The U.S. Army’s XM7 rifle is criticized by top generals for being heavy, unreliable, and outdated. Despite the manufacturers’ insistence, concerns remain about its effectiveness in modern combat scenarios.
The United States Army’s new XM7 rifle was designed to provide the warfighter with a harder-hitting weapon.
Instead, it might be the service’s latest misfire!
While speaking at the recent Modern Day Marine exhibition in Washington, D.C., Captain Braden Trent, U.S. Army, presented evidence gathered on the XM7 and offered the very blunt conclusion that it is “unfit for use as a modern service rifle.”
What You Should Know About the XM7 Assault Rifle
The U.S. Army awarded Sig Sauer a $4.5 million contract in April 2022 after it was selected as the winner of the Next Generation Squad Weapon competition. The competition called for a modular firearms system that would include a replacement for the legacy M4 carbine and the M249 light machine gun. The XM7 was based on the Sig Sauer line of MCX and was also an evolution of the AR-15/M16 rifles.
Thus, the XM7 is a “cousin” of sorts to the MCX, albeit distant.
That may have given it a slight advantage over the competing offerings in the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program, with the key differences in the operation. Instead of the direct impingement system found in the AR-15/M16, the MCX utilized a gas piston operating mechanism.
The key benefit is improved reliability, but it comes with a tradeoff in weight, with the gas piston being heavier. The XM7 offered greater range and stopping power, requirements that were born of experiences in Afghanistan during the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Both the XM7 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle were to be chambered for the newly developed 6.8x51mm Common Cartridge, which was also designated by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) as .277 SIG Fury.
The new ammunition was essentially “midway” between the 5.56x45mm NATO and the 7.62x51mm NATO in bore diameter.
However, it still uses the same diameter bullet as the .270 Winchester hunting cartridge.
The XM7 Assault Rifle May Not Be a “Gamechanger”
In past coverage, the weapons were described as a “gamechanger,” but perhaps not in the way that was to be expected. In March last year, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s famed 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, became the first unit equipped with the NGSW.
If the soldiers were “screaming,” it might have been to share their thoughts about the XM7.
According to Trent, the XM7 suffered from several serious issues, which caused questions about its reliability. The officer’s 52-page report noted that among the shortcomings is the 20-round magazine, which limits the amount of ammunition a soldier can carry. At the same time, it is heavier than the M4 without any notable benefits. Testing also found that the military drills occurred where a potential adversary was within 300 meters, which negated the XM7’s longer-range accuracy. In addition, the barrel was found to have excess wear after just 2,000 rounds were fired.
“The XM7 is a tactically outdated service rifle that would be better classified as a designated marksman rifle, if that,” Trent said during his presentation, per Task and Purpose.
“This rifle is a mechanically unsound design that will not hold up to sustained combat in a peer-on-peer conflict.”
Sig Sauer disputed Trent’s findings, Task and Purpose further reported.
“We have a huge staff of individuals that work daily on that rifle to ensure that every aspect of its performance is scrutinized, every aspect of its safety is criticized,” said Jason St. John, the senior director of strategic products for Sig Sauer.
“We are highly confident that we have provided the U.S. Army soldier with a robust weapon system that is not only safe, but performs at the highest levels.”
The marketing officer didn’t offer a point-by-point rebuttal, including stating, “Most of them are patently false.”
The U.S. Army also stood by its decision, but is still listening to what soldiers have to say.
“As the secretary of the Army and chief of staff highlighted in their Army Transformation Initiative memo to the force, ‘Yesterday’s weapons will not win tomorrow’s wars,’” David H. Patterson, Jr., a spokesman for Program Executive Office Soldier, wrote in an email on Monday to Task and Purpose.
Patterson said the XM7 is ideally suited for close combat but also “provides greater effects within 300 meters,” adding, “The NGSW program provides unmatched lethality to our Close Combat Force (CCF). The Army is committed to accepting soldiers’ feedback and enhancing weapons for optimal use.”
The Army has recently canceled other programs, including the M10 Booker “light tank,” Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), and the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV). Still, it is unclear if the NGSW could meet a similar fate.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ Vilkas Vision.
