British Marines receive new Sig Sauer rifles
The Royal Navy has issued more than 1,500 Sig Sauer MCX rifles to Marine Commandos. Edgar Brothers, the UK’s largest firearms supplier, has agreed to a long-term payment period. The total budget for this armament upgrade is approximately £6 million.
The new Sig Sauer MCX rifles will replace the old weapons manufactured by Colt Canada and complement the existing Knights Armament Stoner 1 (KS-1). British commandos working with the Royal Navy’s coastal intervention teams will be the first to use the new MCX rifles for special operations such as counter-terrorism. British commandos tested the new rifles during Exercise Force for Force and live fire exercises to prepare soldiers to use the rifles in extreme conditions.
The British Army did not disclose the exact configuration of the rifle purchased, only stating that the model provides a level of versatility that is well suited to the unique requirements of commando forces, whose task is to operate in a wide range of extreme environments around the world. The Sig Sauer MCX, known as a modular system, has a wide range of configuration options and is available in several calibers: 5.56×45 mm NATO, .300 Blackout, 7.62×39 mm, 6.8 mm Fury and 5.56 mm SIG Fury. Also, barrels of different lengths additionally expand the functionality and variety of uses of these rifles. For the Patrol version, the manufacturer designed a 406 mm barrel. However, there is also a 229 mm for a short-barreled version of the rifle intended for close combat.
Max Bach
