sits below the price range of comparable rifles from ArmaLite, Springfield Armory and DS Arms. If you don’t buy into the Internet piston hate, the SIG 716 is a lot of rifle for the money. You get a clean-running operating system and the ability to reach out and stop someone. What’s not to like?

SPECIFICATIONS:

Caliber:                .308 Winchester
Barrel:                  16 inches, 1:10 twist
Weight:                9.3 lbs.
Operation:          Short stroke pushrod, rotating bolt
Finish:                  black
Capacity:             20 rounds (takes standard SR-25 magazines)
MSRP:                  $2,132

RATINGS (Out of Five Stars):

Accuracy: * * *
1.5 MoA is pretty good, but there are guns that’ll do better. Not necessarily better for less, but still.

Reliability: * * * * *
Thanks to the pushrod piston system, the 716 gun stays clean and lubed longer after more rounds downrange than the competition.

Weight: * * * *
Four stars since all pretty much all .308’s are heavy. But this gun is 9.5 pounds empty.

Handling: * * * *
The controls are good but the gun needs a longer fore-end.

Overall: * * * 3/4

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125 COMMENTS

    • Excellent Weapon.
      Have put hundreds of rounds through recently procured 716 and flawless. well machined and well-made and it’s an absolute benefit for recoil!

      It’s a .308, not a .223/.556 so a heavy frame is to be expected and this machine delivers with great accuracy, in my experience.

    • I too have fired a great deal of steel cased ammo through my 716 and it also handled it flawlessly. I am concidering taking the weapon to Sig and let them do their tune up to it. Being as I only Live 40 or so miles from Sig it sounds like something I might be interested in.

  1. I like the look and the specs of this rifle and the price isn’t out of this world. But I wonder if they would make one with a 24″ barrel?

  2. Impeccable reliability from a SIG? I’m shocked, shocked, I tell you! Okay, not really.

    $2,300 seems a little steep for a rifle of this class, since those Benjamins can get you a non-accessorized 16″ Rock River LAR-8 with $1,000 left over for gadgets and ammo. But if the SIG can hit the street for $1,700, that’s a whole different proposition. A Magpul stock and free-floating quad-rail will bring the two rifles’ costs almost equal.

    • I bought my first 716 a couple months back for $1700. I bought a FDE version this past Tuesday for $1823 out the door. I love this rifle, and it certainly has been a beast. I have had absolutely no complaints or issues with it. It eats whatever I feed it. I am only using Magpul Pmags but I have shot numerous rounds from various manufacturers through mine. I have no problem rolling around with the weight even with an additional optics package and accessories.

      • Where did you buy your 716? My step dad really wants Sig Sauer 716 recon or a Springfield armory M1A National match rifle walnut stock. Do you know where I could purchase either one of these guns

      • even 2500 or 3000 us dollars ,you’re so Lucky you Américans friends ,unfortunately for the frenchs is truly hell ,and yet we are Lucky if there is a trick to buy an assault rifle , but if the cops catch you ,it’s good for a free visit to one of our “castles” with bars to the Windows !

      • I am glad you good luck with your 716…..as I did not.

        The Bolt Carrier has shown ugly wear and does not seem to be properly faced to the Chamber/Barrel Extension and has had horrible Feed problems, and over gassing.

        Sent it back to Sig….and from time it left my gun shop till it returned was an incredible four days….including shipping time.

        End result….they said it was fine….it was a 7.62 Killing Machine….and the damage I am seeing is “normal”.

        I am wondering if others are seeing a “hammering” of the Receiver in the area of the 3-6 O’Clock area of the Barrel Extension and scarring of the edges of the ejection port.

        It is going for a “second opinion” by a qualified Arms Specialist who does this kind of work for the Military and we shall see what he has to say.

        I am thinking I spent a lot of money for a poorly machined firearm….and that Sig quality is not what it used to be anymore.

        • Yes its all quality metal and can take quite a beatting!! I have put as many as 300!rounds at a shooting through mine and it did it flawlessly!! I am very impressed with it and have absolutely no regrets buying it!!

    • I got my 716 recently for $1,600, and this old Marine shooter couldn’t be happier, as the usual gun show/auction site price (when available) is around $2,500. Fires like a dream and loves the ammo I’ve fed it so far. Looking for recommendations for scopes …

    • I sold LAR8 as total junk rifle in my opinion, incompatible parts, horrible service support, no mags cheaper than $45 each, rifle missfired a lot, heavy on recoil, cheaply build. Get Sig or Scar and you will be problem less.

  3. My experience with the 716 has not been that pleasant, so far. It had HORRIBLE reliability right out of the box with short cycling, FTF nearly every other round in the first 80-100, and failure to lock the bolt to the rear when the mag was empty. It took three disassemblies, three cleanings, two different cleaner/ lubricants and over 150 rounds of a variety of .308 and 7.62×51 ammo from Federal, American Eagle, Fiocchi, and Remington in bullet weights ranging from 150gr to 175gr to get the beast working. I’m still luke warm on this rifle as it is being very picky with what ammo it likes, but at least it is finally cycling with AE 168gr OTM. The bolt, however, still occasionally doesn’t lock to the rear. I’m hoping more shooting will fix that as the buffer spring gets worked in. Overall, though, I consider the 716 a work in progress. Not what I expected from Sig… And I’m not a hater. I have 6 of their pistols and love them.

    • I have a CMMG piston-converted S&W M&P-15R in 5.45x39mm that was a jam-o-matic with C Products mags (including the factory mag from S&W), but runs like a sewing machine with AR-Stoner mags. It was destined to become a safe queen with the reliability shown by C Products mags, but I trust it…well, more anyway…with the AR-Stoner mags.

      Do you think your FTF problems could have been mag-related?

      • It’s possible, but I used 4 different SR25 compatible PMAGS, including the one it came with. I haven’t tried any metal mags in it.

        • I am having the exact same issue with my 716 and i’ve done just about every single troubleshooting idea you’ve had (and i’ve also put about 400-500 rounds give or take). The only thing I haven’t tried was the stoner mags you were talking about or the 168 grain rounds. Honestly though, for what I paid for i’m extremely disappointed in the “break-in period” i’ve been told about this rifle. That’s a lot of money wasted for it to not work 100%. I hate to deal with it this way but i’m tired of it FTF on almost every round, so i’m most likely going to send it to SIG for maintenance. But after reading a lot of reviews and blogs on this same issue, that doesn’t even seem to solve the problem. Wish me luck

      • Just curious, did you try adjusting the setting on the gas block? If you’re having those kinds of problems, I would think increasing the gas to the piston would be the most logical problem.

        • My thoughts. None of these guys are mentioning their adjustable blocks and their problems sound exactly like that is the culprit.

    • I had a less frustrating but similar experience with the 516. With only a very few FTF/short strokes – that I have narrowed down to this; all of my FTF/SSs were with 223! None of them were from 5.56. The rifle loves Lake City and eats them like M&Ms. Just FYI. I am guessing there is a pressure difference and/or bullet weight difference that the Sig is tuned for. Anyone knowledgeable about the difference in those two rounds may be able to shed some light on the issue.

      • The round my 716 seems to like is the AE 168gr OTM, 7.62×51. I’m hoping it’s just a break in issue and that a diet of bullets it likes will help, now that I’ve figured out what will feed. However, this is a big mark against SIG to me. No new weapon should be THAT bad when you first get it. I know some weapons can be picky, but I tend to get rid of those if I end up with one. I have a small place and I don’t buy a lot of ammo. I buy what is available when I’m heading to the range. When you don’t know what will be available locally, I prefer guns that eat anything.

    • Are you sure that you have the gas tube set on the right position? If you have it on the wrong setting it can cause the problems you are having.

      • This was my first thought. Since its got an adjustable gas block with four settings I would bet its not set correctly or could at least be used to remedy the issues. If its running standard gas setting (should be #2? if 1=off, 2=normal, 3=suppressed & 4=Undergassed) & still short stroking ammo like Lake City 7.62×51 M80 it’s likely the gas port in the barrel is under sized. If running lower powder ammo like standard .308 I would bet the suppressed gas setting should work, unless its got an issue with an undersized gas port.

    • Holy cow, send this rifle to SIG ASAP. They will tune it for you at no charge. If a Sig weapon is not behaving well right out of the box they will take care of you no questions asked.

    • Sounds like you are having the same problem I did, until I figured out about that twisty thing on the front of the gas piston assembly. try setting it to allow more gas pressure into the system. Mine turned into a bear after I tweaked that sucker.
      I have found mine to be well built, and with a few touch ups to machining burrs it now sends em down line accurately and with a hell of a lot more punch than my 223/556’s can. 1 inch groups at 100 yards routinely, until I get the Nightforce Scope on it to see about reaching out to touch something at a much longer distance. Gotta LOVE that Sig!!
      Robert Seddon
      Mineral, Va

      • Just purchased my 716 and waiting for it to arrive. I have read from other blogs that brass can take some beating when the weapon is being broken in. Some have sent it back to Sig to look at the rifle. When it is returned, the rifle works fine. Some say Sig may have made an adjustment by smoothing out the bore, or making an minor adjustment – whatever thay would be. Just waiting to take delivery of mine and saving for one of the following accessory: ACOG TA11J RMR, TA11SDO-CP, TA31RM04, or TA31RMR????

    • I had those issues and found if you clean off the lubricant it comes with and just use a light very light coating of rem-oil on the gas parts they function reliably.

    • Sorry you’re having trouble with your 716! Sounds like you may have gotten hold of the proverbial lemon. I’ve had mine for a couple months now, and it eats whatever I feed it. To include my match grade hand loads, other than my extra long heavy bullets that are loaded for my bolt gun. I’d talk to Sig, and get them to make it right. Good luck!!

  4. Looks like the best piston .308 for the money to me. I really enjoyed POF Armory, but shockingly don’t have 3K plus for one. I really want big a AR, though. (well, other than my .50). The .308 caliber is a winner, and a 16″-18″ or so barrel offers some of the best versatility in a modern sporting rifle that I can think of.

    If I could only own one rifle, a Sig 716 or POF version would be at the top of my list.

  5. As far as I’m concerned, if you want to get a .308 rifle with a piston, you might as well dispense with ARs altogether and pick up a SCAR-H or something similar.

    • My issue with the SCAR is the extra grand and $50+/- proprietary mags in addition to the occasionally awkward charging handle especially with some optics. Just my 2 cents.

    • Ever read Boston’s Gun Bible? He sums it up as M1A and FN FAL being the best over the rest of the MBRs. He rates the AR-10 at the bottom of that list. I personally like the AR-10s over the M1As, I’ve shot both, but the FN FAL definitely deserves a look because it is a well-made rifle. Basically pick them up at the store and see which works best for you. I don’t like how the M1A magazines work and how the bolt needs to be open in order to load a full magazine. Plus you need to rock it into place rather than slam it in.

  6. I’ve shot this monster at a range, and… it’s heavy. The review mentions it a couple of times, but fully loaded with 20 rounds of .308… the sucker is HEAVY. I would need to work out more to think about using this weapon as anything other than a range queen. 9.5lbs empty doesn’t surprise me in the least.

    Which makes me curious about the other .308 main battle rifle type of offerings. Anyone handled any of the other contenders (AR-10, SCAR-17, etc.) and have thoughts on the weight of the weapon?

    • .308 semi-auto rifles are heavy. That’s the nature of the beast. The M1A (or M-14) is just a tad under 9 pounds, empty. The FN-FAL is about the same or more. HK G-3 or G-91 is about the same.

      Once you start trying to make a .308 rifle down under seven pounds, you’ll discover something: the recoil starts becoming objectionable to many people.

      • “Once you start trying to make a .308 rifle down under seven pounds, you’ll discover something: the recoil starts becoming objectionable”

        In AR pattern rifles perhaps. I have no issues with a bolt 308 that light, the Tikka T3. It weights only 6.25 pounds empty. I’ve modified it to take 10 round mags, but even loaded and with a scope and bipod, it stays around 8 pounds. I do put a rubber recoil pad over the end, but that is the only concession to the recoil.

        And it drives tacks…

  7. I dont care for gas piston AR15s or AR10s, and after dealing with the SIG 516 and 716, i was pretty underwhelmed.

    Its not that I experienced the reliability issues, its just that the 5.56 and 7.62 offerings from Primary Weapons Systems were far better in my opinion.

  8. Thanks for the write up, Melvin. Well worth a good, long look. It sounds like a minor trigger job would make this rifle pretty darned close to perfect.

  9. Direct Impingement guns are less reliable than gas-piston? Ooreallly? I’ll just leave this here:

    http://www.slip2000.com/blog/s-w-a-t-magazine-filthy-14/

    Excerpt:
    FILTHY 14
    As of this writing, EAG students have 31,165 rounds downrange through Filthy 14. During this evaluation period, it was cleaned once (as in one time), at 26,245 rounds. The end result is that Rack #14 was—and remains—filthy.

    • I only cleaned my M16 twice while I was in Iraq as an infantryman. It never failed me. Fired every time. And of course it was not a piston system. I have absolutely no problem with gas tube AR rifles… former USMC and USArmy infantry.

      • What rounds are you using? be specific. If you were in both the Army and Marines and only cleaned your weapon twice while deployed, I suspect you are probably the problem here not the weapon.

  10. Seems like a lot of money for a semi-accurate semi-automatic rifle. For the same price you could buy a sub-moa bolt gun and an incredible optic to go with it that will have no reliability problems and last several lifetimes. For home defense, there are a lot of semis at a fraction of the price that will get the job done at any lawful range. To me, these are just expensive toys. It’s like the guy at the LGS said: “You’ll take a Garand hunting–once.” This gun is no different.

    • Sorry for the reall ylate response, but Im new to the site. I’m just waiting to take delivery of my 716. I can appreciate your viewpoint, but you have to consider the format of weapoms of this type. It is not made for primary hunting, match, or competition. But its foundation is a military setting. With todays polictical and government environment, having access to such weaponpry should not be government impeded..with that said, the 716 is agood offenseive and defensive firearm that has multiple uses, but lets not lose track of its primary foundation structure……

      • AMEN…I am going to look for one at a gunshow this weekend…I have an DPMS AR 15 and the bullets just do not seem big enough for may be instore for us if things keep going south….What does anyone think about the SIG in BAD conditions?

  11. Want the down low on “Patrol Rifles” from a historical perspective?
    The man that walked the talk?
    I thought not.
    “Shots Fired In Anger”
    Read it. Learn it. Love it.
    That auto-bio steered me away from Conventional Forces and kept me alive, TYVM!

  12. I picked up a 716 just last month. I have 150 rds through it. Accuracy is good, not Remington 700 good, but good. I just couldn’t see dropping over $2500 for a POF or LaRue Tactical piston .308. This a much better, less expensive option. Did I mention this is my first AR pattern rifle?

    • Dang – today I went to my local gun store to pick up a RRA LAR-8 (.308). Unfortunately, they sold the last one two days ago. Long story short, I ended up buying the Sig 716. Damn it. You guys have me thinking that I picked up a piece of crap. Sure hope not. I just want to destroy some cans and maybe a pumpkin or two, but certainly don’t want it to be jamming every other shot. Rggggh…. Will find out this weekend. Got a bunch of AE rounds – fingers crossed 🙂

      • Don’t let them scare you. I have a 716 that eats whatever I feed it. It was the only good and affordable 308 AR and even at a $2k price tag that was hefty to me. I own many Sigs and know the qc/qa they’ve had the last few years. I bought a Sig 556 that has been flawless then the 716 and it has been great, it is a well built machine. I agree it is not as accurate as a bolt gun or some others, but its battle rifle accurate enough. I know its heavy, but all 308 rifles are. I have mine set up with a Vortex Viper scope and a Harris bipod. Been great! Have fun with it!

      • My 716 has run flawlessly. Granted, I haven’t run the variety of ammo through it like others have, but it has run my hand loads without incident.
        I too heard the reports of less than stellar reliability. But I believe in letting the gun stand on its own merit rather than give in to anecdotal reports.

      • My 716 has run flawlessly. Granted, I haven’t run the variety of ammo through it like others have, but it has run my hand loads without incident. I too heard the reports of less than stellar reliability. But I believe in letting the gun stand on its own merit rather than give in to anecdotal reports.

  13. You didn’t have your customary *Customize This* star rating. Is there a longer barrel option, maybe 20″ and what’s price with that? What about shorter barrel options?

  14. I cannot say enough good things about my Sig 516, reliable, accurate and very well built. On it’s first outing once sighted in managed to get a few sub MOA groups @ 100 yards using iron sights/bench rested. Was pleasantly surprised how clean the action was after 200+ rounds. Big difference compared to the issue M16 during my military career. Definately going to buy it’s big brother the 716 especially after checking one out at Cabela’s.

  15. Bought the SIG716 recently and have put a couple hundred rounds through it so far (Magtech 308Win 150gr and Winchester 308 147gr mostly) and it was flawless. It is certainly a beast, but then I’m not humping rifles in the desert anymore so the weight is not an issue and as an earlier writer mentioned it keeps the big bullets under control. The 716 is well built, accurate enough to hit at range every time and fires my favorite long gun bullet. The pushrod system keeps it pretty clean too.

  16. If it ain’t at least a .308/7.62, it ain’t soup. Having said that, I don’t want to get shot with a .223/5.56 either. I like the push rod better either way. As to humping the weight, we humped M1s, M14s, ammo, mortars and base plates, two canteens of water, and a couple of boxes of C-rations, thru places Angels feared to tread. Range Rangers, we were not.

    • That may be MOG but shooting a 223/5.56 on a regular basis is way more affordable than 308/7.62. Still planning to buy the 716 in OD green just the same but expect I’ll be shooting it’s little brother a whole lot more.

  17. Just saw the 716 on a recent episode of G&A TV. Now I think I want one especially since I just sold my DSA FAL. 4″-6″ groups at 100yds with Fed 168GMM. Not accurate enough for me. Would digest anything however with that 12(?) position gas valve. Have the Sig m400E and it was problematic with failures to eject. Super accurate with 77g bullets. I argued with Sig over lube and ammo. Shot some more, had some more failures to eject. Called Sig back and demanded they take the gun back and fix it or give me my money back. They paid shipping both ways and fixed it. I would not put up with the 716 not running for a minute. Call them up and raise hell. Don’t let them feed you that line about not cooperating with them in trying to trouble shoot the gun and that you the customer will have to pay freight to send it back. BS! You didn’t buy a project. You bought a gun that is supposed to shoot like a sewing maching right out of the box like a S&W M&P15 Sport. Maybe I will wait for Smith to come out with a 7.62mm AR…

  18. You can’t compare the 716 to a POF/Hogan. For $2,600 I have a Hogan Sniper Elite H-308 that will shoot 1MOA groups with ease. The Sig isn’t even close to that level. NP3 coated billet receivers, Rock Creek fluted bull barrel with a muzzle brake that is awesome. Custom trigger, and out of the box it will eat the dirtiest ammo you can scrounge up all day long. Not to mention the Sig looks like your basic AR, where a POF, Hogan, LWRC REPR, Christiansen Arms CA-10, and several others have a look of there own. Shoot one of those and you will forget about a 716.

  19. I picked up one of these 716 Carbines last week and I Love it. The first thing I did, and always do with a new Carbine is give it a good cleaning before I shoot it. I installed a Geissele SSA-E trigger before I shot it as well. This is the very best Match trigger out there and it helps with accuracy Big Time.

    The Sig 716 shoots flawlessly and is very accurate too. Mine shoots 1/2″ groups at 100 yards with or without installing my Suppressor onto it. But with my AAC 762-SDN-6 Suppressor installed, and with the gas system turned off, it shoots like a precision Bolt Action Rifle. I am getting 1/4″ groups at 100 yards right now with Hornady TAP 168 grain AMAX this way. And I have actually put 3 rounds in the same hole one time. I am using a cheap 3x9x40 Nikon .223 scope for now as I am saving up for a nice Leupold.

    Bottom line is this is an Awesome Carbine that works flawlessly and is super accurate. I know that putting in the better Geissele match trigger really helped out with accuracy, and the fact that I am a precision marksman helps too.

    For under $2000 dollars this is the one to get. And stay away from POF because they are nothing more than a POS.

  20. The Haters are killing me!!!! I own 5 Sig pistols, 2 Full German made, 3 US Made.. I have an easy 3000 to 5000 rounds thru each if not more, and have not had a problem with any of them. I prefer the US made, due to them having the SRT trigger.. What a nice trigger it is. I am a Law Enforcement Officer and when I came on the department Sig was the only approved weapon we could carry for pistol. Now we have the choice of Sig or Glock. So I purchased a G19 and G26 thinking this would be a better combo, to replace my P226 and P229 I carry. Well a few trips to the range and I just don’t like them as well. I’m sticking with the Sigs. Now to the 716.. I am a certified police sniper.. My department uses Larue OBRs with Nightforce glass for our sniper rifles. When I took my sniper school this is what I used. Larue makes a very very nice rifle.. 1/2 MOA on mine and less then 1/4 MOA off of cold bore.. but the price is crazy… So I picked up a 716 for my own personal rifle.. I have put over 500 rounds of Federal GMM through it with no problems.. The trigger sucks… I carry a RockRiver 5.56 for warrants and the trigger is very close to the Geissele on my OBR, so I guess I got spoiled… So I will be replacing my 716 trigger with a Geissele soon. That being said, I have been able to keep a 3″ group at 100 yards with the 716 with iron sights.. I plan on putting glass on it with the new trigger soon, just hard on a cops salary with a family to support .. But come on how many of the people out there are shooting more then 100 yards??? Even urban snipers hardly get more that that, closer to 50-60 yards. This is being sold as a combat rifle… not a precision rifle. With a Geissele trigger I think you can move it to the precision class from what I have seen.. The 716 is the best bang for the buck.. Literally … If you are a competition shooter or a military scout sniper taken 500 yard and out shots for money or for your or someones life then stick with a bolt gun or spend the money “or the governments money” on a Larue, I believe the Larue rifle is as good as any bolt rifle, with added pluses, mag capacity and faster reacquisition of the target.. If you are looking for a combat rifle/precision rifle that is affordable and reliable then get a Sig 716, while you can before the politics make it unlawful for a law abiding citizen to own one. Also another thing, my 716 feels like it hits my shoulder twice as hard as my OBR, so that is another down fall on the 716. My OBR feels like my 5.56, don’t even notice it.. You will feel the 716 after a mag. “My OBR has the CTR with a Larue RISR and POD” And the 716 has the ACS.. I do like the CTR setup better “feels like a better cheek weld.. FYI both the Larue and the 716 have 16” barrels.. Also I have only shot Federal GMM out of both, this is our duty round and I get it for 19.00 a box from a law enforcement supplier so no need to shoot anything else. We are however looking at moving to the new Federal Tactical Bonded Tip ammo, our Federal rep is pushing it very hard, and it looks very promising for glass and barriers, but I have not put any thru my rifles yet, cause it is twice the price. I know I rambled on a bit.. but the Haters got me worked up.. The Sig 716 is a great rifle and better then 99% of the shooters out there need..

  21. I bought my 716 mid summer after owning a DPMS AP4. The AP4 was extremely accurate and I was a little disappointed after shooting the first rounds out of the Sig. The 716 started coming around, it now averages one inch with 43.5 grs of Varget, once fired Federal brass, 210M primer, and a 168gr Nosler BT. It shoots inch and a half with Radway Green. Needless to say I’m happy. I have approximately 500 rounds fired with only three FTF which were my 150 gr Hornady FMJ handloads. A Geissele two stage trigger, Leopold 1-4 VXR Patrol scope, and American Defense mount round out my rifle. It makes a great deer rifle.

  22. First time out with new 716 and worked well for a few round but then spent more time manually removing rounds than firing weapon. Not impressed. After about a half hour just put gun back in case and got out Bushmaster AR and ran 400 rounds with no problem. For twice the price I think I should be able to fire it more than 25 times without a problem! Will clean gun and try agin.

  23. Adding to my 4 Nov comment…have now put over 1000 rounds thru my 716 so far and it is perfect. I have since added an EoTech red dot and the groups are nice and tight at 200yds. Have used a variety of ammo including the occasional soviet steel case with flawless feeding results. I like the weight…it handles that kicking .308 with ease. If I wanted a lighter weapon, I would have picked up the .223…The push rod design is just awesome. A breeze to clean. After 30 years of scrubbing the crud out of ARs with the DI system, it’s a dream…so I’m ok with the extra pieces…they seem to work well. I like the adjustment options on the piston, the miles of 1913 rails, the quality design and build and the heft. It’s like my M1 Garand (yep, that’s heavy too- about the same weight actually)…you know you have a real rifle, and that rifle fires a real serious bullet and like the American classic .45 ACP round…one good shot will pretty handle the situation.

  24. the more you practice shooting the smaller your shot groups will be. The fundamentals of marksmanship will effect your shot group more than the maker of your trigger, the number of twists in your barrel and the weight of your rifle put together

  25. Tried two groups of not so great reloads thru a new s716 and had numerous ejection problems and a couple of FTF (dimpled primer, no fire). Same ammo through HK G3 did much better, though still > 0 extraction problems, so most of my issues were ammo related, but the HK still ate the ammo significantly better.
    Also had the bolt not locking to the rear too well problem.
    I’m also hopeful that a breakin period will see these issues go away.

  26. I have a 716 Patrol and it does have some issues which Sig is going to resolve. I’m not going to bash Sig too much about the issue, but I will say the quality control has slipped a bit. The customer service there is worth the price of the gun. Very fast and fair.

    What I want to say about the article above is the writer obviously did not examine the 716 he had. It does not have a Hammer forged barrel and anyone who has ever owned one would know. I could tell from the pictures it was not hammer forged.

    I spoke to Sig this week and got an offiical reply to the question. The 716 has a button rifled barrel!!! I wish gun writers would get it right because that was part of the reason I looked at the 716.

    In a google search I found severl “experts” writing that the 716 has a CHF barrel…. when it does not!

  27. Interesting everything I have read suggests a hammer forged barrel. Question what is it you specifically look for to indicate the barrel is hammer forged other than the master of the obvious stamp indicating such?

  28. Did finally pick up a Sig 716 a few weeks back. Cleaned the hell out of it trying to get that sticky preserving lube Sig puts on there rifles NIB. Fired three differents types of ammo with mixed results. The 150 grain American Eagle “cheap stuff” gave me multiple short stroking issues. Hornady Super Performance 165 grain SST ran a full clip flawlessly with positive bolt lock on the last round. Silver State Armory 168 grain HPBT had occasional short stroking but not nearly as pronounced as the cheap American Eagle. The weapon appears well built and shot accurately with some sub moa groups at 100 yards, however it was very windy that day so not exactly optimal testing conditions. After experiencing some short stroking with two types of ammo I looked at the muzzle velocity specs for each. Hornady’s SST runs considerble faster so my assumption is hotter load & superior muzzle performance out of the ballistic tip translated into flawless function. Gas setting was verified on normal setting, cleaned again and will continue to test & break in rifle.

  29. Tj15, hammer forged barrels usually have a spiral pattern on the outside of the barrel. A barrel blank is placed over a mandrel and forging hammers compress the metal leaving the rifling pattern basically embossed. I suspect very early T&E 716 had hammer forged barrels. These have much slimmer barrels that looked almost stepped down after the gas block. IMO hammer forged is superior. I am sure sig made the change to reduce cost. One would think on a rifle costing 2-3k they wouldn’t cut such cost.
    I just sent mine back to Sign for inspection. It would not group and every case had screaches on the neck and strange dents on the shoulders. I ran a fiber optic camera into the chamber and found what appears to be corrosion . I also noticed some type of corrosion on the sear. My gun was NIB and manufactured Dec. 2012.
    I also experienced one split case at the neck on round #20. Using new Federal gold metal match 168gr BTHP.
    I did not experience any malfunctions.
    I do commend Sign on their customer service… it is unequalled. Even though my rifle had some issues, Sig sent me prepaid fedex the next day, the representative personally called me twice. When is the last time you got service like that?
    I am not going to make an opinion on the gun until I get the gun back and shoot it. Yes it was a bit inconvenient, but I want to give Sign a chancy to correct the problem.

  30. Sorry about the typos and spelling. My spell checker is a Democrat, it rarely works and when it does, it’s wrong.

  31. Thanks for the reply Denny & info. My 716 appears to have great accuracy potential from initial impressions it’s able to shoot better than my old eyes can. From what I have read so far regarding any reliability issues at least initially is due to getting all the Sig preserving lube out, a good lube, quality ammo and break in time. Glad the tolerances are tight but at the same time if it’s to tight definately can cause some new owner frustration initially. What I have noticed is even after a good cleaning/lube once you go out and fire the weapon more of the Sig preserving lube will still leach out, dunno what stuff they use but its a pain in the ass to get it all out as I put allot of time and care into the first cleaning.

  32. I love the 716. I have been reading reviews on the rifle malfunctioning. As soon as I got it, I didn’t clean it, I just took it out and shot it without a single malfunction. I put 20 rapid rounds through, then I put 20 rounds with 5 sec pauses between rounds and the rifle didn’t miss a beat

    • Great to hear Larry what ammo did you use? Reason I ask is as I said this gun loves hornady superperformance sst in 165 grain, gobbles them up like m&m’s as someone else said. @ this point I don’t think my issue was firearm related but rather ammo related. Will get out shooting again soon with some other ammo types and worst case send it to Sig if it continues. Confident they will stand by their product, they are a reputable company that stands behind their quality products.

  33. Well, I received my 716 back from SIG.
    They replaced and “adjusted” the trigger, remember I had some corrosion. They also polished the chamber and feed ramps in an effort to get rid of the scratches on the neck, two very uniform horizontal scratches on the neck. They obviously didn’t see the pictures or read the letter I sent that said “Neck”.

    The first thing I noticed was the trigger! Perfect , crips and clean breaking at about 6 lbs. love it. The next thing was the marks on the fired casing were STILL THERE. Boo on SIG.

    I did find my accuracy problem though. It was old gold medal match ammo, my 716 does not like old ammo! nor does it like white box crap. It produces flyers that open groups up to about 3″

    I fed it new gold medal match and Amer. Eagle 168gr OTM. It loves both. Most groups hover about 1/2 inch and even my last 5 shout group fired in about 25 seconds was about 3/4″ at 100 Yds.

    I have never had a feed or extraction problem, and I will just monitor the markings on the case, which seem to be going away as I put more rounds through it.
    I checked the chamber and neck area with a fiber optic scope and the neck area still looks horrible. But when it shoots .5 MOA , I’d hate to send it back to have them mess with it.

    I wasn’t able to post pics.

    • That is some good accuracy I wouldn’t mess with it either. I’ve managed to get under an inch with mine as well & if I scope it plus good ammo should only get better. Plan to get out soon as I have a wide variety of 308/7.62 ammo to run/test thru it. Next improvement will be upgrade my trigger to a Wilson Combat TTU in the near future. As far as marks on the casing I have seen that with other AR type weapons to include military issue m4/m16’s.

  34. my sig saur 716 has a problem keeping the mag seated in the mag well,it is brand new.drops down just enough so it will not fire. it’s mag pull mag .wondering what could remedy this.love the rifle

  35. just buyed a 716 patrol 16″ on 5/15/2013 just 10 days after it was made,no problems and very accurate.The barrel does not step down to a smaller size after the gas block,but stays thick and the same all the way out.I think sig said they where going to probably have this way now.

  36. I just bought a 716, and have put about 120 rounds through it of various ammo (i.e. Federal, Remington, Winchester). Had a few failure to feed issues, (4 total) but I chalk that up to being brand new/ break-in period, and it seems to eat anything. Was wondering if anyone has had this gun for a while and found out what ammo it really likes or really doesn’t like. I have heard that Wolf is awful and Prvi Partizan is actually pretty decent. Anyone have any insight to offer?

    • Chuck so far mine seems to absolutely love Hornady Super Performance SST ammo 165 grain. Going to try the 150 grain soon hopefully similar results.

  37. I have had my Sig 716 for almost a year now and have about 500 rounds through it. It has been great with only one Failure to Feed which was in the first 10 rounds I shot out of it and has been good ever since.

    I have used mostly
    Prvi Partizan 145gr 90% of the 500 rounds
    Prvi Partizan 168gr match
    Federal Gold Metal Match 168gr

    Takes apart easy and cleans easy I love it

  38. I just purchased one of these and spent the first day at the range. Used cbc ball 7.62×51 to break it in and then moved to other 7.62×51 and .308 factory loads to test it out. I used a Zeiss Conquest scope and nikon M-223 mount. I found that SSA 168, and 175 gr ammo both yielded consistent 1.5″-1.75″ groups. The federal gold metal match 168 Sierra match kings a solid 1.5″ as well. Finally Hornady superformance 165 gmx did a 2″ group. What I truly love is that the rifle ran every shot perfectly and is VERY clean after all these rounds. I’m shocked how well it shoots and it’s and absolute pleasure maybe aside from it being a tank.

    Also wanted to add that it likes to be fouled. Took about 20 rounds after cleaning for it to settle down. And monarch 150 gr SP (read cheap) will still put down 2.5″ groups which is fine hunting (around here) accuracy out to 200 yds. All my groups are 100 yds.

    • *UPDATE
      Shot my 716 with a Huntertown arms Kestrel .308 suppressor and am totally blown away that the groups SHRANK! It will now shoot 1″ solid 5 shot groups at 100 yds with the same exact box of CBC ball 7.62×51!! I am unbelievably impressed with it now!

  39. Sig Sauer SIG716 3-GUN (product code: R716-H18B-3GH)

    I just bought this riffle and am extremely happy.

    This is a limited run SIG716 rifle in a 3 gun configuration. Not a catalog item.
    It is the same basic configuration as the 716 Precision, but features a heavy contour 18” threaded barrel, Geissele Two Stage match trigger, Large latch charging handle (making it easier to use with gloves), and alloy quad rail forend. It also features a newly designed Sig Sauer Ti-7 M4 style collapsible stock and “SIG” pistol grip.

    Very accurate and dependable
    I fired about 100 rounds and all shot flawless at 200yards with 2 – 2 1/2″ groups

  40. Just purchased my SIG716 wanting to get away from the Rock River Arms Elite Operator LAR-8 due to FTE problems and those blasted FAL magazines! So far I have had zero FTE’s with factory ammo, and with my 110 grain VMax bullets with 47.5 grains of IMR 4895 powder, I am getting 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards on a Lead Sled. Incredible! And it’s so clean after firing. My RRA LAR-8 was a great rifle zeroing in at 1 inch groups, but that blasted thing would fail to fully extract a round almost every time I shot a coyote and was waiting for the next one to come in. Problem was, I wouldn’t notice that it was jammed until I tried to pull the trigger on the next one that came in (to the pup distress call) and then, no boom! I had a Remington R-25 .243 caliber do the same thing and I got Remington to buy it back from me after 2 1/2 years due to jamming issues. This thing has innovations like an extractor locking lug that keeps the extractor in place during firing, and a upper to lower tensioning device that keeps the upper and the lower tight. What an awesome rifle! The only thing I didn’t like was the trigger sue to the heavy weight so I dropped in a RRA two stage trigger and I am good to go.

  41. I purchased a 716 last year. Worked well but was shooting steel (Wolf) ammo and had a FTF and after inspection realized that the last shell was jammed in the chamber. I tried getting it out but it was stuck BADLY. It’s at the gunsmith now :0 Beware of bad ammo is the lesson I learned. Hopefully it’s not something worse…

  42. I bought a 716 Patrol about 2 months ago. I installed a Leupold VR-X Patrol on a one point mount. Bunch of 25rnd P-Mags. KNS anti-walk pins and a Hiperfire 24C trigger. This this thing is great. Yes, a little heavy and could use a longer rail, but over all, a damn nice battle rifle. It will be my go to when ISIS gets here…lol…

    Also call Sig and bought a rebuild kit from them to have extra parts.

    Oh yeah, paid $1599 at Academy here in Alabama….

  43. Have put about 1200 rounds through my 716 since May of 2012. Nothing but good. No failures shooting some expensive but mostly cheap ammo. Mostly 4″ groups unsupported at 100 yards using an ACOG 3.5X.
    Have never shot from a bench. Saisfies my needs.

  44. One very annoying feature of the Sig 716 is that the bayonet lug is useless. It is mounted too far from the end of the barrel so that any standard bayonet will have half the blade buried under the barrel and the ring that should be on the flash suppressor/compensator is instead floating on the barrel where it is entirely too loose. It’s like the Sig engineers were told by marketing to put a bayonet lug on so it would look nice on the spec sheet, but they never bothered to see if it would even fit or if they did try it, they didn’t care that it didn’t fit. A major disappointment.

  45. I seen the reviews and got one of the green black sig716 patrol. Its excellent but now I am looking for add ons for light lazer for the right prices.

  46. I am thinking about getting the pistol. Does the bolt handle move back and forth ( reciprocate ) during shooting or not ? I have several other 38/7.62×51’s and ta ould be a no deal if it does. No way to hang n to the thing in the shorty version.As for accuract get a Knight’s Stoner SR-25 Match and be done with it. Mine is 15 plus years old and still shoots under 1 MOA at 200 yds. Then here’s the LMT MRP 308 , LWRCi REPR and the good old HK’s. All mine ( no HK . just like ’em ) all do a good job on accuracy with a scope. MAGPUL makes fine 308 mags so why mess with metal ? Anybody have the Sig 716 pistol ? Like it ?

  47. Had my Sig m716 for about 4 months. I replaced the trigger with a 3.5 lb black rain, added a foregrip, and a trijian acog scope with red dot. Love my rifle, fires accurately and very versatile. Rarely have to clean when fired regularly which is also nice. Only thing I don’t like is cost of ammo, but this m716 will spit out ANY .308 bullet (given the correct gas setting.) I would recommend this rifle to anyone looking for a reliable rifle with versatility and easily customizable.

  48. I am a total novice, when it comes to the Sig Sauer 716 DMR, featured in your above article. I grew up with a .22 rifle, a 12-gauge pump, for clay target messing around, etc. But, in reading your article, I noticed a photo (second from bottom) that showed a break-down of the major components; and I had a question about one of them, since reading something for which the end of the barrell is threaded – is that a “silencer” for that rifle? if yes, is it legal to own one? If yes, would Sig Sauer even offer that for sale to the general public. Not interested in owning one – just curious. Would appreciate a simple yes/no answer: never saw one before. Thanks. Steve Hummel

  49. A flash hider, not a suppressor, is pictured. The Sig716 will take a suppressor. It is legal to own one though I understand there are bureaucratic hoops and significant expense to legally get one. Sig Sauer does make suppressors and they call them silencers.

  50. Hi !
    I was surfing the webb and trying to find stuff about the computer game Arma3.
    When I typed Sig Sauer on google your review came up and when I saw the Optic on the Sig Sauer 716 I realy need to ask about type, brand, name, history.
    Please could anyone help me?

    Best regards

  51. Let me start by saying that the Sig 716 is an absolutely superlative piece of hardware and worth every dime of your hard-earned money! Now, that being said, any new firearm (handgun or rifle) MUST be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned, inspected for burrs, metal shavings, etc. and then LIGHTLY re-lubed and re-assembled BEFORE you put the first round through it! Take my word for it, anyone who shoots a new firearm right out of the box without doing everything I have mentioned before shooting it, IS ASKING FOR POTENTIAL PROBLEMS!! Then, take the weapon down and clean it again after every shooting. In regards to the Sig 716, the new owner MUST make sure that the adjustable gas setting is in the correct position (normal)! And for what it is worth, your new Sig 716 is chambered in 7.62×51 NATO. Did you see those markings on the weapon? I suggest you take heed of that caliber marking! The Sig 716 IS NOT chambered in .308! 7.62×51 NATO and .308 ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE regardless of what you may have read or heard from various sources including Sig! Stick with the cartridge the weapon was built to fire! There is PLENTY of 7.62×51 NATO ammo out there to experiment with. Find the best one for your particular rifle and stick with it! I also suggest that you steer clear of all the steel-cased Russian junk because they exert unnecessary stress and excessive wear on extractors and ejectors! I guarantee if you take my advice (for what it is worth) and follow my suggestions, your new 716 will give you many years of reliable and potentially life-saving service!! Good Luck…….

  52. I love my 716, it will be used more as a defensive type weapon. my AR 15 is my carry weapon. but with my set up of 500 yards around my house of clean tree less land the 716 is more then effective. ( we have a lot of wild hogs here) one shot one kill, anywhere I can see them from my look out. it runs cool and clean. ALL day shooter, Now I’m looking at getting the M11 pistol this fall…ahhhh what the heck might go total bad ass and get 2.

  53. Thanks for every other great article. Where else may anybody get that type of
    info in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the search for such information.

  54. A friend I know spent $1900 for one of these Sig Patrol Rifles in 7.62 Nato.
    When he showed it to me I laughed. It was a Base/Budget AR 10 that the seller engraned SIG on the mag well, added a piston kit, and had Mag-Pul crap AR furniture with the name Sig Sauer on it.
    The chamber was not even polished, the rounds would not lock in, got jammed and had to be forced out.
    The trigger was a typical cheap GI trigger that was over 7 Lbs in pull and scratchy. I let my friend pull the Timiny Match trigger on my AR15 and see the difference.
    Basically the Sig Patrol rifle is a budget AR10 that is un-finished and poorly assembled with the Sig Sauer name on it to trick the gun novice out there into spending big bucks on a piece of crap that’s worth maybe $700 tops.

    • You are 100% correct. My father and I both bought one of these rifles years ago. He traded his off a long time ago. I’m hoping that I can come somewhat close to breaking even on mine. The only way I that I can even shoot it without it jamming up, is setting it to adverse shooting. Very disappointed with spending over $2,000 dollars on a rifle. Wish to God that I would’ve just bought a Colt. Or hell, anything else. The Sig 716 is a piece of junk. I could’ve bought a John Deere Gator or some other 4 wheeler for what I paid for that piece of shit.

  55. I purchased my 716 in September 2019 and had immediate problems cycling 150 grain federal FMJ ammo through it. I tried shooting it and had the same cycling jams. the bullet would strike the breech and not go into the barrel. Some web suggestions were to use heaver grain ammo which was not acceptable to me after purchasing a SIG. It should NOT be ammo fickle in my opinion. Cutting off 1 mm from the tip of the ammo fixed the problem? Not acceptable again but a start. I sent the gun back to SIG they were very helpful and sent me the shipping labels and paid for it all. I received my gun back in 7 days and it now feeds the 150 grain FMJ round both manually and during live fire. While i give SIG credit for fixing the problem (polishing the feed ramp) i should not have had to do this for it to work properly. My Colts AR 15 A2 has never (really never) jammed with over 4000 round through it. I noticed that most 7.62×51 soft point ammo is about 1 mm shorter than the FMJ 150 grain ammo. I like the gun and will be using it for deer hunting in Michigan in two weeks. I hope this helps and wish me luck.
    Randy

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