SIG 510

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SIG 510
Barrel 57.JPG
general information
Civil name: SIG 510
Military designation: Assault rifle 57 (Stgw 57)
Country of operation: Switzerland
Developer / Manufacturer: Rudolf Amsler /
SIG
Manufacturer country: Switzerland
Production time: 1957 to 1985
Model variants: SG 510
Weapon Category: Assault rifle
Furnishing
Overall length: 1105 mm
Total height: 583 mm
Weight: (unloaded) 6.1 kg
Sight length : 635 mm
Barrel length : Rifle 520 mm, with shooting cup and muzzle brake 690 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber : 7.5 × 55 mm Swiss (GP 11)
Possible magazine fillings : 24, 30 cartridges
Ammunition supply : Curve magazine
Cadence : 450 to 600 rounds / min
Fire types: Single and series fire
Number of trains : 4th
Twist : 270 mm
Visor : Diopter, up to 600 m, night visor.
Closure : Delayed mass closure
Charging principle: Recoil loader
Lists on the subject

The SG510 or SIG 510 , as a military version, Sturmgewehr 57 , abbreviated as Stgw 57 , was the standard assault rifle of the Swiss Army in caliber 7.5 × 55 mm in the second half of the 20th century. It was introduced in 1959/60 and replaced by the Sig 550 in the 1990s . In French the weapon is called fusil d'assaut 57 and in Italian fucile d'assalto 57 , it is abbreviated in both languages ​​as barrel 57 .

Overview

The Stgw 57 is a recoil charger with a delayed, two-part ground lock , similar to the G3 from Heckler & Koch . When firing, two retractable rollers delay the return of the bolt head and thus the extraction of the cartridge case until the pressure is largely reduced in the barrel. In order to avoid case tears, pressure compensation grooves are milled into the cartridge chamber. The shooting cup and the muzzle brake are an integral part of the barrel. The rifle can shoot either single or continuous fire .

The manufacturer was SIG (Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft), the designer was Rudolf Amsler. The Stgw 57 is heavier than other assault rifles, more elaborately manufactured (with bipod, handle, barrel jacket) and therefore more expensive. However, it is considered to be very accurate and still controllable in the burst , which is why it is one of the most precise assault rifles in the world. A total of almost 1 million of these weapons were manufactured, 740,000 of which were delivered to the Swiss Army.

Military operation

Stgw 57 with attached PE57 bayonet
Stgw 57 dismantled
Stgw 57, clasp

The Swiss Army used the Stgw 57 as a personal universal weapon. In the fusilier group, it replaced the carbine 31 , the Suomi M-31 submachine gun and the Lmg 25 ( Furrer system , knee joint).

The sliding bipod could be used as a center or front support. Single fire was emitted from the central support. In series fire, the Stgw 57 was preferably used on the front support, so that small wefts were achieved, and in continuous fire the shots were also prevented from migrating.

In addition, the Stgw was able to fire 57 rifle grenades ( shaped charge grenades for anti-tank defense and high-explosive grenades for fighting soft targets) with direct or bow fire. To combat more distant targets, these grenades had an additional propellant charge based on the rocket principle. To fire the grenades, a specially developed magazine with propellant cartridges had to be used, which blocked the bolt, and the weapon became a repeater . An insert in this magazine prevented the loading of the GP 11 , only the shorter drive cartridges fit into it. To take a low shot, the soldier did not shoot from the shoulder; he tucked the rifle under his arm. In order to avoid injuries to the finger from the trigger guard, an extension of the trigger, the winter trigger, could be folded down. For archery shooting, the rifle could be placed directly on the ground thanks to the rubber piston. The central supports then served as a target aid . On one spreader the distance scale for the archery without, on the other for the archery with additional propellant charge was attached. This made it possible to use a pendulum (cord with a pocket knife) to level the weapon at the estimated shooting distance. The maximum firing range of the grenades with an additional propellant charge (V 0 70 m / s) was 250 m in a low shot and 420 m in a bow shot.

Snipers received a slightly modified Stgw 57 on which a telescopic sight with four times magnification from the manufacturer Kern & Co could be attached. In addition, there was an infrared night vision device with a built-in infrared headlight for this weapon . ZF assault rifles were corps material, they were not part of personal equipment.

For export there was a simplified version called the SIG 510 with a shorter barrel, a smaller magazine (20 cartridges), without a bipod support , and a butt and fore-end made of wood instead of plastic . Of several offered variants, the SIG 510-4 in was NATO - caliber 7.62 x 51 mm to the South American countries Chile and Bolivia sold. Beretta manufactured some of these weapons under license in Italy. There were no further exports.

End of the 50s, the German bought army 50 copies in the caliber of 7.62 x 51 mm NATO and tested under the designation " G2 " parallel to the Spanish CETME model A . Like the Swiss models, 40 of the weapons had shoulder rests made of hard rubber and 10 made of wood.

Due to the prevailing demand in NATO at the time (see the development history of the M16 rifle ) for particularly light weapons, however, it was found to be too heavy and rejected.

Civil use

The Sturmgewehr 57 is approved for off-duty shooting in Switzerland. Since the introduction of the Assault Rifle 90 in 1990, however, sporting use has declined sharply.

Since 2003, the assault rifle can be upgraded with a rear sight and a ring sight. If the line of sight is extended by mounting it on the barrel, it is superior to the Assault Rifle 90 at 300 m. The designation in shooting sports is Stgw 57/03 and dates to 2003. The Stgw 57 that have not been upgraded are called 57/02. There is a VBS aids directory for both weapons, which regulates the trigger weights and permitted aids for all ordinance rifles.

Versions

  • SIG 510-1: Standard variant of the Swiss Army
  • SIG 510-2: lighter variant
  • SIG 510-3: uses caliber 7.62 × 39 mm (M 43)
  • SIG 510-4: uses caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO (.308 Winchester)
  • SIG AMT: semi-automatic civil version of the American Match Target for export, caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO (.308 Winchester), only small numbers
  • SIG PE 57: semi-automatic civil version, caliber 7.5 × 55 mm Swiss (GP 11) (not to be confused with privatized army models)

Web links

Commons : SIG 510  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Maxim Popenker, Anthony G. Williams: Assault Rifle - The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and its Ammunition . Rambsbury, Wiltshire, UK 2004. ISBN 1-86126-700-2 .
  2. Press release of the General Staff of February 27, 1997 [1]
  3. ^ Rolf Abresch, Ralph Wilhelm: Modern hand weapons of the Bundeswehr , Report Verlag, Frankfurt a. M. 2001. ISBN 3-932385-10-1