SIG MCX Rattler kits like these can quickly and easily convert M4 rifles to a compact, piston-driven suppressor-ready platform for special missions. (Photo: Garrett)
Update: SIG confirms that the Rattler is not the SURG upper. The SURG is a different design.
SIG Sauer landed a major contract with the Department of Defense to produce suppressed uppers for special forces. The indifinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract is worth $48 million over the next five years.
The Suppressed Upper Receiver Groups, or SURGs, are headed to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) starting now with an initial payment of $24,620. The Defense Department expects SIG to fulfill the contract by 2023. SIG will handle most of the manufacturing at their Newington, New Hampshire facility.
The USSOCOM is using the SURG parts to upgrade existing M4A1 carbines in inventory. Details about the SURG uppers are scarce. The main requirement is that the uppers must be capable of sustained suppressed fire — the uppers don’t need to be integrally suppressed, just built for hard use.
It will be interesting to see what type of upper SIG came up with to fit the bill. While SIG makes standard AR-pattern rifles, the company also makes proprietary gas piston-driven MCX uppers as well.
Piston-driven rifles can suppress better than standard AR and M4 rifles. The piston prevents excess gas from dumping out of the action and helps keep the guns running cool. Still, if these are dedicated suppressed uppers, direct impingement gas systems can also be tuned for this kind of suppressed use.
SIG’s piston-driven MCX system has been a solid success for the company. Since its launch in 2015, many agencies and police departments have adopted the guns for service.
See Also: SIG’s New Rattler Already Pressed into Military Testing with USSOCOM
SIG designed the MCX to run suppressed. The gas system is self-adjusting and completely contained in the upper receiver. This also allows users to install a folding or telescoping stock in place of the standard buffer tube assembly.
The smallest MCX, the Rattler, is already in testing with the USSOCOM. The Rattler and other kits are compatible with M4 lower receivers without modification. Though the Rattler is not SIG’s platform for the SURG, some of its design elements could still be in play.
The USSOCOM started testing the Rattler earlier this year. Thanks to the interchangeable barrel system, users can quickly tailor the Rattler for specific mission requirements. Currently the USSOCOM is evaluating the Rattler in 5.56 NATO and 300 AAC Blackout.
Even though it’s not the Rattler, this is a good get for SIG Sauer. It never hurts to have the USSOCOM come to your company for top-flight gear.
“Rob” your posting on every site with this huge conspiracy write-up that does not jive with other info…there was other competition; Larue and Gemtech that I have seen for sure. Your comment about the handgun… if you haven’t noticed we have been saddled with Beretta for decades, they aren’t exactly an American company! Additionally, the military has been issuing Sigs M11 to the Army (P228) and MK25 to the Navy Seals (P226) for a long time, as well as Glocks. Near as I can tell the only American company that even had a remote chance at the handgun contract (and it wasn’t a good one) was Smith and Wesson, and nobody is close to the Sig 320 in the modularity department which was a key part of the requirements.
I hate to break it to you bub, but America doesn’t have the market cornered on arms. The fact that companies like Sig, Glock, HK, etc. have moved to the US to compete and sell only shines a light on this. I’m still rather committed to my AR/M4 format because its what I know, but that said, there are better platforms out there like the HK 416 that looks like an M4 but performs better.
Perspective
An American Oversight in military contracting- SIG a German founded and owned company won a US military contract to replace and supply all of our US military handguns. It’s a near $600 Million dollar initial contract that will inclusively grow to 6 Billion dollars over the years. This contract should have gone to a US company for both economic and strategic reasons. Based on the Mil-Spec and review of the competing weapons, at least one of the US Companies had an equal or better submission. The official reason for why SIG was chosen over the better choice is cost, however, the same money will be spent its only been shifted to different times in the award. It would be naive to pretend that other influences don’t play a part in an award this large, but the public and decision makers should know that SIG SAUER not only pays big money to lobby, they have infiltrated every military base in the US with people either on the base or in offices just outside, in a disingenuous way to influence decisions from within. From what I see its working. This political fabric tear has both an economic and strategic impact that is destructive to our country. Should I remind everyone hat the Germans started both World Wars and not as our allies, as our enemy. One can debate that this German company has a US based sister company that employs US citizens, however, the profit goes to Germany and the bulk of the salary pays German banks and citizens. Our laws protected us from importing our defensive tools so SIG circumvented our laws and built sister companies here get around the intent of the law. This infiltration not only diverts US funds out of the US, the impact to the American companies that spent millions developing a better product has worn them thin and vulnerable with word of bankruptcy and certainly research and design cutbacks. Let me remind everyone that these companies are the ones that will fight for the US when times are bad. There is an even more important reason this should have never happened. Small arms are arguably a very important tool in our military, and those weapons are now contracted and controlled by a country that we have been at war with twice in the past. Even if an alliance is maintained, the complications of where to align and crossing boarders during times of war are not as strategically sound as keeping our equipment here with US owned companies that have the same US based love of their country. Its US citizens that work together to donate their personal materials to be recycled or bicycle companies that stop to make war time parts for our cause. Do we believe we would get the same dedication from our enemy? Was it a good idea to turn our back on those American companies? The US prides itself on designing and providing the best weapon systems in the world for our troops and our success, this purchase gives us the exact same equipment that many other countries have access to. We could have had better.
Last week a new announcement that the SURG military contract was canceled and replaced with a watered down inferior version of the original spec, and with no competition was awarded to SIG. The new spec has reduced accuracy, reduced durability, reduced muzzle velocity for penetration, and reduced decibel reduction. It does have a nifty folding stock that wasn’t part of the spec and coincidently has the same SIG name that infiltrated all of our military bases. That’s putting both our handgun and our rifles in the same proverbial German/SIG basket. Very dangerous times! That SIG infiltration should be reviewed quickly before we run out of US weapons and weapon companies.
For clarification Sig Sauer was founded as a Swiss-German company but sold to L&O Holding a German company.
Very excellent assessment of the weapons contracting by our government.
If this new tech pipe perform better I think u should give it a extra test u could be experience a small malfunction
what do u know there could b something much faster but when u first hit it I believe u might have to let it cool
for about 6 seconds or so u may need to investigate to be sure u’er on the right track luv Willie