{"id":4125,"date":"2016-06-15T22:25:45","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T22:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box5917.temp.domains\/~iriacom\/\/news\/?p=4125"},"modified":"2025-07-29T08:47:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:47:34","slug":"sig-sauer-mcx-the-weapon-that-caused-100-causalities-in-orlando-massacre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/sig-sauer-mcx-the-weapon-that-caused-100-causalities-in-orlando-massacre\/","title":{"rendered":"Sig Sauer MCX – the weapon that caused 100+ casualties in Orlando massacre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weapon used by Orlando mass shooter was $1,866 rifle, developed for US Army’s special operations, with “an innovative weapon system built around a battle-proven core”<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Sana Jamal<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

On the\u00a0early morning of June 12, a gunman attacked a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others<\/a><\/span> before he was killed by law enforcement.<\/p>\n

During the assault, Mateen, 29, was armed with a rifle and a Glock 17 handgun. But most significant weapon used by Orlando shooter is a Sig Sauer MCX rifle<\/a><\/span>, according to law enforcement.<\/p>\n

The assault weapon used in Orlando massacre was developed by Sig Sauer – an NRA corporate donor (which has\u00a0contributed<\/a><\/span>\u00a0between $25,000 and $49,999 to the gun organization) and also the sponsor<\/a><\/span>\u00a0of the NRA news series \u201cDefending Our America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sig Sauer describes MCX<\/a>\u00a0rifle<\/span>\u00a0as “an innovative weapon system built around a battle-proven core.”<\/p>\n

Originally designed for U.S. Special Operations forces, the MCX was “engineered from the ground up to be short, light and silenced,” and it accepts \u201ca broad array of accessories, enabling you to build a complete weapon system for any scenario or environment,\u201d\u00a0Sig Sauer\u2019s website<\/a><\/span>\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

The MCX is known in military circles as the “Black Mamba” and was developed at the request of the U.S. special forces, according to the book\u00a0Guns of Special Forces 2001-2015<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about this lethal weapon that inflicted 100+ causalities in Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n

Specification of the Sig Sauer MCX<\/span><\/h3>\n

It has a military-spec trigger and a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The rifle was designed to meet these specific goals: \u201ca firearm that\u2019s as quiet as an MP5, as deadly as an AK-47, and more modular than anything ever designed\u201d elucidates.<\/p>\n

This is how MCX is billed at a gun website<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n

In a sea of the ordinary, the Sig Sauer MCX stands out as a truly extraordinary rifle platform. It was designed from the ground up to be a completely modular weapons system– allowing users to transition to multiple calibers and different, mission-specific accessories. It also takes short-stroke gas piston technology to the next level and affords shooters unprecedented reliability and accuracy.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The weapon is sold in a semi-automatic version to civilians and also marketed to special forces with a selective-fire version.<\/p>\n

A review<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of the MCX on The Truth About Guns explains what sets apart MCX from other related rifles: \u201cWhen it comes to getting shots on multiple targets quickly — especially when shooting with a silencer attached — an MCX-wielding rifleman will have a distinct advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

SIG Sauer<\/a><\/span>‘s MCX that combines similar modularity with a purpose-built, short-barreled, suppressed, lightweight rifle-caliber system.<\/p>\n

SIG SAUER MCX Rifle specifications:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Type: Gas-piston, semi-automatic<\/strong>
\nCaliber: 5.56 NATO<\/strong>
\nAction: Semi-auto gas piston<\/strong>
\nBarrel: 16\u2033<\/strong>
\nWeight: 6 pounds<\/strong>
\nMSRP: $1,866<\/strong>
\nManufacturer:\u00a0SIG Sauer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Sig<\/a><\/p>\n

Orlando tragedy and America’s gun violence issue<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Orlando tragedy \u2014 United States\u2019 worst mass shooting ever<\/a><\/span> and its second-worst terrorist attack after September 11, 2001\u2014\u00a0has once again put the spotlight on the\u00a0accessibility of guns and failed legal efforts to ban it.<\/p>\n

Mass shootings are also a stark reminder that guns in America are widely available and affordable, being sold for\u00a0as low as $250 online<\/a><\/span>, with an average price of about $1,000 and $2,000.<\/p>\n

Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino and\u00a0now Orlando\u00a0\u2013 every mass shooting has been followed by the debate whether rifles should be sold to civilians since most killers get their guns legally, just like Omar Mateen who purchased the guns from a\u00a0local shop<\/a><\/span> after passing a full background check.<\/p>\n

America witnessed 141 mass shootings in 2016 so far<\/span><\/h3>\n

In 2016 alone, there have been 141 mass shootings in 167 days (till 15 June 2016) according to Gun Violence Archive<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Orlando massacre was 139th mass shooting in United States in 2016. The non-profit Gun Violence Archive says guns have been used to kill 6,092 people in the U.S. so far in 2016.<\/p>\n

\"Mass<\/a><\/p>\n

Florida has had more mass shootings in 2016 than any other state<\/span><\/h3>\n

There have been 15 mass shootings so far in Florida, which is more than any other state. Four of those shootings occurred in Orlando, including the shooting at the Pulse nightclub on Sunday, GVA\u2019s database shows.<\/p>\n

Florida state is generally considered to be a state with minimal restrictions on firearms<\/a><\/span> purchases. It received an \u201cF\u201d-grade\u00a0and ranked 28th in the most recent\u00a0annual state scorecard published in 2015<\/a><\/span>\u00a0by the Law Center. Moreover, Florida does not require background checks on private gun sales and doesn\u2019t regulate assault weapons or large capacity ammunition magazines.<\/p>\n

Gun sales on the rise in the\u00a0United States<\/span><\/h3>\n

Gun sales in the U.S. have intensely increased in recent years. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S.\u00a0gun-makers\u00a0produced<\/a>\u00a0nearly 11 million guns in 2013, the year after the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. That’s twice as many as they made in 2010.<\/p>\n

There are now more guns than people in the United States<\/a><\/span>, as per the 2012 Report by Congressional Research Service<\/a><\/span>, the U.S. has at least 310 million guns available to civilians in 2009 for a rate of 1.01 guns per 100 people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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