The U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, just selected the SIG Sauer MCX Rattler to be their new personal defense weapon or PDW. This small, downright concealable MCX will be fielded in both 5.56 NATO and 300 AAC Blackout.
This comes on the heels of another major contract for the company, as the U.S. military selected the SIG MCX Spear chambered for 6.8x51mm in conjunction with the United States Army Next Generation Squad Weapon, or NGSW, program.
“The Government hereby submits a notice of intent to award the Commercial Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) contract to SIG Sauer,” reads the notice. “This IDIQ will provide complete PDW weapons (Sig Rattlers – 5.56mm and .300 Blackout caliber) that includes suppressors (SL series), cleaning kits, magazines, quick barrel change kits and force on force training kits.”
“Furthermore, parts, sustainment, and New Equipment Training will also be part of this IDIQ. The PDW system will allow Operators to have maximum firepower in a concealable weapon.”
Details about the five-year fixed firm price contract are thin, and its size or price have not been disclosed.
Winning the contract was fairly straightforward since only SIG was able to produce a design that met the contract’s requirements. “Except for Sig Sauer, the vendors did not meet the technical requirements,” said the award listing.
SEE ALSO: SIG SAUER Launches Commercial Variant of U.S. Army Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) MCX-SPEAR and 277 SIG FURY Ammunition
While other companies offered to manufacture guns that fit the bill, none of the competition had anything more than prototypes. One of the requirements was that the design be in full production, and the Rattler MCX has been firmly established on the commercial market for quite some time.
The Rattler is a short-stroke piston-driven carbine with its roots in the AR design that weighs in around six pounds or less, depending on the configuration. It uses a very short 5.5-inch barrel and has a modular handguard and side-folding stock.
The forend can be customized with Magpul M-Lok-pattern accessories, and the stock can be swapped out for any number of Picatinny-based alternatives including AR-15-style tubular stocks.
For more information about the MCX in all its patterns, visit SIG Sauer today.
Carbine, with a 5.5″ barrel? Don’t think so; try pistol. Also, standard 5.56 ammo is not loaded to burn properly in such a short barrel. They will need to use a powder more like that used in handgun cartridges.
Why didn’t they just go with a configuration designed to fire hot smg 9mm?
What kind of performance do you get from a 5.5″ barrel? For many reasons I would think .357 SIG or 10mm, would perform better. The muzzle flash from something like this in a rifle caliber can be seen from outer space. The SEAL’s HK 23 .45 pistol has a longer barrel than this contraption.
Eugene Morrison Stoner lives on! No wonder the a-holes in Washington want to eliminate personal ownership of AR-type weapons, 60 years later and still leading the pack.