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Stgw. 57 / Sig 510 assault rifle (Switzerland)

7.5mm SIG Stgw.57 assault rifle as used by Swiss army, left side, with folded bipod attached to rearward position

Semi-experimental 7.62x39 SIG 510-3 assault rifle as made for Finnish army assault rifle trials in late 1950s

7.62x51 NATO SIG 510-4 assault rifle, as made for export

7.62x51 NATO SIG AMT semi-automatic rifle, as made for civilian sales

Caliber: 7.5x55 mm GP11 (Stgw.57) or 7.62x51mm NATO (SIG 510-4)
Action: roller retarded blowback
Overall length: 1105 mm (1016 mm SIG 510-4)
Barrel length: 583 mm (505 mm SIG 510-4)
Weigth: 5.56 kg empty (4.25 rg empty SIG 510-4)
Magazine capacity: 24 rds (20 rds SIG 510-4)

Switzerland began to experiment with intermediate cartridges before the World War 2 and, being a neutral country, closely watched the developments made during and after the war. Being entirely satisfied with the power and accuracy of its 7.5 mm GP11 (7.5x55) cartridge, the Swiss army tried to achieve a full power selective-fire rifle. After a couple of false starts, first with the gas-operated Sk-46 self-loading rifle, and secondly with the most unusual AK-53 blow-forward design, the famous SIG company finally produced a weapon which satisfied the Army in 1955.
This was the 7.5 mm AM-55, a retarded blowback design, developed under the leadership of the Rudolf Amsler. The basic principles of the action were borrowed from German WW2 period Mauser 'Gerät 06H' and Stg.45(M) assault rifles, but with much altering involved. In 1957 the Swiss army adopted the AM-55 as the Schturmgewehr-57, or Stgw.57 for short. Made between 1957 and 1983, the Stgw.57 represented one of the finest and most expensive automatic rifles ever issued to any army in the world. Chambered for full power 7.5 x 55 GP11 ammunition, the Stgw.57 provides long range accurate shooting in semi-automatic mode, necessary for the typical Swiss mountain country, in combination with significant full auto firepower, thanks to its relatively heavy weight, integral bipod and a shrouded barrel. In the modified form, known as the SIG-510, this design was relatively successful, being sold to various South American countries, most notably Bolivia and Chile, chambered for 7.62 mm NATO ammunition. 

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