SIG Sauer Wins US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon Contract

The Firearm Blog ^ | April 19, 2022 | Matthew Moss

[packagingguy]

Today, it has been announced that SIG Sauer have won the contract to provide both the NGSW-Rifle and NGSW-Automatic Rifle. An initial delivery order contract worth $20.4 million has been awarded. SIG’s MCX 6.8 Spear will be designated the XM5 Rifle and the LMG-6.8 belt-fed will be designated the XM250 – designations directly following on from the M4/M4A1 Carbine and M249 SAW which the new weapons will replace. SIG’s selection means that the US Army’s new 6.8mm round will be based on a hybrid metallic case, not the polymer-based design developed by True Velocity

[Eska]

Luv my 6.8 stag and have killed moose, caribou, blk bear,and wolves with her. I load 110 ttsx blue tips and it's my favorite go to gun with 4-32 acog red horseshoe. I prefer the smaller size of the stag (how it fits) and do believe I can hit targets with my eyes closed often. I hope the military is as happy as I am.

My nephew is flying down kodiac in May for grizzly bear on a tag they cancelled over covid last season. I'v been passing on my guns to nephews so I don't pass on they get sold. I've gifted my 338 fed armalite ar-10 to him. It's actually a great short range bear gun. I've knocked down moose and bear with that gun and it's always nice to have a 20 rounder; just in case.

[Deaf Smith]

The feds restriction of AP rounds is for pistols.

One can buy and fire AP ammunition such as 556 & 762 for use in rifles.

[Bonemaker]

It’s 6.8x43mm.

[jjotto]

The new 6.8 is indeed 51mm. The 43 is 6.8 SPC, conventional case.

[saleman]

Sigs been making bi metal cartridges for a while now.

You can buy rifle chambered for one now. And for the last few years

[Durus]

So it’s basically an AR10 with some piston monstrosity bolted to the top? Swell.

[Myrddin]

Sig pellet guns don’t have the best reputation. Hope,their firearm guns are better.

I like most of my Sigs. The only one that hasn't performed as desired is the P365XL. It has problems dropping into battery and seems to lock up the slide when performing a standard "reset" test with the trigger pulled fully. The P365 predecessor is just fine.

[Durus]

Wouldn’t you think that an American company would have a better chance of supplying the American Military?

[Bob434]

I’m only somewhat familiar with their pellet pistols- which have some pretty bad design flaws - which is odd since they are supposed to be a pretty good firearm manufacturer

They have pistols with batteries now? (Im behind the times)- I’m not sure i’d want to depend on electronics in a gun-

[packagingguy]

It looks like the upper is different but the lower remains without the buffer tube. The other entries into the competition were very mechanically complex and used less tried ammunition systems.

As I stated in an earlier post we need ammunition compatibility with our allies, so the 5.56 and 7.62 will probably be around for a while.

[Myrddin]

They have pistols with batteries now? (Im behind the times)- I’m not sure i’d want to depend on electronics in a gun-

"In battery" refers to having the slide fully forward with the barrel locked into the slide and the "bolt face" flush against the case head of the loaded cartridge. Some designs have a detent that must extend into a recess on the bottom of the slide to allow the trigger to engage the sear.

The P365XL slide drags against the next round feeding from the magazine. Sometimes it fails to go "in battery" on the initial cycling of the slide or after the first few shots. After a couple rounds are fired, the spring pressure of the rounds under the slide is reduced and the slide closes to be fully "in battery".

Sig isn't the only supplier of pistols that have problems stripping a round off a full magazine and driving into the "in battery" position. The Keltec PMR30 is supposed to hold 30 rds of 22WMR. In practice, it works fine with 20, but starts having feeding problems above that fill level. It's a fun pistol on the range...just a bit quirky.

[Bonemaker]

I stand corrected. Finally found a decent article on the subject.

Soldier Systems

[logi_cal869]

And a corresponding scarcity due to the change.

Part of me wonders if there’s an ulterior motive backing this move.

[LouAvul]

I guess body armor has come a long way but when I was in college, back in the 70s, body armor would not stop rifle cartridges.

Things have changed? Must hurt like the dickens if one gets hit (wearing a vest) with something like a 7.62 Nato.

[packagingguy]

“Indeed, American Soldiers have worn ceramic inserts (called Small Arms Protective Inserts or SAPI for short) in their body armor that protect against M80 ball rounds for many years. The Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) that Soldiers currently wear protect against threats up to and including .30-06 Springfield Armor Piercing rounds.”

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/get-new-army-bullet-can-penetrate-body-armor/

[Who is John Galt?]

Luv my 6.8 stag and hae killed moose, caribou, blk bear,and wolves with her. I load 110 ttsx blue tips and it's my favorite go to gun with 4-32 acog red horseshoe. I prefer the smaller size of the stag (how it fits) and do believe I can hit targets with my eyes closed often. I hope the military is as happy as I am...

Unfortunately, for those of us who like the 6.8 SPC (6.8x43mm), the new SIG cartridge is much different - picture the .260 Remington necked up slightly to 6.8mm, with the case shoulder moved forward a bit, and a stainless steel case head to handle 80,000 PSI. The new round will probably make a great (if expensive) GPMG or sniper rifle round; as far as cartridges for infantry rifles go, it sounds a lot closer to the .276 Enfield (circa 1912) than the 5.56x45 or 7.62x39 - so I'm guessing full-auto won't be an option...

;>)

[larrytown]

Wouldn’t you think that an American company would have a better chance of supplying the American Military?

They are an American firm - spun off from the German Sig Sauer AG, and is now it's own independent entity, Sig Sauer, Inc.

[unread]

"For civilian shooters, the 6.8 mm baseline measurements resemble a beefed-up version of a familiar cartridge from the hunting world, the .270 caliber rifle round."

"That size difference matters, but in different ways. The XM5 rifle is two pounds heavier than the M4 when both are unloaded. But the XM250 is four pounds lighter than the M249 SAW."

[LouAvul]

Dang. I had no idea. Every time the wife and I are watching a shoot'em up and somebody with a vest gets popped with a rifle round with nothing worse than a bruise, I say, "That's impossible."

I guess not.

[Durus]

Allow me to will rephrase my statement.

Wouldn't you think that an American company with a rich history of supplying the American Military, would have a better chance than a two year old new spin-off of a Swiss/German company?

Don't get me wrong, I really like Sig. I think the 226 and 228 are among the finest military side arms ever (mass) produced. I've visited their plant(s). I've known a lot of the guys that worked for Sig. I have little doubt that Sig is still primarily a Swiss and German owned company regardless of where it's incorporated and I think that's sad. Colt, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Browning, Marlin have all fended off foreign takeovers or submitted. What they hell happened? Even cops have to buy American cars, is it too much to ask that our military have to do the same?