XM5

This article is about the SIG Sauer assault rifle. For other uses, see XM 5 (disambiguation).

XM5
300px The XM5 rifle, based on the MCX Spear
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2022–present
Used by	United States Army
Production history
Designed	2019
Manufacturer	SIG Sauer
Specifications
Weight	8.38 lb (3.80 kg) 9.84 lb (4.46 kg) (with suppressor) 1.4 lb (0.64 kg) (loaded 20-round magazine)
Length	34.1 in (866 mm) 36 in (914 mm) (with suppressor)
Barrel length	13 in (330 mm) 15.3 in (389 mm) (with suppressor)
Caliber	.277 Fury (6.8×51mm Common)
Action	Short-stroke gas-operated piston, rotating bolt
Feed system	20-round detachable box magazine

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 designed by SIG Sauer for the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program in 2022 to replace the M4 carbine. The XM5 features a free-floating reinforced M-LOK handguard for direct accessory attachment onto the "negative space" (hollow slot) mounting points.

History

In January 2019, the United States military began the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program to find replacements for the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun. In September 2019, SIG Sauer submitted its designs. The XM5 is designed to fire the 6.8×51mm (.277 in) SIG Fury cartridge in response to concerns that improvements in body armor would diminish the effectiveness of common battlefield rounds such as the 5.56×45mm NATO (used in the M4 and M249) and 7.62×51mm NATO. Army Times describes this as an "intermediate caliber 6.8mm cartridge". The ballistics of the .277 Fury indicate that it is likely a fully powered cartridge as it has higher chamber pressure, velocity and energy on target than 7.62×51 mm NATO.

On 19 April 2022, the United States Army awarded a 10-year contract to SIG Sauer to produce the XM5 rifle, along with the XM250 automatic rifle, to replace the M4 and M249, respectively; these model numbers are the next numbers sequentially to the weapons they are to replace. The first batch of 25 XM5s and 15 XM250s are planned to be delivered in late 2023. The Army plans to procure a total of 107,000 rifles and 13,000 automatic rifles for close combat forces including infantrymen, cavalry scouts, combat engineers, forward observers and combat medics; there are no plans initially to issue the weapons to non-combat soldiers. The contract has the capacity to build additional weapons should the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command choose to be included.

The XM5 weighs 8.38 lb (3.80 kg), or 9.84 lb (4.46 kg) with a suppressor, and has a basic combat load of 140 rounds in seven 20-round magazines weighing 9.8 lb (4.4 kg). Compared to the M4A1 weighing 6.34 lb (2.88 kg) unsuppressed with a basic combat load of 210 rounds in seven 30-round magazines weighing 7.4 lb (3.4 kg), the XM5 weighs about 2 lb (0.91 kg) more and a rifleman carries roughly a 4 lb (1.8 kg) heavier load with 70 fewer rounds.

Operational testing of the XM5 rifle, XM250 automatic rifle, XM157 Fire Control Optic platform agnostic unit and the 6.8×51mm ammunition squad weaponry is to begin in 2024 and does not guarantee actual widespread future issue.

See also

• SIG Sauer M17