SIG Sauer this week officially introduced the version of the military’s new Next Generation rifle that won’t require talking to a recruiter.
Last April, the New Hampshire-based firearms giant made headlines around the globe by pulling down the award for the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons, a series of 6.8mm rifles and light machine guns and their companion suppressors that are planned to replace the current 5.56 NATO small arms in front line service. The rifle, originally introduced as the XM5 and recently renamed the XM7, is based on the company’s gas-piston action MCX platform and uses SIG’s in-house developed SLX suppressor system.
While the as-issued XM7 currently being sent to the Army runs a standard 15.3-inch barrel (as measured over its muzzle device) and SIG released to the public a limited run of suppressed 13-inch barreled commemoratives last year that required two tax stamps, the MCX Spear will be fully NFA-compliant in at least most of its variants.
We were able to get a sneak peek at the consumer MCX Spear late last year while visiting SIG’s plant in New Hampshire but were sworn to secrecy on the program.
The current model released this week is chambered in 7.62 NATO, with .277 Fury (SIG’s consumer version of the 6.8) and 6.5 Creedmoor following soon after. The pre-production sample seen had a muzzle brake, while the production models will run SIG’s QD flash hider. (All photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The overall length of the standard SIG Sauer MCX Spear is 38.3 inches with the stock extended, while the weight is 9.2 pounds. It uses a 16-inch 1:10 twist barrel with a 5/8x24TPI threaded muzzle under the SLH and SLX suppressor-ready QD mount flash hider.
The Sig Sauer MCX Spear is a multi-caliber platform that can swap between .277 Fury, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 7.62 NATO via a simple barrel change at the user level.
It has rear and side non-reciprocating charging handles, a six-position folding stock, a lightened free-float M-LOK handguard, and a full-length Picatinny top rail for optics and accessories. The surface controls – including the bolt catch and magazine release – are ambidextrous, as is the fire control, and it has a Matchlite Duo trigger.
Note the side-folding 6-position Magpul SL-M stock. Note the integrated stainless steel QD mounts in the lower receiver for easy, secure attachment of slings.
Using a two-position adjustable gas piston for suppressed or unsuppressed use, it ships with a single 20-round magazine.
The company plans to also offer factory SBR (NFA rules apply) and large-format pistols that will ship, pending litigation, without stabilizing braces. Note the standard SLH and SLX suppressor-ready QD mount flash hider with which the MCX Spear will ship. (Photos: SIG)
We don’t have any prices on these but expect it to run north of SCAR territory.
