Sneak Peak

SIG NEXT Event

By: Guy Coursey

The latest SIG products and a peek behind the curtains

Sig P365 Fuse: “A full-sized pistol fused with the concealability of a compact,” the Fuse is a 4.3” long slide version of the smaller, highly successful P365. The Fuse features a customized, optic-ready slide, custom Macro-size stippled frame, a flat trigger, and comes with two 21-round magazines plus a flush-fitting 17-round magazine.

If one were to objectively consider the most innovative companies in the world, most people would probably think of high-tech organizations like Tesla, Amazon, or those specializing in AI. But you could make a strong case for another one right here in the United States – Sig Sauer. From a well-known but struggling organization just over 20 short years ago, Sig Sauer has transformed into an industry juggernaut, dominating not only with firearms but also optics, ammunition, training, accessories, and even performance shooting software. SIG’s many diverse and high-quality products continue to grow. Some are truly new, with others being improved versions of older but venerated products. The latest Sig innovations were recently showcased at the “SIG NEXT” event, held near their Sig Sauer headquarters in Newington, New Hampshire from 25-27 June. Touted as “The Future of Sig,” SIG NEXT was an invitation-only event for a fortunate handful of firearms-related media and industry personalities. SIG NEXT presented a unique opportunity to see the latest Sig Sauer products and connect with SIG engineers, developers, competitors, and other experts to take a peek into the secrets of their success.

Romeo X Enclosed Optic: The newest Sig PMO was developed for use by the U.S. military for strength, ruggedness, and reliability. The Romeo X has a fully enclosed aluminum housing, side-mounted battery, low deck height for BUIS co-witnessing, 3 MOA, 6 MOA, and circle-dot reticle options on a Pro or Compact footprint.

P320-FLUX Legion FCU: Developed for the Special Operations Community, the FLUX Legion Raider chassis allows the user to transform the P320 Legion into a small, maneuverable, and concealable PCC-style platform. Features include a rapidly deployable stabilizing brace, elevated optics mount, front Picatinny rail, and the ability to have two 30-round magazines available on board simultaneously.

MCX-Spear and Hybrid Ammunition: The new rifle selected by the U.S. Army in 2022 to replace the venerable M16/M4 platform is the greatest manifestation of the original Sig MCX for a new level of performance. The Spear is available in standard 7.62×51, 6.5 CM, and now in the new 6.8×51 SIG hybrid ammo, allowing over 3000 FPS out of a 16″ barrel.

The planets having somehow aligned perfectly, karma (and my generous editor) allowed me to be one of those chosen to attend SIG NEXT. This is not the first time I have been honored with such a privilege, and I can honestly say that every time leaves me more impressed than the last. Sig Sauer spares no expense, and everything is done with the utmost organization and professionalism. After arrival and a chauffeured trip from the airport to our hotels, attendees were treated to a high-end, all-you-could-drink ice-breaker dinner event at a local Portsmouth jazz club. The dinner was where everyone got to know each other, learned a little about some of the SIG NEXT lineup, and were introduced to their groups, each under the guidance of a senior SIG employee for the next few days.

Following a catered breakfast, the first full day of SIG Next was spent at the Sig Sauer Academy range and the new SIG Experience Center in Epping, NH. All participants were shown the latest lineup of SIG NEXT products and then given plenty of time and ammo to play with all of them. A short introduction of these products follows at the end of this article, but suffice it to say that few things are more fun than shooting great

Sig P226 XFive Reserve: Those who like the original, traditional Sig large framed 9mm pistols but in more modern, competition-oriented packages will be intrigued by the Sig XFive Reserve. The Reserve is a SIG Custom-Works design with refined, polished aesthetics, upgraded controls, a flat trigger, and a compensated slide.

guns with someone else’s ammo. The day included round-robin engagement with each firearm at various stations on the Sig Academy outdoor range as well as indoors at the SIG Experience Center. The latter is a mammoth building housing the full lineup of SIG firearms and related equipment, combined with a high-tech indoor range, a conference center, and amenities like a café. Midway through the day, the group was treated to a demonstration of a new remotely operated weapon system, one of several programs Sig developed for our special warriors, followed by an exceptional catered lunch. A catered dinner that evening showcased, among other things, a variety of one-off experimental and unusual SIG firearms, along with a chance to share notes with a variety of experts from all over the country.

Cross Magnum Sawtooth: The coming of the Sig Cross lightweight bolt-action rifle platform revolutionized the hunting industry a few years ago. The latest version of the Cross is a hybrid hunting and precision rifle available in 7ARC and 300PRC, built around a 24-inch Proof Research carbon fiber precision barrel, ultra-light adjustable folding stock, ARCA handguard, competition trigger, and AR-style grip and controls.

Echo Thermal’s: SIG’s Echo thermal weapon sight line has grown to include two new dedicated sights — the SV50-LRF 2-16x50mm and SV35-LRF 1.5-12x35mm — along with one new clip-on, all with impressive stats.

P320 XFive SXG: Like the P226 XFive Reserve, the SXG is the new competition-driven, heavy metal, steel-framed version of the Sig 320 AXG. It has nearly 50 ounces of recoil-reducing weight for the flattest shooting Sig ever.

The second full day of SIG NEXT allowed participants to look behind the curtain at SIG’s manufacturing and headquarters facilities in Rochester and Newington, NH. Split into media and industry sub-groups, each had a chance to tour the 250,000 sq/ft Rochester plant, the primary manufacturing facility for the new XM7 rifle and XM250 light machine gun developed for the U.S. Army. Later, following lunch, we were taken to the SIG Headquarters and manufacturing building, where we toured the manufacturing spaces for yet more firearms, as well as the test firing facilities and the administrative spaces. The latter included a brief discussion in the Sig Sauer gun museum/office of SIG CEO Ron Cohen, the man most responsible for the meteoric rise of Sig Sauer in the last few decades. Space prevents a complete discussion of everything seen at both these facilities, but a few themes run throughout. First, the sheer scale of the plants is amazing. It is difficult to describe the many different types of automated and human-driven machines that go into creating a firearm from the ground up, to say nothing of tens of thousands of them. Second, quality is something emphasized and checked throughout each step of the production process by both machine and man. Flaws are ruthlessly ferreted out, analyzed, and eliminated. Anyone who has heard scuttlebutt about Sig Sauer beta testing products pushed out to unwary customers too soon will disregard that notion after touring their manufacturing facilities. Lastly, it was apparent that every employee was committed to producing the highest quality products and took pride in being part of the Sig Sauer organization. People are the secret sauce driving Sig Sauer’s continuing success, and the SIG NEXT event demonstrated that it will only increase in the future. For more information, contact Sig Sauer; Tel.: (603) 610-3000; Web: www.sigsauer.com