The semi-automatic rifle used in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history was designed to meet U.S. military requirements for a smaller, quieter combat weapon.
Sig Sauer’s MCX hit the market in 2015 after years of development by the New Hampshire-based company. Sig Sauer markets the MCX as an “innovative weapon system built around a battle-proven core.”
Police say Omar Mateen was armed with a Sig Sauer MCX and a pistol during the attack early Sunday at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which left 49 people dead. Mateen, who had purchased the guns legally, was killed after a shootout with police.
Gun control advocates say the MCX, which comes with a magazine that carries 30 rounds, is exactly the type of assault weapon that should not be available to civilians.
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