SIG introduced the 540 series of rifles in 1973, which included the full-length 540 in 5.56mm, the 541 in a number of experimental calibers for the Swiss military, the 542 in 7.62mm NATO, and the 543 carbine with an 11.8″ (300mm) barrel in 5.56mm. In 1978 they licensed production of the 540, 542, and 543 to Manurhin in France, to sidestep Swiss export laws. The rifles were sold to a wide variety of small nations in Africa, South America, Asia, and the Middle East – including Lebanon, where this example came from. A batch of 542 and 543 kits came into the US from Lebanon recently, and Troy Ess at TTE Precision Metalwerks developed semiauto receivers for them.
Disclaimer: I paid in full for everything in this video.
In a sane world, something like this would have been the NATO standard carbine…
I agree with you Kirk. Instead Enfield gave Britain the SA80. In what universe does that make sense?
A very strange one…
Indeed. I rather think that any French trooper equipped with a SIG 540 might have been less than impressed to have to give it up for a FAMAS. It is indeed a strange old universe.
Considering the popularity of the term ‘French 75’, due to the success of ‘One Battle After Another’, is the t-shirt displayed on every Forgotten Weapons post likely to be revived for sale?