UPDATE: Cory McQuilkin, the Defense Product Manager from Sig Sauer contacted us regarding this article on the SIG MCX. He wanted us to provide the following link
Sig Sauer has issued a mandatory recall on all manufactured Sig Sauer MCX rifles with no exceptions. The problem with the popular rifle was a few instances of unintended discharges of the firearm, the documented cases were with rifles chambered in .300 AAC Blackout, but Sig Sauer has taken a one size fits all approach in the name of shooter safety. The move for Sig comes at a terrible time with SHOT Show 2017 a few weeks away and the company pinning their hopes of making a splash in the military style long gun market. The MCX was really starting to gain some traction in the sales market but some weaknesses in the rifles design were starting to present themselves. The bolt and bolt carrier group is the area of the rifle that caused the recall, not the fire control group. This is incidentally the same area that caused some issues and stoppages during a recent test and evaluation video with popular firearms review YouTube channel, Military Arms Channel.
Generation 1 Bolt Carrier Group
Generation II Bolt Carrier Group
Sig Sauer appears to be upgrading the firing pin while at the same time adding a spring to it. The photos released by Sig Sauer also show modifications to be made the the bolt locking lugs as well as the addition of a “non-removable fitting pin retaining pin”. This is particularly interesting because it would appear at first glance that the Sig Sauer MCX would no longer use a standard AR-15 style firing pin. The last upgrade Sig Sauer is making to the MCX bolt carrier is their plan to change the recoil spring plate. There have been several documented failings of this dual spring with hinged spring plate in recent months that I am sure also got back to Sig Sauer engineers.
When the Sig MCX first came on the rifle scene many of us were excited at the idea of a piston style 5.56 rifle that takes AR-15 magazines and wouldn’t cost as much as a FN SCAR. The recent developments have let a lot of people in the gun industry wondering what will come next and how Sig Saber’s improvements will help the rifle. The failure of the Sig Sauer 556, and Sig Sauer 556 Xi have to hurt the company’s once amazing reputation in the gun community. No one is sure what will happen next, we do know that Sig Sauer has to handle this situation the exact opposite way Remington handled the R51 recall and replacement. Many of us are also wondering what this will do to future military contract options for Sig Sauer in the future on a global level. Stay tune for more developments.
(Feature Image Courtesy:gundigest.com)
