It took a while but they finally found The One. Hiding in plain sight. SOCOM just announced its intention to go with a personal defense weapon that swings both ways. It’s the Sig Sauer MCX “Rattler,” which can be chambered in both .300 Blackout and 5.56mm calibers. Check out five-year fixed firm price contract here.
SOCOM began looking for a new PDW in 2017, preferably built around the M4 carbine’s receiver, offering more firepower while still being compact and portable. The command procured 10 Rattlers in 2018 for testing and evaluation, but kept its search going, issuing another search for weapon system designs in 2019. The goal was to find a new PDW with “a highly concealable .300 Blackout upper receiver group (URG) and buttstock kit solution for the M4A1 platform.”
Which all led right back the The Rattler.
“The PDW system will allow Operators to have maximum firepower in a concealable weapon,” SOCOM said in the notice. The order will include the guns themselves plus suppressors, magazines and cleaning gear, plus additional parts and training on the new platforms.
The .300 Blackout round is designed to be quieter than regular ammunition, while still packing a punch. These personal defense weapons are meant to provide more firepower than a pistol while being more portable and compact than carbines or rifles, making them ideal in close-quarters scenarios. (Task and Purpose)