The SIG SG 530 was a Swiss assault rifle developed in the 1960s by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) to take the then-new M193 ball and M196 tracer .223 Remington military rounds.^[1]

Development

Development of the rifle started in 1963 as a joint project between SIG and Beretta. The latter had already cooperated with SIG on the production of the SG 510-4 rifle for Chile. Initial prototypes of the 5.56 mm rifle used the delayed-blowback operating system of the SIG SG 510. However, this operating system proved to be problematic with the relatively "weak" 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, and the designers were forced to use a gas-operated, roller-locked system. In 1968, Beretta ceased development with SIG, and went to work on their own 5.56 mm rifle design resulting in the outwardly similar AR70, later known as AR70/223. Due to a lack of sales, SIG abandoned the SG 530 in the 1970s in favor of developing the SG 540 series.

Bibliography

• Hogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John S. Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Iola, WI, 7th edition, 2000. Pages 280–281. ISBN 0-87341-824-7.

See also

• SIG SG 540
• SIG SG 550
• SIG Sauer SIG516
• Beretta AR70/90
• FARA 83
• List of assault rifles

References