Sig Sauer 716 G2 Patrol review: Unknown chamber marks on brass

[BravoSector1]

I made my weekly drive by of the BX last week and once again spied the same Sig Sauer 716 Gen 2 I had seen there since July 17. The $1,789 price tag had no doubt driven off most potential buyers, including me, but I decided to handle it for the first time. Lightweight...for a piston 762 gun the rifle was light, not SCAR 17 territory but close, at 9.5lbs dry. The rifle had a number of handling marks on it so I asked if they would move it at a discount. They said, "how about $1,325 out the door"...I left with it.

Pros:
Light weight for a piston .308 rifle
Proved to be accurate with match ammo
Fit/finish is very good - tight upper/lower match
Chambered, fired and ejected every single round -zero stoppages.

Cons:
No BUIS provided
A single 20 round magpul magazine provided
Unknown marks on case shoulder transition
Lawyer trigger - consistent 9.2lbs - I replaced it with a ChipMc single stage

I fired a total of 51 rounds of various COTS ammunition, and reloaded, during the initial sighting and test firing. I pushed through the X on any barrel break in and probably didn't let the rifle cool enough between strings so let that factor play in these results.

The rifle...

Loaded up with full 20 round mag, AD 30mm QD mount and NF 3.5-15 optic and QD atlas and Troy BUIS...

I fired 10 rounds of American Eagle 150gn to dial in the optic and start shooting for groups. All rounds fired at 100m. Rounds 31-50 were random accuracy checks on clay pigeons at 100m to finish out the range visit.

Shots 11-15 were standard 168gn FGMM - not bad

16-20 were of an opposite spectrum and I fired 5 rounds of 168gn FMJ Barnaul I've had for years

21-25 were a 180gn Hornady SST handload...(heat may have been a problem with the vertical stringing)

26-30 were a 168gn Hornady A-MAX handload...good results! (42gn IMR 4895, win primer - target says "SST", they were A-MAX rounds)

And the unknown. Notice the belt line at the shoulder of each round. Every single round fired from the rifle left this mark on the brass/steel. This is brass from 6 different factory/handload rounds fired during the session. There is definitely a hard ridge at the shoulder, I'm guessing and imperfection in the chamber (looking for input here) and unknown if this brass is now re-loadable. No pressures signs at this location on any of the brass but I can feel the ridge, step down, with my finger nail. Thoughts?

 

[FatBoy]

Do you have access to a bore scope? I would get a good look at that chamber.

 

[matt2143]

Yup that is a chip that rolled in the shoulder during cutting the chamber. With the QPQ finish on the barrel it is not repairable, it must be replaced.