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Sig 716 Problem

34K views 82 replies 45 participants last post by  Lancer L5 AWM 
#1 ·
First of all I'm not the idiot on youtube that posted 12 videos of himself whining about sig. I'm new to these forums and I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong place or if this issue has been covered elsewhere.

Now then, I purchased a new Sig 716 yesterday with several boxes of ammo. All the ammo was expensive, brass cased ammo. I got home and broke the rifle down completely and did a extensive cleaning on the gun. Once it was complete I loaded up a mag with 5 rounds and put in the mag well with the bolt locked to the rear, I released the bolt and it went forward and chambered a round but it sounded VERY sloppy instead of slamming a round home into the chamber. In fact it didn't even fully go into battery... it almost did but it lacked about a quarter of an inch from being all the way. I then tried to manually eject a round and the bolt was completely locked/jammed into place and wouldnt move. I tried using the forward assist and put it all the way into battery but it was still locked into place and wouldn't move. I had to get a screwdriver and pry the bolt open to get the round out.

There is a guy named Spyke on youtube who was having the exact same problem as me, identical. However when he broke his rifle down and cleaned it the problem was eliminated and his rifle would manually cycle fine. Cleaning didn't do a damn thing for me.

So I tried it for the third time and of course the bolt was locked shut again. I am getting pretty ****** at this point. I throw on my hearing protection and go outside, point downrange and fire. Of course the bolt opens and ejects the case fine and locks to the rear. I then loaded up 4 more rounds into the mag, dropped the bolt and as always it sounded sloppy and weak and didn't go all the way into battery. I used the forward assist to move it up that tiny quarter inch into batter and took the safety off and squeezed the trigger putting all four rounds downrange without a single problem with the bolt locking to the rear on the last shot. The gun shot absolutely fine. I then tried a final time to manually cycle rounds and to no avail it still wouldn't and I had to pry it open again.

Can anyone please help? I love this gun and I worked very hard and paid $2100 (tax and all) for it. I really want it to perform flawless. Had anyone had this problem before? Any remedies? Any tips? Thanks in advance and sorry this was so long winded.
 
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#32 ·
Question for winter

Have you tried doing it with a different mag or just the one that came with it?
 
#58 ·
Have you tried doing it with a different mag or just the one that came with it?
Experienced and marine corps shooters agree this is probably the best solution for all FTF issues besides using bad ammo:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.
When I took my 716 out of the box, I found the BCG to be filthy to my standards. Clean means a qtip come up white; you jareheads know the drill. This was not just shipping grease, it was grease over carbon. The bolt face was so dirty it looked a bit corroded. It may be a good thing they are test firing, but this was unsat for a wespon to sit in inventory in this condition.
 
#33 · (Edited)
OK......... to much reading so I stopped but I read your first post. I to have a brand new 716. Bought a couple expensive brass cased ammo. Went out today and shot it. Same problem. But I was able to kick the rounds out from a wood dowl down the pipe which freed my bolt up. All new ammo was all doing the same. So my grandpa said hang on a damn min. Came back with some target reloads. Every round shot perfect. Not one issues. I think the issues is everything is just to tight. It has to break in. I think the reload caseing are smaller so it didnt cause the issues. So unstead of shooting we went into the shop and reloaded 200 rounds. Now no issues. Not everyone reloads or likes reloads but it solved the same problem you had to a T. Plus he tought me how to reload so it was a win win




PLUS...... were you using 308 or 7.62x51. I was using 308. Which 308 is ok just probley not the best for break in
 
#34 ·
I just took my brand new Sig 716 out to the range yesterday (3/4/3013) and had this exact same problem several times. I did not break the gun down prior to use. I was using MagTech NATO rounds, 20 round Magpul mag, and it was about 32 degrees out. The charge handle would chamber the first round, but on subsequent attempts after firing, the bolt would not completely engage the next round. Then the bolt would get stuck and be very difficult to draw back to clear the chamber. I was thinking it was some noob error on my part, but after looking around, this may not be the case. Kind of a pisser given what I was expecting with gun on this quality.

Today, I am going to break the gun down and see if that helps. If it does not, I may be calling Customer Service.
 
#37 ·
Second Trotter

I did the same thing.... Clean and Oil and took it to the range this weekend. Flawless

And I was a little worried because without firing it my gun was experiencing some of the symptoms that the video was.

Humble Advice-The only video you should watch before you shoot your gun is one that shows you how to thoroughly clean it.
 
#40 ·
From one of my previous posts:

A discrepancy in the Sig 716 Owners Manual IPB (Illustrated Parts Breakdown).

The manual shows a firing-pin spring installed.

In actuality Sig opted not to use a firing-pin spring. So no firing-pin spring is used.

This is something that worried me for a day until I found out otherwise. Then all was better with the world!.... Griff
 
#43 ·
716 going into battery

Earlier this year, I purchased my 716 at the Pro Shop. At the range, I found that this gun would only chamber American Eagle brand ammo. Other ammo such as Brazilian or European 7.62/308 would not go into battery and cause the bolt to jam. All ammo was checked in a Dillon gauge and found to be ok. Just received the 716 back from Sig and have not had a chance to test.

My DPMS Panther in 7.62/308 did the same thing. It took 3 returns to the factory to correct. My Lewis eats anything right out of the box!
 
#44 ·
I finally had a chance to shoot my 716 last weekend, and like a lot of posts I've seen mine did the same thing. I shot maybe 100 rounds and I would say 40 of them jammed. Every few shots I had to use a rubber mallet to lightly tap the slider back. Looking at the round the casing had marks on it that the chamber was too tight. Has there ever been a resolution to this? It was a pretty frustrating day at the range.
 
#45 ·
I was frustrated too! Especially since I went through this very same problem with my DPMS. Problems occurred with Privi and CBC ammo. DPMS reworked the chamber 3 times to get it right. Have not had an opportunity to try the 716 after the rework. I sent 5 rounds of both the Privi and CBC with the gun so that they could test fire. Sig did not indicate the work performed which was disappointing. I hope that both DPMS and Sig are not sending these uppers to our troops. They don't have the luxury of using only American Eagle ammo. Fortunately, I only live a few miles from the Sig Pro Shop in NH. Hope to get to the range this weekend to run some ammo through the 716 and will report back.
 
#47 ·
Experienced and marine corps shooters agree this is probably the best solution for all FTF issues besides using bad ammo:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.
 
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#48 ·
Got to the range with my repaired 716. It was better...instead of every round not going into battery, I was able to fire three to four rounds before the jam. I did get a copy of the repair report which indicated that they replaced the upper and polished the chamber.

Drove down to the Sig Pro Shop, explained the issue and without hesitation they replaced the gun. I have to admit that I was not too optimistic. Went back to the range and the new 716 ate everything that it was fed...Privi, CBC and even some surplus S. Korean linked ammo! The action was smooth and the spent cases were not deformed around the rim as before. Out of the box without sighting in, I was placing 3-3.5" groups at 100y.

The guys at the Pro Shop redeemed my faith in Sig! Now its back to the range after re-installing the optics.
 
#50 ·
Went back to the range and the new 716 ate everything that it was fed...Privi, CBC and even some surplus S. Korean linked ammo! The action was smooth and the spent cases were not deformed around the rim as before. Out of the box without sighting in, I was placing 3-3.5" groups at 100y.
Makes me want to swap my rifle out, too.

Mine does horribly with CBC ammunition, and requires 168 gr SMKs.

No failures with CBC, but minute of Family - Size Pizza at 100 meters :(
 
#51 ·
I had the same issue with mine when I first got it. I went to the Sig Training Center and store here in NH and one of the guys said that it is really tight and no matter what others may tell you at Sig, there defenitely is a breaking in period, he said 500 rds should do it.he also said to run it really wet for those 500 but won't need to after that. Mine has been great after the first 100 rds. It eats everything. I thought it was an ammo issue at first. I felt the same way...how do you spend 2k and need a break in period? Once it ran right, I'm just glad it runs fine now, I love mine
 
#53 ·
My 716 has the same problem. I took it to the range Saturday for the first time and left after 42 rds and hammering the stuck bolt open 3 times.
Here is the wierd part. Of the 42 rds fired, 20 were Monarch steel & they shot without a problem. It was the brass jaming. Came home read this forum and went back today.(Sunday)
I lubed the BCG with SuperLube. I shot 100 rds of Monarch no problems. Swithed to brass cased and started getting FTF. Then I tried shooting the brass cased ammo on the adverse gas setting and fired 60 rds with no problem.Go fiqure.Is it fixed? Don't know but its better. That's a total of 202 rds thru this new rifle. Hope this might help someone else.
 
#57 ·
I purchased this rifle about a year ago. Had a similar issue, the rifle did require a few trips to the range before it began to break in. However key for me was to use grease. I think that's ridiculous to have to do that but that's what it required. I don't have it anymore I sold it and bought a POF. Its a good gun for the money its just that some run better then others. I've talked to other guys who's 716 rifles did fine right out of the box.
 
#59 ·
Funny I just got a new 516 pistol upper not to long ago and it was dirty like you said. I was ****** at first but thought ok at least they tested it. Piston systems can be finicky so if it passed sig testing I figured I'm GTG out of the box. So far that upper has swallowed everything I've fed it. The bolt face was black w copper and soot...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.
 
#60 ·
I am having the same issues, the chamber is so tight, the only way to remove a chambered round is by Mortaring the rifle, or shooting it.
I have never had a problem with cycling a follow up shot, or a failure to eject.
The rifle will not go to full battery by JUST releasing the bolt catch! I have found that while the bolt is locked back, if I use the charging handle, not the bolt release, the bcg will drip into full battery.
I still have about another 150 rounds to get through the recommended break in period, but I find this to be the most reliable way to get the rifle to function as intended.
I did not have this issue with my 516, that one has always functioned perfectly.
I hope this helps someone.
 
#61 ·
To me this is a bunch of Bullsh*t. That gun should work right out of the box. You should not have to spend $15-$200 worth of ammo to "break in" the gun....If Sig is telling you to do that then we should make a post about it as it adds that much money to the true cost of the weapon. Personally if this gun was mine it would be on its way back to Sig and let them sort it out....with their time, their money and their ammo.....
 
#63 · (Edited)
Another problem 716

I bought a new 716 last week. It's the later version with the SIG stock and pistol-grip. I cleaned all of the factory lube out, and used FROG lube to re-lubricate the BCG and all other internals. While waiting for a bench at the range, another shooter asked me if I'd had any problems with it. I told him that this was the first outing with it. He told he was there to test his FDE 716 that had just been returned to him for the SECOND time from SIG after service. He had been having FTF problems with the gun. SIG polished the feed ramp and chamber the first time he had returned it, but the problems persisted. So he sent it back again.

My gun was balky at first. Sometimes it would chamber a round. Sometimes it wouldn't. I was using White Box .308, and some good quality S&B FMJ. Accuracy was awful. 4"-6" groups @ 100yds off a rest with a Vortex PST scope. However the other guy was having an even worse time of it. His gun would not chamber a round. I offered to let him try one of my new PMAGS. It didn't help. I gave him some of my ammo. It didn't feed. Some of the rounds I gave him were FMJs with a cannelured 150 gr bullet that were neck crimped. Attempting to chamber them was smashing the tips of the bullets, and actually driving the the bullet down further into the shell case despite the crimped cannelure! He finally gave up and left.

I checked a few of my rounds by ejecting them from the chamber before firing. The tips were also badly damaged. I assume that was at least partly responsible for the poor accuracy. I then noticed that two areas on the barrel breach face, just below the radiused mouth of the chamber were smeared with brass jacketing. Apparently, the feed ramps are not lifting the bullet tips up far enough to cleanly enter the chamber. The bolt carrier is mashing the tips on the breach before they are finally forced into battery. I found that if I slowly closed the bolt with the charging handle, the round will catch on the breach and stop the bolt EVERY time, no matter what ammo I try. It seems like the barrel extension is not cut properly. The feed ramps are perhaps too far forward so that leading ogive of the bullet is too small in diameter when passing between the bolt lug cuts that are centered in the feed ramps to raise the point up high enough to cleanly enter the mouth of the chamber. Polishing the ramps will not make any difference. The basic geometry is wrong. If the ramp were set back slightly further, or had a more obtuse angle, they would engage a fatter cross section of the bullet, thus raising the point more.

I called SIG today and they want me to send the rifle in for service. However after talking to the other 716 owner at the range, I don't want to keep sending a rifle back and forth if there is no real fix for the design flaw. I asked if there was any buy-back option, but was told no. So I guess I'm stuck with a $2,000 problem.

Teakdust
 
This post has been deleted
#65 ·
That has always been my experience with FN rifles too - super reliable and very accurate. The British Army used to carry the FN LAR back in the 70's and it was one of the most accurate rifles I've ever shot with open sights.

I decided to pass on the 716 and 556 a couple of weeks ago and bought another Colt HBAR 6721 instead. I would like to buy a Sig rifle one of these days but, I didn't want to gamble that kind of $$$$ on a potential problem-child. My new AR-15A3 has over 150 rounds thru it so far without any malfunctions whatsoever and shoots MOA groups @ 100 yards with Wal Mart ammo - 55gr Winchester 5.56 to be specific. I think that's pretty good for a 16" bbl carbine.
 
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