Second Amendment Sanctuaries: Please Consider the Deadly Assault Weapon MCX-SPEAR

The MCX-SPEAR, the civilian version of the US Army’s new NGSW-R (Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle)

“A gun company is marketing an assault rifle that can shoot through bulletproof vests to civilians, a report says, amid ongoing debates about gun control following a string of deadly mass shootings.

“SIG Sauer's MCX-SPEAR is the civilian equivalent of the US Army's NGSW-R (Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle), specifically created to tear through body armor, The Daily Beast reported.

"'It'll shoot through almost all of the bulletproof vests worn by law enforcement in the county right now,' Ryan Busse, a former firearms company executive now a senior policy analyst with the Giffords Law Center, told the outlet.

(Alia Shoaib. “New assault rifle being sold to civilians is twice as powerful as the AR-15 and capable of shooting through bulletproof vests, report says.” Business Insider. July 23, 2022.)

War-Fighting Weapon

Of course, making this gun commercially available raises questions about the possible outcomes if it were to get into the hands of a mass shooter. SIG Sauer's MCX-SPEAR can fire bullets with twice the kinetic energy of an AR-15, The Daily Beast reported. The gun fires bullets with a longer range, and it has a noise suppressor that could make a gunman harder to locate, the outlet reported.

Sig Sauer rifles were displayed during the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on May 5, 2018, in Dallas, Texas.

"The MCX-SPEAR was developed with direct input from US warfighters to provide more power, distance, and accuracy to replace the current M4 rifle platform," the company's website says.

“This is a weapon that could defeat any body armor, any planned body armor that we know of in the future,” then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told the Army Times in 2019. “This is a weapon that can go out at ranges that are unknown today.”

Milley had in mind the body armor worn by Russian and Chinese troops. The Army just shrugged when asked this week whether the same could apply to that worn by cops.

“Please, refer your question to Sig Sauer and civilian law enforcement agencies,” a spokesperson for the Army Modernization Team told The Daily Beast.

(Michael Daly. “‘Proud’ Gunmaker Figures Out How to Make Mass Shootings Worse.” The Daily Beast. July 20, 2022.)

Marketing

The company said that the MCX-SPEAR would be available at "select dealers," Firearm Blog first reported in January. In the press release, Ron Cohen, President & CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc, said it was "a rare opportunity for passionate consumers to own a piece of history.

One of the dealers said that the arms manufacturer sent out 2,500 and 5,000 of the weapons and they sold out quickly, despite the hefty manufacturer's suggested price tag of $7,999, The Daily Beast reported.

A customer service representative for SIG Sauer told the outlet that more weapons would soon be shipped to gun stores at a lower price than the "first editions" models.

"I know it's coming," the representative told the outlet. "We're trying to get these things out as fast as we can. Get as many guns as we can out the door."

(Alia Shoaib. “New assault rifle being sold to civilians is twice as powerful as the AR-15 and capable of shooting through bulletproof vests, report says.” Business Insider. July 23, 2022.)

Conclusion

Civilians and firearms created with the specific purpose of tearing through body armor? My God, what have we become? I'm sure every gun-worshiping Billy Badass will drool over this weapon. SIG Sauer's marketing to civilians is just insane. It features either military guys or special forces officers touting the weapon. The plan is clear: forget basic training, just buy the gun military special operators use.

I know gun-lovers and Second Amendment Sanctuary supporters are going to give many reasons for civilians buying and owning and … using … such a deadly military firearm. However, I am sick and tired of the reckless abandon of gun companies, gun lobbies, and politicians who ignore gun violence perpetuated by these weapons of mass destruction.

Our own Scioto County commissioner Bryan Davis recently stated in the Facebook video of the July 7, 2022 commissioners meeting …

“And what we need to do is make sure that if there is an armed assailant out there and he has a gun, you know what, it's all right to have one that's bigger than what he's got. And, you know what? It goes back to the founding of our country. The Founding Fathers showed great wisdom in the fact that the right to bears arms shall not be infringed. And that means no way, no how.”

Well, I say “how.” We must address gun violence and stop madmen from accessing assault weapons like the MCX-SPEAR. Our officials who oppose all reform should understand the real consequences of their support of “no infringement.” Ohio has currently loosened gun restrictions and firearm training. Its new commitment to “stand your ground” legislation now opens the door to terrible judgments by those with overly aggressive behaviors and mental illness.

Put this weapon in the hands of the public? Why? I see no reason for such greedy marketing behavior or for directly creating the desire for more death and destruction.