The Royal Navy has issued over 1,500 Sig Sauer MCX rifles to the UK Commando Force with the Royal Marines.
Facilitated by British firearms wholesaler Edgar Brothers, the 6-million British pound ($7.7 million) investment will replace the force’s older weapons manufactured by Colt Canada and complement the Knights Armament Stoner 1 (KS-1) weapon for general use.
In particular, the Commando Forces working with the Royal Navy’s Littoral Response Groups will use the MCX rifles for specialist operations such as counter-terrorism.
“These rifles reinforce the commitment of the Navy and Defence to our transformation, and the value the Commando Force provides to our national and international security,” Lieutenant Colonel Olly Osborne of the Commando Force Programme team noted.
The Commando Forces tested the system through force-on-force exercises and live firing drills to prepare troops to operate the rifles in extreme environments.
MCX Rifles
The service did not disclose the exact configurations of the procured rifle, only announcing that the model “brings a level of versatility well-suited to the unique requirements of the Commando Force, which is tasked with operating in a wide range of extreme environments” worldwide.
Known to be a modular system, the MCX comes in multiple caliber types: the 5.56x45mm NATO, .300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm, 6.8mm Fury, and 5.56mm SIG Fury.
It also offers various barrel lengths, such as 406 millimeters (16 inches) for the Patrol version and 229 millimeters (9 inches) for the short-barreled rifle version designed for close-range combat.
Additionally, the rifle features a short-stroke gas piston system for reduced recoil.
