SIG SG 510-4
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 505 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.25 kg
- Introduced
- 1963
About
What it is, and why it matters
The SIG SG 510-4 is the export-oriented battle rifle variant of the Swiss Sturmgewehr 57 (Stgw 57), rechambered from the Swiss-only 7.5x55mm GP11 cartridge to the more widely available 7.62x51mm NATO. Introduced in 1963 by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, the 510-4 retains the Stgw 57's roller-delayed blowback action and fluted chamber, but features a shorter and lighter barrel, simplified diopter sights, a wooden forearm in place of the perforated metal handguard, an integrated forward-mounted bipod, and omits the recoil buffer of the original. The result is a more conventional-looking, lighter, and more affordable battle rifle that found buyers in Latin America, most notably Bolivia and Chile, who issued it as a primary infantry arm.
Switzerland's roller-delayed Stgw 57 was so meticulously over-engineered for the 7.5×55 GP11 cartridge that SIG had to hollow out half the design to make it affordable for export - and even then, only Bolivia and Chile bit. The semi-auto American Match Target (AMT) version, sold to US civilian shooters, was prized for its surreal 600-meter battle-sight accuracy out of the box.
The 510-4 differs from the Stgw 57 in: caliber (7.62 NATO vs 7.5x55 GP11), barrel length (505 mm vs 583 mm), weight (4.25 kg vs 5.7 kg), forearm material (wood vs metal), sights (simpler diopter), and absence of recoil buffer. Magazines are 20-round detachable box; can fire rifle grenades.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- SIG Sauer
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- Switzerland
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1963 to 1983
- Variant of
- Caliber
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 505 mm
- Overall length
- 1015 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 790 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2940 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Maximum range
- 3500 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Roller delayed blowback
Fluted chamber
Wood forearm
Integrated bipod
Rifle grenade capable
Winter trigger guard
Diopter sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 4.25 kg | 4.30 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1015 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 505 mm | 458 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the SIG SG 510-4
How much does the SIG SG 510-4 weigh?
The SIG SG 510-4 weighs 4.25 kg (9.37 lb) empty.
What caliber is the SIG SG 510-4?
The SIG SG 510-4 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the SIG SG 510-4 hold?
The SIG SG 510-4 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the SIG SG 510-4?
The SIG SG 510-4 is 1015 mm (40.0 in) long overall, with a 505 mm (19.9 in) barrel.
Who makes the SIG SG 510-4?
The SIG SG 510-4 is made by SIG Sauer (Germany). It was designed by SIG.
When was the SIG SG 510-4 introduced?
The SIG SG 510-4 was introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 1983.
How does the SIG SG 510-4 operate?
The SIG SG 510-4 uses a roller delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Bolivian Armed Forces
- 1963
- Chilean Armed Forces
- 1963
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/sig-510-4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "sig-510-4", "name": "SIG SG 510-4", "manufacturer": { "id": "sig-sauer", "name": "SIG Sauer", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1985, "website": "https://www.sigsauer.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "944f4088befdcee3b0aa7caf122998351ef3d78abc525a2bdec9df81e65a6b30" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "CH", "year_introduced": 1963, "barrel_length_mm": 505, "weight_empty_g": 4250, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}