Rifle Review: SIG's 716i TREAD Snakebite - Heavily Battle Tested & Reliable!

Imagine a miles-long strip of disputed border littered with terrorism, guerilla warfare, harsh weather and the threat of nuclear warfare. That is the LOC between India and Pakistan and it is manned, on India's side, by over 70,000 of SIG's 716.

SIG has taken the proven features of the SIGM400 and applied them to the powerful AR-10 platform and by utilizing the ultra-reliable direct impingement system, SIG has created a truly powerful firearm fit for the battleground and the range alike.

Now SIG's 716i TREAD rifle may seem like a standard run of the mill AR-10, but as mentioned it's origins are military. It is essentially the civilian version of the battle rifle that was part of the 2019, 72,000 rifle contract to the country of India. Now it is important to note, before each and every single one of these rifles left factory they were each fire tested to ensure they meet strict military requirements.

Just late last year, India purchased another 72,000 SIG 716 rifles to boost their counter-terrorism operations and bolster military operations on borders.

Now getting into the details of the 716i TREAD Snakebite, it cycles through a lightweight direct impingement design much like many other AR-10 rifles. The gas block is tiny and is covered by a slim full length, free-floating handguard which is finished with both a FDE Cerakote and a black anodized coat both of which provide increased durability and scratch resistance.

The barrel is 16 inches long and manufactured from a durable carbon steel and chambered in 7.62 NATO. It sports a 1/10 rifling twist which is a serious plus as it can stabilize nearly any .308 load allowing it to shoot accurately and precisely. SIG then went to outfit the barrel with a 5/8-24 thread, a flash hider from factory and a beautiful black nitride finish.

Topping it all off we have a M1913 Mil-Std rail, free-floating barrel, aluminum forend, and telescoping stock. Essentially, the SIG 716 is the rifle of choice when you require the power of a larger caliber carbine.

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