PMCI - March - 2020

pmcimagazine.com
FIREARMS: SIG SAUER M400
scope line up is designated as a hunting scope, but walks the
line between hunting and tactical in which it can have several
practical applications. The specific model sent for testing with
the M400 was the SOW34007 SFP with the Hellfire QuadPlex.
This 1” tube scope was finished in SIG Sauer’s signature
graphite grey and black muted tones.
Working with a traditional crosshair reticle located on the
scopes second focal plane within the optic, shooters will be
immediately familiar with how the scope works. With large,
easy to use turrets, windage and elevation are quick to adjust
when dialing in your shots. Located on the left side of the
scope opposite of the windage turret, there is a turret in which
controls the brightness settings of the reticles center red dot.
Between each setting is an “off” setting to making
switching the optic “on” and “off” fast without moving too far
from the preferred brightness setting. This is a huge plus for
getting on target quickly with an illuminated reticle.
RANGE TIME
The months following the SIG M400 rifle’s arrival for testing
saw several trips to the range for testing both the rifle and
wide range of optics including the Romeo 5 red dot. Despite the
rifle being relatively lightweight compared to a lot of popular
rifles on the market, I was very pleased with the soft felt recoil,
minimal muzzle rise and overall extreme controllability moving
from target to target during strings of fire. The 6 lb. trigger pull
offered a very smooth action with a crisp reset. Usually, I am
an avid fan of using aftermarket triggers such as Timney or Rise
Armament but SIG uses a trigger that is far from the rough and
heavy mil-spec 9 lb. triggers.
To aid in accuracy, SIG employed a spring tension plunger
they call an “Accu-tensioner” which places upward pressure on
the rear takedown pin. The intent for this device is to reduce
any micro-movements between the upper and lower receivers
which may affect long range accuracy. This is the only true “nonessential”
I found anywhere on the rifle. The forging between
the SIG’s upper and lower were very clean and matched up
better than most in the industry. The concept for the tension
device was in good faith, but I don’t see where it was really
needed.
One item that was upgraded much to my delight was
the bolt release / hold open button. This paddle style device
offers the same rocking motion for use as a traditional milspec
button but has a slightly wider top for easier access when
locking the rifle’s bolt to the rear. Much more impressive was
the lower portion of the device which is normally a small hump
or knob.
SIG has employed a small wide platform which proved to
be very fast to activate and release the bolt even when wearing
gloves. For shooters who have ever tried to release an AR-15
bolt under stress, they know what a pain it is to try hitting the
mil-spec release cleanly and decisively on the move. Even if I
had not found other things about the rifle that I really enjoyed,
this small detail would still be a huge plus.
Working with the included Romeo 5 red dot during the bulk
of the testing period, I was very impressed with it’s clear, crisp
field of view. The ammunition used for testing was also sent
from SIG in the form of their own branded 77 grain match grade
hollow points. At static targets ranging from 15 to 50 yards,
the M400 moved quickly from target to target scoring great
3 shot groupings. Taking a kneeling position, the rifle made
32