XM7 rifle

XM7
XM7 U.S. Army 6.8mm rifle
TypeAssault rifle[1][2]
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2022–present
Used byUnited States Army
Production history
Designed2019
ManufacturerSIG Sauer
Specifications
Mass8.38 lb (3.80 kg)[3]
9.84 lb (4.46 kg) (with suppressor)[4]
Length36 in (914 mm) (with suppressor)
Barrel length13 in (330 mm)[5]

Cartridge6.8×51mm (.277 in)
ActionShort-stroke gas-operated piston, rotating bolt[6]
Muzzle velocity915 m/s (3,002 ft/s)
Feed system20-round detachable SR-25 pattern box magazine[7]
25-round detachable SR-25 pattern box magazine[8] (optional)

The XM7, previously known as the XM5, is the U.S. Army variant of the SIG MCX Spear, a 6.8×51mm (.277 in), gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle[1] designed by SIG Sauer for the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program in 2022 to replace the M4 carbine. The XM7 features a free-floating reinforced M-LOK handguard for direct accessory attachment to slotted hole mounting points. The XM7 began to be fielded in March 2024.[9]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AF_Times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Baca, Nathan (July 18, 2022). "The US Army's new assault rifle coming to local gun stores". WUSA. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Beynon, Steve (2 May 2022). "How Well Do the Army's New Guns Perform? That's Classified, But Soldiers Will Carry More Weight, Less Ammo". Military.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022.
  4. ^ Moss, Matthew (16 May 2022). "US Army Shares Details on Next Generation Squad Weapons". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022.
  5. ^ "The Next Generation Has Arrived". SIG Sauer. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  6. ^ Popenker, Maxim. "SIG Sauer NGSW-R MCX Spear XM5 assault rifle (USA)". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022.
  7. ^ "LANCER SYSTEMS L6SCM – Lancer Systems". Lancer Systems. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  8. ^ "The Sig Sauer M5 NGSW Rifle a/k/a The MCX Spear". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023 – via Youtube.com. [SIG] runs 20 and 25-round [6.8] Lancers in [the SPEAR] currently, but... any 7.62 [NATO] magazine interfaces with it.
  9. ^ Lehrfeld, Jonathan (2024-03-29). "101st Airborne first Army unit to field Next Generation Squad Weapons". Army Times. Retrieved 2024-06-04.