The Last Swiss Battle Rifle: SIG-Manurhin 542 (in .243)

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After the failure of the SIG 530 rifle (a gas operated, roller locked design), SIG looked for a much simpler rifle design, in both operation and manufacture. What they came up with was fundamentally AK-like, with a two-lug rotating bolt in a very AK-like carrier and a long stroke gas piston. The upper and lower assemblies of the rifle were both made of sheet steel stampings. The whole design is very easily disassembled, economical to produce, and reliable in the field. The main focus was on a 5.56mm version with hopes for Swiss military adoption (which would indeed come to pass). However, as a way to hedge its bets, SIG also scaled the rifle up slightly for a 7.62mm NATO sized cartridge, and designated this the SG 542.
Swiss law prevented SIG from selling rifles to foreign military powers, so instead SIG licensed the design to Manurhin of France. They made both military and civilian copies of the 540 and 542 between 1978 and 1988. The civilian copies were in .222 Remington and .243 Winchester, as French law heavily restricted civilian ownership of military caliber rifles at the time. Only a few were imported into the US, and this example from Larry Vickers’ collection also includes a very scarce original SG542-marked Hensoldt scope and mount.
Contact:
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[@Bojangles6]

That grip storage is for your skittles. Or crayons, depending on your branch of service and mos.

[@Soff1859]

In the SIG550 there is a loading tool for magazines in pistol grip compartment. At least in the army issue ones. Maybe that was the same for the 540 series but they just didnt have a fitting tool for .243 or it got lost somewhere along the way.

[@mpetersen6]

Its Swiss by way of France (no wonder it caught Ian's interest). That space in the hand grip is for storing your chocolate to nibble on while at the range

[@goaliesforpres]

Can confirm it’s for candy/chocolates

[@tiagobraga1480]

Lmfao, huge sad if true

[@TheMCD1989]

Looks hard to fit a Toblerone in there 🤣

[@Niinkai]

Swiss military: Why can't you develop a normal rifle?! Swiss engineers: *screaming in defiance*

[@gergokerekes4550]

if it has no 300 moving parts at least then are you even working?

[@ulvschmidt7174]

@@gergokerekes4550 every Swiss engineer who is not making watches is trying too compensate for the fact they are not maki g watches

[@kylebrogmus8847]

The Swiss: “We invented LSD. Did you really think we would make a normal gun?”

[@theartofwar551]

@@kylebrogmus8847 OMG LUL

[@edl617]

243 is a great hunting round

[@MrMisterDerp]

Does every person at RIA know Ian’s number by now? Also, does Ian have his own parking spot at RIA? I feel like he should....

[@berndf.aus.n.a.d.w]

And his own Coffee Mug and Toilet...

[@akivak4660]

MrMisterDerp He is probably on their payroll by now.

[@jic1]

When I first started watching these videos, I thought Forgotten Weapons was produced by RIA and Ian was one of their employees.

[@tomalong99]

I think at this point RIA just sends a car to the airport.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

On the plus side, they loan me a company car when I'm in town filming. On the minus side, they don't give me any discount on the buyer's premium.

[@gabbycross32]

"Sig and Beretta teamed up" made this rifle more interesting

[@jonathanbohm6489]

It’s like the handshake Dillon and Dutch had in Predator

[@bromine_35]

50. Conversion kit sold seperately.

[@ronmatson5502]

I saw sig manurhin and my mouth dropped

[@philips.5563]

Spoiler: This is a stealth French rifle video.

[@comradesoupbeans4437]

every FW video is a stealth french video if you conspiracy theory hard enough

[@leterrierdinari2861]

Graeme Xavier Schmidt well, if we really want to play that game, the French invented smokeless powder so we could say that every modern weapon has a little bit of Frenchness to it.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Beretta and SIG teamed up to develop an new, intermediate round, assault rifle. Then Beretta guys discovered the Swiss designers were... Swiss.

[@mfree80286]

Hehehe, SIG sends the first set of design drawings to Beretta, and... what's Italian for "WTF?"

[@redstar96gr57]

"Che cazzo?" would fit?

[@ggdszzvx0509]

​@@redstar96gr57lovely

[@fritzbucher4726]

I love the .243. Such an underrated caliber. Super fast and flat shooting. And very pleasant to shoot.

[@Militaryarmschannel]

The scope locking system is taken from the AR18, its design is nearly identical.

[@friendlyreptile9931]

AR 18 = 1969 and this thing 1963... ?

[@johnsmith7298]

If you squint your eyes the entire gun looks like an old school Colt M16

[@ozdavemcgee2079]

Back when military and semi autos were legal in Australia, pistol grips were the main issue. M14 ok. AR15 nono in some states. Had this been made with no pistol grip, it would have sold well in 60s and 70s. The 243 cal was quite popular for pigging then.

[@Joshua_N-A]

The closest thing would be Kel-Tec SU-16. We only got 12 gauge break actions here in Sarawak, Malaysia. Airsoft is a included in no-no list. Expect the shotguns being homemade because going the legal way will make California look pro gun.

[@thomasmusso1147]

243 .. results in more than desired spoiled meat. Not the best for harvesting meat for the larder.

[@lordsummerisle87]

@@thomasmusso1147 .243 is popular for gamekeepers and deer stalkers in the UK, kinda a "do most things" rifle. Fox, deer (roe, CWD, muntjac, Sitka and Red), maybe even feral hogs if you've got them. Some keepers will even take small vermin like sitting corvids with it -- expensive but if it's the only gun you've got with you... Are there "better" rounds for each of these jobs? Yeah sure but it's a perfectly adequate medium for a multipurpose tool. Other advantages of .243 in the UK are that non-gun-minded keepers, ghillies/guides and landowners won't blink at it if you turn up with one; non-gun-technical police staff won't blink at it when you file your paperwork; most country gunshops will have a few different loads on the shelf; components are fairly easy to get if you handload. There's also a cultural thing that meat spoilage is lower priority than a quick and humane kill, whatever the beast.

[@boomerisadog3899]

@@loquat44-40 I have some friends down in Florida that use dogs to catch the hogs and take them home alive. They feed them corn for about a month to make the meat taste better.

[@johnortmann3098]

All the 10-year-old girls you hear about who deer hunt use .243. I've never shot any, but I'm guessing it's pretty mild..

[@markvines7308]

I quite like the look of this rifle,.. I'm also fond of the .243.

[@wildghostoutlaw1595]

Same here.

[@boomerisadog3899]

55 grain .243 will defeat most body armor. It's a very underrated caliber.

[@Deadtileyedie]

Agreed

[@dominicdecaro3757]

Yeah it's a good looking rifle

[@kevdupuis]

As a teen deer hunting with my father I would usually be shooting an old Monarch Majestic in .243 Win, it definitely is a sweet round.

[@vicarus2728]

"The Beretta took what they have done and made the AR70. SIG took the work that had been none and developed 530." "One hour in the swiss gun workshop equals 8 days on the Earth"

[@dominicdecaro3757]

So what, it's like a temporal distortion from TNG?

[@D7Origin]

The Swiss make an over complicated rifle? Then copy the AK operating system and make a new rifle? The Finnish would like to know your location.

[@to3ta64]

LOL 😆

[@myotherlifed9554]

The finnish military will punish you for thinking about a rifle in swiss prize range

[@colbunkmust]

@@myotherlifed9554 Uh, ever looked at the price of a Sako TRG?

[@myotherlifed9554]

@@colbunkmust the trg is sniper rifle not a service rifle. Snipers dont use their rifles for playing golf

[@colbunkmust]

@@myotherlifed9554 your previous comment said "rifle", it did not specify "service rifle".

[@konstantinavilov1192]

Good and evil are fighting to death in Ian's head! Both "[Sh]turmgewehr" and "[S]turmgewehr" in the same video!

[@herosstratos]

It's north against south. Northern Germany: [S]turmgewehr. “Er stolpert über den spitzen Stein.“

[@konstantinavilov1192]

@@herosstratos I don't speak German, but, as far as I know, in all European non-German-speaking countries (including Russia) it is standard to pronounce [Sh]turmgewehr and [Sh]teyr (obviously, following Southern German speech). UPD: The Swiss, I guess, stick to the southern variant... Just because of geography.

[@herosstratos]

@@timewave02012 s-t (and s-p) regional spread in Germany: www.atlas-alltagssprache.de/stein/

[@konstantinavilov1192]

@@herosstratos This article (if I get it right) seems to state that [sh] is absolutely predominant in Germany, and [s] is becoming archaic. And the people contacting the Germans from outside hear (and copy into their languages) predominantly the [sh] variant. Of course, English speakers who borrow German words through written text and not live speech have some kind of right to read the words in the English way, but... They actually don't have the right. =) If you say "Sturmgewehr", say it the (predominant) German way. Otherwise, say "assault rifle".

[@florihae]

@@konstantinavilov1192 as a Swiss I can confirm, we use the [Sh]turmgewehr as well.

[@CssHDmonster]

ian, we need a flowchart to explain the origin of this rifle

[@jeanackle]

@Graham Replace "Swiss watch maker" with "Swiss railway cars maker" and you've got it. ;-)

[@jeanackle]

I... can't argue with that.

[@mpetersen6]

Probably about as complicated as the operating diagram for the TurboEncapulator

[@lovecraftcat]

It's a Swiss Borsch

[@UCmDBecUtbSafffpMEN3iscA]

@Graham I love this

[@thesturm8686]

Beretta : "it's good because it's simple!" SIG : *space magic screeching*

[@blarghinatelazer9394]

*Swiss space magic*

[@Axonteer]

Im swiss and i love every time when i learn something new about my country - well expect the notion that "its from switzerland, and its expensive" - tell me what isnt expensive here xD

[@RiderOftheNorth1968]

Well, to be fair to Swiss made products: It is usually expensive and well made! High quality costs!

[@phileas007]

actually surplus straightpulls are much cheaper here than in the states :)

[@desroin]

@@nirfz I was about to say the same, the highway toll is really cheap compared to Austria xD

[@stefankrebs7593]

It's eypensive but really good and well thought trough...

[@helljester8097]

Love how the sg550/ sturmgewehr90 looks like a small evolution of this rifle. The bolt, carrier and even the scope mounting system are all almost identical. And yes the plastic hand guards probably feel just as cheap but later on its what holds the bipod to the gun!

[@cdawson198600]

Looks like an sg550 and the FAL had a baby.

[@ricoblaser7231]

In 1991 our battalion was converted to the new "small caliber rifle Stgw 90". We handed in our heavy Stgw 57 and initially enjoyed the low weight. In the following weeks some of the new assault rifles broke. Most of the time the folding stock broke. The old 57 we were able to use it in house-to-house warfare to have two men lift a third person with it - no longer worked with the new 90. In the following years we were equipped with grenade launchers, lasers and lamps on the rifle. In the end it was almost as heavy like the old 57.

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

The 542-2 folding stock is very solid and not uncomfortable at all. I used it during conscription in an armored regiment in Chile, back in 2001. Then the old 510 was still in service as marksman rifle, maybe to this day.

[@KLC937]

Yo use el sig 542 en mi servicio militar durante un año en el ejército de Bolívia fue en el Reg Andino Murillo 19 de infantería. Es una excelente arma muy fácil su mantenimiento y de una gran precisión cuando la conoces.

[@cedi3550]

Man it’s cool to see the “predecessor” to the SG550. There are a few things that were simplified and improved and it turned into a really simple and nice rifle, although unnecessarly long and heavy. Will you also do a video on the SG550 in the future? Would be pretty neat to see!

[@helljester8097]

I would love to see his take on it, unfortunately I fear the ssg550 sniper rifle video will be the closest we get to that...

[@jacksin3323]

I bet this thing is smooooth in .243... What a smart way to engineer also. Very very well thought out.

[@kurttank8963]

SIG rifle with odd caliber made in France? Damn cold war overmatch it's so beautiful...( I also likes Chilean 9mm SMG version of this rifle , SAF)

[@Sp1der44]

That is a very cool rifle design! Seeing how that gas block worked and that you could take it off for cleaning is genius! Great Video Ian!

[@Bacteriophagebs]

I suspect that if the .243 Win had been the battle rifle caliber instead of 7.62, it would have taken a lot longer for the U.S. and other marksmanship-focused militaries to switch to something smaller. Such good ballistics with so little recoil.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

@P. Cameron Yes, that's why 5.56 became the NATO standard, and would have eventually. But even in Vietnam, the U.S. was trying to use full-auto 7.62 guns. .243 is significantly lighter than 7.62. Not as much as 5.56, but the military doesn't like to change, and .243 would likely have been "good enough" at volume fire while being superior in ballistics, so it would have stuck around longer. Which is what I said in the first place.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

@P. Cameron Yes, file all that under "shit I already know." You seem to be unable to understand even when I spell it out for you, so I give up on trying to explain it to your dense ass.

[@AdmiralBosch19]

I've been waiting for you to do a Swiss rifle. Very neat to see the design heritage of the 550 series, I love my 556.

[@pancake6977]

Tank you for sharing Ian, this SIG makes my day :D

[@Deadtileyedie]

Man this is AWESOME and I'm a fan of 243..always wondered why it wasn't more common in battle battles rifles seems like it would be perfect in my opinion

[@superamp2724]

As fiberglass is added to the plastic for strength and heat it feels cheaper but isn't.

[@newdefsys]

Sorry, but that handguard looks cheap. And no heat shield either. Great rifle, cheap handguard

[@johnchristopher20]

Another great posting from our favorite historian.

[@TheOdst219]

French made Swiss Rifle? Ian's walking home with this.

[@Chiller01]

@@johndaugherty4127 Larry Vickers seems to be selling, don’t know if he’s buying.

[@NigelCarlsbadFan70]

Every time he referenced the removable gas block I was reminded of that Bubba'd 74U from the summer where the gas block was never properly pinned and it flew off while firing.

[@pythonBlender7]

After a working knowledge of gun mechanics I just come for the stories and lore. Did not disappoint

[@thanos9846]

Clean looking rifle. Nice work.

[@jameswoods7276]

That selector indicator window is pretty cool. Seeing it I'm kind of surprised it never caught on.

[@battlelord42]

Thank you so much Ian! I've been wondering how the gas system worked on this family of rifles for years.

[@wertyline806]

This video gave me so much nostalgia from when I was using them in the army.

[@calebnation7797]

.243 is a great caliber for deer. And it’s pretty good for long distances too. But kinda neat to see it in something like yhis

[@TheGrumpyChuckChannel]

Wish someone would copy this gun instead of ARs and AKs. Nothing against them, just would like to see something else for a change.

[@adamlewis5765]

A lot of people, and I really do mean a lot, would have to put in orders for one before someone would attempt to remake one.

[@baneofbanes]

You do realize that sig sells semi auto rifles on the civilian market right? If you want a sig rifle buy a sig rifle.

[@mechredd]

I really want a Sig 556. Its a 550 that takes AR mags and has a pic rail for optics. I don't think that they're imported anymore.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

AR-18/180 is a better design than AR-15/M-16, and many modern rifles are based on AR-18. But perhaps you're including AR-18 with AR-15? IMO they're quite different designs.

[@fetishartist137]

I hear ya. I have a brother in law that only speaks AR-15. There's so much more out there and it's so much fun.

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

I was conscripted almost 20 years ago, but as far as I remember, the FAMAE version has a lot of small differences. It would be interesting to see. They also developed a scaled down 9mm SMG.

[@MastersPipe]

They still make those to this day, mostly for training purposes but fully operational nontheless.

[@cougar2k720]

Yeah, the Famae SAF and SAF mini, kind of looks like a Mp5

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian .

[@fredboat]

Thanks for the show. , Pretty slick rifle.

[@TheMCD1989]

I'll keep putting it out there, I want to see a video on the FAMAE rifles from Chile! Specifically the SAF series subguns. I just find them really cool, love Swiss guns and love to see how they've been adopted and adapted internationally.

[@cougar2k720]

Arms and Guns does a few of them on the FAMAE SAF, the mini actually.

[@tomau0506]

Nicely made as usual Swiss product

[@G-Bill]

Love your videos man you are teaching me so much

[@Lopez1988chile]

Man this takes me back. I fired this rifle, the sig 540, 543 and even the 510 when I was in the chilean army. A common thing that kept happening when we used to do maintenance was that the spring would shoot itself forward and into the air almost everytime lol

[@leoarc1061]

A superb rifle. Cheap, simple, ergonomic. Perfect!

[@georgeseal8463]

Very nice video Ian. I used the FAMAE 7,62 NATO version of this rifle in Chilean Military School (Officer School, back in 1990 when we finished the last 2 years of high School there) and latter when I was a reservist. Brought back lots of memories! The version I used in Military School had 3 settings: safe, semi and 3 round burst. The version I used during the 2010s had full auto instead of 3 round burst. This latter version had Manhurin and FAMAE markings, something that baffled me. Now I understand the relation of the French revolver maker with this rifle. Our rifle had some differences. The system to assemble the upper and lower hand guards was different. It used a series of several small hooks that held the upper and lower halves together. To dissassemble, both pins came out of the rifle. We always separated both halves. You really needed your pocketknife screwdriver or at least a coin like metal piece to dissassemble the gun. The plastic tab that you need to move to free the charging handle could wear down a lot in old guns. ( We are a conscript army so the guns get new users over the years.) It's great when you get a refurbished or new gun. Of course the gun has a flash hidder at the muzzle and accepts a socket handle bayonet. I much prefer the Galil bayonet with a normal handle. Much more useful as a hand held knife. The bipod makes it very accurate to shoot prone. Standing up, you better get a good cheeck weld. I learned by getting bruised. A characteristic of this gun is it's forcefull ejection. The brass come out with a special dent. FAMAE also made 5,52 versions and offers upgrade kits for these guns with picantinny rails. They also sell civilian versions in Canada. These rifle was the basis of the FAMAE SAF (Subametralladora FAMAE/FAMAE Submachinegun). The SAF is FAMAE's greatest export success, mainly with police and correctionals. It has users in Chile, Portugal, Brasil, Panamá, Nicaragua and at least one more Central American country and possibly Uruguay. It's also marketed in North America.

[@giovannigiorgio4622]

fun fact- Australian farmers brought these for Dingo back in the day. (edit) the old man reckons they were a fairly average rifle for the price also.

[@Pyreleaf]

TheKurst not...emus?

[@giovannigiorgio4622]

@@Pyreleaf Dunno? when i catch up with my old man we sometimes watch gun Jesus, him being an old cocky. He was saying a fair few made it over here as dingo rifles the Sig's in 6mm. Emu's are near bullet proof ay hahahaha watch this ay..... The Great Emu War (its a real thing) kzbin.info/www/bejne/a53FgGV4o7tmd80

[@cynicalfox190]

Pyreleaf no not emus those things are damn near bulletproof

[@Pyreleaf]

TheKurst I know, it's why I brought it up 😁

[@-mage-5236]

When Ian uplods, you have to: - Instantly click on the notification - Instantly click like - Enjoy the vid because there's no way you can't enjoy it

[@ArcturusOTE]

I can definitely agree to that, Mage 1

[@KenworthW900HG]

Don't forget to instantly give a round of applods at the end of the video

[@PaulVerhoeven2]

DO NOT click like instantly, KZbin ignores likes from people who did not watch the video yet.

[@UCmDBecUtbSafffpMEN3iscA]

No need for that, I could just visit his channel daily without even having to subscribe and enable notifs, I'm just here to appreciate his beard every time

[@czane1526]

This looks gorgeous. It’s like someone mangled an AK74m and a G3 together in photoshop, and I love it dearly

[@linusreichert7707]

On this channel i see always the guns that i dident knew i wanted 😅

[@coyotearmory]

Funny enough I know a guy in canada with one of the chilean built versions, apparently the gas block decided to fly off and he's had a hell of a time getting it fixed.

[@maciejlewandowski7311]

This hole for safety and fire signs makes this gun 10x better than if it wouldn't have that magnificent feature. It's Awesome.

[@scooterdogg7580]

243 is a beautifully balanced cartridge

[@teaser6089]

What a beauty of a rifle!

[@n.a.4292]

Since Italy has fairly similar gun laws (like the 9x19mm and 9x21mm problem), Sig-Manurhin in .222 can still be found among Italian collectors.

[@chuckmangione4382]

That's freaking cool man

[@bethlaria812]

Thx ian this is a cool rifle

[@WilliePete.357]

Your music saved my life!

[@zacharyfrench9935]

That's awesome i love the .243 win cartridge. I use it to hunt whitetail I have a .270 and and a .308 but something about that .243 I love it

[@enricopaolocoronado2511]

I like the way this rifle looks. I'd like to see you shoot this rifle (or a replica model) at some point.

[@vincentkermorgant]

It wasn't a good rifle, you're not missing a lot

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@vincentkermorgant that's surprising to me, I can't imagine the Swiss making a bad rifle.

[@vincentkermorgant]

@@ScottKenny1978 It's not a "bad" rifle, it's a rifle that wasn't perfected,, The perfected version is the STGW90 (Sig 550)

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@vincentkermorgant ah, gotcha. Not the usual superlative Swiss rifle, but not a bad rifle.

[@brass427]

A lot in common with my Stgw 90. Obviously. But I like the safety on this one. It looks a bit easier to use. The scope fits the same way as the cartridge deflector keep the guy in the next stall from getting peppered with ejected cartridges.

[@dualsportrider3221]

Love what u do man. W all the models in the beginning, could u put a picture of each w dates. Time line I guess on the screen

[@kevinramsey6124]

I have a Sig 556 SWAT and it has many of the same style parts. I would like to see the accuracy of the rifle. Very informative, good work.

[@thedavidleveraction1776]

Very similar to my Sig 556. I know that the 556 was not a popular model, but with a Troy quad rail to free float the barrel, and a Sig MCX folding stock, it is now both more accurate and aesthetically pleasing.

[@victuff9765]

SIDEM UK bought several hundred SIG/Manurhin 540 and 542 rifles new from the factory cheap.... they were around 200 GBP each back in the mid-80's. I remember demonstrating them to 3 Para here in the UK. It was their first experience of burst fire trigger groups!

[@Throndl]

Gorgeous

[@xnopyt13]

It’s a shame that there aren’t any videos of this thing shooting, would be very interesting to see.

[@timeverett7828]

Don't see why militaries around the world didn't just adopt 243 Winchester as their primary cartridge. When you look at it... It's a great all-round option. Just as Ian mentioned. Many benefits over 5.56nato and 7.62nato. Today's world has 6.5 Grendel... Ultimate infantry cartridge choice. Used by some militaries in limited roles.

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Very Cool Battle Rifle !!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for showing this Sig-Manurhin 542 in 243 Winchester, Gun Jesus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lios3365]

love your videos

[@rusm5710]

Beautiful rifle

[@alexwersonig9996]

Here in Canada. We have Chilean manufactured 540 and 542 versions semi auto available for Civilian sales in 223 and 308 cal. Still made and updated stocks

[@nono1462]

Super vidéo bien expliqué 👍

[@spacewater7]

Somewhere about 6:50 'let me show you its features.' Here's to Ian getting to actually take a Pedersen to the range.

[@PlanetRibooted]

When restrictive national firearms laws give civilians a better cartridge in a military rifle than the military gets! 😂

[@lobstersrs]

Man I wish Swiss Sig rifles were imported into the US in greater quantities and they were more available. There's a few models I'd really like to at least get some time with, my very limited experiences with them have been honestly pretty impressive, and maybe that would change with more experience, but I'd like the chance to at least find out.

[@wesman7837]

that's a sweet riffle in a really fast cartridge, and twice the weight of a 5.56 for some real punch!

[@MrRiccardo1965]

You can also push in a side the trigger guard for winter gloves shoot

[@hugebartlett1884]

I really can admire you for remembering and recalling and lib all those numbers. Only a very keen interest in your subject could accomplish that.

[@456wjd]

Kinda like the Veprs that we used to get imported. They made some in .243 as well.

[@Steryon]

Videos on the 510, 550-Sniper, 550 Pump Action, now the 542. Still holding out hope for the SG550 / PE90

[@arizonarangerwiththebigiron]

I like it's simple but not too simple. It still has that swiss touch. I wonder how this rifle runs. Either way I like it a lot.

[@terrance2228]

Thanks!

[@Slowensko98]

the grip storage is used to store a fast reload device for stripper clips for the magazine. at least i'm used to it this way.

[@renegrand9591]

The sometimes needed screwdriver is on top of the bottle opener of every Swiss soldier's army knife.

[@jarencascino7604]

Battle rifles are sick

[@AssaultWeapons]

Here in Italy, this Sig Manurhin CSA in 243, and his counterpart FSA in 222 was the first models of such called black rifles, in late '80

[@AssaultWeapons]

Avaibles for civilian, obviously

[@ChiefMiddleFinger]

Had the US 556 SWAT model of the Swiss variation lineage. It had a very soft recoil impulse, but was too heavy by modern standards.

[@EvilWhiteGuy7.62]

That is sweet man... .243 is a great round. I love 7.62NATO and all its lineage

[@austintillman8297]

That is once classy looking rifle

[@jordanlawless632]

My Famae's sling buckle works for the gas block screw.

[@colemanmoore9871]

The gas rod is similar to the SVT-40 with the spring on the rod. The only difference is this has a gas piston on the front of the rod while the SVT-40 puts a cup on the rod and the piston is mounted to the gas block.

[@zbijacz07muly]

sexy gun, like 70's 80's super model.

[@tommywilson9836]

Very surprising to see Manuhrin make Korth level quality revolvers and go so utilitarian on a Swiss/Italian rifle.

[@schonka2]

I really like that the recoil spring is in front of the BCG! Why is this not done elsewhere?

[@zacharyrollick6169]

I've heard that the spring heats up and starts to lose tension after sustained firing.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

14:05 the gas block screw is rotated 180 degrees, not 90. Thanks for the cool review and history! The design is very much a variation on AK. The lower receiver and hardguards do look a bit thin gauge. It's a very thoughtful, simplified design. Main flaw is putting the recoil spring over the hot barrel, which could lead to a loss of spring temper, given enough heat. Keep in mind though, the Swiss general's comment to the Nazi general about what would happen if the German Army marched over the Alps into Switzerland. The Swiss General said his militiamen would each fire one shot, then go home. Swiss military doctrine is precision shooting, not spray and pray.

[@itsapittie]

Dammit! Now I want one!

[@RayTX1337]

The overall look and green color plastic parts is very reminiscent of early pattern G3 rifles. I wonder if they were going for the look on purpose to grab some H&K market share.

[@Playvoodoo]

Chile used this rifle back in the day.