U.S. Army’s New M7 Rifle Faces Criticism Over Weight and Design
The U.S. Army’s new M7 rifle, set to replace the M4, is drawing criticism for its weight and design flaws.
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The United States Army is facing backlash over the introduction of the M7 rifle, which is set to replace the M4 carbine starting in December. The rifle, part of the Next-Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program, has drawn criticism for its weight and design, with some calling it a ‘lemon’ on social media.
SIG won a ten-year contract in 2022 to produce the Army’s NGSW system, which includes a rifle and light machine gun designed to fire a new 6.8x51mm round. The M7 has drawn fire on social media for being too heavy for troops.
Thoughts about Sig winning the NGSW contract? Sounds like a Gun Meme Review in the making…
“Besides weighing 50% more than an M4, this POS is heavily overloaded with janky tacticool features, takes special ammo produced by one monopoly supplier, and falls to pieces under stress,” one post says. “All it lacks to be a true exemplar of American tech is a QR code and frozen touch screen.”
The NGSW program was launched after the 2017 Small Arms Ammunition Configuration (SAAC) study, which validated a need for greater energy on target and reduced shooter error through advanced fire control. It addressed limitations of existing 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm systems against protected and unprotected threats at extended ranges and is the first major rifle and automatic rifle fielding of this nature in roughly 65 years.
The M7 weighs 9.8 pounds with a suppressor, has a 20-round magazine, a 13.5-inch barrel, and can be equipped with an optical sight, according to ArmyRecognition.com. The XM8, its replacement, weighs 8.8 pounds with the suppressor, has a 25-round clip, and an 11-inch barrel, according to the United States Army.
The NGSW program also includes the M250 light machine gun, intended to replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in front-line infantry units. The XM8 carbine is set to replace the M4A1 carbine for Soldiers in the Close Combat Force, beginning in FY27, according to a Department of Defense spokesperson.
“The XM8 is approximately 3.5 inches shorter and over a pound lighter than its M7 predecessor, offering significant advantages on the modern battlefield,” the spokesperson said.
The M7 rifle was slated to replace the M4 carbine, a shorter version of the M16 assault rifle first fielded in the 1960s. The M4 carbine replaced the World War II-vintage M3 “grease gun,” a submachine gun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.
Source: Daily Caller
