SIG SAUER made two big announcements today. First is their designed and manufactured in the USA bolt action rifle, the CROSS. Offered in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor and a brand new caliber, it will retail for around $1600.
SIG has done a great job establishing themselves as a defense company and the introduction of the CROSS is a concerted move into the hunting market. But as you can see, this bolt action rifle takes a lot of cues from their defense products.
In addition to the rifle, they are commercializing the 6.8mm ammunition developed for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program as the 277 SIG FURY round. SIG claims to be getting 3000 FPS velocity from a 16″ barrel when fired from the CROSS. This owes to the cartridge’s three-piece design case which features a brass case and steel head held with a clip. This is the same cartridge design being offered to the military, but now coming to you.
While the 277 SIG FURY cartridge is awaiting approval from SAAMI, SIG expects it be certified for SHOT Show.
The CROSS I fired incorporated a dust cover but SIG was toying with the idea of eliminating it on the production version. In addition to a 3-lug bolt, the CROSS relies on AICS pattern magazines.
Here, I’m firing the CROSS in 277 SIG Fury using SIG produced hybrid-cased ammo during a recent visit to SIG Academy in New Hampshire. It was quite controllable and the rifle performed well as I shot multiple magazines through it.
My friend Tom Beckstrand produced a great video on the CROSS for his Youtube channel, SpeedLoads.
Here is SIG’s press release on the CROSS:
SIG SAUER Introduces CROSS Rifle: The First SIG SAUER Precision Bolt-Action Hunting Rifle Manufactured in the USA
NEWINGTON, N.H., (December 18, 2019) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to introduce the CROSS Rifle. The first SIG-built precision bolt-action hunting rifle is designed by SIG SAUER engineers, completely manufactured and machined at the SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire, and tested by premier competitive shooters, the world’s best long range shooters, and a team of professional hunters that the CROSS is built for.
When our product management team and engineers researched developing a bolt-action rifle, they looked at what was missing from the market, and what new innovation SIG could bring to hunters and precision shooters,” began Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales. “Hunting rifles are typically focused on less weight, and accuracy is secondary. Precision rifles are designed for extreme accuracy, with no weight limitations. What was missing from the market was a true crossover. Our product management team and engineers took the best of both worlds and developed the CROSS featuring the characteristics of a hunting rifle, with the accuracy of a precision rifle.”
The CROSS Precision Bolt-Action Hunting Rifle is a lightweight precision rifle with a push button, foldable SIG precision stock, a one-piece aluminum receiver that eliminates the need for bedding the action, and AI magazines for creating the most accurate precision hunting platform. The CROSS features a stainless-steel rifled barrel with a free-float M-LOK handguard, a 2-stage match-grade trigger externally adjustable from 2.5 – 4 lbs., ambi-safety, a three-lug bolt design with a 60-degree throw and interchangeable bolt handle. The precision stock is spring-loaded for one handed operation and can be fully adjusted in the field for length of pull and comb height with no tools. The rifle has a full-length replaceable picatinny rail that allows for direct optics mounts, 20 MOA, and O MOA. The CROSS is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 WIN, and the soon-to-be-released 277 SIG Fury Hybrid Ammunition with a black anodized or First Lite camo finish.
“Right out of the box the CROSS comes loaded with new innovation and features that hunters and precision shooters will appreciate at a very affordable $1,779.00 MSRP price point,” continued Taylor. “The CROSS delivers on all fronts, and we are especially proud that everything about the CROSS from concept to completion is 100% SIG SAUER and comes directly from our U.S. operations here in New Hampshire.”
CROSS Bolt-Action Rifle Specs (6.5 Creedmoor):
Overall Length: 35.5””
Folded Length: 27.0”
Barrel Length: 18”
Barrel Twist: 1:8
Weight (w/o magazine): 6.4 lbs.
CROSS Bolt-Action Rifle Specs (308 WIN / 277 FURY):
Overall Length: 36.5””
Folded Length: 25.0”
Barrel Length: 16”
Barrel Twist: 1:10 / 1:8.5
Weight (w/o magazine): 6.2 lbs.
Look for more details soon, with the Cross debuting at SHOT Show.
Very interesting news.
Pretty impressive specs. at that price point. Really hope they don’t eliminate the ejection port cover however. I think that’s a pretty cool feature for a gun being marketed as a back country hunting rifle, especially with the cuts/flutes on the bolt.
Q copy?
Yep, only with cut corners from a company that can’t be trusted.
It’s got AICS going for it at least. But yeah, this will see a ridiculous amount of consumer beta testing as usual.
Im sorry are you talking about Q or Sig?
As a P365 owner, I am sure he is talking about Sig
Seems pretty obvious.
The Q Fix is copied from a SIG rifle prototype, not the other way around. They existed at SIG in prototype form long before Q became a company and copied it. Q just happened to bring a version of it to market first. Same thing with Q taking the Erector concept from SIG and bringing it to market first by copying Danish silencer companies before SIG could release the MODX9 and MODX45 handgun silencers.
Shhh… we’re supposed to be “outraged”, not speak the truth 🙂
Never understood the hate for Sig. They make great, innovative products for reasonable prices. They produce a lemon here and there but oh well, everyone does that.
Only a few people will know the true origin. However, let us all remember that the person who brought the Fix to market also founded AAC, which was sold to Remington, he was then fired, and then went to work for Sig’s suppressor division. Only Kevin Brittingham, Sig, and a few others will know who the true originator of the idea and aesthetics. Also of note, AAC was sold to Remington in 2009, the same year the MSR was released. Perhaps there was a spark for innovation or the other way around.
Very nice and in 277, even better. If I could pre-order today, I would.
Pretty interesting rifle, can’t wait to see how it’ll group with the 277. Hopefully the dust cover is kept! I am wondering though, how the barrel is fixed to the action…
It has a barrel nut similar, but different, than an AR style rifle.
SSD- what scope did they have you using?
Sierra3 BDX 4.5-14x44mm
“The Ripoff” by Sig.
What is the brand of the rifle rest?
This Sig uses AICS mags, so it’ll be a bit more versatile with regard to COAL for people who handload, compared to the Q which uses the SR-25 mag.
Sig Cross is half the M$RP, too.
I cannot believe the Army is looking to replace the 5.56 with a .277 round.
To me that just seems crazy, I mean sure it’s awesome that Sig is releasing their NGSW stuff to the public, but Lord. WTF is the Army thinking.
according to the Army they are thinking about future conflicts where we will face off against near peer enemies wearing body armor. 5.56 isn’t the ideal round for this kind of engagement.
The age old race between Arms and Armor is coming back into vogue. Light weight and cheap and strong ceramic armor is being fielded by militaries around the world (i.e. Russia & China) and pretty much all ceramic armor can stop 5.56mm.
To counter that, the US Army is leaning toward a harder hitting round with the ability to punch through that armor and be lethal.
It has been predicted that until some new bullet launching projectile technology comes along (i.e. railgun or laser) that can be carried by a grunt, then armor will continue to get bigger, thicker, stronger and cover more of the soldier’s body until they look like a cross between medical knights and stormtroopers.
So its a 7mm 08 with a fancy case?
Yes but no, it produces more pressure in a smaller case think of it like a 270 win in a 308 sized case.
“Neer-peer enemies wearing body armor” suuure. Assuming someone is issuing body armor that stops 5.56, how much of an upgrade would it be for them to make it 277 capable? A few extra layers of kevlar over the top? Give me a couple of days of materials testing and I can come up with the upgrade.
Meanwhile, the Army will be issuing rifles with what, twice, three times the felt recoil? Unless they get serious about actual marksmanship, it won’t matter a whit.
Color me unimpressed. What is the disclaimer for every financial investment firm? “Previous performance is not a guarantee of future returns”? Except in this case, it probably is. The Army has screwed up every potential upgrade in small arms for half a century, what will make this one different?
It has the energy of a 270 win. It requires very thick hard body armor to stop that kevlar would hardly slow it down. The weight of the armor required to stop it would be unrealistic for the battefield. Recoil should be comparable to 308 though so not too crazy, especially with a suppressor. In the SAW variant with the reciprocating barrel recoil should be very soft so I don’t really see any significant downsides. Marksmanship wise they’re developing an optic rangefinder combo that will lase a target adjust for distance and allow for a fist shot hit. So that won’t be a problem either.
I’ve fired both the Beltfed and the Carbine. The Beltfed has less recoil than an M4. The Carbine has less recoil than an AR10.
That’s amazing less than an M4?
Yes, I was amazed, as you say.
I’m actually rooting for Sig.
They seem to have the most mature, ready to go package of all the entrants.
Level IV stops .270 win.
We’ve been wearing that for years now
It won’t stop this. That’s the point.
At what ranges?
We’re still talking 130gr at 3,000 fps muzzle velocity. No way is the Army getting their wishful 600M penetration.
Tungsten pentrators will likely punch through. Level IV is only rated to stop hardened steel penetrators (specifically a single M2 30.06 AP round at 40 yards) and are in no way intended to stop Tungsten penetrator rounds.
The US Army has been experimenting with a 7.62mm version of the tungsten penetrator bullet they will field in 6.8mm. Likely most ammo will be standard ball for marksmanship training, but the ability to simply change mags to a round capable of punching through Level IV is a serious game changer on the battle field.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/03/23/first-look-us-armys-armor-piercing-tungsten-cored-xm1158-round/
to be honest we are not fighting people in the desert with level 4 armor. They have little to no armor infact most are wearing sandals. There is no reason to worry about penetration on a coyote just need a good hit with some speed
1:8.5 has to be considered a step up for 270’s. Why in heck’s name were all those 270’s made with 1:10 twist? Brings some interesting new bullets into play.
Follow-up: unimpressed with the Army, not Sig. Sig is doing their best to deliver the impossible the Army wants.
Clearly not a hunting rifle
So, the 277 adds a couple of hundred fps over the 270, and now all of a sudden it slices through Level IV like butter? What alloy of unobtainium do they make the projectiles out of?
Like Joglee, I’m rooting for Sig, but based on previous programs, until see armor defeated with my own eyes, or feel recoil n my own shoulder, I’m not buying it.
Tungsten Penetrators dude. They have been around for decades and when combined with horsepower like the .277, it will punch through Level IV plates.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/03/23/first-look-us-armys-armor-piercing-tungsten-cored-xm1158-round/
I’m more interested in the new cartridge than the new rifle.
This rifle release is a smart marketing move and possibly a tease for there NGSW submission being released to the civilian market.
However I would not be surprised if we see this caliber offered in the MCX first as it is a mature platform and they likely have a 7.62 x 51mm version somewhere on the shelf at R&D.
Sig will make some money off that for sure.
Also if the M17 is anything to judge buy, Sig will under bid the cost the Rifle and Ammo and released semi-auto version and ammo to the massive secondary civilian market to cover the short term cost.
Step 1) Underbid competition
Step 2) Release to civilian market
Step 3) Profit!
Tungsten? Seriously? So, we’ll be issuing small arms ammo that costs what, $5-10 a shot? Even the Socom dudes will have to fill out reams of paperwork for it, and a belt of mixed tungsten, ball, tracer, “explosive, light-armor-piercing” ammo will run taxpayers a grand or two?
No way that becomes general issue, and without the magical tungsten bullets, it is just a super-loud, barrel-burning, hard-kicking small arm the troops don’t get enough training with anyway.
Sorry to sound like a doom-ster, but I’ve seen this song and dance too many times in the previous half-century to be optimistic any more.
There are some very serious issues which will arise all across DOTMLPF, but they’ll deal with them once they have to.
For instance, ranges. How will Soldiers train? As it is, the transition from 25m scales targets you 300m Popups will strain the range facilities of the Army. Imagine a general issue gun with a 7.62 range fan. Since it’s intended to engage targets further out, they’ll need not a new qualification table, but new ranges to fire it on.
Good point, SSD, hadn’t even thought of that. The NG range I shoot on for LE classes does not have a range fan that supports 7.62×51 use.
Oh, and as a complete aside, they also don’t allow 7.62×39, because the manual used for range cert says (I kid you not, I’ve seen it with my own eyes) that the 7.62×39 cartridge has the same maximum range as 7.62×51.
If that’s the level of derp we’re dealing with (sorry, Big Green, but it’s the truth) then where could anyone ever train with a new cartridge that exceeds even 7.62×51?
I’m seriously interested in this platform, especially in the .277. However, I’d probably go with the 6.5 due to availability and reloading capability. I’m assuming (hoping) the only changes to be made could just be a barrel swap between the calibers 308/6.5/.277.