Options for a SIG 716 Upper in 6.5 Creedmoor?

[Bangarang]

I have a SIG 716 in .308. I was thinking it might be fun to experiment with a DI upper in 6.5 CM with perhaps a 18-20 inch barrel.

Looking for some feedback. Would you build or buy one?

If recommending to build, what might the expected cost be for a decent build?

If recommending to buy one, then from who?

 

[loveha]

If you are talking about buying an upper from another company, forget about it. I researched the ever loving fuck out of it. The design is proprietary and the barrel is a combination of ArmaLite and DPMS. There is a thread on a Sig forum who did the leg work on what is needed to change the barrel to 6.5CM. Your best bet, now that Sig offers it in 6.5 is to just send it to them for a rebarrel. Or see if Sig will sell you an upper.

Barrel change if you don't want a Sig barrel.

*RANGE REPORT*Good news Sig 716 owners, 6.5 Creedmoor is...

12-23-17 NEW UPDATE. New update. The factory bolt doesn’t headspace correctly on a LR308 barrel. Headspace is off by about 7-8 thou on the loose end. I ended up ordering a JP High Pressure Bolt kit (complete kit with cam pin and firing pin about $200 on Brownells). The mating ring on the JP...

www.sigtalk.com

 

[FjallJager]

I ordered a 716 tread and it is supposed to be here next week. What triggers will work with it. My understanding is that the trigger on the 716 Tread sucks.

 

[loveha]

Not sure about the Tread, but my first gen 716 took just a regular trigger. Dropped a Triggertech in it.

 

[Bangarang]

I dropped in a $99 MBT trigger from LaRue. It was a huge improvement.

 

[Bangarang]

Just to clarify, I don't care if the new upper is piston driven. I was thinking that might simplify things somewhat.

 

[loveha]

Just to clarify, I don't care if the new upper is piston driven. I was thinking that might simplify things somewhat.

From my research, mind you this was a couple years ago, the Gen 2 with the 6 position gas block and longer hand guard wasn't even out yet. The trouble was just the design, no upper fit the lower. Since then I havent bothered looking into it again to see if something has come out. If you find something I would also like to know as I would like to build an 18"-20" 6.5CM my self.

 

[FjallJager]

The 716 is totally proprietary, you aren't going to be able to get another upper that will work unless it is from SIG.

 

[Defy Gear]

Years ago, my father bought one of these right before the (2nd? 3rd? 19th?) California assault weapons restriction went into effect as there was really limited inventory of 308 gas guns in the state, so he was stuck with whatever he could find on the shelf.

The rifle didn't function well out of the box and had some pretty severe issues, and Sig CS made the warranty process nearly impossible to return it for service. We went down the same rabbit hole OP did and eventually gave up and sold the rifle out of state.

Reading that thread on SigTalk, it was shocking the amount of effort Sig put into making it non-standard.

 

[Bangarang]

Sorry to hear about your father's issues with his rifle. I've had good luck with mine. Only had one issue that SIG handled promptly.
I bought mine in the panic of '08. If I had known it was going to be so non-standard I would not have bought it. My fault for not doing the research!