SIG Sauer MPX Copperhead
SIG Sauer · Personal Defense Weapon · In Production · 2018
Also known as: MPX Copperhead, SIG Copperhead
Overview
The SIG Sauer MPX Copperhead is an ultra-compact member of the MPX family, built around a 3.5-inch (89 mm) barrel and a monolithic upper receiver with an integrated muzzle brake and an integrated stock knuckle on the lower. Like the parent MPX, it uses a short-stroke gas-piston operating system firing from a closed rotating bolt - a deliberate departure from the simple blowback used by most pistol-caliber compacts - which keeps recoil unusually flat for so short a weapon. The commercial pistol configuration ships with SIG's Pivoting Contour Brace (PCB), a swivelling stabilizing brace that deploys quickly and conforms to the shooter's arm. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and fed by proprietary translucent polymer magazines, the Copperhead is one of the most compact gas-operated 9mm weapons in production and is marketed for close-quarters and vehicle-borne personal defense.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2000 g (70.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 368 mm (14.49") |
| Barrel Length | 89 mm (3.50") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 538 J (397 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 850 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Cerakote |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Proprietary Polymer Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Ambidextrous Manual Safety, Firing Pin Safety, Trigger Safety
- Features: Short Stroke Gas Piston, Closed Bolt Firing, Ambidextrous Controls, Monolithic Upper Receiver, Integrated Muzzle Brake, Pivoting Contour Brace, Ar15 Style Controls, Picatinny Rail, Translucent Polymer Magazine, Suppressor Ready
Base model
Service history
Operators
- US Law Enforcement (Various) · as MPX Copperhead
Production
Production years: 2018-present
In production as a commercial braced pistol; select-fire SMG offered to military and law enforcement
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: SIG Sauer engineering team
Notes
The select-fire submachine-gun version of the Copperhead, intended for military and law-enforcement personal-defense roles, is among the shortest gas-operated select-fire weapons ever produced. The widely sold commercial model is semi-automatic only and is legally a pistol with a stabilizing brace. The integrated muzzle brake is permanently affixed to the short barrel and is part of the monolithic upper assembly. Rate-of-fire figure applies to the select-fire SMG variant.
Background
At roughly 14.5 inches long, the Copperhead packs the MPX's rifle-style gas system into a frame barely larger than a handgun - SIG essentially proved you could shrink an AR-pattern operating system to fit in a glovebox while still taming 9mm recoil enough to shoot it one-handed.