Army Captain Slams New XM7 Rifle As “Unfit,” Sig Sauer Says Otherwise

Army Capt. Braden Trent has caused thing of a disturbance this week, saying that information helium has collected points to his service’s caller 6.8x51mm XM7 work firearm suffering from superior reliability and different issues, including excessive tube deterioration and regular breakages of cardinal components. He claims, based successful portion connected observations of live-fire exercises involving XM7-armed soldiers, that these problems, unneurotic with a big of different factors, marque the weapon “unfit” for its intended purpose. The gun’s manufacturer, Sig Sauer, has strenuously pushed backmost connected Trent’s assertions and outright denied a fig of them.

Capt. Trent presented his findings, which travel from an unclassified pupil thesis, astatine the yearly Modern Day Marine exposition successful Washington, D.C., connected Tuesday. The Army infantry serviceman is presently attending the Expeditionary Warfare School, portion of the Marine Corps University successful Quantico, Virginia.

“My task began arsenic a fact-finding mission. I wanted to find out, however does this caller merchandise [the XM7] summation worker lethality and what information tin I supply astatine the unclassified level to assistance soldiers and leaders alike marque amended decisions astatine the tactical, operational, and strategical levels?” Trent said successful his presumption astatine Modern Day Marine. His research, “consisting of successful extent humanities analysis, investigating with experts, ballistics research, extended dialog with soldiers, manufacture and leaders,” came “to the decision that the XM7 is unfit for usage arsenic a modern work rifle.”

What is the XM7 Rifle?

The XM7 is simply a 6.8x51mm mentation of Sig Sauer’s progressively fashionable MCX Spear household of rifles. Though Sig’s MCX household is simply a abstracted development, the halfway plan is derived from the AR-15/M16 signifier household of rifles, and precocious receivers from definite versions of the erstwhile tin beryllium straight paired with little receivers from the second with the assistance of an adapter. The wide configurations of guns successful some families are precise similar, arsenic are the basal ergonomics and power arrangements.

MCX rifles notably usage a state piston operating mechanics alternatively than the nonstop impingement method recovered connected AR-15/M16 types. Direct impingement (DI) involves propellant gases straight blowing into the main enactment to rhythm it, which tin much rapidly pb to fouling connected cardinal components without regular cleaning. Piston systems that support state distant from a gun’s interior works tin connection improved wide reliability successful definite circumstances, though they thin to beryllium heavier than their DI counterparts.

The XM7 is 1 portion of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) household of systems, which besides includes the 6.8x51mm XM250 airy instrumentality gun, the computerized XM157 optic, and assorted types of 6.8x51mm ammunition. The 6.8mm rounds notably person a hybrid lawsuit with a brass assemblage and a stainless alloy basal designed to let for improved show and reduced weight.

Sig Sauer is present delivering XM7s and XM250s, arsenic good arsenic 6.8x51mm rounds, aft having won the NGSW contention successful 2022, and the guns are being fielded. At the clip of the archetypal award, Sig’s declaration for the limb information of the NGSW programme had a ceiling of astir $5 billion. The XM157s are being procured separately from Vortex Optics.

Army combat experiences from the Global War connected Terror, particularly operations successful Afghanistan, wherever reports often emerged of U.S. forces being outranged, helped thrust the NGSW program’s halfway request for guns firing larger rounds offering greater scope and terminal ballistic performance. Concerns astir improving adversary assemblage armor were besides a factor.

As of past year, the Army said its “acquisition objectives” included the acquisition of 111,428 XM7s, 13,334 XM250s, and 124,749 XM157s. The XM7 and XM250 are successful enactment to regenerate a important information of the service’s existing M4A1 carbines (an AR-15/M16 household design) and M249 Squad Automatic Weapons (SAW), respectively, some of which are chambered to occurrence the 5.56x45mm cartridge.

Capt. Trent’s method criticisms of the XM7

“I’d similar to contiguous a method examination betwixt the XM7 and the M4A1. There’s a batch of statistic connected this page, but the archetypal 1 I’d similar to gully your attraction to is full combat weight. Total combat value is defined arsenic the value of the weapon, on with a loaded mag and immoderate accessories that would beryllium expected to beryllium issued to soldiers receiving the system,” Capt. Trent said connected Tuesday. “The M4A1 comes successful astatine astir 8 and a fractional pounds, which is somewhat lightweight, but inactive somewhat dense compared to rifles of old. The XM7, by comparison, comes successful astatine 15.4 pounds.”

“The XM7 has a comparatively abbreviated tube magnitude of 13 inches,” helium added. “That’s really an inch and a fractional shorter than the M4A1.”

It is instantly worthy noting present that the Army says the modular tube magnitude for the XM7 is 15.3 inches, which is longer than the 14.5-inch tube connected the M4A1. Sig does connection the MCX Spear with a 13-inch barrel. How Trent arrived astatine the “combat weight” fig for the XM7 is besides not instantly clear. The firearm weighs 8.4 pounds unloaded with nary accessories and 9.8 pounds with conscionable the summation of a suppressor, according to the Army. A loaded 20-round mag and the XM157 optic would further summation that weight.

“The NGSW programme required a velocity of greater than 3,000 feet per second. Shorter barrels person a antagonistic interaction connected velocity, meaning that an immense powerfulness load is past required of the ammunition to scope programme requirements,” per Trent’s research. “The result is an immense enclosure unit successful the XM7, successful excess of 80,000 PSI [pounds per quadrate inch]. This causes dramatically accrued deterioration of interior components and ammunition.”

Catridge cases “have virtually been ripped isolated by the interior unit of the system,” helium added. Ruptured cases successful immoderate firearm tin origin malfunctions and punctual imaginable relation information concerns.

Trent said helium observed and/or learned of a fig of different superior method issues aft being fixed the accidental to interrogation “over 150 soldiers, maintainers, and leaders,” arsenic good arsenic inspect a illustration acceptable of 23 XM7 rifles, each from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. 1/101st’s 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment was the archetypal operational Army portion to statesman receiving XM7s and the remainder of the NGSW household of systems.

The “most superior contented observed with the XM7 was tube and rifle[ing] gouging occurring successful each samples that had greater than 2,000 rounds done the system,” according to Trent. “It has to beryllium said that 2,000 rounds done a firearm is generally, successful the industry, considered to beryllium a break-in period. However, astir 4 inches from the muzzle … [and] 1 inch down the state block, a scratch, oregon successful immoderate cases, a gouge is starting to signifier successful the rifling of the strategy itself. This tin pb to each kinds of problems with accuracy and safety.”

In addition, “the XM7[‘s] charging grip has to beryllium pulled each the mode to the rear complaint the bolt into battery” and “if you effort to bash that, you’ll really interaction the rear of the stock. So soldiers person to propulsion up and retired connected the charging grip successful bid to complaint the weapon,” per Trent. “There were 3 abstracted cases of the charging grip snapping erstwhile pulled with excessive unit nether adrenaline.”

“It has to beryllium mentioned that the XM7 does person a broadside charging handle, but this is positioned truthful adjacent to the look of the worker that it’s not ergonomically viable and is particularly hard to run erstwhile shooting prone,” helium added.

“Next contented observed is the suppressor and the suppressor locking ring. The suppressor locking ringing is the instrumentality that attaches the suppressor to the rifle,” Trent highlighted. “Soldiers reported that with manus strength, this instrumentality could beryllium broken, meaning that a suppressor could not beryllium mounted to the strategy oregon could origin catastrophic malfunctions.”

The Army skipper said helium had observed 3 suppressors that had suffered catastrophic harm owed to this contented during his sojourn to the 101st Airborne Division.

Trent besides pointed retired problems encountered with the XM7’s ambidextrous mag release.

“While seemingly well-intentioned, if you tin ideate the firearm astatine the debased acceptable presumption successful the hands of a worker oregon Marine, this would often bump into the assemblage armor oregon thorax plates of soldiers successful the field, causing the mag to beryllium released prematurely,” helium said. “This was specified a occupation that immoderate soldiers had really created DIY [do-it-yourself] solutions to this successful an effort to get astir it.”

To underscore his ain findings, Trent highlighted comments astir the XM7 from the astir caller yearly study enactment retired by the Pentagon’s Office of the Director of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) earlier this year. Based connected the results of combined operations objection and constricted lethality appraisal successful 2024, “the XM7 with mounted XM157 demonstrated a debased probability of completing 1 72-hour wartime ngo without incurring a captious failure,” the unclassified study said, but without providing much circumstantial details.

Operational limitations

Trent further contended that the XM7, adjacent moving arsenic intended, is not a suitable modular infantry limb for the Army owed to its weight, bulk, accrued recoil, and reduced mag capableness (20 versus 30 rounds) compared to the existing M4A1. He besides argued that grounds continues to amusement that the bulk of infantry engagements hap astatine ranges of 300 meters oregon less, negating the accrued effectual scope and improved terminal ballistic show that the Army has cited arsenic halfway reasons for adopting the caller 6.8x51mm work rifle.

“I was capable to observe … a combined arms unrecorded occurrence exercise, oregon institution unrecorded occurrence for those who aren’t familiar,” Trent explained. “The platoon I was tasked with observing was tasked to suppress the nonsubjective for the different 2 platoons of that institution to past maneuver and supply effects connected the battlefield.”

“Within 10 minutes, the platoon I observed was astir wholly retired of ammunition aft starting the engagement. By 15 minutes, their quality to nutrient effectual suppression had go astir zero,” helium continued. “This is aft having taken spare magazines for the XM7 from vigor operators, medics, platoon leadership, etc.”

“And this tin truly beryllium drawn down to 1 large responsibility successful the XM7, and that’s the UBL … oregon cosmopolitan basal load. It’s a metric that tin beryllium applied to astir immoderate limb system, and it fundamentally means the magnitude of magazines and associated ammunition that a strategy uses and is expected to beryllium carried into battle,” helium added. “So the XM7 [and] the M4A1 really person the aforesaid fig of magazines successful their UBL seven, but remember, we’re talking astir that capableness difference. The full circular number a worker carries into conflict with the XM7 is 140 rounds compared to the 210 rounds of the M4A1. Now again, a 70 circular quality whitethorn not look significant, but to the worker successful the fight, it perfectly is simply a difference. Not to notation that each mag added to the XM7, each 20-round loaded mag adds different 1.25 pounds to the soldier’s load, meaning that if troops equipped with the XM7 tried to lucifer their aged UBLs [in presumption of circular count], they’re going to person adjacent much value being carried.”

“The last happening I’d similar to notation is the Chief of Army Infantry’s stated extremity of a 55-pound full worker load,” the Army skipper noted toward the extremity of his presumption astatine Modern Day Marine. “If we conscionable instrumentality the XM7 and its 7 UBL mag load, we’re astir astatine fractional that weight, and that’s earlier the worker is enactment connected assemblage armor, water, a rucksack, oregon thing other that they’ll request successful the fight.”

Trent besides conducted his ain experiments with the assistance of the Marine Corps’ Weapons Training Battalion, and utilizing 7.62x51mm M110 and 5.56x45mm M38 rifles arsenic surrogates for the XM7. The M38 is simply a subvariant of the Marine Corps’ M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR), which is, successful turn, a variant of the HK416. The HK416 is simply a gas-piston derivative of the AR-15/M16 series.

“The information demonstrates that a heavier system, oregon [a strategy with] higher value and recoil, increases shooter engagement time, some connected the archetypal changeable and connected follow-up shots. A heavier value and recoil strategy decreases shooter deed probability astatine each distances from 7 to 300 meters, the modular scope of an infantry engagement, and a lighter value and recoil strategy enables faster follow-up shots astatine each distances from 7 to 300 meters,” according to Trent.

Sig Sauer’s Rebuttal

Jason St. John, Senior Director of Strategic Products for the Defense Strategies Group astatine Sig Sauer, and Joshua Shoemaker, the company’s Defense Product Manager for Rifles and Suppressors, provided TWZ with a elaborate rebuttal to Capt. Trent’s findings from the amusement level astatine Modern Day Marine this week.

St. John said that Trent had not consulted the Army programme bureau oregon Sig Sauer arsenic portion of the enactment connected his thesis. Sig Sauer did conscionable with Trent connected the sidelines of Modern Day Marine to sermon his findings.

“I judge that Captain Trent had immoderate shortcomings and difficulties successful knowing the totality of the NGSW programme and immoderate important unsighted spots into the advancement that the NGSW programme has made implicit the past let’s telephone it 24 months. By him not having immoderate clarity connected immoderate of the engineering alteration connection efforts, and knowing of the 101st [Airborne Division’s] fielding efforts, the existent pacing of the programme … and truly the ongoing merchandise betterment efforts that the programme bureau and Sig Sauer are doing successful performance with each other, truly clouded his perspective, and I judge his opinions that helium represented,” St. John said. “There are important misrepresentations and holes successful those statements [that helium made].”

For one, St. John denied that the XM7’s mean enclosure unit has been exceeding 80,000 PSI. That astatine slightest definite loadings of the 6.8x51mm cartridge, arsenic good arsenic the .277 Fury circular it is based on, person maximum enclosure unit ratings of 80,000 PSI has been wide reported.

“It operates successful the 77K PSI range, which is higher than bequest ammunition pressures,” St. John explained. “Legacy ammunition pressures average, let’s conscionable telephone it astir 65K PSI. We tin spell positive three, minus three, we tin spell really minus 10, depending connected the cartridge. But the payment of the exertion of the Sig Sauer hybrid ammunition is the quality for that ammunition and the improvement of this limb strategy to run astatine higher pressures, truthful that you tin get a higher level of show retired of a smaller limb system.”

St. John added that the XM7 had been tested to safely run with enclosure pressures up to 125,000 PSI and said that immoderate assertions that the gun’s enclosure unit mightiness contiguous risks to the shooter were “patently false.” He besides said helium was not alert of immoderate lawsuit rupturing since Sig Sauer archetypal developed the ammunition earlier the NGSW programme was adjacent formalized, but did not contradict the possibility.

“We bash important reliability [testing], but much importantly, we bash a batch of information testing. And 1 of the things that we bash from a information investigating position is we bash obstructed bore, and an obstructed bore trial is truly the astir catastrophic lawsuit that could hap successful a firearms incident,” St. Johns explained. “We bash it successful 3 antithetic positions. We enactment a lodged projectile an inch wrong of the chamber, we enactment different circular down it, and we occurrence it with a lodged projectile. We bash that aforesaid trial with it midway … down the barrel, and we bash it astatine the extremity of the barrel. If, during that test, we person immoderate benignant of catastrophic nonaccomplishment that’s going to lend itself to a information interest for a soldier, the limb strategy is wholly redesigned and started over.”

“There has ne'er been an incidental with the NGSW with an obstructed bore successful our investigating where, if that weapon had an obstructed bore, which is the high-det[onation], high-pressure, precocious catastrophic event, wherever there’s ever been a concern wherever that firearm has witnessed immoderate imaginable for causing an issue,” helium added.

St. John besides rejected the assertion that the XM7’s ambidextrous mag merchandise is peculiarly casual to deed accidentally.

“We person redesigned our mag merchandise to guarantee that it has a amended signifier and function, due to the fact that determination was [sic] immoderate situations wherever our mag merchandise was somewhat retired of spec from a parts perspective, and due to the fact that of that retired of specification, the mag merchandise would unintentionally merchandise the magazine,” St. John did acknolwedge. “That’s been rectified done the U.S. Army engineering alteration connection process. We’ve implemented aggregate manufacturing inspection processes of that portion to guarantee that, arsenic that’s identified, that that can’t hap successful the future.”

Both St. John and Sig Sauer’s Shoemaker said they were unaware of immoderate instances of the XM7’s charging grip being snapped off.

What Capt. Trent is “more apt referencing is erstwhile you complaint the charging grip – it’s a idiosyncratic grooming happening – guys are coming disconnected of the AR[-15/M16] level connected a nonstop impingement strategy wherever that’s tied to the carrier,” Shoemaker said. “This is simply a piston-driven system. It’s tied connected the op[erating] rod. So a small spot of question up and down. So if you propulsion connected it successful a rearward position, it could clang into the backmost of the stock, if the banal is successful a collapsed position.”

“If you propulsion it [the charging handle] to the rear, normally, it’s not going to interfere with the bustock. If you assistance up somewhat connected it’s not going to interfere with the buttstock,” St. John added. “I person ne'er seen successful immoderate evaluation, immoderate testing, oregon had immoderate tract study from immoderate extremity idiosyncratic of an MCX charging grip snapping from use.”

Shoemaker further asserted that the basal contented of soldiers becoming much acquainted with the particulars of operating the XM7’s charging grip has been “overcome with training.”

When asked astir Capt. Trent’s statement of the XM7’s side-mounted charging grip arsenic “not ergonomically viable,” St. John called that an “opinion” and said that having 2 charging handles connected the weapon offers shooters much options depending connected the circumstances.

“I honestly don’t cognize what he’s referencing there,” St. John besides said erstwhile astir the suppressor locking ringing issue.

“Barrel beingness connected our firearm exceeds 10,000 rounds. I judge the service request was 5,000 rounds. Without physically inspecting the tube … that he’s referencing, I would accidental that I don’t deliberation we’ve witnessed thing that helium is referencing,” St. John added.

Sig Sauer’s St. John did admit that the XM7 is inactive evolving arsenic a effect of ongoing investigating and idiosyncratic feedback, and that Sig expects much changes to the weapon to travel successful the future, arsenic is often the lawsuit erstwhile a subject gets a caller limb system.

“I deliberation that soldiers and citizens should privation Sig Sauer, the U.S. [Army] programme bureau to proceed that signifier of continually evolving and processing and improving their soldiers weapons systems. And I deliberation we expect that we’re going to acquisition those betterment processes for the adjacent 25 to 30 years,” Sig Sauer’s St. John did besides note. “There’s going to beryllium improvements successful manufacturing [and] materials processes. The soldiers connected the crushed and the U.S. Army are going to dictate antithetic operational requirements and standards for the weapons systems, and we’re going to person to respond to those modifications that are going to optimize that limb strategy arsenic that evolves done clip and history.”

“It should beryllium nary surprise, successful my opinion, that specifically successful the infancy of a weapons programme that there’s a precise assertive betterment effort to guarantee that the Army and the soldiers get the limb strategy that they deserve,” helium added.

What the XM7’s aboriginal mightiness different hold

TWZ has besides reached retired to the Army for responses to Capt. Trent’s findings, including his assertions astir the wide operational inferior of the XM7 compared to the M4A1.

“The Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) programme importantly increases lethality and probability of deed astatine the squad level,” the Army’s authoritative website connected the programme declares. “Due to the quality of the NGSW ammunition, the 6.8mm projectile volition outperform adjacent the astir modern 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition. These limb systems volition springiness Soldiers important capableness improvements successful accuracy, range, signature management, and lethality.”

It’s besides worthy noting that the NGSW programme besides reflects the extremity effect of decades of failed Army attempts to follow a caller modular work rifle, perchance successful a antithetic cartridge than 5.56x45mm, arsenic good arsenic efforts to determination distant from the AR-15/M16 family. For an equipped unit arsenic ample arsenic the Army, immoderate wide-scale adoption of a caller firearm and a caller benignant of ammunition is simply a immense undertaking to statesman with. All caller systems spell done immoderate grade of teething issues erstwhile they are archetypal fielded.

As mentioned astatine the opening of the story, NGSW is simply a multi-billion-dollar effort of large value to some the Army and Sig Sauer. Just this week, the Pentagon and the Army announced large service-wide restructuring plans that volition person immense ramifications for galore programs, a fig of which are apt to beryllium severely truncated, if not chopped outright, successful the coming months.

How the Army progresses with the XM7 and the remainder of the NGSW programme could person implications for different branches of the U.S. military, arsenic well. Given its size, the Army is often a cardinal operator of associated unit tiny arms decisions simply owed to logistics factors and economies of scale. Virtually the full U.S. military, with the notable objection of peculiar operations units, is successful the process close present of fielding variants of Sig Sauer’s P320 pistol. The Army selected a P320-based plan arsenic the victor of its Modular Handgun System (MHS) contention successful 2017. Sig Sauer has faced important abstracted disapproval astir the P320 implicit superior driblet information issues that the institution insists it has resolved. The pistols besides suffered teething troubles during archetypal fielding with the US Army.

Marine officials said separately astatine Modern Day Marine this week that their work had conscionable precocious completed an valuation of the NGSW household of systems and is present processing the results to find what, if any, steps guardant volition beryllium taken. For now, the superior limb of the Marines remains the M27.

“My anticipation is not that I tin supply a definitive reply … it requires further exploration by experts successful the field, determination makers successful precocious places, to truly research this,” Capt. Trent did besides told members of the Marine Corps Association successful a unrecorded interrogation from the level of Modern Day Marine aft his presentation. “I anticipation that I’ve astatine slightest generated speech that tin pb the American subject to receiving adjacent much lethal limb systems and capabilities.”

“My anticipation is that this conscionable generates further involvement and treatment astir what are the pros and cons of the system,” Trent continued. “If we are going to stay with the XM7, okay, but however tin we code the issues for the strategy to mitigate hazard to soldiers [and] maximize lethality?”

Special acknowledgment to Breaking Defense‘s Ashley Roque for providing audio of Braden Trent’s presumption astatine Modern Day Marine.

Contact the author: [email protected]